38 replies to this topic

[900SL]

You've come across really good quality optics that can surprise even today. I'm attaching a photo of Jupiter taken with my T-620... Even modern ED refractors can envy its contrast and color.

That's excellent Lukas. What was your imaging set up?

 

Edit: No worries, found it. Excellent web site, thanks!  https://astrostrona....nskiej-klasyki/

Edited by 900SL, 24 January 2025 - 07:34 AM.

[LukaszLu]

Thanks for visiting :-) The photos are described, but it is very poorly legible. The camera is ASI 178MC, processing in AutoStakkert! and Photoshop.

[Universe XY]

Today I got the Monolux COC version 60X910mm which is supposed to be a Carton.

 

Wood box has seen better days but it's essentially all there.

 

Going through everything & the weight shaft that was in the listing photo somehow did not make it.

 

Going to try to set it up.

 

Thankfully the objective is not as bad as I thought & the scope & metal parts are all clean pristine.

 

Will make a new thread but use this one as a instructional template.

 

Happy the black focus knobs are metal as I was not sure if they were plastic.

 

Looks like a nice scope...I know I should start slower but it was such a nice classic for a fair price.

 

 

[Tolomeo]

 

Lovely looking set up, looks immaculate. That's nice to hear about these Cartons, they seem to be well regarded. 

I've ordered the Vixen adapter to allow the use of 1.25" eyepieces etc. I have the same back projection arm, screen etc and an inverting eyepiece adapter to flip the image view, plus some other bits and bobs, and a cleaning bag (never opened)

 

I removed the lens cell, indexed both lenses with a marker and cleaned the outer surfaces, but I didn't separate the lenses as they appear pretty clean internally. The foil spacers are in OK condition and I didn't want to risk damaging them or messing up any fine tuning

 

I dialed in the viewfinder, it's very good. Crystal clear and a sharply defined cross and circle.

 

About the mount:

 

You seem to have the same mount as mine. I've done a big google search to see if I can find any guides on maintenance or disassembly, but drawn a blank, so I'm hoping somebody can help here

 

I removed the cover from the Dec worm box (see below) and this was straightforward, It's not a full 360 degree toothed wheel. The worm acts on a forked arm and has a limited range of travel in Dec. I've cleaned it and added some PTFE grease:

 

 

 

 

Dec Worm gearbox (above)

 

 

 

The RA axis looks more complicated and I'm assuming that this has a 360 degree toothed wheel driven by the worm gear

There's a bunch of screws in this box, I assume some act on the worm to adjust any clearance and backlash, but I'm wary of messing around here unless I know what I am doing

 

 

 

View underneath RA onto worm box (counterweight bar removed)

 

 

 

I'd be grateful if anybody can advise on this.. as to what screws do what, and which ones to remove to access the worm

 

Maybe I am late to the party, but I can provide a bit of information on this mount, since I tried to adjust mine (exactly the same model, but on the Aerolite tripod) last week.
 

If I remember correctly, the screws in the RA axis box are there just to hold the bearings in place. No fine-tuning is possible with them.
To adjust the clearance and backlash, you need to loosen the screws and then rotate the bearing holding the worm gear. The hole in the bearings is not centered; it is elliptical. This means that by rotating the bearings, you can move the worm gear backward or forward in relation to the toothed wheel.

Unfortunately, you need a specific tool, a pin wrench, to act on the two small holes found on the bearings.
A similar tool is required to unscrew the counterweight bar holder to disassemble the rest of the mount.
 

Regrettably, this is not the easiest mount to work with. For me, it was a dead end. The cost of purchasing the pin wrenches, combined with the fact that one of the worm gears is broken at the part that connects to the flexible command, left me with no choice but to abandon the restoration project. The cost of the tools and spare parts (if they can be found or recreated) would be much higher than the entire value of the mount.
Therefore, I am planning to dispose  it or give it away for spare parts .

[deSitter]

Maybe I am late to the party, but I can provide a bit of information on this mount, since I tried to adjust mine (exactly the same model, but on the Aerolite tripod) last week.
 

If I remember correctly, the screws in the RA axis box are there just to hold the bearings in place. No fine-tuning is possible with them.
To adjust the clearance and backlash, you need to loosen the screws and then rotate the bearing holding the worm gear. The hole in the bearings is not centered; it is elliptical. This means that by rotating the bearings, you can move the worm gear backward or forward in relation to the toothed wheel.

Unfortunately, you need a specific tool, a pin wrench, to act on the two small holes found on the bearings.
A similar tool is required to unscrew the counterweight bar holder to disassemble the rest of the mount.
 

Regrettably, this is not the easiest mount to work with. For me, it was a dead end. The cost of purchasing the pin wrenches, combined with the fact that one of the worm gears is broken at the part that connects to the flexible command, left me with no choice but to abandon the restoration project. The cost of the tools and spare parts (if they can be found or recreated) would be much higher than the entire value of the mount.
Therefore, I am planning to dispose  it or give it away for spare parts .

I have often noted that the classic Japanese mounts sometimes have single points of failure that can make the entire thing unusable. Many have a tanget arm setup for DEC slo-mo that relies critically on a very fragile cast aluminum part. The cast aluminum in these mounts is very porous and fragile. Cast aluminum does not bend, it snaps. When that DEC part breaks, the mount cannot be clamped in DEC and just swings freely. There is no realsitic way to fix it other than JBWeld and prayers.

