I love my Swift 839

[A McEwan]

Yeah, I know - it's a very sentimental and gooey title, but it's true!

And as I'd been contacted recently about my views through, and of, my little 60mm classic scope, I thought I'd lavish some TLC on it tonight.

It usually lives out in the shed on a modified AZ3 mount, ready to grab and set up in the garden for quick looks and planetary views. I got the complete kit, with super-smooth gearless EQ mount, wooden tripod, 0.96" eyepieces - the works - a while ago and it's seen some pretty serious use on the AZ3. The wooden tripod legs for the EQ mount were, in my opinion, too spindly, but the EQ head itself is a work of genius. No gears, no axis locks, no slow-motions controls; just perfectly lubed and smooth friction bearing type motion, with a single lockable latitude knob so that it holds equatorial alignment. The scope is then simply pushed by fingertip to track!

I love the mount head, so I had a play tonight with attaching it to some AZ3 legs I found in the shed! Using some washers as spacers, I was able to mount the head directly to the tripod legs using the Swift tripod hub as interface. A seamless transition, though I do need a tripod spreader for the setup (if anyone has a spare one, or spare tripod even?) In the meantime I'll use some thin chain to hold the tripod legs and prevent them from slipping.

Gave the scope a clean and spruce up - just some minor dust on grease on the latte-coloured tube, so gave that a wipe and treated it to some very light polishing. Checked the focuser was still perfect (it is) and polished the drawtube to bring up that lovely chrome shine...

And fashioned a "proper" lens cap for the OTA from a Pringles lid! It's the only plastic on the whole thing...

I'll put some pics up tomorrow if it's sunny. (Makes a great solar scope with a Baader Solar Film filter by the way )

The rest of the kit will go back in its box in the shed, but the scope on its new-fangled Steampunk-ish EQ mount will remain within grabbing distance!

Ant

PS now I can refurbish my modded AZ3 in preparation for the other 60mm I'm assembling - if the focuser ever gets here!

[nightfisher]

You really do like this little classic, by the way how are you getting on with the 180 mak?

[Tiki]

Gave the scope a clean and spruce up - just some minor dust on grease on the latte-coloured tube, so gave that a wipe and treated it to some very light polishing. Checked the focuser was still perfect (it is) and polished the drawtube to bring up that lovely chrome shine...

I like the 'latte-coloured tube' bit best of all. I have a 1964 Swift 831 and it's the best looking scope i've ever owned. Even my partner likes the Swift!!! It's that latte colour I think.....

[A McEwan]

Some pictures after remounting and mollycoddling it:

Note the "custom" Pringles lid lens cap and super-slim mount head.

Ant

[A McEwan]

And finally the optical heart of the little wonder:

Ant

[nightfisher]

Very nice, if the weather holds tomorrow i will be getting a 3" f16.5, and i could get a swift like this but just dont have the room for both