44 replies to this topic

[Bomber Bob]

Are you the current / former Lucky Owner of a Classic Yamamoto (SYW) Scope?   Post your experiences and Eye Candy on this thread.   To get things started, my 2 Mayflower 60mm Twins, Models 814 & 815:

 

[Bungee]

My newly acquired 815. Been so busy with work I haven't had a chance to go through it yet.

 

[Bomber Bob]

How good are SYW objectives?  Well...  I took a long & winding road to save & use my Lafayette / Kenko (SYW) 60 F7...

 

How it started - the chalky & disintegrating Lafayette 99-7213:

 

 

* At least, I learned how corrosive salt water & air can be for aluminum!

 

How it ended - Old Lens + Original Focuser in a new Kenko (SYNTA) OTA:

 

[deSitter]

They are elegant! I'll hunt around for pics of my Sears 6344. I always thought the mechanics on that scope were superior to the 76mm AO scopes like the Sears 6335/6339/6339a.

 

-drl

[ericb760]

How good are SYW objectives?  Well...  I took a long & winding road to save & use my Lafayette / Kenko (SYW) 60 F7...

 

How it started - the chalky & disintegrating Lafayette 99-7213:

 

L99-7213 - Restored S11 (Dovetail & Finder Prep.jpg

 

* At least, I learned how corrosive salt water & air can be for aluminum!

 

How it ended - Old Lens + Original Focuser in a new Kenko (SYNTA) OTA:

 

Lafayette (SYW) 99-7213 Restore S81 - LS FL.jpg

What mount is that?

[walter a]

Here is my example.

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[Bomber Bob]

What mount is that?

Mizar FM-AZ (Fine Motion) -- these pop up on ZEN often.  I prefer it to Vixen's Custom AZ -- much easier to Sweep, Lock, & Track.

[Joe Cepleur]

Here is my example.

Diamond-SYW is Yamamoto. What is Diamond-TJK?

[ericb760]

Diamond-SYW is Yamamoto. What is Diamond-TJK?

I'd like to know as well. I just bought a Bushnell Sky Chief Jr. that has both APL and Diamond TJK on the label. Earlier CN posts indicated that it could possibly be early Takahashi, although a consensus was never reached. 

[ericb760]

Mizar FM-AZ (Fine Motion) -- these pop up on ZEN often.  I prefer it to Vixen's Custom AZ -- much easier to Sweep, Lock, & Track.

Was that the AZ mount that was rebranded for Meade?

[Kasmos]

IIRC, TJK was a trading company that dealt with exports. 

[Bomber Bob]

Was that the AZ mount that was rebranded for Meade?

IIRC... Yes, and painted black for the second generation of blue-tube Meade scopes (TOWA was the first of those B-T models).  At least, I've seen some black versions of the FM-AZ on ZEN...

Edited by Bomber Bob, 11 February 2024 - 02:55 PM.

[Kasmos]

Here's a link explaining TJK

 

https://www.cloudyni...bols/?p=9195138

Edited by Kasmos, 11 February 2024 - 02:55 PM.

[Kasmos]

My first and fifth telescope were/are both Mayflower 814s

 

At that time the one in the box was resting in the others box

 

It was missing it's tray, finder, etc.

it now has a finder, a tray, and it's own box

 

I've always thought SYWs were a cut above most others.

They have very clean lines to the design of the components like the focusers and cells

Edited by Kasmos, 12 February 2024 - 03:38 AM.

[CharlieB]

My 816. Excellent optics.

 

 

 

 

Charlie

 

 

 

 

[DreamWeaver]

My Scope Orbit 2258 f/20.  Pinpoint stars, and it accepts the Vixen visual back so I can use 1-1/4” eyepieces.

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Edited by DreamWeaver, 11 February 2024 - 06:51 PM.

[jcruse64]

That is a nice one, Keith!!

[ericb760]

IIRC... Yes, and painted black for the second generation of blue-tube Meade scopes (TOWA was the first of those B-T models).  At least, I've seen some black versions of the FM-AZ on ZEN...

