Vintage Vixen SP102M F10 achromat purchase

[F15Rules]

I recently acquired sight unseen an old Vixen SP102M classic achromat..

Back in the 1980s and early 90s, the Vixen SP102M was an aspirational refractor for people like me (a child of the 1960s). It was a good quality, made in Japan 102mm F10 achromat, at a time when Sir Patrick Moore, RIP, famously advised any budding astronomer that "serious" telescopes started with a 4" refractor or a 6" reflector.

The Vixen 4 inchers were initially distributed by Orion Optics, who also offered their own built reflectors on the famous Vixen SP/GP mounts. I used to drool over these scopes in the astronomy press back then, but I was earning about £35 -£45 a week in the early 1980s, and so the Vixen setup of SP102M OTA mated with a Vixen SP mount came in at between £600-700, and was simply out of reach.

Some years later they began to come up used at more affordable prices and in the past 15 -20 years I've owned a number of Vixen scopes, the two best by far being ED103s, truly excellent scopes and I've also owned a couple of SP102M's, both fine achromats.

I saw this one for sale cheap, but with serious lens issues according to the seller. Earlier this week, as I was taking my Tak to have it's doublet professionally cleaned by Es Reid, I took the Vixen OTA with me on the off chance that Es could do something with it..I was delighted that he was able to see quickly that the lenses had somehow been flipped around so they were in the wrong configuration: Es corrected this, gave the lens a clean all round, fettled the focuser and it now seems to be working perfectly on a daytime test.

There are two tiny clamshells at the edge of one element, but they are so tiny they don't seem to affect the views at all..I may just leave them, or I may blacken them carefully, but only if the views seem compromised, which I doubt.

The tube itself is in very clean condition for its age, apart from the odd scratch, and it is now sitting happily on my old GP mount.

Hoping for a first light soon. Been a good week with my Tak lens now gleaming and the old Vixen as a nostalgic, fun achromat which should provide some lovely views😊.

Dave

Edited July 4, 2021 by F15Rules
Additional text info

[John]

Lovely looking scope Dave

Like you I drooled over the SP102M's back in the 1980's. I did manage to get a used one (branded Bresser) eventually and really enjoyed owning it - probably because I'd had to wait a long time to get it !

Yours looks like it's the same vintage as my ED102SS judging by the labelling and colour scheme.

 

 

 

[JeremyS]

It’s great when life is returned to a super telescope like this, Dave @F15Rules. Wonderful that Es was able to sort the issue.

BTW, I lost count of all the handles in those photos: tools, garden implements, bicycles etc . Have you got a handle thing going on there, by any chance?

[F15Rules]

Are you sure it's not you with the handle thing, Jeremy??😁

[F15Rules]

19 minutes ago, John said:

Lovely looking scope Dave

Like you I drooled over the SP102M's back in the 1980's. I did manage to get a used one (branded Bresser) eventually and really enjoyed owning it - probably because I'd had to wait a long time to get it !

Yours looks like it's the same vintage as my ED102SS judging by the labelling and colour scheme.

 

 

 

Thanks John😊. I don't actually know exactly how old the scope is, I'm guessing 30 ish years?

I always loved the Vixen logo and the "Made in Japan" stickers...added a certain classy look to the OTA?😊.

Es felt the lens is of "good" quality..his comments were "slightly over corrected at the edge and slightly under corrected in the centre but overall about right..Small amount of colour only to be expected. A good lens and wonderful for the price paid"

I'm happy as Es really does know his optics!

Dave

[A McEwan]

Congratulations on another proper long pointy telescope, Dave! I look forward to reading your Forst Light report!   

Ant

[F15Rules]

Cheers Ant, I confess...I'm a sucker for long tubes!👍

Dave

[johninderby]

A nice classic longish length scope. 👍🏻

How many proper classic fracs is it now? 

[F15Rules]

Thanks John..

Actually, it's only 4 scopes in total, the Tak FS128, the Vixen F10, Carton 60mm F12 and Long Perng (like Revelation) 80mm F6 widefield which could be moving on as I'm trying to limit myself to 3 scopes..

I imagine your own stable is more than 3 John🤔😁?

Dave

[johninderby]

Actually only five now. 😁

Scopetech 80 f/15, Big Red 100 f/13, Tecnosky 125, TS CC8” and Bresser 10” dob.

[callisto]

Very nice ....I remember drooling over these too 😊

 

Mark 

[MercianDabbler]

Proper job! I bought mine new (BC&F in Farringdon... 2 Nov 1991 I think) on the basis that it looked like a proper telescope.

It still does.

A terrible way to choose a telescope but it worked for me.

[chiltonstar]

Lovely scope! I have the Vixen 102mm f13 version which never fails to impress.

Chris

[Stu]

Lovely scope @F15Rules, nice to see it sorted and working at its best again. They certainly do look wonderful don’t they?