 

By all means offer the mount to someone in the "Free to a good home.." thread.

 

-drl

Edited by deSitter, 07 March 2025 - 01:14 PM.

[Universe XY]

Maybe I am late to the party, but I can provide a bit of information on this mount, since I tried to adjust mine (exactly the same model, but on the Aerolite tripod) last week.
 

If I remember correctly, the screws in the RA axis box are there just to hold the bearings in place. No fine-tuning is possible with them.
To adjust the clearance and backlash, you need to loosen the screws and then rotate the bearing holding the worm gear. The hole in the bearings is not centered; it is elliptical. This means that by rotating the bearings, you can move the worm gear backward or forward in relation to the toothed wheel.

Unfortunately, you need a specific tool, a pin wrench, to act on the two small holes found on the bearings.
A similar tool is required to unscrew the counterweight bar holder to disassemble the rest of the mount.
 

Regrettably, this is not the easiest mount to work with. For me, it was a dead end. The cost of purchasing the pin wrenches, combined with the fact that one of the worm gears is broken at the part that connects to the flexible command, left me with no choice but to abandon the restoration project. The cost of the tools and spare parts (if they can be found or recreated) would be much higher than the entire value of the mount.
Therefore, I am planning to dispose  it or give it away for spare parts .

Sorry, not sure what went wrong with yours. If the weight shaft is the same I'd love to give it a home on my mount. Thanks

 

Really have not figured out how to use the mount as I'm just testing it wo the weight.

[Tolomeo]

I also do not have the original weight shaft.
Instead, I used the shaft purchased for a small AZ Mount, the Tecnosky "The QUBE".
I noticed it matches perfectly since it has the same pitch and diameter. I do not have the measurements right now, but it should be 20mm in diameter. Most probably, it is the same bar that fits various AZ mounts like the Skytee 2, T-sky, etc. I will check and report back.

Anyway, as suggested, I will soon post the item in the "Free to a good home..." thread, in case some of the parts could still be needed by someone.

[Universe XY]

I also do not have the original weight shaft.
Instead, I used the shaft purchased for a small AZ Mount, the Tecnosky "The QUBE".
I noticed it matches perfectly since it has the same pitch and diameter. I do not have the measurements right now, but it should be 20mm in diameter. Most probably, it is the same bar that fits various AZ mounts like the Skytee 2, T-sky, etc. I will check and report back.

Anyway, as suggested, I will soon post the item in the "Free to a good home..." thread, in case some of the parts could still be needed by someone.

Thanks!!!

Oh, you're in Italy.

It's a small part but the shipping could be extended.

Edited by Universe XY, 11 March 2025 - 12:41 PM.

[Universe XY]

A family friend knows I am into DSO imaging, and gifted me their old scope yesterday. (and EQ mount, tripod, accessories, and 20mm, 12.5mm and 6mm 0.965" eyepieces)

 

I know very little about visual astronomy and even less about old telescopes, so when I opened the box my initial reaction was that it was an old clunker, one of the long tube cheapo department store junk models. I mean, who would call a scope a Carton? Surely a Japanese spelling mistake, right?

 

However, and after some goggling, I was pleasantly surprised to find that they are well regarded. So I cleaned it up, removed the objective (no fungus, just dust) put it all together.

 

It appears to be in remarkable condition for the age. It's one owner from new, missing a couple of screws from the tripod tray but otherwise appears as purchased, including the manual

 

First light on the moon yesterday evening showed sharp features and no colour at 12.5mm. Looks like I'll be doing some visual observing with this.. and i might try to source an adapter so I can fit a planetary camera and see how it performs.

 

AC7.jpg

Cool, Mine looks just like it but is a COC Carton made by Monolux. Selller lost the weight shaft so far I have used it limited with no moon yet. Stars are good.

20 & 12.5mm is fine. I had it at 6mm the other day on Orion. OK but dark.

 

I suppose it's best used on the moon & planets?

[Universe XY]

Here's some snaps:

 

Oh, you got the cell off!!! I was wondering. I can't unscrew my dew shield.

 

I've noticed you have the vixen 1 1/4 back on it.

[900SL]

Oh, you got the cell off!!! I was wondering. I can't unscrew my dew shield.

I've noticed you have the vixen 1 1/4 back on it.

The dew shield and cell should unscrew. They might be a bit stiff, a strap wrench may help

Yes, I bought the Vixen adapter, and a baader prism and eyepiece.

[900SL]

Seeing was poor but I got some video a few weeks ago and got this image of jupiter after stacking. I think I could get better resolution with good seeing

 

 

 

Attached Thumbnails

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[Universe XY]

The dew shield and cell should unscrew. They might be a bit stiff, a strap wrench may help

Yes, I bought the Vixen adapter, and a baader prism and eyepiece.

Thanks!

[Universe XY]

The dew shield and cell should unscrew. They might be a bit stiff, a strap wrench may help

Yes, I bought the Vixen adapter, and a baader prism and eyepiece.

Don't have a strap wrench so that might be a good thing to order.