39 replies to this topic

[mountman]

I currently have an old mount listed for sale in the classifieds which I identified as a Cave.  With a "?".

 

I ultimately identified the mount as a Cave largely because of the design of the pier legs.  In all the pictures of old mounts that I saw, I only saw those legs on Cave's.  However, my identification of the mount has been called into question by another member here.  Excellent.  That is what I asked for. 

 

The doubt about it being a Cave mount centers on the saddle plate which, I am told, is not Cave.  It was suggested that it might be Parks.  I have never seen an old Parks mount that I know of and lack the knowledge to make that call.  I am now also wondering if perhaps ....  if maybe.... just maybe,  O. Magnusson put his mount heads on Cave piers.  Is that possible or likely?  Other possibilities?   Anyone know for certain what these pictures are showing?

 

It would be great to fairly and accurately ID the mount in the ad.

Pictures to follow in the next several posts from me......

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[mountman]

another view of saddle plate

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[mountman]

and another

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[mountman]

Here are pictures of what I believe is the O. Magnusson RA drive.

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[AtlantaAstro]

Definitely looks like a Cave. Google search came back as Cave Astrola potentially

[mountman]

Thanks.

 

So....   I listed it as a Cave with a Magnusson retro-fit.  Which makes sense to me.

Cave then, did indeed, offer mounts with that saddle plate?  i.e. flat plates?

[Claytoncramer]

My 6" Cave looked nothing like that except the legs.

[Claytoncramer]

The RA worm gear was inside a housing at south end of the polar axis. Uniformly gray. Clamps for axes were utterly different

[Claytoncramer]

Cave saddle was circular with bolt holes to hold straps that held tube down.

[mountman]

Ja.  The RA drive as well as the circles are identified as O. Magnusson. 

 

This mount came to me with tube rings that are 16" ID and which I assume/believe to be original to the mount.  Is it possible that on a scope as large as that, Cave may have produced a flat saddle plate?

[mountman]

For comparison.

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[John Rose]

Looks like the mounts that came with the Cave 6" F/8 Model "A" Standard and the 8" F/7 Standard. 

[CHASLX200]

For comparison.

What mount is that?

[CHASLX200]

another view of saddle plate

Could be a Cave from 1956. Some had that spotted paint job.  Also other mount makers made mounts that looked about the same.

[mountman]

What mount is that?

Well....  I'm not 100% sure but it looks like Cave to me.  I was hoping someone here would say "Oh Yeah!  For sure that is a Cave".   And then I would know for sure that Cave made mounts with the large plate.

[CHASLX200]

Well....  I'm not 100% sure but it looks like Cave to me.  I was hoping someone here would say "Oh Yeah!  For sure that is a Cave".   And then I would know for sure that Cave made mounts with the large plate.

I took another look and it looks like a 2.5" Cave mount. I had one but i had a one off custom made 2.5" Cave mount.

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[mountman]

Beautiful!

[Kasmos]

The RA worm gear was inside a housing at south end of the polar axis. Uniformly gray. Clamps for axes were utterly different

While the RA drive was usually in a housing, the older Caves had clamps like on his mount and were black with most having white speckles in the paint. That said, the saddles were usually semi-circles. The one below looks different than most as it might be a flat plate with arced saddles attached

And for what it's worth, I'm fairly sure that Telescopics sold mounts using the same castings as the old Caves.

[mountman]

hmmmmm......

That actually looks pretty close to what I've got and I could imagine that mine is Cave if the mounting plate was
originally fitted with semi-circular OTA to mount adapters. Maybe those got replaced with the rings later? Or maybe
Cave had an option of either that fit the same plate?

I also note the Cave plaque on your pier. Mine does not have that nor does it look like it ever did. So, that argues
against it being Cave.
The RA shaft on mine also extends further beyond the casting - enabling my mount to have the RA circles and worm and
drive components. So, again, a bit different.

And now, Telescopics is thrown into the mix.....

I'm starting to suspect that I will never know for sure. I think that I'll simply change the ad to it being a scope of
unknown provenance. Buyer beware kind of thing.

Thanks everyone for your input. Much appreciated.

[schiefspiegler]

The saddle is from a Dobbins Instrument Company mount or from Parallax Instruments (who acquired the patterns to cast them). 

[mountman]

OK.   Thanks for that.  I'm adding a couple of pictures that show the underside of the saddle plate more clearly.

Just for confirmation purposes if it helps.

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[mountman]

and one more

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[apfever]

I would nix the pictures in entries #11 and #16 as those are way off and only distractions. Entry 11 created entry 16 and this group will stray with pictures. 

Try an extensive search using the info in entry #20.

 

Cave and Telescopics used the same legs. It was common for different makers to use the same castings if there was no proprietary agreement with the foundry. 

The setting circles are Magnusson. 

Try to identify the actual motor on the drive. Some motors are dated and often a best way to date a telescope. Your drive looks original to the mount. 

 

I have Cave, Telescopics, and Magnusson mounts with 1.5" shafts. I'll get some pictures and comparisons today. Yours would have to be very early if it is Cave. Most Cave mounts have enlarged ends on the housings for bearings. The old Caves had straight cast housings.  Not all Caves had "ASTROLA" cast into the housings. A lot of things changed during productions like knobs, housings, pier caps, legs, drives, .....

 

Here is a typical Cave mount with the enlarged housing ends for bearings. This is a 1" shaft mount. There is no name cast into the mount.

 

 

 

 

This one is a Cave 1.5" mount with the straight RA housing (no flared ends) like yours. This is a very early Cave, in fact it is a proto type that the series was based on. 

 

Edited by apfever, 11 February 2025 - 01:48 PM.

[apfever]

Here is Astronomics and this is getting close. The DEC housing part looks the same. This has the same legs as Cave as well. The pier caps are ALL different on everything posted so far. 

 

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[mountman]

A couple of photos of the motor but not showing what we want, I think.  I had the mount near completely apart but I did not remove the motor from the motor housing.  So, a bracket is likely covering the pertinent information.  Nevertheless.  Here is what I have.  Conrac Corporation.  Numbers and letters that I can make out:  CY   60  W  2.7  15  67    These are not necessarily related to the same string of data/info on the back plate.  Just what I can see and make out without removing the motor.

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