Frank’s Book of the Telescope

[Kimboman]

Superb reading, lots of memories of those early days when we made most of our kit.and I still do good old army surplus

[John]

6 minutes ago, Kimboman said:

Superb reading, lots of memories of those early days when we made most of our kit.and I still do good old army surplus

I've still got an H W English catalogue of optical components somewhere. I think it was mostly made up of ex-Government items but I used to spend hours looking through it and wondering how I could cobble something exciting together 

@DAVE AMENDALL - Ken Fulton was American. He sadly passed away in August this year. I have the sequel to the book but I've yet to read it.

[Second Time Around]

9 hours ago, John said:

I've still got an H W English catalogue of optical components somewhere. I think it was mostly made up of ex-Government items but I used to spend hours looking through it and wondering how I could cobble something exciting together 

@DAVE AMENDALL - Ken Fulton was American. He sadly passed away in August this year. I have the sequel to the book but I've yet to read it.

I remember the H.W.English catalogue well as I had regular copies and bought some items from them to cobble together a scope.  I seem to remember they advertised in Exchange and Mart.

Was their address Rayleigh Road, Hutton, Brentwood, Essex?

[John]

1 hour ago, Second Time Around said:

I remember the H.W.English catalogue well as I had regular copies and bought some items from them to cobble together a scope.  I seem to remember they advertised in Exchange and Mart.

Was their address Rayleigh Road, Hutton, Brentwood, Essex?

Yes - here is the front of one of their old catalogues:

There was one small section of the Exchange and Mart that covered astronomical gear and that was about the only place that you could find contacts for these firms. There used to be a shop in Praed Street, opposite Paddington Station as well that sold some astro bits but I've forgotten it's name ?

When "Astronmy Now" launched in 1987 their classifieds section provided an important new home for these supplier adverts.

 

Edited December 11, 2020 by John

[Moonshed]

On 10/12/2020 at 11:12, John said:

I slightly more controversial one that I personally enjoyed was "The Light Hearted Astronomer" by Ken Fulton. I appreciate that it is not everyone's cup of tea though.

 

This book caught my eye so I looked it up on Amazon and discovered that the paperback edition is available for £12.95, but there is another later edition that costs a lot more, I’m sticking with this original with the great photo on the cover. I will add it to my ever growing Santa list. I found the description quite moving, for a number of reasons, and thought I would post it here. Sorry about the weird way it’s come out, don’t know why.

"The Light-Hearted Astronomer" a self-help classic, was first published in 1984 and went through 4 printings. As the wife of the "The Light-Hearted Astronomer," I am heart broken that my husband of 50 years passed away August 3, 2020. Therefore, I wanted to honor him with a 5th printing of this iconic manuscript. "The Light-Hearted Astronomer" is widely considered to be the first survival manual for astronomy enthusiasts -- an offbeat, inspiring classic in the genre. It's an easy, conversational read; no brag, just fact. It is for those precious tenderfoot beginners who are wandering aimlessly and sorely need advice from someone who has been there, done that, and survived to tell the tale. Anyone is free to pursue observational amateur astronomy in some fashion, providing they cultivate a willingness and sensitivity to see as they've never seen before. Today, the opportunities are boundless and surprisingly affordable – but it all begins with the opening of a naked eye. Aesthetic enjoyment for its own sake should not be discounted as a very good reason to pursue observational amateur astronomy; nor should lack of education, funds, or scientific inclination be determining factors. Amateur astronomy should be first and foremost a visual delight, not a search for answers, or an elitist club. More than anything else, the hobby is for the enjoyment of observers, not scientists. It is, if anything, a journey beyond the map . . . into spiritual territory.

 

 

[Second Time Around]

4 hours ago, John said:

Yes - here is the front of one of their old catalogues:

There was one small section of the Exchange and Mart that covered astronomical gear and that was about the only place that you could find contacts for these firms. There used to be a shop in Praed Street, opposite Paddington Station as well that sold some astro bits but I've forgotten it's name ?

When "Astronmy Now" launched in 1987 their classifieds section provided an important new home for these supplier adverts.

 

Why is it that I can remember things from long ago like a firm's address but not whether I posted a reply to this topic?!

John, was that a fairly late H.W.English catalogue?  I seem to remember mine were simply 2 sheets of A3 folded in half to make 8 pages - no staples, let alone pictures.

