Polarex and Unitron Refractors of Yesteryear

[UniPol]

Hi everyone,

I read with interest a number of threads from earlier last year regarding Unitron telescopes. I confess to being hooked on these superb telescopes when, as a teenager, I walked into the Amateur Telescope Supply Company (now Astro Optical Supplies) at Crows Nest in the mid 1960's. Since then I have collected a number of these telescopes and accessories from the 2" to 6" models. I think I must have around 15 in total which are in average to excellent condition.

These scopes were originally sold by Esdailes in Glebe under the Polarex brand. Unitrons were sold in the USA from about 1952 till only recently. Here in Australia, Unitrons were sold by Astro Optical from the mid 1960's until the mid to late 1980's. In fact, Polarex and Unitron are the same scopes. They were always an expensive telescope here and overseas and you rarely see them at meets or for sale.

I could waffle on about these great scopes however a few pics should give some indication of their fine workmanship. The 4" Polarex scope in my TV room is undergoing restoration. It is an early 1960's pier mounted, weight driven clock drive, photo equatorial model. It was in rather poor condition cosmetically speaking when I first bought it a few years ago however it is coming along nicely. The old Doctor who owned it must have liked grey as he painted over the beautiful white baked enamel. He was probably in the Navy at some stage in his life perhaps. Actually, nitro-cellulose lacquer thinners does a good job of getting it off, albeit slowly, and doesn't harm the white paint underneath.

The 4" model shown in the driveway is not mine (a chap in the US owns this one). This is what mine will look like after restoration hopefully. The pic of the 2.4" and is one of my favourites. The 4" and 6" magazine clips gives you some idea of the size of these scopes. The red and blue brochures hail from 1958.

Please contact me if you would like to know anything about these fine scopes. I am always after these scopes including accessories or brochures.

Cheers

[mickoking]

Great collection there :eyepop: Wouldn't mind an Unitron myself :)

[[1ponders]]

Wow, they are beautiful looking pieces of functional art. I can see why you are hooked on them. If the view through them is in the same ball park as their looks, they must be great planetary scope.

[UniPol]

You're right Paul, apart from being things of mechanical beauty they are great planetary performers particularly if you use the current blend of eyepieces which are superior to the original supplied 0.965" Kellners, Symmetrical Achromats, Ramsdens and Orthoscopics. At f15 (f/16 for the 3" model) they perform well visually but are too slow to take any deep sky images. They have great resolving power and are also ideal for looking at doubles. Cheers, Steve.

[Starkler]

I know a fellow who owns a couple of unitrons on alt-az mounts. Lovely scopes they are and these days they sure dont make em like they used to.

[astroboy]

Have argree there fine scopes , I hope to get to look through a guests Unitron 4" alt az when he visits in a couple of weeks.
The only one I own is the old 80mm spotter with the turret for 4 eyepices excellent optics though:thumbsup: , these days they would probably call it semi apo.

Zane

[astronut]

Hi Steve,:welcome: to IIS.
It's good to have another Unitron/Polarex lover in the forum.
I used to live in Artarmon and make regular visits as a young teenager to astro-optical in the late 60's early 70's.
I bought a Unitron 114 in 1970, I still have it though I converted it to 1 1/4".The views through it are still great.
Back in 2000, I came across a Polarex 4" alt az. It needed a bit of TLC, but after a few weeks of work it looked (and still is) brand new.
It took over as my main workhorse from my 2.4".
Earlier this year I succumed to Aperture fever and bought a Meade Lightbridge 12".
I don't use the refractors much any more, but they still take pride in my house as works of art.;)
Sorry Zane, the refractor will not be coming down just the 12" LB. Cheers, John.:thumbsup:

[Satchmo]

Hi John

Similarly I grew up in Artarmon and used to visit Amateur Astronomers Supply Co at Crows Nest in the early 70's. When I worked there from 1984-1988 I bought a second hand Polarex 4" Altaz . Came in two big wooden cases. I sold it in 1989 for $600 I think. Wish I had kept it as a historical peice :)

Mark

[astronut]

Mark, You should've kept it, I've seen these scopes in original condition sell for $6000-$7000US recently. I won't sell mine though.
Like anything that has been beautifully crafted, it's great just to look at it.;)

[Satchmo]

6-7K USD ??? Darn ... Well at the time I had just purhased a Vixen 80mm Flourite refractor and the false colour on Venus and the Moon with the 4" , just didn't wear with me anymore after witnessing colour free images in the Flourite . The 4" was a fine piece of engineering though with its big cast fork.

