Where are more pics?! You got time screwin' around with avatars you got time for more pics!!

My TASCO 20TE
#26
Posted 02 January 2025 - 04:58 PM
- deSitter, Bomber Bob and ErnH2O like this
#27
Posted 04 January 2025 - 01:07 PM
How heavy are the weights? Looks like it's in good shape! Congrats!
-drl
I'm a little confused on the weights. If when I find the packing slip I'll know and then post right away. I don't want to take one off with the scope on the tube.
- Terra Nova likes this
#35
Posted 04 January 2025 - 04:51 PM
I see that your turnbuckle is in the upper mounting holes mine are in the bottom. Somewhere I read that the best stability depended on your latitude for some reason or other. Also Mark did you check inside your motor box for any date?
- Bomber Bob likes this
#36
Posted 04 January 2025 - 05:13 PM
Here are a few close ups to see things a little better. My green felt is intact everywhere it was needed. Obviously the saddle had it where it's needed. But then I had to take a Dremel and grind the saddle corners down because those sharp SOB's nearly gouged my tube but were caught in the nick of time. The sliding tube weights also have green felt. You have to look closely but the guiidescope's protective plastic rings are just visible under the collimating screws.....a nice touch most guidscopes don't provide.
Edited by mikey cee, 04 January 2025 - 05:17 PM.
- Bomber Bob likes this
#37
Posted 05 January 2025 - 01:46 PM
Love the Eye Candy!!
Currently, I have only 5 Registered:
Tasco 20TE 108003 AOC
Tasco 20TE 108032 AOC
Tasco 20TE 910803 AOC
Tasco 20TE 910806 AOC
Tasco 20TE 910881 AOC
- deSitter likes this
#38
Posted 05 January 2025 - 02:02 PM
Focuser close up
Does your RA tangent slo-mo have flattened shafts on both ends? My mount has a terrible flaw - only one end has a shaft, so the RA slo-mo cable is hard to use when the telescope is pointed east. I just put a knob there and have to reach way up.
BTW never attach the RA slo-mo to the other end of the clock drive worm shaft! You can break the bracket holding the clock drive that way. THAT worm SHOULD have only one end, for the spur gear. Very strange and I sure wish I could find a 2-ended slo-mo worm.
-drl
- ErnH2O likes this
#39
Posted 05 January 2025 - 02:23 PM
drl I don't understand your question. Do you mean when using both slo-mo cables one sticks out the objective side and the other towards the focuser? If this is the case then the tube assembly is in the saddle backwards....at least that's how mine behaves.
#40
Posted 05 January 2025 - 02:45 PM
drl I don't understand your question. Do you mean when using both slo-mo cables one sticks out the objective side and the other towards the focuser?
If this is the case then the tube assembly is in the saddle backwards....at least that's how mine behaves.
This 20TE mount and the 6345 mount are the same design. There is a fixed worm for the clock drive and a tangent drive for RA slo-mo. The latter should have flat shaft on both ends for attaching the slo-mo cable, while the former should only have a shaft for the clock drive spur gear. On my mount it is backward - the tangent has a single flat shaft so there is only one place to put the RA slo-mo cable, and this makes it very hard to use when the scope is in the east half of the sky. The drive worm has a completely pointless and very dangerous flat shaft opposite the spur gear. If you attach the slo-mo there while the drive is engaged, you put tremendous strain on the clock drive bracket if you try to turn it. Mine was already cracked from this and required JBWeld repair. It is just a glaring flaw and the worst oversight I've ever seen in a Japanese mount.
-drl
#41
Posted 05 January 2025 - 02:58 PM
Astro-Mount. Now most imports to the USA had the "Royal Astro" Stamp from 1950s-1960s: Sears, Tasco etc.
I hate to be pedantic but Royal is a brand - like Tasco. The company who made these scopes was called Astro Optical Industries. My apologies for being this way
-drl
- Napersky likes this
#43
Posted 09 January 2025 - 10:26 AM
Yes a beautiful scope I was never fortunate to even look at one never minde look thru one , I suppose in the 60' if you had one you were the person , I only had the 7TE, and 10TE both good even now , but as I am not a collector sold them , as a small SCT 5 inch was better
Out of interest as its a big scope what type of mount did it have and if one was to mount it on a modern mount what will you use ? EQ5 minimum I think as its so long
- Napersky likes this
#44
Posted 14 January 2025 - 01:37 AM
Yes, I know - I have purchased the 108mm in New Zealand. Identical optical specification to the TASCO 20 - TE (Royal R-102) apparently the objective manufacturer the same as the 20 - TE. Yes a Sport Master
- Napersky likes this
#45
Posted 14 January 2025 - 02:36 AM
Love one of those any idea of there worth ?
Cheers
Bobby
#47
Posted 14 January 2025 - 12:26 PM
Did I miss a pic of the Label / S/N??
#49
Posted 14 January 2025 - 03:03 PM
Thanks - got it.
I wonder... maybe AO stamped their mark on some unusual part -- on my Sears 6336, it was on a small plate within the DEC Axis slow-motion gearing.
Why there? I have no idea, as the mark was already stamped on the Label.
#50
Posted 15 January 2025 - 04:45 AM
Thanks - got it.
I wonder... maybe AO stamped their mark on some unusual part -- on my Sears 6336, it was on a small plate within the DEC Axis slow-motion gearing.
Why there? I have no idea, as the mark was already stamped on the Label.
Yes - the aluminum blocks on a couple of my mounts (all?) have a tiny AO stamp - in a place you only see when it's disassembled.
-drl