I remember lusting after a 5/8 inch ex-gov Erfle eyepiece with the then incredible FOV of 65 degs.  Sadly, it was way to pricy for me.

I did buy a 43mm achromatic lens that together with a Ramsden eyepiece I fashioned into a telescope.  It was awful! 

No better was the 50mm non-achromatic refractor on a table tripod I got for Xmas.  Mind you, it did show that the "UFO" that excited adults were pointing to in the daytime sky was just a weather balloon. 

Eventually I saved up enough to buy a Tasco 60mm refractor from a shop near Cockfosters in London.  Once again, this was from an ad in the same section of Exchange and Mart.

I never did get a copy of Frank's Book of the Telescope although I did regularly drool over their catalogues.

One of the few nice things about getting old is that there are memories to share.  Mind you, I may be older but I'm certainly no wiser!

[Moonshed]

6 hours ago, John said:

Yes - here is the front of one of their old catalogues:

 

Out of idle curiosity I looked up the address on Google Earth and found that the old place has been converted into a very expensive looking private house. I was surprised to find that I once lived only a few miles away, in Ramsden Heath, and never knew they existed, maybe by then in 1972 they didn’t. This is how it looks now, must be worth at least ten bob.

 

Edited December 11, 2020 by Moonshed

[DAVE AMENDALL]

Looks very posh! a private nursing home no doubt for astronomers suffering from late night syndrome ....Dave

[Moonshed]

3 hours ago, DAVE AMENDALL said:

Looks very posh! a private nursing home no doubt for astronomers suffering from late night syndrome ....Dave

Or suffering from trench foot.

Keith

[astro mick]

I remember in 1965,i was 15 and i drooled over the Charles Frank catalogue looking at scopes and mounts i could never hope to own.

They did sell a long focus refractor OTA with a cardboard tube and a 2 inch plastic object lens.You tried to focus by  sliding the inner tube back and forth.Bear in mind this was sold as a hand held scope,and it was absolutely awful.You could,nt hold it up to your eye,as it was too long.The plastic lens,well you can imagine.

But i still dreant of his real scopes and mounts.

Mick.

[Moonshed]

39 minutes ago, astro mick said:

I remember in 1965,i was 15 and i drooled over the Charles Frank catalogue looking at scopes and mounts i could never hope to own.

They did sell a long focus refractor OTA with a cardboard tube and a 2 inch plastic object lens.You tried to focus by  sliding the inner tube back and forth.Bear in mind this was sold as a hand held scope,and it was absolutely awful.You could,nt hold it up to your eye,as it was too long.The plastic lens,well you can imagine.

But i still dreant of his real scopes and mounts.

Mick.

They sold some very cheap and nasty gear alongside some really good gear, appealing to both ends of the market, not a bad strategy really. The scope I bought from them in 1963, a cheap 4” Newtonian, was a very capable instrument and served to get me hooked all those years ago, I kept it for 15 years then donated it to a keen beginner.

Edited December 11, 2020 by Moonshed

[Kimboman]

HI memories memories I still have myFuller scopes catalogue still browse it from time to time  .

 I have my 6 inch fuller scope Newtonium   which was delivered in a tea chest from Fullerscopes complete with a 25mm (1inch)Orthoscopic eye which is still in use.

[DaveL59]

I have a pair of Charles Frank Nipole miniature bino's in my collection somewhere around the house, obviously badge engineered JPY made and imported so actually not bad 7x23 IIRC. Did bid after one of his small desktop newts a while back but went way over what I was looking to pay.

[DAVE AMENDALL]

Hi, No doubt many of you will remember those magnificent (3" diameter ?) Charles Frank setting circles. They got you within a couple of degrees of your target and with a bit of scanning and some good luck you could find the object you were looking for in the finder. The numbering on these circles was a photographic process They ran out of stock when the camera broke down. At least they were machined alloy disks. Lovely to look at and delightful to own............David

[Moonshed]

9 hours ago, DAVE AMENDALL said:

Hi, No doubt many of you will remember those magnificent (3" diameter ?) Charles Frank setting circles. They got you within a couple of degrees of your target and with a bit of scanning and some good luck you could find the object you were looking for in the finder. The numbering on these circles was a photographic process They ran out of stock when the camera broke down. At least they were machined alloy disks. Lovely to look at and delightful to own............David

My goodness that certainly takes you back in time, looks like it was one of those early steam powered jobs.😄

Edited December 13, 2020 by Moonshed