Where are all the Intes?

[paulastro]

On 19/08/2021 at 07:49, pete_l said:

I reckon that nobody sells kit that works well. Not unless they absolutely have to.

What does get sold on is stuff that folk are dissatisfied with, things they want to get rid of to buy something better, or pieces that have a problem (which hopefully the seller is honest enough to declare).

It can also be because people have health problems,  or like me 😄, they are getting on a bit and are unable to manage larger instruments any longer, or they have financial problems, or because their observing interests change, or because they find something  they find more interesting to spend their cash on (hard to believe I know! 🙂), and numerous other reasons I dare say.   Need I go on?

[L8-Nite]

I have an Intes-Micro M500 I purchases awhile ago while waiting for our Questar to be built. It deserves to find a new home as sadly it has been residing in storage, along with our other scopes. 

[markse68]

What’s that interesting looking mount L8? 

[L8-Nite]

On 21/08/2021 at 09:39, markse68 said:

What’s that interesting looking mount L8? 

Sorry for the late reply, haven't visited the forum often lately. The mount is a Half/Hitch with encoders and Sky Commander tracking.  Its mounted on a Manfrotto #116 Video camera head on Manfrotto's #132 Tripod.

[markse68]

Thanks L8. I never heard of them but just looked them up and they are very beautiful looking mounts! Very nice 

Mark

[John]

One thing that I get confused about is what the relationship between Intes and Intes Micro is

At one time Optical Vision Ltd used to list both Intes and Intes Micro ranges in their catalogue. Although the scopes looked quite similar, there did appear to be differences between the specs.

I felt that Intes Micro scopes were slightly better finished and had more extensive baffling and ventilation but there might have been other differences as well

 

Edited August 31, 2021 by John

[Captain Scarlet]

… and where does “Alter” come in?

 

[markse68]

On 31/08/2021 at 18:45, John said:

One thing that I get confused about is what the relationship between Intes and Intes Micro is

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/55289-can-anyone-tell-me-the-history-of-intes/

[Captain Scarlet]

1 hour ago, markse68 said:

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/55289-can-anyone-tell-me-the-history-of-intes/

This below I hadn’t intuited and is interesting. Mine is an M603, and I had assumed the “15” series signified “deluxe”. Not so…

” Anything with "MK" in the model name is made by Intes (e.g. MK66, MK67, and possibly MK91 although there is plenty of heated debate over that). These are typically f/12 instruments. Intes Micro makes the Alter series of Maks with names like the M503, M603, M615, etc. These are mostly f/10, but anything with a "15" in the model name is f/15 (M615, M715).”

(With thanks to rszabo on CN for the quote)

Edited September 2, 2021 by Captain Magenta

[John]

My Intes maksutov-newtonian model was the MN61 as I recall. The MN6 part makes sense but I'm not sure what the 1 signifies 

 

 

 

 

[Boki Aristarh]

My Intes-Micro MN-55 (140/770 mm), photo version of Maksutov-Newtonian is in top condition for more than 10 years....

Pinpoint stars, no spikes, beautiful crisp image, APO like... I love this scope, I will keep it forever.... 

 

[Boki Aristarh]

Astro-photos with this scope (and other "Aristarh" astronomy club scopes) are available at our humble web site www.aristarh.rs

[Carbon Brush]

My MN78 might as well be welded to the mount. It never gets swapped out for anything else.
I bought it used over 10 years ago and never regretted the decision.
Built like a tank  (as all Intes owners know) and optically excellent.

[Luxo II]

Where are they ? Migrating to clear skies - Australia.

Over the years, a couple of us have brought an MN56, M615, MN65 (rare), MK66 Deluxe, M715 Deluxe, M815, MK91 (Santel, also rare - 1 of 28 built), M1008 and one of the unicorns - APM 10" f/12 with Intes-Micro glass. 

After much side-by-side testing  I've kept 3 - the MN65, MK66 and APM 10" f/12, and I won't part with these.

The others have been re-homed - M1008 went to Singapore. My observing buddy has the MK91, that and the APM 10" are the kind of scopes that always deliver without fuss, and at the end of the night leave you with a smile.

Edited November 17, 2023 by Luxo II

[magnahrl]

I have an MK66 std since -09 when I bought it second hand for a very good price. Still love it, though it`s not the deluxe version. Use it mostly for planetary and multiple star observations. Yes it needs cool down time but I can leave it outiside 1-2 hrs before a session depending on temperature. Beutiful star images! During all these years I have collimated it 3X. I even like the standard focuser🙂

Magnus A.

[Luxo II]

An "Russian star party" - post #145 in this thread - it was a night my observing buddies backyard ... https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/880434-your-favorite-maksutov/page-8 

Edited February 9 by Luxo II

[Mr Spock]

People who get these scopes don't want to let go. That's why you rarely see them for sale.