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My new / old scope


philj

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Now that sounds interesting Hugh. Its already been suggested that it may be a Watson but I am going on the castings and drives being the same as Cooke but I cannot find any mounts with wood RA blocks in the Cooke 1886 catalogue.

If indeed they swapped components then that explains the wood block.

Do you know where I could get a pic of the Watson catalogue you mention? I am very keen to trace the history of this mount?

Thanks

Phil

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Thanks for the invite Phil. I moved up from Bedford to Todmorden in West Yorkshire 30 years ago, they don't let you out again up here until you're nailed into your box! I will try and get some pics sorted out as soon as I can get the required means together, In the meantime I will rig the scope up and try it out astronomically. I purchased it some years ago from a local "antique" shop, it had a £250 label on it so I went in to try and knock them down to £200. On examination, the rack & pinion was jammed and the image was suspect to say the least. I ended up paying £150 for it as an "object d'art". I dismantled it at home and freed off the focuser, the poor image was due to the objective having been re-assembled incorrectly sometime in its past, it subsequently worked very well.It came with a lengthy erecting system that had been originally cord bound. The fitting is standard RAS and I already have a selection of suitable eyepieces to try it out with.

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Peter, I had a sim ilar experience with a 70s Towa, the objective and collimation had been messed about with by someone who nothing about it but after reassembly and collimation it proved to be a fine scope. Those erecting eyepieces are something else arent they, the BC one is 2' long.

Hugh, thats great, thanks very much those old catalogue illustrations are fascinating.

I must admit thoughthe mystery mount bears more of a resemblance to the Cooke illustrations than the Watson / Ottway, I can see similarities with this illustration but the castings are definately the same as the Cooke illustrations.

Im more and more convinced its a Cooke thanks for the info

Phil

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I've seen some Watson equatorial mounts that look extremely similar

to Cooke mounts. Hard to tell who made them because as previously mentioned the companies tended to supply each other with bits and pieces.

However, the more I look into this mount , the more I'm convinced it was made by T. Cooke and Sons.

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Same here Mike, Im pretty convinced but to prove it by seeing a catalogue illustration or entry showing the wood RA block would clinch it.

Thanks for the link btw I have sent out an enquiry.

phil

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A bit more research into the origins of the mount and heres a comparison between the mystery mount and a known Cooke mount.

Axis castings, RA and Dec circles and RA sector are identical. saddle channel for scope mounting and dec lock arrangement are also identical. The main difference is the mystery mount RA casting is fitted to a wood block whereas the known Cooke mount has the casting sandwhiched between 2 plates to form an RA block.

So this is pretty clear evidence on that it is a Cooke but I am still awaiting further information from York Museum before I am saying its a definite.

Phil

post-14930-133877436637_thumb.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

Found it:hello2::)

My mount is a Thomas Cooke and Sons of York circa 1886 and is described as follows in the Cooke catalogue of that year as

Portable Equatorial Mounting, made to latitude required.

Tangent screw motions in right ascension and declination.

Cradle Piece and LEATHER STRAPS for holding the telescope

Tall Tripod Stand

£15 10s 0d for 5 to 5 1/2" telescope

£14 10s 0d for 4 to 4 1/2" telescope

£13 10s 0d for 3 to 3 1/2" telescope

Less £4 0s 0d without tangent screw motions

Therefore I reckon the original owner bought this because it was the cheaper and lighter version of the portable equatorial mount and reduced the price by another £4 by not having tangent screw control on the dec axis.

Then either because the original scope cradle pieces and straps perished with age or they or another owner swapped scopes to the Broadhurst Clarkson 3" that I got with it they had new cradles and

leather straps made, because these are very definately not teh same ages as teh rest of the mount.

Elementary my dear Watson:D:D

Now on to the next mystery.....

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  • 8 years later...

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