Forgiveness required - New Purchase

[SnakeyJ]

I used to think three was a good and sensible number, but the addiction to buying has not been sated and I'm in danger of courting the wrath of a good women as my compulsion gets the better of me again...

My collection as it stood last night, was (in order of acquisition):

SW Explorer 200P.

Bresser Orion (Rebadged Vixen R200S early '80s).

Fullerscope 6" F8 newtonian (late '70s?)

Ken Budd 10" F6 homemade newt, with H Wildey optics early '90s.

Vixen 80M F11 achromat (early '90s)

I've owned and already parted with another three in the last couple years and the stable is figuratively full - or so I thought!

I had been following recent threads on the 130P-DS with some interest and toying with buying one of these for some summer deep sky, rather than upgrading the mount.   Though I'd already decided this would require the sacrifice of the 6" Fullerscope.

However, no plan survives first contact and all that.   I was perusing the local online classifieds and had to do a double take and U turn on the policy after finding this:

Listed for pocket money @ £ 15!   Although it didn't appear to be complete, in terms of the equatorial head, this still seemed a very reasonable price for a Herr Ziess from the Deutches Demokratic Republic.

I have managed to close the deal today and am pleased to report that the eq head was present.    Naturally I will post a full report with photo's here later once the kids settle and I can put it all together

[Davey-T]

They say going to the I.O.W is like going back in time, guess that includes scope prices

Dave

[SnakeyJ]

They say going to the I.O.W is like going back in time, guess that includes scope prices

Dave

I've read that these were made in the communist East for schools, under Eric Honecker, but they must also have been marketed to the capitalist west - I've found a very nice 1986 catalogue @ http://geogdata.csun.edu/~voltaire/classics/zeiss/carlzeiss86.pdf (great site and resource here for early and classic catalogues).   Not sure on the 1980's pricing, but I would hazzard it is probably more than you would expect to pay now for decent achro (Lyra/TAL/Vixen) and small eq mount, perhaps £400-600.      The chap who previously owned my Bresser Orion and Vixen Sensor mount reputedly paid something over £ 2,000 pounds for this new in the 80's.

20 years behind the times down here and never happier about it

Crikey, I wonder if I live long enough and I've very good, if I'll ever find a cheap s/h 600/7500mm reflector and mount (on page 32) - sweet dreams!

[si@nite]

I never seek permission, just forgiveness after the purchase! lol!

[triton1]

With all the gales whe are having up here I wonder if any new astro gear will come my way?

[nightfisher]

Jake, this must rank as bargain of the millennium have i read this correctly and you paid £15 for a telementot? 

[SnakeyJ]

Jake, this must rank as bargain of the millennium have i read this correctly and you paid £15 for a telementot?

Not quite as good as Estwing's find in the attic, but pretty close - just have to get over the guilt of not telling the seller. Apparently it had been listed for a while at £25, but not sold. Just goes to show ;-)

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

That is an amazing deal.

[SnakeyJ]

I didn't feel the usual haggle ritual was appropriate in the circumstances.

[Stu]

Amazing indeed. These normally go for a good few hundred at least, have seen them up for £600 or £700!!

Looking forward to further pics and views [emoji2]

[SnakeyJ]

Amazing indeed. These normally go for a good few hundred at least, have seen them up for £600 or £700!!

Looking forward to further pics and views [emoji2]

Cheers Stu, the latter figures seem an awful lot for a 60mm achro, but the reviews look very good indeed.

I do like the new name - though would it be rude to shorten it to BigSumo, but think BigDobSumo trips off the tongue better

[Stu]

Thanks Jake.

This one is up for £650 although it has been hanging around for quite a while. I think it would go quickly at £350 to £400 though.

http://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/propview.php?view=93532

The name was tricky, having had the previous one so long. It is a weak attempt to reference my Sumo-like stature with my large(ish) Sumerian scope. Feel free to abbreviate to BigSumo [emoji6]

By the way, I haven't forgotten your sun projection screen for the Vixen. I will get it sorted shortly and humbly apologise for the delay.

[SnakeyJ]

My lad went off rather late with the England game on tonight, he loves his footie!

Still managed to get everything cleaned and built up in the kitchen and taken a few pictures.    There are a few minor bits missing, a couple of end caps on the slow mos, and I have no end cap to protect the objective (which looks pretty filthy).   The focus knob was also switched, orientated down - perhaps for left handed use.   This fouled the Slow Mo's on the DEC axis, but was easilly reversed.   The plastic 0.96" - M44 adaptor is also cracked and while working does not feel very secure.  I think I will source an M44-T2 adaptor and T2-1.25" compression adaptor and a 1.25" diagonal to reduce back strain.   I will make up some endcaps for the knobs from coloured acetate to neaten the mount.   Aside from this there are the usual minor chips and scratches to the OTA, commensurate with age.

The T2 mount is nicely engineered, setting circles nicely marked and the controls smooth.   The tripod is nice and solid and extends to a respectable height, such that you probably could get away without a diagonal if you had a comfortable viewing seat (which I do).

Accessories.   There are 3 Ziess 0.96" EPs, a 25mm H, 16mm C and 4mm O.   There's also a Ziess errecting prism, which looks a marvel and weighs some.   The supplied allen key is the correct size (but says Draper, so suspect this is a later replacement!) and an M44 extension tube, plus male and female M44 caps.

Disappointed not to get it out tonight, but the wind is still blowing hard down here and the seeing looks very poor despite a very promising looking moon.

Pictures....

Now need to find a strip down guide, so I can remove and clean the optics and remove dust and debris from the ota tube.

[Stu]

Very nice!!

[damnut]

That looks great and with half a bottle  of Baader wonder fluid those optics will be pristine!

[ngwillym]

I'm just grateful that its not just me that's causing the bad weather on the south coast

Nice bit of kit too

[SnakeyJ]

That looks great and with half a bottle  of Baader wonder fluid those optics will be pristine!

Just so happens I have a bottle put by, but would like to get the optics out and flush them off under a running tap before brushing or wiping them with a cloth and fluid.   It will also give me a chance to touch up the matt black or flock some of the ota.

[SnakeyJ]

I'm just grateful that its not just me that's causing the bad weather on the south coast

Nice bit of kit too

Not guilty - much!   The forecast looks pretty grim through the next four-five days, but I think this always seems to coincide with me taking time of work.    The good nights only seem to come along when I'm otherwise engaged or have an important day at work to prepare for