Star 10 telescope?

[gls]

I recently acquired a star 10 telescope, which I presume is an f5. Does anyone know anything about them as I can't find anything on the net?

[Putaendo Patrick]

Looks rather interesting!

It could be a copy of the Meade Starfinder 10 which was current in the early 1990s. The pier (rather than tripod) is also a common feature on Russian telescopes and some from India!

[gls]

I don't think the pier came with it because the scope had 2 bolt like attachments on it, which I presume attached to the original mount, and the clips have been moved on the tube rings.

It is a rather interesting scope. The spider only has one vane and the tube has a handle attached, which is unusual and useful.

[ChrisLX200]

Looks like an old Orion Optics scope, if you get chance take a look on the rear/sides of the main mirror and see if there iare any markings - like a maker's name.

ChrisH

[gls]

I will do. The mirror needs cleaning and I plan on doing it soon.

[John]

The mount is certainly one of the older Orion Optics ones, from the days when they made their own mounts.

I have a feeling that the tube assembly might have been made by another British manufacturer such as Superscopes of Bedford. They were active back in the 1980's.

 

 

[Astrobits]

I made the optical tube about 20 years ago as a dobsonian hence the holes where the alt bearings were. Don't know anything about the re-mounting.

Nigel

[gls]

What do you mean you made the scope? I don't believe this is a homemade scope. 

Have you got anymore info on it? If you made it.

[Astrobits]

Well....I ground and polished both mirrors. The 10" primary was 19mm thick mounted with three silicone blobs onto an MDF board. The MDF mirror board was pivoted at the centre on a coach bolt and three bolts and wing nuts took care of the collimation. The tube was rolled galvanised steel sheet from a local ducting manufacturer and powder coated on the outside, black spray painted on the inside. Early ones had a single vane secondary mount while later ones were 4-vaned. The focuser was normally from Irvin's but your focuser looks more like a Celestron unit which I did use between supplies of Irvin ones. Both tubes and dob mounts had those white handles for ease of moving them around.

Of course I cannot confirm that all of these features are still present on your scope as It has obviously had some mods done to discard the Dobsonian mounting.  Here is a photo of the 8" version as made:

[ollypenrice]

It's not often that a question is answered as comprehensively or as interestingly as this one!

Olly

[gls]

Thanks astrobits, that does look like mine. Although there are no holes on the side, instead it had 2 bolt like attachments on the bottom. One was broken off and I've since removed the other. Collimation is indeed done with wing nuts and the bottom of the scope is enclosed.

It looks like a well made scope anyway. Which is why I didn't think it was home made. You did a good job on it. The mirror needs a good clean but it still works, and it's good to own a scope with a bit of history behind it.

Am I right in thinking it's an f5?

[gls]

Saying it's well made is a massive understatement too. I'm really impressed by your skill and take my hat off to you.

[Astrobits]

I am pretty sure it is close to an f/5. That was the longest that I could squeeze into the tubes that were made for me. I cannot remember making any which did not have holes in the side for the bearings, perhaps I did as a special.

geeezz  it takes a while to open the memory files in my brain.

Nigel

[gls]

Here's what picture of the scope and mount when I first got it. If you look closely you can just make out what I'm talking about protruding from the bottom, opposite the handle, and see there are no holes in the side.

And I don't know what the person was thinking about who had the pier before me. He'd put the weight and tube rings on the wrong way round and painted the steel bar first, so it was completely unbalanced and unusable, and was a right pain to remove the parts from the bar and polish the bar to make it work again.

It's a nice surprise to speak to the person who made it btw. I bet you must be pleased to see it's still getting used and done up too.

[John]

I did wonder if it was one of Nigel's - hardly "homemade" given Nigel's experience in producing scopes (up to 20" I understand).

Sorry I mis-attributed the scope to a lesser manufacturer Nigel

[Astrobits]

Glad it's still going strong and thanks for the compliments.

Nigel

[gls]

7 hours ago, John said:

I did wonder if it was one of Nigel's - hardly "homemade" given Nigel's experience in producing scopes (up to 20" I understand).

Sorry I mis-attributed the scope to a lesser manufacturer Nigel

I didn't mean to offend him. It''s just that when he said it's one he made, without giving any more info, it gave the impression (to me at least) that it was home made. Although looking at it, nothing could be further than the truth and is better made than all the skywatchers I own.