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Old 28-12-2012, 07:52 PM
wulfgar
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wulfgar is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: melbourne
Posts: 68
The AOS 10" F5.7" with the brilliant Sampson (Alex Stern) mnt I purchased S/H as a lark in the early 1990's. I purchase the A/C drive and corrector for a tidy sum new. The Mirror is rather average, over-corrected for SA and with a turned edge and possibly central hole. I've stopped it down to 9.5" F6 and am getting better views. I cut down the central obstruction from 60mm to 50 with a new flat and 4 vane spider. The 8x50 Finder was originally straight but I cut it to R/A.
The new price for the scope as equipped would have been $3,000 at the time. But generally I've used it as a Dobsonian.

My serious project at the time was to assemble a very fine 6" F8 Newt. I spent from 92 to 94 collecting parts for it. I purchased a Vixen SP mnt with short legs that was price reduced after a 6" F5 kit returned to AOS due to a spherical mirror. I then purchase the duel axis drive for a pretty penny. The SP mnt is quality stuff.
The tube assembly is mostly Parks, with an excellent Parks main mirror. I used an Astrosytems phase -3 focuser for the low profile and a one inch flat. The result is refactor like with very little scatter around the airy disk.
I think the mnt cost $1500 and the tube assembly $1350. So almost 3k for an elite EQ 6" Newt!
Since I had the nice mnt I thought I'd get a 4" refactor tube. Originally I planned on a Carton 4" F13 Achromat (Being warned by Monty of AOS the Vixen 4" F10 achromat didn't cut it.) I ran into this earlier Vixen 102mm fluorite F8.8 triplet S/H at BATSC. A very fine telescope and combined with the SP mnt it is wonderfully lightweight for the amount of punch. I've even had Barry Adcock transfixed by it. I purchased GP era long legged tripod for ......$440! After blowing the original drive box a couple of times, I got a GP era paddle control w/ 32x slew. Always use a voltage corrector with those delicate electronics.

The Megrez SD glass I bought S/H as a richfield scope and later with a Mede 40mm SWA. To save money I purchased Televues telepod head and made up the rest from the now surplus vixen short tripod and some cheap longer legs from Roger Davis in-store rummage box. I used a steel plate to balance the Megrez and inch forward, because of the heavy visual back and eyepiece. The accessory tray spreader brace I made from waste timber.

Deciding to preserve the SP mnt for the Fluorite I bought a S/H Synta CG-5 head (which was heavier duty and more suited for the 6") and pillar mnt from Roger's Rummage. As far as long Newts go using one with a tripod is inconvenient and pillar is the way to go. This is why I had the short tripod surplus. I purchased a dual dive which was a bit of a waste because there is so much play in the Synta EQ head that takes some time to synch.

Rogers instore rummage box that followed him from York to Batsc to Bintel is sadly missed.
Attached Thumbnails
Click for full-size image (Megrez 80mm F6.jpg)
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Click for full-size image (Newt 6in F8.jpg)
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Click for full-size image (Newt 10in  F5.7.jpg)
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Click for full-size image (Vixen 102mm F8.8.jpg)
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