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Another Classic I couldn't resist buying!!

F15Rules

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F15Rules

F15Rules

Posted
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:hello2:Welcome to the latest step in my bankruptcy...:(. A really nice 1970s (early I think) Prinz 660 3" frac, F16.5, yes 16.5!! It is one loooooooooonnnnng scope:D.

It is in lovely condition, has all its bits I think and was packed in a really nice wooden case. Only picked it up today, from another SGL member, and can't wait to put it up against my Pentax J-80.

just a couple of pics from the seller, will add some of my own when I can.. Hope you like...(shown here on a CG-5 mount, but I have the wooden original shown)..

cheers

Dave

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philj

philj

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Very nice Dave.

That is identical to the Tasco I used to have I reckon right down to the wooden box. Gosh I wish I could remember what model number it was.

They are beauties on lunar and planets. I remember seeing Syrtis Major for the 1st time with mine.

Phil

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F15Rules

F15Rules

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Steve,

Yes, it was Dixons own label in the 60s and 70s..they also had a line of binoculars under the brand name "Chinon"..remember them?

The Dixons scopes were made either by Kenko (Circle K logo, this is what mine is), or by Towa, (Circle T), both Japanese and optically very good. I also have a Topic Towa 339 which is F15 so slightly shorter. The mounts, in my opinion, were better made on the Kenko Circle K scopes, although the didn't have setting circles (does anyone ever actually use them anyway??:().

I bought this one because as a young teen this was a scope I used to drool over in Dixons big shop window in Coventry...in 1971 it cost £59.95 (I still have a brochure) and that was over a weeks wages for my Dad.

The Prinz line up was 100, 220,330,440, 550 and 660. All but the 660 were 60mm scopes, but with increasing specs, eg equatorial mounts, more eyepieces, sun projection screen etc.. all the smaller ones I owned (I have had about 5 of them) were Towa built. This is my first 660 Kenko and I know from the Classic Scopes Forum (Join up NOW, it's great, plug plug:hello2:) that this scope should deliver really well on doubles, Moon, planets, and at F16.5 will be very well colour corrected.

I'll post a first light asap, but don't hold your breath, the forecast is pants!

Dave

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Towa

Towa

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Lets not forget that we discovered on the classic group that Carton also supplied Dixons with telescopes. :(

Dave - Your model 660 (Kenko model TA-1250) was built between 1974 - 1980.

Mine dates from 1965, and I really like this scope, they sure are long. Recently it gave

a very sharp image of Mars with several features seen.

Have you shined a light down the tube, to see if Kenko had painted the middle baffles and tube sides,

on my scopes they were un-painted.

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F15Rules

F15Rules

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Towa,

the inside of mine appears to have 3 baffles and all surfaces painted matt black.

How can you tell the dates of different models?

Of course you are correct, Carton also made scopes for Prinz such as the reflector we saw recently..:(..

I'd be surprised if my scope is later than 1974, it looks and feels older, if you see what I mean, and that manual looks positively prehistoric:p!..but I'd be interested to know how to date these.

The tube is a fair bit longer than my Pentax J-80, and slimmer too, I tried to fit it into the J-80 tube rings and its several mm too thin..

Looks like first light isn't going to be anytime soon, what a surprise!!

cheers

Dave

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Mr Spock

Mr Spock

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Wow, this brings back memories. I had a 550 for my 16th birthday (1974). It had no chromatic aberration at all and was an absolute cracker at splitting close doubles. I wish I still had it. I sold it for £27.50 to pay for driving lessons...

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F15Rules

F15Rules

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Hi Mr Spock!! Live long and prosper:hello2:...and I CAN do that thing with the fingers that Leonard Nimoy confessed he couldn't:p

Yes, I had the 440 for Christmas when I was about 13/14, that would have been '69 or '70. It cost my dad £39.95, a lot in those days..I always swore I would have a 660 one day..

..just didn't think it would take another 40 years:D..

You are so right about the quality, virtually no c/a and great on doubles, the Moon and planets.

cheers

Dave

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Towa

Towa

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Towa,

How can you tell the dates of different models?

Dave

Around 1974, Kenko changed the design of the tube cradle and the position and shape of the finder scope bracket. The finder scope bracket on earlier models was screwed into the focus mount block. The focus mount knobs were also changed to the ones on your scope.

By the late 1970's, Kenko started painting the dewsheild white. This narrows your scope down to the dates 1974 - 1979.

p.s. In the mid 70's the levers on the R.A. and Dec axis were also changed

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albedo0.39

albedo0.39

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I love this thread ! - All the talk of drooling over refractors aged 10 and christmas excitement just hit my memory recall button. I simply lusted after any scope that had more that 60mm objective as my only xmas pressie was a very simple 40mm Tasco. My dad made a simple tripod out of a castor and I was really please to be looking at the planets and stars.

Anyhow.. I'd love to relieve my youth and get a peek through this scope. Are you going to SGLV ?

Steve

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F15Rules

F15Rules

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Towa, thanks for the clarification, you are a mine of knowledge:icon_salut:!

Steve, sadly I'm not going but maybe someone else from the Classic Scopes forum is? I know that Towa has this same scope and maybe there are others out there.

I have been thinking for a while I would love to go to a star party, I've never been to one. I have a sister in law who lives not a million miles from Kelling, so I was thinking that maybe if my dear wife wanted to visit her and we could tie in the dates of that visit....:D..

Thanks for your interest..:(

Dave

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  • 2 years later...
billhinge

billhinge

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Steve,

Yes, it was Dixons own label in the 60s and 70s..they also had a line of binoculars under the brand name "Chinon"..remember them?

The Prinz line up was 100, 220,330,440, 550 and 660. All but the 660 were 60mm scopes, but with increasing specs, eg equatorial mounts, more eyepieces, sun projection screen etc.. all the smaller ones I owned (I have had about 5 of them) were Towa built. This is my first 660 Kenko and I know from the Classic Scopes Forum (Join up NOW, it's great, plug plug:hello2:) that this scope should deliver really well on doubles, Moon, planets, and at F16.5 will be very well colour corrected.

Dave

My first telescope in the early 70's was a 40mm Prinz vary-mag x15x30x45 scope from Dixons, later it became a finder on my home made 8.5" newtonian along with a homemade telrad (toilet roll with string cross hairs)

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest

Guest

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Posted

Hello,I have just bought a Prinz 660.The classic telescope forum was mentioned by F15.Does anyone have a direct link please,i can't seem to find it.

Thanks,

Martin. :huh:

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