9 replies to this topic

[JustTryingToHelpMyKids]

I am trying to identify my grandpa's old telescope; my kids love playing with it when we're out in our yard at night, but it's missing so many parts and is truly just a toy at this point.  If I know what it is, I can see about sourcing the missing parts and trying to make it functional.  I'm sure it's not a "good" telescope, but this would just be to encourage my kids' love of the stars while honoring my grandpa's love of repairs (he owned a camera repair shop for decades), so looking for help figuring out what I need to do (if possible) to repair my mystery telescope!  Thanks in advance for any help.

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[jragsdale]

<p>I'm not sure you need help identifying it as it has a nice descriptive label with brand, size, description. It's a 1960s model that has a zoom eyepiece. You're just missing the whole zoom and eyepiece end. Might be tricky to find a replacement; easier for a replacement to find you (post a wanted ad in the looking for pieces/parts thread). Here's an older thread on these scopes;&nbsp;https://www.cloudyni...-60mm-zoom/</p>

[Kasmos]

<p>I'm not sure you need help identifying it as it has a nice descriptive label with brand, size, description. It's a 1960s model that has a zoom eyepiece. You're just missing the whole zoom and eyepiece end. Might be tricky to find a replacement; easier for a replacement to find you (post a wanted ad in the looking for pieces/parts thread). Here's an older thread on these scopes;&nbsp;https://www.cloudyni...-60mm-zoom/</p>

Jordan, this is the less seen non-zoom version. They had a fixed power of 40X (Note that the badge only says 40x60). These likely have a internal image erector but they didn't have a rack and pinion or a helical focuser. Like many finders they just had a tube with an eyepiece that you slid in or out to come to focus. 

 

I'll try to find an example, but since I've never been much interested in them  I'm not sure I ever kept an example on file. 

Edited by Kasmos, 03 February 2025 - 11:15 PM.

[Kasmos]

I found a Tasco that's a little older but since they are both Towas the brand name doesn't matter.

 

https://www.cloudyni...asco/?p=3264631

 

The Monolux looks like it had a threaded on end piece where as the Tasco looks to be one piece 

Edited by Kasmos, 03 February 2025 - 11:24 PM.

[JustTryingToHelpMyKids]

Thanks, I had looked at that thread and seen that it wasn't quite the same. I guess what I need help identifying is what exactly I'm missing, as when I Google the label, I can't find a good photo of what it should look like complete. Sounds like it's the tube/eyepiece.

[Kasmos]

....and a Selsi

 

https://www.cloudyni...x60/?p=11078181

 

The 40x60 versions are a lot less common that the click zoom models so finding the correct tail piece will be difficult.

[BillinBallard]

You have a lens and a tube so they can certainly be put back to work.  If you can’t find direct replacement parts for your scope, my suggestion would be to replace your focuser arrangement with a conventional rack and pinion focuser, diagonal, and eyepiece.  Before doing so, it would be important  to determine the focal length of your objective, and measure the length of the optical tube to make sure the focuser would be properly placed in the light path so the images would come to focus.

 

I have an extra focuser, cheap diagonal, and eyepiece you are quite welcome to (just cover shipping) if you want to go in that direction. 
 

Hope this helps,

 

Bill

 

P.S. I am sure if you do want to take this  on as a small project, there are plenty of people here who would be happy to give you some tips.  

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Edited by BillinBallard, 05 February 2025 - 06:46 PM.

[JustTryingToHelpMyKids]

Thank you!  The white painted part is just about 14 1/8" long.

 

You have a lens and a tube so they can certainly be put back to work.  If you can’t find direct replacement parts for your scope, my suggestion would be to replace your focuser arrangement with a conventional rack and pinion focuser, diagonal, and eyepiece.  Before doing so, it would be important  to determine the focal length of your objective, and measure the length of the optical tube to make sure the focuser would be properly placed in the light path so the images would come to focus.

 

I have an extra focuser, cheap diagonal, and eyepiece you are quite welcome to (just cover shipping) if you want to go in that direction. 
 

Hope this helps,

 

Bill

 

P.S. I am sure if you do want to take this  on as a small project, there are plenty of people here who would be happy to give you some tips.  

[BillinBallard]

Okay my guess is it has probably around a 400mm focal length (similar to my last project).  That would give you a 60mm F 6.7 scope. With a 20mm eyepiece, it should produce nice sweeping low power views.  We might get lucky and not even have to shorten the tube.

 

A best case scenario is all we need to do is swap out your backplate, with the focuser. A quick test fit will tell the tale.  If further mods are needed, we can take that up at the time.  
 

If you want to give it a try, I’ll box up the focuser,  diagonal, and eyepiece and we will PM each other from here.  

Edited by BillinBallard, Yesterday, 01:20 PM.

[Kasmos]

Okay my guess is it has probably around a 400mm focal length (similar to my last project).  That would give you a 60mm F 6.7 scope. With a 20mm eyepiece, it should produce nice sweeping low power views.  We might get lucky and not even have to shorten the tube.

 

A best case scenario is all we need to do is swap out your backplate, with the focuser. A quick test fit will tell the tale.  If further mods are needed, we can take that up at the time.  
 

If you want to give it a try, I’ll box up the focuser,  diagonal, and eyepiece and we will PM each other from here.  

If the objective is f/400mm and there's a image erector in the main tube, it will need to be removed and the main tube will probably have to be shortened to use a standard .965" focuser and eyepieces. Most of the scopes that have be cut and shortened by their owners are the click zoom type, so if it does have a erector, it would probably require the same modification. 

 

There's been a few threads/topics on them. Here's one that shows some scopes with similar modifications:

 

https://www.cloudyni...been-sawed-off/

Edited by Kasmos, Yesterday, 02:52 PM.