Refractor Kit 1954

[Hertford Stargazer]

My uncle was clearing the house of a deceased friend and found this kit telescope from 1954. I wondered if anyone knows more about it?

Neil

[markse68]

It’s quite small aperture hence the recommended mounting with a pipe clip 😂 but I love the suggestion to use parts of an electric fan as a mount

Mark

[DaveL59]

and the ex willie dixon astro compass, stuff likely quite available at that time in the surplus outlets 🙂 

[Peter Drew]

I seem to remember a similar ready made telescope from around that era, it had the same spherical backplate and odd eyepiece assembly.  It was billed as the "Super Moon Scope".   🙂

[Hertford Stargazer]

Certainly makes me feel spoilt and lucky at the array of equipment available today. When I was a kid in the 70's my father acquired a home made refractor made out of plastic tubing not dissimilar from drainpipe. It had no mount or fixings but worked fairly well, I would use various toys and cushions to wedge it on the window ledge aimed at the moon. However I always got frustrated because I would leave the scope unattended while eating dinner or having a bath only to find upon my return the scope had moved and I would need to realign. I concluded that my makeshift mounts were not much good and astronomy was not for me 😳

[RobertI]

Fascinating stuff. I assume ‘glare stops’ are what we now call ‘baffles’.