27 replies to this topic

[deSitter]

I will start with Bushnell - the SkyChief 60/910mm. Whole scope is a contender for my favorite classic design. Notice the serial number is in red! This is very hard to capture. So this is a 3 color badge. This is my actual scope.

 

-drl

 

Attached Thumbnails

• 

Edited by deSitter, 13 May 2025 - 10:02 AM.

[jragsdale]

The bicolor Royal Tokyo label from Astro Optical. *chef's kiss*

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[Eric P]

For me toss up between Clave and Mitaka

 

 

Attached Thumbnails

• 
• 

[Bomber Bob]

I'm biased, but these 2 antiques have style:

 

 

Edited by Bomber Bob, 13 May 2025 - 07:40 PM.

[gelkin]

Always loved those 50s Cave badges. Stamped from brass, beautiful.

 

[davidmcgo]

Not sure it counts as a badge but this is etched into the skin on my 1960s Celestron 4” f8 SCT telephoto lens:

 

Dave

[strdst]

The bicolor Royal Tokyo label from Astro Optical. *chef's kiss*

Totally agree. Too many cases to lift tonight to get a fresh photo. See my avatar.

[deSitter]

I'm biased, but these 2 antiques have style:

 

Mogey - 1895 Newspaper Ad.jpg Tinsley Saturn Badge S90.jpg

 

That view of Saturn cannot be seen from Earth. It was finally captured in 1980 by Voyager I during its flyby.

 

-drl

Attached Thumbnails

• 

Edited by deSitter, 14 May 2025 - 02:18 AM.

[deSitter]

Always loved those 50s Cave badges. Stamped from brass, beautiful.

 

50s Cave badge.jpg

 

This is the first time I've ever seen the mesh substrate of the fiberglass layering process!

 

-drl

[Weisswurst Josef]

Always loved those 50s Cave badges. Stamped from brass, beautiful.

 

50s Cave badge.jpg

very, very beautifull ...

ultimate ...
 

[gelkin]

1959 10” F/5. Finder was missing when I got it. That one is different from what would be on it.

 

[Terra Nova]

I gotta agree with ole’ Bomber! The art-deco Tinsley Saturn label will always be my favorite! No others come close IMO.

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[k5apl]

Unusual Logo on my scope

[k5apl]

Unusual Logo on my scope

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[Bomber Bob]

Haven't seen that one before!!

[Jim Curry]

I'm on a borrowed tablet so no photo.  My favorite is the Zeiss, especially glass in the acclaimed semi app 80x1200 and 100x1000.

Edited by Jim Curry, 17 May 2025 - 06:51 PM.

[deSitter]

Haven't seen that one before!!

 

No, it's neat! Milben had a "pennant" theme, sort of the college boy crowd appeal in the 60s.

 

-drl

[deSitter]

Haven't seen that one before!!

 

Milben pennant theme - Towa scopes of course.

 

-drl

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[deSitter]

I'm on a borrowed tablet so no photo.  My favorite is the Zeiss, especially glass in the acclaimed semi app 80x1200 and 100x1000.

 

This one!

 

-drl

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[aoirotukiko]

From my recently acquired ASTRO S5

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[Piggyback]

  

 

Metal label of my 1959 Lafayette Arcturus 705 F-385. I found this back in 2009. Complete with factory wooden case and original „pump-wheel“ focuser. Keeper!

[deSitter]

   IMG_8943.jpeg

 

Metal label of my 1959 Lafayette Arcturus 705 F-385. I found this back in 2009. Complete with factory wooden case and original „pump-wheel“ focuser. Keeper!

 

This is an Astro-Optical scope but good luck finding the stamp! Look on the little tangent block for the DEC slo-mo drive.

 

-drl

[Piggyback]

Unfortunately there is no stamp or imprint on that tangent block.

[deSitter]

Unfortunately there is no stamp or imprint on that tangent block.

 

On my A-O scopes the stamp is invisble unless you take apart the DEC worm and block. It's on the back side of it. Very curious! And it's tiny. You might not even recognize it as deliberate.

 

There are other tells - the objective cell and the 12x40 "finder" (the worst finder in history, despite superior optics and build quality). And of course the A-O optical performance.

 

-drl

[deSitter]

Unfortunately there is no stamp or imprint on that tangent block.

 

BTW the serial number itself tells the story. They are issued across brands IIRC. So the Royal ship-wheel scopes and the Lafayette ship-wheel scopes will have similar serial numbers. (Similar to Tasco vs. Sears 76/1200mm scopes.) The slanted dew cap 76/910mm ship-wheel was known as the H-5 in A-O's house brand Royal incarnation.

 

-drl