I received one with the 310 I won on SGW. Unfortunately, It fell apart soon after, and I can't quite figure out how to fix it. The barrel that rotates in the mount body for altitude has fallen out. There is an aluminum ring with set screws on it that I surmise somehow secures the barrel to the mount to keep the whole thing together.

 

Have you ever taken one apart, and can you offer any advice on how to fix this problem?

[Bomber Bob]

My FM-AZ was original & near-mint (came with the heftier wood tripod), so I never had to work on it.

[jragsdale]

I actually had my SYW Sears 6344 (76/1200) out for a spin this weekend. Which is unusual, because I bought the scope over 5 years ago (Jan 2019), and put it together once to view, and since then it's been in various states of disassembly for repairing various parts. It's 100% functional again, but still cosmetically needs touch up paint. This one just always ended up on the backburner, it's a cool scope nonetheless! Might be the kick in the pants I needed to either finish restoring it or sell it to the next owner. 

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[deSitter]

I actually had my SYW Sears 6344 (76/1200) out for a spin this weekend. Which is unusual, because I bought the scope over 5 years ago (Jan 2019), and put it together once to view, and since then it's been in various states of disassembly for repairing various parts. It's 100% functional again, but still cosmetically needs touch up paint. This one just always ended up on the backburner, it's a cool scope nonetheless! Might be the kick in the pants I needed to either finish restoring it or sell it to the next owner. 

This was in my living room on Christmas Day 1970. I was 10. I sat on the carpet and stared up at it in wonderment It was cloudy for 2 weeks. First target, first thing I ever saw in a telescope, was Saturn when it finally cleared. Until then I studied the cars visible a mile away across the creek valley, marveling at the crisp detail visible in the license plates. I must have assembled and broken down the scope a dozen times. My Mom lost he patience and wanted it out of the living room

 

-drl

Edited by deSitter, 12 February 2024 - 11:35 AM.

[jragsdale]

This was in my living room on Christmas Day 1970. I was 10. I sat on the carpet and stared up at it in wonderment It was cloudy for 2 weeks. First target, first thing I ever saw in a telescope, was Saturn when it finally cleared. Until then I studied the cars visible a mile away across the creek valley, marveling at the crisp detail visible in the license plates. I must have assembled and broken down the scope a dozen times. My Mom lost he patience and wanted it out of the living room

I can only imagine the size, complexity and build quality to a 10 year old! You must have felt like you owned your own space shuttle!

[deSitter]

I can only imagine the size, complexity and build quality to a 10 year old! You must have felt like you owned your own space shuttle!

Pretty much At full height it was nearing the ceiling!

 

-drl

[Kasmos]

I actually had my SYW Sears 6344 (76/1200) out for a spin this weekend. Which is unusual, because I bought the scope over 5 years ago (Jan 2019), and put it together once to view, and since then it's been in various states of disassembly for repairing various parts. It's 100% functional again, but still cosmetically needs touch up paint. This one just always ended up on the backburner, it's a cool scope nonetheless! Might be the kick in the pants I needed to either finish restoring it or sell it to the next owner. 

The long tubes of those SYW 6344s sure are stunning.

I like that so much more than the others that use a pull tube and shorter main tube.

[Terra Nova]

I actually had my SYW Sears 6344 (76/1200) out for a spin this weekend. Which is unusual, because I bought the scope over 5 years ago (Jan 2019), and put it together once to view, and since then it's been in various states of disassembly for repairing various parts. It's 100% functional again, but still cosmetically needs touch up paint. This one just always ended up on the backburner, it's a cool scope nonetheless! Might be the kick in the pants I needed to either finish restoring it or sell it to the next owner. 

I’m converting mine over to alt-az. I got rings and a Vixen rail for it, made a stainless steel and aluminum handle, and plan to use it with my modern Japanese Sightron alt-az mount and tall wooden tripod. It’s also been converted to 1.25” with a Vixen visual back. It will be fun to compare it with my Takahashi FC-76. I plan to use it as an outreach scope when the moon is well placed. They are an impressive length and such a classic look. It will be fun to do some outreach solar white light viewing with my Lunt Wedge while we have a lot of sunspot activity. I figure folks would get a kick out of seeing it in action.

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