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First telescope


dawson

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On hunting for some old pictures for a friends 40th, I found this, my first telescope, which I thought I'd been given aged 14 or so, but I think this photo was taken when I was 17 or so.


 


James


 


Edited by dawson
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I found some very out of focus lunar shots through my telescope too, not sure how I took them, and some very over exposed short star trails. Brings a smile to a face.


 


James

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Haha! Very nice James - bet that takes you back eh! Look at you now though - it's only taken 30yrs or so lol :)


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Cheeky get :)


 


I think I was given the telescope Christmas 1987 or maybe earlier.


 


It might still be at my parents home somewhere. I'll ask.


 


James

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Dad checked hos diaries, and i got the telescope in 1982!

It is still there somewhere, so they are going to try and find it and bring it on Tuesday when they visit.

James

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I've got the scope back, together with its 20mm eye piece, barlow tube and image correcting tube. I'm looking forward to trying it out on Saturn one clear night.

Doesn't look too bad for a 31 year old scope.

James

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Good scopes those James, the optics are Towa of Japan (as indicated by the T in the circle on the nameplate). They were and still are  highly regarded optics. If you remember the long focus 80mm refractor I brought to Wymeswold last month, that was a Towa 339 from 1970, it may look tatty but it delivers.


 


Neil English has just had the optics out of his 80mm Towa fitted in a Moonraker tube and cell by Moonraker, see May Astronomy Now, he rates the Towa optics also.


 


Get an adapter so it accepts 1.25" eps and it will perform well. You may need to do a little baffle surgery in the draw tube to get full aperture working with 1.25" though


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I've already ordered a .965" to 1.25" adapter :)

If i can't achieve focus, i'll get a dirt cheap barlow and take the optics out and use it as an extension tube. Are there any advantages / disadvantages to using either a .965" or a 1.25" barlow tube for this purpose?

I've just given the outside of it a clean. I need to find (or make) some dust caps for all its openings.

I can't believe i've got another telescope now! I'll need to move house for lack of space before i need to move because of lack of vista :)

James

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Just use the 1.25" adapter with a 1.25" diagonal then the 1.25" ep and it will more than likely reach focus. All the ones Ive had, got or restored have, but you never know :)


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