Help required to identify this vintage Tasco telescope

[jock1958]

From what I can see in your photos everything looks in beautiful condition with a host of accessories right down to the slo-mo control cables for the missing mount, instruction books, eyepiece set etc. 

There's lots of good advice on this forum for optics cleaning, my first choice before doing anything drastic is the use of a good bulb blower.

I wonder if the seller knows that the missing mount comes in a heavy wooden box of similar construction to what you have already? 

I definitely wouldn't rush into parting with it, keep it and lavish some time on it!  

[Stub Mandrel]

You do know that scope is a thing of legend.

Its one of only two or three commercial Jones-Bird telescopes that was made properly with a corrector in front of the secondary to eliminate coma and distortion with a spherical mirror rather than the cheap and nasty barlow-in focuser tube designs that have given them an appalling reputation.

[MrZuiko]

Hi again yes I know I have stumbled on hidden treasure,I've sent a message to the seller and photo of the contents of the box that should have the mount in....she told me yesterday that she only thought that it came in two boxes not three! I really hope she finds the missing box..........otherwise I have two choices.....put it up for sale.......or make a "Dob" mount.

If I choose to sell even though I only paid £50 +petrol and yes it's incomplete but what do you think the OTA would be worth due to the fact it's so rare!

Silly question due to the focal length would this be better for viewing the planets,moon etc as last night I turned my celestron 130 astromaster which is on a handmade dob mount as I bought it as an OTA only so I put in my highest EP which is I think x69 and mars was no more thana red star!

Tonight I'm going to place the 16T OTA in the rocker box just to hold it steady and chuck in an EP and point it at the sky,coz I won't be able to hold the OTA on it's own too heavy!

would it be worth making a  bigger dob mount and use the 16T that way!

 

Ash.

[lenscap]

20 hours ago, John said:

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.

Mounts referred to as "Old style EQ3-2" also have this type of top plate. (These mounts are usually black not the current white.)

Some Helios scopes came on this mount which they labelled "Sky Scan 2001"

[jock1958]

Below are some not brilliant sketches (back of a postcard) of what I saw through my Tal-1, 4.3” f7.3 reflector back in the 90’s at high magnification. Your 6” reflector should see considerably more I would have thought. There’s a great thread on here by Qualia Rob ‘What you can expect to see’ that’s worth a read.

Not sure that mounting it on a Dob is the way to go but if it gets you up and running then give it a go.

And as far as value goes, I haven’t a clue? 

[MrZuiko]

Hi all,

Well I managed to rig up the OTA supported by my homemade dob mount from another scope,got the moon in my scope with I think the Or. 5mm the Or. 9 considering I had to cradle the tube in one arm and focus with the other I was very happy to make out very fine details on the moon's surface although it was full the worst time to observe as you all well know!

The massive finder focussed very well stars were pin points,contrast not so good due to the over powering light from the moon.I called it a night as I didn't want to have an accident and drop the OTA,collimation wise looks really good stars again were pin points but a darker sky would have been better,all in all I'm very pleased.......now all I need is the seller to message me to tell me she's found the missing box and mount.

I did find an old tasco price list I guess from the early 1980's top of the line back then was their 8V Saturn 5" Catadioptric RRP no less than £839.95 and their top refractor was the 10K a 80mm F600 costing £892.95 and the 15K model as above but with a motor drive for a mere £971.95.......................the 16T wasn't even mentioned I guess because it wasn't available in the UK.

I will keep you posted on whether or not (A) I'm able to get the lost mount,(B) if I decide to make a dob mount or more than likely (C) put it up for sale and let someone else enjoy this rare beast.

 

Regards Ash.

[MrZuiko]

Hi all I've emailed the seller from this add " Celestron CG5 mount with dual axis motors and tripod" on U.K. Astronomy Buy & Sell but nothing back yet probably been sold already but the listing says its active!

I thought about something like SW EQ2 parts from "AstroBoot" comes in at £51 +p+p as I can use the wooden tripod legs I've already got...........but I really don't think that this could take the weight of the tube!

for the same money I can build myself a heavy duty "Dob" from 18mm ply which would be man enough to take the weight,plus I have thought of a way that I can secure the tube without drilling holes in it...simply use the cradles one each side of the tube box to stop it moving and as an added bonus it will make balancing the tube much easier.The picture shows my smaller dob mount which I threw together to checkout my smaller scope,it's great for star clusters and wide field viewing.

So do I make the Dob or simply sell this on ?

 

Ash.

[Stub Mandrel]

Make the nice box, the views will tell you if you want to keep/restore.

[MrZuiko]

Hi all bad news regarding the missing mount.........the seller couldn't find it so I quess that's that to keep or not to keep that is the question........

Any advice or help?

Ash.

[Stu]

I would keep it at least for a while and make a dob mount for it in the first instance. If good you could source an EQ5 quite cheaply.

[MrZuiko]

Well to be honest I've sort of lost all interest.....yes I could very easily make the dob mount but what I really wanted was to keep it original  looking on a GEM looks so retro! Looking at the rules for the classified section I can't even even find it a new home as I need to have made 50 posts...and I'm a long way off that target.

Not that I would know what it's worth as It's incomplete but I'm sure someone could turn this around with some tlc and have this rare legend of a scope looking skywards again!

 

Clear skies.

Ash.

[RT65CB-SWL]

Don't let it get you down. 'Vixen' type EQ mounts have not changed that much in the years I have been doing this hobby. I am sure you will find a GEM/EQ3-2 or better soon. 

[MrZuiko]

Hi Philip,

Well I'm off to buy some timber gonna make another dob mount like my other but a little more refined as the first one for my celestron 130 didn't take that long to make,this one I'll take more time over! Atleast I'll be able to use the scope while a GEM/EQ3-2 or better comes my way!.

Has anyone had success with using an old LP album instead of formica for the base,I've have read online it works very well!

 

Regards Ash.

[Stub Mandrel]

7 minutes ago, MrZuiko said:

Has anyone had success with using an old LP album

33 rpm for sidereal rate. Use an old 78 for lunar...

[MrZuiko]

Thank you,

That made me laugh!

[MrZuiko]

Hi all.

I'm well into the new build for a "Dob" mount for this 16T,the mount is big and stands approx 34" high then when the tube box and scope are installed should have a comfortable viewing height,beacon hill telescopes are making me the side bearings 6 1/4"x 1 1/2" out of plastic drain pipe with milled wooden inserts,something I can't make as I do not have a router and hate using a jig saw cutter!.

Still away to go filling,primer then the top coat and last of all handles and feet. Will be using an old LP and teflon should be quite a smooth motion.

 

Ash.