To update or not to update, 10 years on

[philjay]

10 years ago (ish) I got my early 1970s 80mm F15 off fleabay for about £60 I think. It was complete with original  wobbly (but elegant) mount and droopy 0.96" snorkel focuser. I messed around with it for a bit with eyepiece adapters to make 1.25" eyepieces fit but I could never get the ful potential out of it. Another Towa 80mm F15 OTA came on the scene, so I married that to the mount (which I restored) and sold the complete package.

This left me with the original OTA which I could now play with and upgrade without feeling too guilt ridden. So an OTA extension tube and Antares focuser were built and fitted and I have had some reaaly good sessions with this scope.

 

Earlier this month I made decent tube rings for it (see thread in DIY) and here  are the the comparison photos. It fits a treat on the HEQ5 pro and is a bosting double star observing scope as well as lunar. Ive had loads of scopes over the years but this one has had a special place in my affections, fond memories of views of Mars 3 oppositions ago, loads of double and multiple stars split when theory says they should'nt be with an 80mm achromatic  scope. The quality of the lens on these scopes were much sought after in their day and to my mind this scope, even though tatty and the objective has a couple of clamshell chips, can hold its own to many a modern CNC'd fancy semi/pseudo APO.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would just like a chance to use it a bit more now.

[+Graham]

It is a beautiful scope.

You would be hard pushed to find anything like it nowadays especially at a sensible price.

You have to keep it Phil.

Grow old gracefully together.

Chances to use it may be far and few but when you do get the odd chance they will be all the better for it.

[Nightspore]

Very nice.

[BAZ]

I say keep it too. It's funny how we can have 20/20 vision when it comes to hindsight, you would regret............giving it to me...cough cough!

 

No, keep it and enjoy it, it might be old  but you have already said it's a "Bostin scope", the case for the defense rests its case.

Again, it might be old but nothings worked right since we gave up clockwork and steam.

[philjay]

Nah, I will never part with it, I would get stuff all for it anyway. Having chips on the objective makes buyers run away screaming in terror, when in actual fact they make stuff all discernible difference on a good lens.

 

This post was really to compare the scope since I got my mitts on it. I just set it up yesterday to finish a couple of details and thought a before and after shot would be interesting.

 

I had to do some soul searching about updating it back then because being a classic/vintage/antique scope fan updating an old scope goes against the grain. But heck it was worth it.

 

Nah, this scopes staying, others have come and gone over the years but this hangs on in there.

Edited December 25, 2019 by philjay