Parts for vintage telescope

[BryanC]

I found an old telescope that my uncle gave me forty years ago. It's an Atco brand with wooden legs and a long white barrel. 

It has flexible adjustment knobs that screw into the housing and can adjust up-down and another for side-to-side.

One of those flexible knob parts is broken at the screw end. I wanted to know if those parts can be replaced. I don't know what they are called to search for it. 

Also, can the small lenses that slip into the small end of the barrel be replaced from other vendors?

Any advice or sources would be appreciated.

 

[Starwatcher2001]

Hi Bryan, welcome to the forum. Maybe you could post a picture or two of the scope? It might make recognising it easier.

There's a thread on here about one, is this the same?

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/200992-classic-atco-60mm-eq-first-light/

 

Edited September 20, 2020 by Starwatcher2001

[Gfamily]

I think you mean that the slow motion control cable has broken - in principle they can be replaced, though no guarantee that these will fit. 

https://www.harrisontelescopes.co.uk/acatalog/skywatcher-slow-motion-cable-set-eq2-eq5-az3.html  (no particular reason for suggesting these, other vendors exist) 

The eyepieces can also be replaced - what you need to know is the diameter of the eyepiece holder.  These days, they mostly come as 2 inches or 1 1/4 inches, but on older telescopes it was quite common to have 0.965" diameter eyepieces.  Finding those older ones may need a bit more searching - though ebay or various astro Buy/Sell sites exist. 

 

[Alan64]

1.25" eyepieces can be used with a .965" visual back, and with this hybrid-diagonal...

https://www.stjarnhusetonline.se/prod/hybrid star diagonal/24.5mm.html

...albeit shipped from Sweden.

I have this hybrid star-prism, and new-old stock from an eminent yet defunct optical company in the U.S....

Edited September 22, 2020 by Alan64

[Peter_D]

Hi Byran

Just a quick warning - these vintage telescopes often have a sun filter in their accessories that can be screwed on to the eyepiece. These sun filters do not meet modern safety standards and should never be used. The safest thing would be to dispose of the filter if your telescope has one in its accessories.

Peter

Edited September 22, 2020 by Peter_D

[cletrac1922]

1 hour ago, Alan64 said:

1.25" eyepieces can be used with a .965" visual back, and with this hybrid-diagonal...

https://www.stjarnhusetonline.se/prod/hybrid star diagonal/24.5mm.html

...albeit shipped from Sweden.

I have this hybrid star-prism, and new-old stock from an eminent yet defunct optical company in the U.S....

 

Peter

My daughter found an old Tasco 60MM scope in store room at her workplace and brought home

I am in same situation as chasing 0.96" to 1.25" hybrid-diagonal

My local astronomy shop has a 45deg, not 90deg hybrid-diagonal

The backing plate with the mirror attached is missing from the original diagonal 

Appears the piece on top, which has a flip down mirror, assumed is used as a finderscope

John 

 

 

 

 

 

[Alan64]

1 hour ago, Peter_D said:

Hi Byran

Just a quick warning - these vintage telescopes often have a sun filter in their accessories that can be screwed on to the eyepiece. These sun filters do not meet modern safety standards and should never be used. The safest thing would be to dispose of the filter if your telescope has one in its accessories.

Peter

It's interesting that you should mention that.  I have one...

I know that there are some who were blinded with one of those, particularly here in the U.S.  The glass would crack from the heat, allowing the full intensity of the Sun's light through.  It takes only a split-second.  

To this day I am uncertain as to whether they were included unwittingly, or wittingly.

Edited September 22, 2020 by Alan64

[johninderby]

Tne GSO 0.965” to 1.25” diagonal should be readily available in the US.

https://agenaastro.com/gso-0-965-1-25-90-hybrid-mirror-star-diagonal.html

[Alan64]

9 minutes ago, cletrac1922 said:

Peter

My daughter found an old Tasco 60MM scope in store room at her workplace and brought home

I am in same situation as chasing 0.96" to 1.25" hybrid-diagonal

My local astronomy shop has a 45deg, not 90deg hybrid-diagonal

The backing plate with the mirror attached is missing from the original diagonal 

Appears the piece on top, which has a flip down mirror, assumed is used as a finderscope

John 

Hello John, 

I hit the jackpot on that Parks.  I almost got the GSO, not, and with the stepped nose-piece, a stand-off...

But, luckily, I came across the Parks.

The Antares hybrid is also available here... https://optcorp.com/products/ae-msdh-965inch-to-1-25inch-hybrid-mirror-diagonal?gclid=Cj0KCQjwnqH7BRDdARIsACTSAdthIEeR3SoyeIEXk3cBrJ2L9acI_aPq4MzEYv7qsqY_b5IwXYmneWEaArCrEALw_wcB

Cheers,

Alan

[Peter_D]

I used to have a 60mm refractor that had a Reflex finder - I found it worked quite well. If I remember correctly, there was a very small screw on the finder that you could loosen and you could adjust the finder's focus by pulling the tube to the correct position. 

[cletrac1922]

On 22/09/2020 at 14:33, Alan64 said:

Hello John, 

I hit the jackpot on that Parks.  I almost got the GSO, not, and with the stepped nose-piece, a stand-off...

But, luckily, I came across the Parks.

The Antares hybrid is also available here... https://optcorp.com/products/ae-msdh-965inch-to-1-25inch-hybrid-mirror-diagonal?gclid=Cj0KCQjwnqH7BRDdARIsACTSAdthIEeR3SoyeIEXk3cBrJ2L9acI_aPq4MzEYv7qsqY_b5IwXYmneWEaArCrEALw_wcB

Cheers,

Alan

 

 

Alan

 

I finished up getting a 0.96'' to 1.25'' straight through adapter, then a 1.25'' diagonal for A$49

 

John 

[Alan64]

2 hours ago, cletrac1922 said:

Alan

I finished up getting a 0.96'' to 1.25'' straight through adapter, then a 1.25'' diagonal for A$49

John 

Yes, that will work just as well.  It's also for inserting 1.25" eyepieces and what-not into a .965" diagonal.  I have two of those smaller diagonals, and both star-prisms...

With all of my star-prism diagonals, I blacken the prisms where needed, the interiors of the housings as well, and all to improve contrast.  

The prism at left, the diagonal that came with my very first telescope, is apparently the same as that used in binoculars, or porro-prism, erect-image units.  I think the factory included that one in a bind, in a pinch.  The one on the right came with a 50mm f/12 achromat, being a dedicated diagonal-prism, and a treasure.

Edited September 23, 2020 by Alan64