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Another Classic I couldn't resist buying!!

F15Rules

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Merlin

Merlin

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The PRINZ 660 brings back memories and, yes, I wish I'd kept it. I didn't realise the f.ratio was so long, I thought it was a little shorter at f.15.

I bought the 660 in 1970, but moved to West Germany before I could collect the ordered 'scope from a DIXON's shop.

The 'scope cost about £60 ( quite a lot then ), but because I had the 'scope delivered to Germany,there was a whacking import charge that brought the full cost of the 660 to around £100.

Yes, the 660 I had was a good performer ( as also was a PRINZ 60mm/f.11 I had ), but I've found from experience that PRINZ 'scopes varied in quality from one to the next. At least, they had metal focusers, not the plastic ones we get now on many lower end 'scopes.

I had the 660 for less than two years, then, sold it to a German chap for his son to help pay for the return to Blighty.

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F15Rules

F15Rules

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Perhaps I can clear this up for you Gareth and Gordon.. :smiley:

The original range was launched around 1970 as a Dixons' own label brand with Japanese made scopes featuring Circle T or Circle K optics (the latter I have only seen in the largest 660 model). The range went numerically as follows: 100, 220, 330, 440, 550, 660. All of the scopes were 60mm aperture apart from the 660 which was a 76.2mm (3") aperture at F16.5..a loooong scope!

To my knowledge all the scopes were white in colour and virtually all the parts were metal.

Later, I think in the early to mid 1980's, another Prinz model was launched (long after the originals were phased out). I have only seen a 60mm F15 model from this time, called the Prinz 500 (Gareth, if yours is not white it would suggest to me it might be a 500, rather than a 550?). The 500 came in various colours, royal blue, a kind of grey/light blue, and perhaps others. The new versions also feature plastic focuser wheels and other plastic parts..the whole scopes felt rather "low rent" in quality and it is interesting that around this time other Japanese made scopes took a real downward turn in quality - most notably Tasco, who had previously imported some superbly good quality scopes, but whose name later became synoymous with (and still is) "Rubbish Department store scopes"...

The older 660 scopes are generally of good quality and can give some great views, especially of double stars and Luna etc. If you can mount them on a modern CG5/EQ5 type mount, with tube rings and a rigid mounting plate, the image quality is vastly improved. And there is just something magical about viewing through one of these beauties. :grin:

Hope that helps..

Dave

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