SHOW US A PIC OF YOURSELF WITH YOUR FIRST TELESCOPE

[paulastro]

mikeDnight said:    "Here's the only blurry pic of me alongside my first telescope, a 60mm Astral bought from Dixon's. It cost me £110 in the January sale of 1980. "

 

There's been some observing done on the spot you're standing on in the ensuing years since then Mike.  And if I may say so, it's been a pleasure to observe with you on that very same spot.  Things could have been very different today if your first telescope had been a reflector - Takahashi may have gone out of business by now!  😃

[mikeDnight]

Thanks for that Paul. It's very true about the amount of observing done from that spot. And the pleasure and excitement I've had has been greatly added to by yourself, and one or two other enthusiastic observers during that time. Money couldn't buy that! 

 

[CCD-Freak]

Here is another Polaroid shot of me with my 8" F7 Newt after I put it on a portable pier.  This would be about 1972.  My buddy Phil's Criterion RV6 is to the right and my 60mm Sears EQ to the left.

 

John Love
CCD-Freak
WD5IKX

Edited December 8, 2020 by CCD-Freak

[racprops]

Interesting...I cannot show you me at the age of about 12/13 when I sold greeting cards to my North Las Vegas newspaper customers to earn praises and I got my very first telescope: A very crappy Gilbert 2 inch reflector with a metal tube with NO lenses or any kind for a Finder, plastic eyepiece and a flimsy tripod with a clamped ball socket mount.   

Some 7 to 10 Years later I got a Tasco 4 inch and made my own mount.

45 years later I found what I had dreamed of having a Critertion 6 inch...

And another 15/20 years later like now I am fixing up a used C8.

Sorry but I am just a sometime viewer...

Rich

Edited December 19, 2020 by racprops
Left info out

[CCD-Freak]

Speaking of Celestron C8 scopes I found this picture from around 1972 which shows my buddy Phil's early tri color C8 sn 195.  All these years later and he still has it and it still puts up fine views.

This is a fun thread !!  🙂

John Love
CCD-Freak
WD5IKX

[Marvin Jenkins]

2 hours ago, CCD-Freak said:

Speaking of Celestron C8 scopes I found this picture from around 1972 which shows my buddy Phil's early tri color C8 sn 195.  All these years later and he still has it and it still puts up fine views.

This is a fun thread !!  🙂

John Love
CCD-Freak
WD5IKX

Wonderful pictures. Two questions, any idea on the make and model of the car? And secondly what is the odd little flying saucer on the newt. The eye piece sits in its center so presuming some sort of focuser or filter wheel? 

Marv

[CCD-Freak]

The car is Phil's Rambler Classsic station wagon which he affectionately called Igor.   Igor was a great "scope hauler" and Phil could sleep in the back.

The disk around the focuser was a camera mount that I focused with wing nuts. It was "crude but effective" and it was also a great handle for panning the scope around.  In this picture I think you can see a camera on the scope.

 

John Love
CCD-Freak
WD5IKX

Edited December 14, 2020 by CCD-Freak

[racprops]

As you might see I am a bit of a builder, here is what I have done with my newest scope the C8.

I am using a Criterion Pedestal mount modifided with a second tube to allow height adjustments so I can use it as terrestrial viewing with a 6.3 focus reducer and as a astronomy telescope.

Rich

 

[Guest]

Can't find a picture with me and the telescope. But just this moment found this picture of my first telescope. An 80 mm Towa 335. Aluminium scaffold poles as a sturdy tripod. This telescope serves me well from 1981 to 1997

Edited January 24, 2021 by Guest
Typo

[Guest]

Can't find a picture with me and the telescope. But just this moment found this picture of my first telescope. An 80 km Towa 335. Aluminium scaffold poles as a sturdy tripod. This telescope serves me well from 1981 to 1997.

------STOP PRESS-----

Just found this one of me with the Towa 80mm . 1991 ish.

[Skyline]

That face has not changed much ! 🤣