Help required to identify this vintage Tasco telescope

[MrZuiko]

Hi all,

I've bought this telescope of a well known auction site,it was his/her late fathers bought in the early 1980's it could possibly be a 16V as they had found an instruction manual,but having said that I've done some digging myself and from what I have found the 16V has a "sled" style focusser and was made by Vixen but by judging the counter weights,tripod including the accessory tray,the hand straps on the tube etc I'm thinking it could be the 16T which in Germany is called the 16V,a rare find from all accounts and very well made even a separate wooden box for the tripod legs etc. It was a steal at the asking price gonna pick it up Friday morning just thought that the kind folk here could help,obviously I'll find out for sure when I pick it up.

Clear skies everyone.

Ash.

[RT65CB-SWL]

Hi Ash.

Interesting article here --->https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/500115-tasco-16t-6-f85-reflector/ ...if it is this one. 

[MrZuiko]

Hi Philip,

I also found this site and yes I think I have the same looking at the pictures of the finder,mount,OTA etc match perfectly from what I've read online this cost around $2300 a small fortune back in the 1980's thats a lot of money even for today! I reckon I've got myself a quality scope for only £50 hope it delivers image wise,has anyone here had the chance to use this scope?

 

Ash.

[Stub Mandrel]

Looks really nice from here!

[happy-kat]

Nice wooden legged tripod too.

[John]

3 hours ago, Philip R said:

Hi Ash.

Interesting article here --->https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/500115-tasco-16t-6-f85-reflector/ ...if it is this one. 

The one that Ash has bought certainly looks just like the one in that Cloudynights thread.

Scopes were very expensive back in the 1980's because the Chinese and Russian imports had not really made an impact back then. The list price for a 60mm Tasco refractor was around £300+ in the 1980's - they were Japanese made as well then.

It seems to be a Bird-jones optical design so collimation will need to be through star testing rather than using a laser.

 

[RT65CB-SWL]

3 hours ago, MrZuiko said:

Hi Philip,

I also found this site and yes I think I have the same looking at the pictures of the finder,mount,OTA etc match perfectly from what I've read online this cost around $2300 a small fortune back in the 1980's thats a lot of money even for today! I reckon I've got myself a quality scope for only £50 hope it delivers image wise,has anyone here had the chance to use this scope?

 

Ash.

£50 ...wow! 

[MrZuiko]

Hi all and thanks for all your comments!

I'm hopeful that the scope will come with eyepieces and given the age will be 0.965 and how rare this telescope is will be of higher quality than the eyepieces that are sold with lesser scopes, which means I'll need an adapter to use my 1.25" eyepieces I already have,I've looked at adapters on fleabay but something that they mention in the description is " Requires additional back focus " does that mean there won't be enough focus travel with the eyepiece combined with the adapter so therefore won't be able achieve correct focus?

My first scope was a 60mm refractor by tasco which started my love of astronomy back in the early 1980's,I've had an orion optics 8" newt on a gem which I sold as I was deep into photography and wanted a Nikon F3,I still enjoy photography to this day digital now having lost my darkroom when I had to move but also love the night sky just as much!

 

clear skies.

 

Ash.

 

[John]

If you put a 1.25" eyepiece in a .965" adapter there are 2 impacts:

- For the wider field eyepieces, the field of view could well be vignetted by the narrower barrel section. The remaining field of view will be fine though.

- The adapter itself will hold the eyepiece a good 20mm-25mm further outwards than it would be in a 1.25" drawtube. As long as you have that much inwards travel in the .965" focuser then you should be OK but some scopes are more limited in their focuser travel so the eyepiece won't come to focus.

Occasionally .965" eyepieces do crop up for sale.

[MrZuiko]

Hi John,

there is a set on fleabay,not sure on the quality but he will take returns and even pay for the return postage he is that confident that they are of high quality! searching deeper the Mizar cx-150 which this tasco is  identical came with a set of four eyepiecs,so fingers crossed they will be in the box somewhere! I'll update when I have picked up the scope,put it together and I'll post a picture or two.

Now if only I could find the MMD3 R.A motor drive it would be complete...........but I'm guessing that this will be harder to find than the scope!!

 

Ash.

[Rob]

Looks really nice. Nice find there. I think if it were me, and the optics are as stunning as they should be on a old Japan scope. I'd purchase & fit a crayford focuser at some point to rectify the 1.25 ep situation. Its not a horrible job. I did this on an old Orion Optics Newt a few years back.

Enjoy it

[Stub Mandrel]

I got two reasonable .925 eps with my Tasco frac.

Buying one with a full set of 3 might be a cheap way of getting the EPs and building your classic scope collection, the going rate is £30-40

[MrZuiko]

Hi Neil, I crossing my fingers as there should be a set of EPs included,I have read somewhere that you can unscrew a piece on the end of the draw tube to accept the larger EPs will have to wait and see! I would like to keep it stock and not change the focusser.

An update I should have picked this beautiful scope up yesterday........but alas I was unable to move let alone drive 11/2 hours to collect as thursday evening I hurt my back while working,I'm a home delivery driver for a large supermarket before that qualified chef since 1987........after spending something like 4 hours in A&E and consuming a cocktail of drugs from paracetamol,oramorph,diazepam and good old morphine christ I sound like a junkie! I was allowed home with strict instructions not to lift anything heavy etc etc so I'm gonna have to wait a while longer! I'm in contact with the seller as I don't want them to loose this great barn find if ya know what I mean!

