1854 replies to this topic

[jkmccarthy]

Cleaning out my telescope-related overflow in the garage and was reminded I was still hanging onto these 4 items (from left to right in the first two photos, I'll call them A, B, C, D) for which I have no planned use, yet they seem too potentially(?) useful to throw away.   So I'm offering them here, free to a good home ---
 
A.  [Taken] Vixen SP/GP era focuser with 36.4mm female threaded drawtube (chrome finish) and rack, left side of focus shaft broken where it exits from the clip over the pinion, still works (sorta) if the remaining knob is pressed to the left as it is rotated.  Base includes four mounting screws and blackened nuts.  For parts.
 
B.  [Taken] Vixen SP/GP era focuser with 36.4mm female threaded drawtube (satin finish) and rack, left side of focus shaft broken were it exits from the clip over the pinion and the right side of the focus shaft is bent. Telescope tube side of focuser housing is blackened.  Base includes four mounting screws and blackened nuts.  For parts.
 
C. [Taken] Black Vixen 60mm lens cell with threaded retaining ring (from the rear side).  Lens itself is a Carton 60/910 achromatic doublet with astigmatism --- but perhaps someone could use the lens cell, or ?
 
D. [Taken] Green Vixen 60mm lens cell with threaded retaining ring (from the rear side).  Lens itself is a Carton 60/910 achromatic doublet with astigmatism --- but perhaps someone could use the lens cell, or ?
 
 

 

 

 
 
As usual here, contact me by private message indicating which item(s) interest you for just the cost of shipping from SoCal, and if you might have second-choice(s) if your first choice(s) are taken.   I'll edit the ad -or- provide a reply post on the status of which item(s) have been claimed.   Please do not post replies to the thread for the purpose of claiming any item(s).
 
Thanks for looking,
 
         -- Jim

P.S. [Available]  One of the 36.4mm female threaded adapters with 0.965" O.D. nosepieces in post #1636 above still remains available.  If anyone could use it (nosepiece inserts into a 0.965" visual back and 36.4mm male threaded accessories can then be mated to the back end), I'm willing to send it to you at no cost (i.e., postage paid).  See: https://www.cloudyni...ead/?p=13158097 and send me a PM if interested.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ 
 
EDIT 9/24 18:30 PDT:   Both of the Vixen 60mm lens cells with astigmatic Carton 60/910 achromats have been claimed.

       9/25  08:30 PDT:   Both of the Vixen focusers have been claimed.

Edited by jkmccarthy, 25 September 2024 - 06:14 PM.

[jkmccarthy]

Two more Vixen items I've been staring at for months in my garage but couldn't bring myself to throw away --- free to a good home:

 

E.   Vixen MT-1 white stepper motor *empty* housing, with 3 additional tapped holes in the top of the housing [2 at top left front, above the DIN socket, and 1 at top back right] as seen in photo #1 (also #4 and #5);

 

F.   Vixen MT-1 white stepper motor *empty* housing, with 3 additional tapped holes [2 in the end of the housing near the DIN socket, and one alongside the dovetail near the open end] as seen in photos #1 thru #4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Presumably a previous owner added the extra holes for cable management, but these could be filled prior to sanding + spray-painting the housings in the color of your choice.  The dovetail rails attach these motor housings to the Vixen/Celestron SP & GP family of mounts, and the GP family of mounts also rely on the larger tapped holes in the top [flat] face of the dovetail rail.  No differences between the R.A. and Decl. motor housings, which are interchangeable.

 

Same rules apply:  please contact me by private message indicating your interest in one or both of these for just the cost of shipping from SoCal.   I'll edit the ad -or- provide a reply post on the status if/when the item(s) have been claimed.   Please do not post replies to the thread for the purpose of claiming any item(s).

Thanks for looking,

         -- Jim

[jkmccarthy]

More garage-cleaning finds, free to a good home --

 

A)  Three cast aluminum Vixen AL-series (aluminum) tripod feet, with 1" long hexagonal nuts to foot-press the tips into the ground.  Upper rectangular sections that fit into the hollow legs measure 27mm wide x 25mm deep x 35mm tall.  Soiled but not damaged.

 

 

B)  Empty hard-shell case for a Celestron 8-24mm Zoom Eyepiece (#93230), no eyepiece.  2-3/8" O.D. x 4-5/8" tall.  The black lid unscrews and has M41 (?) male threads to hold the bottom of the eyepiece inverted inside the case.  Clean.  (EDIT:  After a google search for Celestron 93230, I see this not a vintage zoom eyepiece, and also contrary to my first thought, I don't see any M41(?) female threads on the eyepiece that would mate with the male threads around the cylinder inside the cap.  The I.D. of that cylinder is ~ 37.5mm ...).

