Old school Prinz 660, 76mm F/16 refractor

[dweller25]

Here is my latest toy, a very well preserved and complete 76mm F/16.4 refractor with a Kenko made doublet from the late 1970’s🙂

I disposed of the Sun filter 👍

I beefed up the tripod a little, converted it to 1.25” eyepieces and added a 50mm RACI - the original 6x30 finder is superb but sadly straight through does not suit my back.

Collimation is perfect, just waiting for darkness to do a star test…..

Edited August 7 by dweller25

[Roy Challen]

Very nice, like it. I had read that the lenses were made by Kenko, maybe they had multiple suppliers?

As you'll no doubt find out soon enough, the mount is only just adequate. The tripod legs though, are actually quite good. I still use the counterweight on my Tak mount to balance my current scopes😁

Edited June 20 by Roy Challen

[Mr Spock]

Lovely scopes these. My first scope was a Prinz 550. Idiot me sold it to pay for driving lessons!

[dweller25]

On 20/06/2024 at 03:21, Roy Challen said:

Very nice, like it. I had read that the lenses were made by Kenko, maybe they had multiple suppliers?

As you'll no doubt find out soon enough, the mount is only just adequate. The tripod legs though, are actually quite good. I still use the counterweight on my Tak mount to balance my current scopes😁

I found this on CN, don’t know if it’s true or not !

KKK series, built by the Kyanon Kamara Kompany (this name was used from 1947 until 1969)  - later called Canon Camera Company or OKKK, OKT, Yamatar, Tasco, Royal Astro, Astro, Kenko, Panorama, Towa, Prinz 660, ATCO 1254, etc.

I had the scope on the Moon’s limb last night at x206, amazingly I saw no chromatic aberration and stars were really tight 🙂

** Update - The scope was made by Kenko **

Edited August 7 by dweller25

[Roy Challen]

1 hour ago, dweller25 said:

I found this on CN, don’t know if it’s true or not !

KKK series, built by the Kyanon Kamara Kompany (this name was used from 1947 until 1969)  - later called Canon Camera Company or OKKK, OKT, Yamatar, Tasco, Royal Astro, Astro, Kenko, Panorama, Towa, Prinz 660, ATCO 1254, etc.

I had the scope on the Moon’s limb last night at x206, amazingly I saw no chromatic aberration and stars were really tight 🙂

Wise to change k's to c's!

I'm not at all surprised at x206, that's a good mag for close doubles, but I've had it over x300 on the moon in great seeing, although floaters are getting severe by that point, and the view is dimmer than I'd like. But it's still nice and sharp.

[dweller25]

This scope is amazing value for money, razor sharp, great contrast and no CA 🙂

[John]

32 minutes ago, dweller25 said:

, razor sharp, great contrast and no CA 🙂

Thats what I thought when I first used my Elliott / BC&F 3 inch F16 brass refractor. I don't think I've used a refractor (or any scope) with that focal ratio before and it was a bit of a revelation 🙂

 

[garryblueboy]

My first Scope at 12 First look at Saturn - Jupiter couldn’t believe it . 

[tomato]

On 20/06/2024 at 04:58, Mr Spock said:

Lovely scopes these. My first scope was a Prinz 550. Idiot me sold it to pay for driving lessons!

Same here! I did make full use of my driving licence however, and I did use the eyepiece sun filter, gulp!

[dweller25]

This 76mm F/16  refractor is a bit of a revelation for me.

A 50 year old Achromat, with a prism diagonal, an achromatic barlow and Huygens eyepieces, still sharp at x200 and no spherical aberration or chromatic aberration - at focus - and a FRACTION of the price of a modern 3” APO.

It’s even nice to focus as there is a very wide focal point compared to a modern F/8 APO.

I’m enjoying a bit of solar projection too 🙂

However at 1.2m long it needs a much more beefier mount than the one supplied but that can be sorted.

I am having more FUN with this scope than the TSA120 - I have to get my serious head on for that scope 🤣

 

Edited June 25 by dweller25

[dweller25]

I have converted the scope to use a Vixen dovetail so I can use it on my motorised Vixen GP, it works great, very stable and superb optics. Quite amazing for an old Achromat. It even looks good 🙂

Waiting for Saturn now….. 😁

[dweller25]

Old meets new - the 76mm F/16 on a motorised Vixen GP with mods….

A Vixen dovetail.

An 8x50 RACI finder.

A Baader 1.25” visual back.

It does not look as good as the original setup but it is very stable when focussing at x200 🙂👍

Edited July 17 by dweller25

[Roy Challen]

1 hour ago, dweller25 said:

 

It does not look as good as the original setup but it is very stable when focussing at x200 🙂👍

Looks pretty good to me 😊 

[dweller25]

I went out at 4:45am Sunday morning to try to view Saturn but I could not find it in the binoculars. So looked to the East and there shining bright was Jupiter 🙂

At x150 the Prinz 660 immediately showed a very sharp disk with two clear polar regions and two equatorial belts that had a hint of detail. Io and Europa were close to each other to the right of Jupiter, I was impressed by how razor sharp they looked.

I was also impressed that cool down time was zero 👍

The scope is a joy to use and as the planets get higher and closer it will be interesting to see just how well this scope will perform….

[nightfisher]

Glad you found one and sound slike you got a good one, who knows i may of even owned that one at some time as i have had a couple of them