Those Pretty Telescopes

[Stu]

28 minutes ago, F15Rules said:

Ooer..some definite ATM here now (Anti Tak Mentality)..

Methinks they do protest too much!!

Joking apart, let's all just appreciate these wonderful scope photos - whatever type, brand, age or focal length they are..👏

Dave

Quite agree. Can we please cut out the anti-Tak sentiment, and just concentrate on enjoying lovely scopes, whatever the brand. Thank you

[allworlds]

Is it not said that for something to be art it must have no practical use other than being art? If so, well I shan't name any names but I'm sure we can all think of some telescopes that are art 😄

[plyscope]

Some years ago I had two 6 inch refractors. The longer one used a D&G f15 lens. The shorter one used a Jaegers f5 lens. They were complimentary in that the f5 was good from 25x to 59x and the f15 started at 58x and was good up to 200x and more.

[CCD-Freak]

Here is the telescope I lusted after when I was a kid.  From time to time I get to use this marvelous old Unitron 6" refractor which is located at the University of North Texas (UNT)

At that time I thought a long white tube on a heavy EQ mount is what a telescope is supposed to look like.

Edited November 30, 2022 by CCD-Freak

[mdstuart]

I wonder what an Apple telescope would look like. An  iscope. Any suggestions?

Mark

[Alien 13]

23 minutes ago, mdstuart said:

I wonder what an Apple telescope would look like. An  iscope. Any suggestions?

Mark

I am sure they will eventually make one based on those EV-Scopes although Samsung might get there first 😀

Alan

Edited November 30, 2022 by Alien 13

[Mr Spock]

4 hours ago, CCD-Freak said:

At that time I thought a long white tube on a heavy EQ mount is what a telescope is supposed to look like.

It is what they are supposed to look like 😜

[RobertI]

On 29/11/2022 at 08:13, F15Rules said:

+1 for that Phil👍.

Here's Mark Turner of Moonraker Scopes' take on the same model, as commissioned by Neil English c 2014 before he went to the dark side of ships' funnels..🥴😁..

This scope, "Bessy", became a " gift scope", not to be sold for cash..I looked after her for several years, and she is currently in the care of Roger Vine.

A truly "pretty" (and pretty impressive) refractor with great achromatic optics.

Dave

What a lovely instrument. Tall, slender and elegant, the perfect observing partner. 🙂

Edited November 30, 2022 by RobertI

[JeremyS]

1 hour ago, mdstuart said:

I wonder what an Apple telescope would look like. An  iscope. Any suggestions?

Mark

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/vaonis-telescopes/vaonis-vespera-observation-station-smart-telescope.html
 

[Ratlet]

37 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/vaonis-telescopes/vaonis-vespera-observation-station-smart-telescope.html
 

This is a triumph

[JeremyS]

8 minutes ago, Ratlet said:

This is a triumph

What is it?

[Stu1smartcookie]

15 hours ago, Alien 13 said:

I am sure they will eventually make one based on those EV-Scopes although Samsung might get there first 😀

Alan

HMMMM a scope running Android 15? or IOS 17? ... dont forget the annoying ads that will pop up in the EP ! lets hope not ! 

[Ratlet]

13 hours ago, JeremyS said:

What is it?

It's a sentry drone from a computer game from 15 years ago.  It became a bit of a cultural phenomenon because of various factors in its design an marketing as well as timing with the explosion of social media.

Part of the reason for that was the end credits of the game had the villain singing a song which starts with the line "This is a triumph..."  The design of the Vaonis is reminiscent of the sentry turrets (to me anyway).

[Mandy D]

16 hours ago, JeremyS said:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/vaonis-telescopes/vaonis-vespera-observation-station-smart-telescope.html
 

I hate to say it, but (in my opinion) that is exactly what a telescope should not look like! But, on the other hand, probably how Apple would envisage it. Personally I prefer the look of the Pear phone!

[doublevodka]

On the Vaonis front I've always liked the look of these - https://vaonis.com/hyperia/en/ sadly it's eye-wateringly expensive and way out of my budget but I'll have a Sidereal Grey one if I win big on the lottery one day 😂

And yes, I know you could put together a better rig for less money before someone says it lol

[JeremyS]

4 hours ago, doublevodka said:

On the Vaonis front I've always liked the look of these - https://vaonis.com/hyperia/en/ sadly it's eye-wateringly expensive and way out of my budget but I'll have a Sidereal Grey one if I win big on the lottery one day 😂

And yes, I know you could put together a better rig for less money before someone says it lol

Extraordinary!

[Alien 13]

6 hours ago, doublevodka said:

On the Vaonis front I've always liked the look of these - https://vaonis.com/hyperia/en/ sadly it's eye-wateringly expensive and way out of my budget but I'll have a Sidereal Grey one if I win big on the lottery one day 😂

And yes, I know you could put together a better rig for less money before someone says it lol

I want 😀

Alan

[JAC51]

My scaled down version of the high mounted 6” Unitron.

5” refractor you can see the scale from the Skysurfer lll on the right and it’s on a Losmandy GM8.

[JeremyS]

1 hour ago, JAC51 said:

My scaled down version of the high mounted 6” Unitron.

5” refractor you can see the scale from the Skysurfer lll on the right and it’s on a Losmandy GM8.

My goodness, my heart just missed a beat on seeing that pic. Amazing 👍🏻
Is it a Unitron?

 

edit: just saw your Mars sketches and I see it’s a TMB 130 👍🏻
 

When can I come round? 🤣

Edited December 17, 2022 by JeremyS

[JAC51]

24 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

My goodness, my heart just missed a beat on seeing that pic. Amazing 👍🏻
Is it a Unitron?

 

edit: just saw your Mars sketches and I see it’s a TMB 130 👍🏻
 

When can I come round? 🤣

I could ask the same of you “when can I come round?”

One telescope I’ve always wanted to see is a Tak TSA 120 which I’m sure is no slouch at all.

In the picture at the bottom though you can just make out the excellent little Tak prism.

John

 

[Franklin]

On 30/11/2022 at 14:03, CCD-Freak said:

At that time I thought a long white tube on a heavy EQ mount is what a telescope is supposed to look like.

That is what a telescope is supposed to look like, isn't it?

[Franklin]

On 30/11/2022 at 14:03, CCD-Freak said:

I had a 3" Unitron back in the 80's and no-way was is half the size of that beast! Drooooool!

[HollyHound]

On 01/12/2022 at 12:39, doublevodka said:

On the Vaonis front I've always liked the look of these - https://vaonis.com/hyperia/en/ sadly it's eye-wateringly expensive and way out of my budget but I'll have a Sidereal Grey one if I win big on the lottery one day 😂

And yes, I know you could put together a better rig for less money before someone says it lol

The tech guy in me looks at this and goes “wow, that’s super cool, I want one” 😬

Then the other guy says “the one part of the day when you don’t have to deal with tech, is looking through a lovely normal telescope, in the freezing cold” 🤔

I’m happy with the latter 👍

Eye watering price, though anyway😮

[Shimrod]

On 28/11/2022 at 22:41, CCD-Freak said:

Here is another classic beauty....My Meade RG-880 with lots of upgrades.   At The Okie-Tex Starparty some years back.

I think this post should be the first one on a corresponding pretty/elegant mounts thread!

[Moonlit Knight]

On 30/11/2022 at 14:03, CCD-Freak said:

 

At that time I thought a long white tube on a heavy EQ mount is what a telescope is supposed to look like.

I think you will find you were right the first time…