 

 

 

 

C) Gloss black plastic lens hood / dew shield.  I.D. at back end is 83.5mm but there are six raised ridges spaced at 60-deg intervals extending 30mm inward from the back end.  Ridge-to-ridge I.D. is 83.0mm.  Front section has 100mm O.D., 95.5mm I.D., and is 100mm long.  Front and rear sections permanently bonded together.  Overall length is 130mm.  Appears new.  Likely *not* a vintage classic item, but may fit a classic 70mm -- 76mm refractor having a lens cell O.D. of 83.0 ~ 83.5mm.  (Ridges could easily be sanded as needed to fit over an O.D. approaching 83.5mm).

 

 

 

 

 

Again, the same rules apply:  please contact me by private message indicating your interest in any of these items:  A, B, and/or C, just for the cost of shipping from SoCal.   I'll edit the ad -or- provide a reply post on the status if/when any item(s) have been claimed.   Please do not post replies to the thread for the purpose of claiming any item(s).

 

Thanks for looking,

 

         -- Jim

Edited by jkmccarthy, 30 September 2024 - 02:02 PM.

[jragsdale]

I have a spare set of baffles from a 10" f/10 refractor project. This is from a 1970s military project, very finely machined with tolerances of +/- 0.002". 65" long total, cut into 2 sections for easy shipping/transport. 12 5/16" diameter outside, knife edge aluminum baffles with welded aluminum tubes connecting. Just pay shipping, 2 separate boxes.

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[DouglasPaul]

I don't know what any of this was with originally but some is obviously Vixen. Free for the price of shipping. It came as a bundle with some things I wanted. There is one more base that I accidentally erased the pictures of that I will retake pics of tomorrow that is a little bigger.

 

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I no longer have access to these items and will not until late next spring.

[gazpachosoup]

I don't know what any of this was with originally but some is obviously Vixen. Free for the price of shipping. It came as a bundle with some things I wanted. There is one more base that I accidentally erased the pictures of that I will retake pics of tomorrow that is a little bigger.

 

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20240827_175217_copy_640x480.jpg

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Interested if anything is left unclaimed. Please PM me. Clear Skies!

[ericb760]

I have come to the realization that collimating SCT's just isn't in my DNA. I have tried ten different guides, and countless videos, and none of them have have been successful in teaching me how to do it. 

I bought this Meade 102mm SCT on ebay recently. The general consensus is that these weren't very good scopes. Mine arrived so far out of collimation that stars look like little comets. I tried, and failed, to successfully collimate it so that it could be, at least, a decent moon and planetary scope. 

 

Because I cannot guarantee that the optics aren't trash to begin with, I am offering it here for the price of shipping. The Meade container is worth the cost it will take to ship it to you. This is for the OTA  and storage box only.

 

EDIT: The OTA has been spoken for.

Caveat Emptor.  

Edited by ericb760, 12 October 2024 - 02:23 PM.

[gazpachosoup]

I have come to the realization that collimating SCT's just isn't in my DNA. I have tried ten different guides, and countless videos, and none of them have have been successful in teaching me how to do it. 

I bought this Meade 102mm SCT on ebay recently. The general consensus is that these weren't very good scopes. Mine arrived so far out of collimation that stars look like little comets. I tried, and failed, to successfully collimate it so that it could be, at least, a decent moon and planetary scope. 

 

Because I cannot guarantee that the optics aren't trash to begin with, I am offering it here for the price of shipping. The Meade container is worth the cost it will take to ship it to you. This is for the OTA  and storage box only.

Caveat Emptor.  

I’d be interested for our astronomy club. PM me please.

[ericb760]

I’d be interested for our astronomy club. PM me please.

There is one ahead of you. I'll let you know if that falls through.

[Michael Covington]

A technical note:  if an SCT is impossible to collimate, check for an off-center secondary, or the whole corrector plate off-center.  That happens with Celestrons when the screws holding the corrector in place (around the edge) are a bit loose; the whole corrector plate can shift.

I hope this helps the eventual owner fix it.

Edited by Michael Covington, 12 October 2024 - 01:54 PM.

[ngc4910]

Free to a good home, taker pays shipping, contact via PM please:

 

[1] Celestron C5 transport case, late 1970s version. Got it with a scope today, I won't use it and it takes up space.

