New/Old Vixen Refractor

[telecasterguru]

Bought a Vixen 90x1000 Refractor at a garage sale on the weekend for $100. Made in Japan with a serial number on a plate on the side of the OTA. It is complete with wooden tripod and slow motion gears and also had 4 eps etc. Is there anywhere that I can get some information on these old Vixen scopes? Going to set it up tonight now that the skies have cleared a bit.

Frank

[DavidU]

Mate ! Those things are excellent. Very collectable these days, it should show minimal CA.
Here is a site (CL) that would be able to help with info etc.
http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php/Cat/0/Board/classics

[telecasterguru]

Thanks Dave, I should have thought about looking on cloudy nights. Is going to take a while to go through all the information. Will let you know what it views like tomorrow (hopefully).

The Model is a Vixen Custom 90M.

Frank

[DavidU]

Still no replies on CL. That's unusual.

[telecasterguru]

David, Only early days yet.

Took the vixen out into the back lane for a look around last night just to have a quick glimpse of Jupiter.

With an 8mm Televue Plossl there was quite a lot of detail in the banding.

No real colour to talk of so was very happy. Will give a proper workout on the weekend when I get back from Melbourne. Will mount it on the EQ6 somehow.

Frank

[dannat]

Frank you lucky bugger - most of the old vixen stuff i have seen online is in Jaoanese..but try this link http://www.vixenamerica.com/Products/Default.asp?Extra=Help
great find

[gts055]

Hii Frank, great find, very nice refractor. Look at these catalogues on this japanese site. Vixen are the 9th row down beginning 1972 to 1993 Yours will be in one of those pdf catalogues.
http://yumarin7.sakura.ne.jp/Csiryou.html Mark

[telecasterguru]

Mark,

Thanks for the link to the catalogues. They are fantastic.

And there it is in the 1985 catalogue. Just wonderful. The telescope appears to be around 25 years old and it does not have a scratch on it and the eps are in perfect condition. All in their original boxes.

I don't know if this makes it a classic scope.

A couple of the eps are celestron orthoptics which I don't know much about. It appears from the catalogues that Vixen and Celestron were the same company originally or had some kind of working relationship.

Once again thanks.

Frank

[gts055]

Hii Frank, Vixen and Celestron did have marketing arrangements at that time but were independent companies. The Celestron orthoscopic eyepieces likely originated from University Optics as they are of identical appearance apart from the Celestron engraving. Mark

[DavidU]

Yes it is a classic.
$100 Jeez ! Luck bugger:thumbsup:

[tlgerdes]

Tell us the specs? is it achro or apo?