9 replies to this topic

[Werckmeister]

This one always makes me smile. It has a strange little tray on one of the legs which I removed immediately after purchase. But one day, I came across a few posts by Badback and Bill Griffith some ten years ago. They had an interesting explanation for the tray. This Nipole telescope is what they baptised an Origami telescope. One is supposed to fold the legs upward and put the entire setup in one piece in its chest (that is where the little tray comes in).
Hilarious to think of the engineer who developed the concept. It takes some courage to pack- and unpack the thing.

I cannot find any Nipole telescopes on the www but is a well made telescope. It has the look and feel of the Swift 839 that also lives here: same volcanotop eyepieces, fixed in the same diagonal and in the same tak-manner. Same strange finder bracket. Same objective cell and lens cover. I like the deep blue colour.
It came with a huge chest that was shipped from Indo Altlantic Cape Town to Rotterdam Holland. Somewhere in the sixties, I suppose, no dates unfortunately.
Some pictures:

 

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[Werckmeister]

And some more pics. 
 

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[scout]

That's pretty neat. Like a Transformer telescope.

[aoirotukiko]

Hi

 

The manufacturer is Macro Optical Industrial Co.Ltd.

Macro Optical Industrial Co.Ltd.was active for a short period from 1958 to 1959.

And the designer of this telescope is Shusuke Kojima.

Shusuke Kojima is also known as the designer of Swift 831, 838, and 839.

Shusuke Kojima is also the designer of Astro S5, which was exported as Tasco 152 and Space scope 151.

Attached is an advertisement for Macro 605 and a patent by Kojima Shusuke.

 

 

Thank you for posting the photo of Nipole.

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[Kasmos]

I began to write this before aoirotukiko posted.

 

While it shares a similar tray and the Origami style of folding for storage, it's rarer and more interesting than most of the others that are possibly early unmarked Astro Optical telescopes and often seen as the Tasco 152x, and 227x, or the Space Scope 151. Yours and it's kin are somehow more related to some of the early Eikows and Sans & Streiffee models which in turn are similar to the Swifts. Besides Swift, others like Eikow appear to be made by the maker known by the Circle inverted Y symbol.

 

There is one Tasco called the 228x that deviates from their other models for possibly only one year

(scroll down to the photo)

https://www.cloudyni...cope/?p=8506938

 

While they are quite rare, here's an example of the same model but the box says 227x. (maybe a transition from the standard 227x?) (again scroll down for additional photos)

https://www.cloudyni...sco/?p=10109241

 

This Eikow doesn't fold but it shares some similarities. 

https://www.cloudyni...c/392189-eikow/

 

Here's a Sans & Steiffee 601 that shares its heritage

Note the Ivory handle and the style of the focusers knobs.

 

And an ad for the 600 and 601

Note how the illustrator chosed to omit the finders strap in the illustration.

 

Perhaps aoirotukiko can shed some light with the connection between Macro and the maker Circle inverted 'Y'

Edited by Kasmos, 09 February 2025 - 12:15 AM.

[DouglasPaul]

I have the same Selsi as Badback. I never figured out how to store it properly before we left for the winter so its sitting discombobulated in it's box back in Washington. 

Edited by DouglasPaul, 09 February 2025 - 03:50 AM.

[Werckmeister]

Thanks for the very interesting reactions! Nice to know the Nipole was designed by the same designer as Swift, Shusuke Kojima and that it can be dated to 1958-59. I like the patents!  They will be printed and stored in  the Nipole box. Same goes for the other illustrations.
I 'm always impressed by the knowledge here. And confused by all the brands and makers...
But for sure, this origami-transformer telescope makes me smile even more now that I know some of its pedigree. Also good to know someone is hurrying back to Washington to de-discombobulate  his scope.

[ccwemyss]

Some versions of the spacer have a metal bracket on one of the flat sides that slides into the upper band on the legs, so it sticks out straight from the leg, providing a tray for accessories (or, as some have noted, a beverage container). 

 

My Selsi 247, Atco 1254, and Tasco 7T are also origami scopes. I’m reluctant to loan them to students because very few can figure out how to put them back in the box after four months of having them out and set up. 

 

Chip W. 

[Werckmeister]

Some versions of the spacer have a metal bracket on one of the flat sides that slides into the upper band on the legs, so it sticks out straight from the leg, providing a tray for accessories (or, as some have noted, a beverage container). 

 

My Selsi 247, Atco 1254, and Tasco 7T are also origami scopes. I’m reluctant to loan them to students because very few can figure out how to put them back in the box after four months of having them out and set up. 

 

Chip W. 

I took the telescope-mount-ensemble out of the box to inspect the 'beercan holder'. There is plenty of space to attach the tray with a metal bracket as you desribed ccwemyssso. And the hinge with which it is now attatched seems crude and not original at all. So I guess a previous owner made this modification. But the telescope definitly was not stored 'origami fashon' when I got it, so that knoledge had been lost.
The grease in the mount is stiff. Now that it is out I 'll clean it and put some fresh (I like champion EP2 heavy).

Geetings

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[Werckmeister]

It took some time but the mount has been disassembled, regreased and reassembled. It 's actually a really nice mount, with interesting and now smooth old-school mechanics.

 

Finally the beercan holder has been reinstated the proper way.

 

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