[Spoken for] Fullerscope "Superwide Plossl" 20mm.  Generally very clean but shows signs of either lens separation or fungus at one edge. A proper cleaning might fix all issues.

[3] Old Vixen battery pack, some previous owner cut the power cord.

 

 

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Edited by ngc4910, 19 October 2024 - 12:04 PM.

[Kasmos]

Free to a good home, taker pays shipping, contact via PM please:

 

[1] Celestron C5 transport case, late 1970s version. Got it with a scope today, I won't use it and it takes up space.

 

That case looks just like my early C90 Astro's case. Was a fork mounted C5 in it or only a OTA?

Perhaps you can state it's dimensions.

[ngc4910]

That case looks just like my early C90 Astro's case. Was a fork mounted C5 in it or only a OTA?

Perhaps you can state it's dimensions.

Good point: The case contained a C5 f/10 "Telephoto" OTA, which I think is identical to the classic C5 OTA.

External dimensions are 15.5 x 8.5 x 8.5 inches.

[Kasmos]

I thought so since I remember seeing some lone OTAs and Telephoto model in those cases. 

I'll have to measure my C90 Astro case to see if it matches those dimensions...

 

Edit, Yes it's a match!

Edited by Kasmos, 18 October 2024 - 04:52 PM.

[mpsteidle]

Some odds and ends from old Polaris mounts.  Tripod legs and tray, DEC slowmo knob and grip, vixen wrench, polaris threaded counterweight bar with a modified-to-fit weight, C8 focus knob.

 

Pick up/local meet up only at this time please, don't feel like messing with shipping.

 

Northern KY/Cincinnati area.

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Edited by mpsteidle, 27 October 2024 - 11:26 AM.

[ericb760]

Some odds and ends from old Polaris mounts.  Tripod legs and tray, DEC slowmo knob and grip, vixen wrench, polaris threaded counterweight bar with a modified-to-fit weight, C8 focus knob.

 

Pick up/local meet up only at this time please, don't feel like messing with shipping.

 

Northern KY/Cincinnati area.

If you ever do feel like shipping I would be happy to take these items off of your hands. I am looking for a Polaris mount and tripod for my C80.

[DouglasPaul]

If you ever do feel like shipping I would be happy to take these items off of your hands. I am looking for a Polaris mount and tripod for my C80.

I'm pretty sure those legs are too short for a refractor. I guess you could make some longer extensions but it might be wobbly.

[Don W]

I'm pretty sure those legs are too short for a refractor. I guess you could make some longer extensions but it might be wobbly.

You can sit on a chair.

 

DonW

[mpsteidle]

I'm pretty sure those legs are too short for a refractor. I guess you could make some longer extensions but it might be wobbly.

Correct, I would be very hesitant to use these with a refractor.  They are the short legs designed for Newtonians.

[mpsteidle]

Tripod legs and tray are spoken for.

Edited by mpsteidle, 27 October 2024 - 11:27 AM.

[blodgar]

Meade DS2K parts

see picture

Also knobs, some screw,s ALT arm shells and AZ gear base assemblies

tripod legs

Free to a good home

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[blodgar]

Also clutch dogs and various fasteners

[blodgar]

Meade 70mm refractor - previous owner gouged the focuser track

National Geographic 70mm refractor very light - used for solar photography.
Pictures available.

Free if you want to pay shipping - I use Pirateship so it will be less than stock UPS/USPS rates.

[ngc4910]

Free to a good home, taker pays shipping, contact via PM please:

 

[1] Celestron C5 transport case, late 1970s version. Got it with a scope today, I won't use it and it takes up space.

[Spoken for] Fullerscope "Superwide Plossl" 20mm.  Generally very clean but shows signs of either lens separation or fungus at one edge. A proper cleaning might fix all issues.

[3] Old Vixen battery pack, some previous owner cut the power cord.

 

All has been spoken for! Glad this stuff found some use.
 

[apfever]

A slightly weird entry. This tube has been put up for free a couple of times on craigslist. It is an 8' by 6" shipping tube (wound paper type) with both end caps. It looks to be a tight stiff tube the owners think could be useful. It was used to deliver an outside awning. Perfect for a long 4" or 4.25" frac or reflct. Build further up in the tube for a reflector and have both custom end caps. I'd look if close but furthest corner Denver Metro from me. I know there are a few of you guys in that curve of c470.

 

Link 2 totally tubular