I always forget that I’ve actually got one of these, but it’s set up as a PST mod and certainly doesn’t look as beautiful. I should take the ERF out and give it a go at night!

[Saganite]

Another beautiful telescope rescued and returned to the fold.....nice one Dave, congratulations...

[F15Rules]

I had both FS128 and the Vixen out last night at 11.30pm for c45 minutes.. lovely and steady skies, but not very dark!

Took a couple of shots of them together, both pointing at Epsilon Lyrae, and both split beautifully at c100x (Vixen LV 5mm). 

The Tak image was so pure, "photographic"...but the Vixen also gave a very sharp although dimmer, view. I'm well pleased!😊

Dave

Edited June 11, 2021 by F15Rules
Additional text info

[F15Rules]

8 minutes ago, Saganite said:

Another beautiful telescope rescued and returned to the fold.....nice one Dave, congratulations...

Thanks Steve👍😊

[F15Rules]

10 hours ago, A McEwan said:

Congratulations on another proper long pointy telescope, Dave! I look forward to reading your Forst Light report!   

Ant

Thanks Ant..it'll probably be a while until I can give the Vixen a good session due to holidays and the short nights, but the first good peek last night was very pleasing..

Dave

[Mr Spock]

Lovely scope. There’s just something ‘right’ about long tube refractors. 

[F15Rules]

1 hour ago, Mr Spock said:

Lovely scope. There’s just something ‘right’ about long tube refractors. 

Proper scopes Michael!

I actually quite like how the Vixen, being an achromat, shows a bluish-white Vega..in the old, pre-apo frac days of my youth, "bluish- white" was a common and normal way of describing stars like Vega, Rigel and Deneb!😁

Dave

[Highburymark]

Missed this Dave - what a beauty, and a lovely companion scope to the 128. 

[F15Rules]

Thanks Mark, yes they do look nice together..😊

Dave

[Franklin]

Well done Dave! I'm glad you managed to do something with the Vixen after all. Looks great on the old GP and wooden tripod. So glad it went to someone who knows what they're doing, I wouldn't have dared mess with the lens. Nice one.👍

Did you manage to clean up those LV's? I was going to bin those! Lol.

[F15Rules]

Hi Tim,

Nice to hear from you!

I'm away at the moment but am pretty confident I can clean them up a good deal.

The 5mm I bought from you did clean nicely with some Baader Wonder fluid and has since given me some nice high power views.

I did look at the SP102 lens but decided against any serious intervention but rather to have Es Reid look at it...thankfully he was able to diagnose and rectify the problem with the optics. He adjusted the focuser and did improve it, but it's still rough in places so I will look more closely at it when time allows...I'm wondering if some of the teeth on the R&P rack are worn...

Dave

[neil phillips]

On 10/06/2021 at 21:35, F15Rules said:

I recently acquired sight unseen an old Vixen SP102M classic achromat..

Back in the 1980s and early 90s, the Vixen SP102M was an aspirational refractor for people like me (a child of the 1960s). It was a good quality, made in Japan 102mm F10 achromat, at a time when Sir Patrick Moore, RIP, famously advised any budding astronomer that "serious" telescopes started with a 4" refractor or a 6' reflector.

The Vixen 4 inchers were initially distributed by Orion Optics, who also offered their own built reflectors on the famous Vixen GP mounts. I used to drool over these scopes in the astronomy press back then, but I was earning about £35 -£45 a week in the early 1980s, and so the Vixen setup of SP102M OTA mated with a Vixen GP mount came in at between £600-700 was simply out of reach.

Some years later they began to come up used at more affordable prices and in the past 15 -20 years I've owned a number of Vixen scopes, the two best by far being ED103s, truly excellent scopes and I've also owned a couple of SP102M's, both fine achromats.

I saw this one for sale cheap, but with serious lens issues according to the seller. Earlier this week, as I was taking my Tak to have it's doublet professionally cleaned by Es Reid, I took the Vixen OTA with me on the off chance that Es could do something with it..I was delighted that he was able to see quickly that the lenses had somehow been flipped around so they were in the wrong configuration: Es corrected this, gave the lens a clean all round, fettled the focuser and it now seems to be working perfectly on a daytime test.

There are two tiny clamshells at the edge of one element, but they are so tiny they don't seem to affect the views at all..I may just leave them, or I may blacken them carefully, but only if the views seem compromised, which I doubt.

The tube itself is in very clean condition for its age, apart from the odd scratch, and it is now sitting happily on my old GP mount.

Hoping for a first light soon. Been a good week with my Tak lens now gleaming and the old Vixen as a nostalgic, fun achromat which should provide some lovely views😊.

Dave

I remember them well.  A certain standard of quality. Nice catch. Was it ebay ?