I've been in contact with another member on SGL who used to work for Tasco back in the day......turns out that the 16T  never imported in to the UK so I must find out where his/her late father purchased this scope,it's known in the US as the "big white elephant" ?

Clear skies all

Ash.

[Stub Mandrel]

My digging suggests that it's a very nice scope and that the bit you need is a Vixen visual back which should screw in to replace the 0.925" holder with a 1.25" one. It may be the 1.25" screw in holder from some SW scopes will fit.

[MrZuiko]

Hi Neil,

I've been in contact with the seller and am told that there are a set of eyepieces included so I'll try them first I'm sure that Tasco would supply decent  eyepieces with this high end scope....wouldn't they?

 

Ash.

[Stub Mandrel]

2 hours ago, MrZuiko said:

Hi Neil,

I've been in contact with the seller and am told that there are a set of eyepieces included so I'll try them first I'm sure that Tasco would supply decent  eyepieces with this high end scope....wouldn't they?

 

Ash.

They won't be crap, but EPs seem to have evolved more than scopes over the past 30 years or so.

[MrZuiko]

Good evening all,

Well an update of sorts....picked up the telescope and yes it is the hard to come by 16T turns out her father acquired it in the US......all the eyepieces are there,the little pan and tilt head for a camera OTA with tube rings,lovely meaty focusser,that massive finder et etc but my excitment was short lived...while I was there I thought I'd better check both boxes tripod legs were there but NO equatorial head or counter balance weights..I've got the bar.

She gave me a refund as it wasn't complete,she also said that she would have another look for the missing pieces but she is quite sure that there was only two boxes, I would assume there would be another box as there is simply no room for the head etc,I really do hope that they are at her late fathers house.

So what do I do if the parts are missing!

Do I make a dob mount which I can easily do which would get the scope up and running but would that be a shame seeing as this scope is so rare!

find a suitable head which would fit the legs and make an adapter to make the tube rings fit

or do I sell it on?

Your help and wisdom is required once again!

 

Ash.

[John]

The mount in the photo looks similar to the Skywatcher EQ3-2 which can be bought for quite a low cost on the used market.

You might well be able to fit an EQ3-2 to the tripod hub with a bit of DIY'ing. A dovetail bar could be bolted to the rings to fit the tube to the mount.

Alternatively look out for the older Vixen Polaris mount (not the Super Polaris) which has a mount top plate to which you can bolt the rings straight on.

Here is a photo of the Vixen Polaris:

 

[jock1958]

That’s a pity, I assume the first photo you posted was an older  / archived picture of the complete setup with the mount?

As John said you should be able to obtain a suitable second hand mount off Astro Buy Sell or the Bay.

Seems strange that a very heavy part of the setup has gone missing but these things happen, anyway good luck and hope it all works out for you!

 

[MrZuiko]

Hi all yep the picture must have been taken years ago as I can see a crease in the print!

If all else fails I'llmake a "dob" mount for it....but it would be a shame to spoil what could have been a sweet scope.

I'll wait until I've heard from the seller.......I might even sell it on and get myself a good pair of 20x80's.

[jock1958]

As it’s so rare I would be very reluctant to alter / modify what you have already.

I would persevere and try and obtain a suitable EQ Mount to keep it all as original as possible. 

Does the tripod come in a similar storage box to the OTA? Any pics of what you have out of the boxes?

[MrZuiko]

Hi Jock1958,

Yes the tripod legs have their own wooden box,I'll try later to get the OTA etc from the boot of my car that's where it's been all night as I have crippled my back earlier in the week at work and the cocktail of drugs I'm on is enough to put an elephant to sleep!

I have thought of a way I can make a dob mount e.g a new base plate to mount the tube rings and then attach side bearings to that plate so that way I won't be drilling into th OTA to attach the tube box etc.

I'll try and take some pics of what I have got.

 

Ash.

[jock1958]

Watch your back! I slipped 2 discs years back and got sciatica down one leg ?

looking at that thread on cloudy nights your OTA weighs 19 pounds? so you will need a good solid mount to support it.

If you can’t get the mount from the seller then theres a Celestron CG5 including tripod on ABS for a good price with motors, downside local pick!

Also don’t forget a dovetail bar to attach it from your OTA to the mount.

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, MrZuiko said:

Yes the tripod legs have their own wooden box,I'll try later to get the OTA etc from the boot of my car that's where it's been all night as I have crippled my back earlier in the week at work and the cocktail of drugs I'm on is enough to put an elephant to sleep!

Not wishing to be patronising but I know such painkillers can skew your mood! You may feel more positive about the scope when your back is better ?

[MrZuiko]

Hi Neil...to be honest I'm well p....d off as it's not often you come across a find like this....it just wasn't available here only from the USA is where her late father bought it...how he go it home doesn't bear thinking about!! I've taken some pics of the contents of the boxes as requested by Jock1958,had it been complete then of course I would have enjoyed using it and would have been a very happy chap.

As it stands or not as the case may be forgive the pun I'm in two minds wheather to keep it or sell so somone else can enjoy this rare beast. It can with a 2xbarlow lense and 6 additional eps as shown in the pictures.

The mirror looks in good condition bit dusty could do with a clean that includes the flat but I'm not gonna touch that myself.

I know I only paid £50 as the seller wanted it gone asap as she was moving otherwise it would have commanded a much higher price,please forgive any spelling mistakes as I'm under the influence of some pretty hardcore painkillers!!

Hopefully in a day or so I'll know the fate of the missing mount and weights and if it's bad news then I guess it's gotta go to another home.

clear skies all.

Regards Ash.