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Dark Star scopes ?


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There used to be a company called Dark Star who made dobsonians. I'm not sure they still exist. I have a brochure of theirs somewhere - it dates from the early 1990's.

I recall they used a simple design made from marine ply and painted. Their tubes were PVC and the optics were bought in from another UK maker - David Hinds maybe or possibly Oldham Optics.

Does this sound like the scope you are thinking of ?

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The Dark Star mirrors were made by Hinds &/or by John Owen of Halifax. The scopes were originally made & sold from near Brum & laterally from a farm in Powys in Wales.My 10" f 6.4 Dark Star has an excellent Owen mirror & was bought new by me in 1997.It's a keeper & should see my time on earth out . First light was on Hale Bopp's head drawing the concentric shells back in 1997. I've a mate with an 8" Dark Star & he's a happy bunny .and if you look at Gary Poyners webpage you will see he has had two http://www.garypoyner.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/scopes.html . They merited a review/listing in one of Phil Harrington's Star Ware books . Enjoy the scope.

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I also have a Dark Star 10" F6.4 although I have modified it over the years with a proper mirror cell, a good finder and better 2" focuser etc, mine has a Hinds mirror and is an excellent performer.

if my memory serves the 12" was available as in two focal lengths, F4.4 and F5.3, you will know which one you have by the length of the tube.

My is also fitted with a JMI Max digital setting circles which Dark Star called their Compudob.

I hope this helps??

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  • 2 years later...

I've just seen one in a local charity shop - £120 for, I believe, the 8.75" version - painted slightly lighter blue I think than the image from Gary Poyner's website linked to above (its in the background against the observatory wall on the right image of two further down the page), and has 3 eyepieces which might be the ones originally supplied - 6,9, and 12mm. Don't know its f-ratio but with a 6mm one included (and I would guess, previously used as I chatted to the staff about it and they told me what the guy said when he brought it in), I'm guessing its not that high.

Me thinks the price might be a little high at the moment (?) considering the £100 quoted above for a 10" (even if that was a good deal), some years ago, but if noone's bought it after a few weeks they usually drop it. The main mirror looked in good nick although quite dirty, had a centre spot on it. focuser seemed ok (only saw/moved it in and out a bit without any EPs in).

I've got just a 4" Mak at present and it would be nice to have something a bit bigger (6 or 8") but had no immediate plans, and we don't have much storage space in the flat plus no garden at present so despite offers from next door neighbours to use their garden, not sure I'd be happy storing it there or inside and carting it downstairs and through their gate every time to use it. This is in my area, SW London, in case anyone's interested.

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After a little more looking around: its the same colour as the 14" Dob (with the yellow mount axle not like the 8" chromed/alu/whatever colour one on the 8" below it) at http://darkstartelescopes.blogspot.co.ukblog entry (as currently the most recent post there, 2nd and 3rd images down). I don't remember seeing the eyepiece rack at the bottom of the mount but maybe it was there, the scope was amongst many other items and behind a couple of things so maybe it was and I didn't see it.

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I've just seen one in a local charity shop - £120 for, I believe, the 8.75" version - painted slightly lighter blue I think than the image from Gary Poyner's website linked to above (its in the background against the observatory wall on the right image of two further down the page), and has 3 eyepieces which might be the ones originally supplied - 6,9, and 12mm. Don't know its f-ratio but with a 6mm one included (and I would guess, previously used as I chatted to the staff about it and they told me what the guy said when he brought it in), I'm guessing its not that high.

Me thinks the price might be a little high at the moment (?) considering the £100 quoted above for a 10" (even if that was a good deal), some years ago, but if noone's bought it after a few weeks they usually drop it. The main mirror looked in good nick although quite dirty, had a centre spot on it. focuser seemed ok (only saw/moved it in and out a bit without any EPs in).

I've got just a 4" Mak at present and it would be nice to have something a bit bigger (6 or 8") but had no immediate plans, and we don't have much storage space in the flat plus no garden at present so despite offers from next door neighbours to use their garden, not sure I'd be happy storing it there or inside and carting it downstairs and through their gate every time to use it. This is in my area, SW London, in case anyone's interested.

the 8.75" that I had back in the 90's was an f6 and had a Hinds mirror

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  • 2 years later...
14 hours ago, AdeKing said:

Mine is still waiting to be renovated and is the 12" f/6 with 1800mm f/l.

I still hope to get it functioning again this winter, but it's in bits at the moment.

Ade

Wow! Mine is maybe 1500m max. Built to last though, unless the mirror cell gets woodworm!

My first big sightings were with the DS dob; Mars polar ice cap, Saturn's rins and moons, Jupiter's bands and moons, globulars, planetary nebula, M31 and its companins, and Orion's star cloud thru an OIII filter.

A better mirror cell would be good, the tube walls are is thick enough to take metal + mirror weight.

DS address was; 6 Pinewood Drive, Ashley Heath, Market Drayton, Shropshire TF9 4PA. Phone was 063 087 2958. This from a label on a box that contained an eyepiece I bought from them.

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On 11/4/2012 at 14:54, LeoLion said:

The scopes were originally made & sold from near Brum & laterally from a farm in Powys in Wales.

Nothing wrong with that.  Rick Singmaster of Starmaster telescopes lives on a farm way out in rural Kansas (yes, that Kansas of Oz fame).  His scopes were considered to be of quite good quality by most accounts.  He retired from telescope making about 3 years ago and shuttered the business except for support.

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4 hours ago, 25585 said:

Wow! Mine is maybe 1500m max. Built to last though, unless the mirror cell gets woodworm!

I'm pretty sure that mine is f/6 and 1800mm f/l. There are a couple of threads here: 

And here:

It's a bit of a lump to move about, the mirror needs recoating,  it needs a new focuser and finder and the spider needs attention but the views I've had so far are not too bad all things considered.

Just got to find some time to give it some TLC.

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3 hours ago, AdeKing said:

I'm pretty sure that mine is f/6 and 1800mm f/l. There are a couple of threads here: 

And here:

It's a bit of a lump to move about, the mirror needs recoating,  it needs a new focuser and finder and the spider needs attention but the views I've had so far are not too bad all things considered.

Just got to find some time to give it some TLC.

Mine is more project than anything else. Labour of love/nostalgia. 

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