Mark

[UniPol]

I'm glad my posting has stirred up some interest in these fine scopes. Seems like only yesterday (1969) I bought my first Unitron from Amateur Astronomers Supply Co. in Crows Nest. Eric Witcombe was the original proprietor if some of you oldies remember, a very knowledgeable chap. I was only speaking to him last year, he must be well in his 80's now. He was more interested in talking about golf than astronomy from memory.

I like to display my Polarex/Unitron telescopes in the house, my wife being very understanding of course. Any corner of the house will do, it would be a shame to keep them in their boxes. One of the reasons these scopes have survived well to this day is due to the fact that the original boxes or cabinets, if you will, were very well made and up to the task of storing and transporting them safely. If they are to be stored away, I usually take out the optics and keep them away from heat, dust and moisture (the wine cellar is best).

I have added a couple of more pics to the original posting and if anyone would like to see more let me know.

Cheers for now, Steve

[astronut]

Steve here is a picture of my scope, out on the field with it's "handsome owner":lol: :lol:

[UniPol]

A very handsome scope indeed John ! :D

[ving]

ok, now you are making me feel like a stalker!:whistle:
I used to live in artarmon too (barton road) from the mid 70s when my family moved there. :lol:
imagine that, all three of us from there...:lol: :lol:

unfortunately at the time i was in primary school and had no interest in looking upwards.:rolleyes:

[IanW]

11a Clarke Street Crows Nest, an address forever etched in my memory. I first went there back in 1969 as an 8yr old kid to choose a telescope as my Christmas Present. I wound up with an Amasco 2.4" Refractor, though I coveted the 2.4" Unitron which was about 30 bucks more (a lot back then!) In '72 I got my dream, a 2.4" Unitron which cost I think $99 which was still well over a weeks wage for most workers.

From 1973 to 75 I built an 8" Newtonian. I still have the optics and spider but the rest is long gone apart from Eric's infamous book on how to build your own telescope. I gave the Amasco OTA to the owner of a now well known online astronomy shop back in the mid-late 90s when he was working up at the AAO. The 2.4" Unitron I gave away to a girlfriends younger brother in the early 80s.

[GLENN A DAVIS]

It was wonderful reading all the posts, from people who had purchased Unitron telescopes from Amateur Astronomers Supply Company (AKA) Astro-Optical Supply Company.
The name change happened in 1973!
I started working there in Febuary 1967, and learnt an amazing amount of knowledge regarding mirror making from the then owner Eric Whitcombe.
I ground and polished astronomical mirrors ranging from 100mm up to 375mm.in diameter.
The company also produced a 318mm Cassegrain telescope, that proved very popular.
I left in December 1975 to pursue other interests, but returned in October 1978 until January 1983.
During my two tenures with the company, I manufactured over 2000 mirrors of various focal ratios and diameters.
We also sold a lot of mirror grinding kits and supplied on going help, to those undertaking the task.
Some of our more famous cliental were John Laws, Graham Kennedy,George Miller and Simon Townsend.
The company supplied the war-torn binoculars that Mel Gibson used in Mad Max 2!
I always enjoyed helping people who had a love for Astronomy, both young and old.Our customers always liked having a good old chin wag about anything to do with the night sky and the instruments to view it!
Astro was originaly the only company to represent Celestron in Australia.
I was over the moon when we first took delivery of the C14!
I have so many beautiful memories of working there, which I will always cherish.
I can honestly say, i looked forward to going to work each day!
This year is my 33 year in the field of precision optics!
I now manage a company called Francis Lord Optics and my ongoing love for this science, is as fresh and appealing as when I first started.
A big thankyou to all the people who loved coming to our special shop in Clarke Street, Crows Nest.I hope the memories linger long also for you!

[Translucidus]

Hi Guys
It's great to know there is an appreciation of Polarex Telescopes here.

Some time ago I acquired a 125MM F2000mm Polarex Refractor complete with some 15 eyepieces, two finder scopes, 240volt drive motor and enormous and heavy German Equatorial Mount on 3 Timber legs. The mount is very similar to number 6 photo of the first post here by Unipol and the scope is very similar to the last photo although it is a 5 inch.

There is also the multi eyepiece rotator turret, dual viewing eyepiece holder (for two people).

The optics are in generally excellent condition as they have been kept separate from the tube and mount during a long storage period before my acquisition.

The tube and mount though need some restoration. The tube simply needs a fresh powder coat and inner blackening. The mount works in one axis but seems locked in the other; looks easy to renovate though as there is minimal corrosion.

I am looking forward to either selling the lot to a capable restorer who would value the scope, or restore it myself when I retire sometime in the next couple of years.

Any tips on restoration would be appreciated; especially freeing up the EQ Mount mechanism and also painting the OTAs

I am also wondering what its value would be in Australia as I am open to offers from someone who would value it properly.

[Translucidus]

Just to let any interested parties know - The Unitron Scope has been sold.

[skies2clear]

My brother purchased one of these a few years ago, in excellent condition, including wooden case and original eyepieces. I think there was a mix of Orthos and Symmetricals included. The Alt-Az mount is well made and the scope performs very well. I think he paid about $700 for the lot. It's beautiful to look at and I can't see him parting with it. Pretty sure it's F15 (100mm OD).

Funny, I remember that time well because there was another chap selling a 7" Astro Physics Starfire for about $6k to $7k and we were seriously considering jointly purchasing it. Stupid drongos we were for not going for it!!!!!!!! :P

Clear skies,
Nick

[Satchmo]

I've used that 7" 'scope you mention. At the end of the day its a 7" telescope so unless you are in to deep sky astrophotography, a good 10" Newtonian will leave it for dust visually :)


Re the 4" Altaz Polarex..it was so old school. Showed obvious colour on Venus and the Moon limb and was limited to about 150X on deep sky stuff. It was not really portable. In this day and age when you can get a color free 4" F9 Apo tube for under $1000 , I tyhink these old F15 scopes are of historical interest only.

Mark

[astronut]

Mark,
Whilst I agree that the Unitron scopes have been surpassed in many ways, the best images of the planets (Jupiter & Saturn) have been through
the 4".
Great detail and colour, that has only been bettered by much larger scopes recently.
The 4" scopes had "ears" on the lens cell to allow some collimation.
With a good optical train (from front to back) you were always presented with great images. I've pushed my 4" up to 400x, still with clear results.
Out of all the "ole school scopes" these would have to be one of the best.
The Unitron series is like comparing an old Ferrari with a new one.
Sure the new one does everything better, but it still lacks the soul & history of the old one.:)

[Satchmo]

No argument there !

[mr bruess]

I'm currently restoring my UNITRON/Polarex Telescope 60mm refractor.
The objective is 60mm and focal length is 900mm.It is branded Polarex on the drawtube focuser

[alocky]

Is it an alt-az or eq? I've got the faster 60x700 as a guidescope on my 102mm. There's some good resources around for helping you track down any missing bits - the yahoo Unitron group and the classic scopes list on cloudy nights.
Good luck - I love these old achros, I've got two, and they still get used regularly.
Cheers,
Andrew.

[MattT]

I'm drooling down memory lane here....My high school in Canberra,Narrabundah College, had a 3" EQ that I used for a while in 78-79, it's probably still there. Can still remember the smell of the wooden case it came in. Art masquerading as science...beautiful scopes.
Matt

[mr bruess]

It is alt-az mount.Yeah I need parts for it.The drawtube focuser has only one knob/screw on the right hand side.The objective lens will need a clean.
I will need advice on how to fix it.

[UniPol]

I taught in Canberra from 1974 to 1984 and regularly used my 3" Equatorial Unitron with interested parents and students on planned astronomy evenings. It proved to be an ideal telescope in terms of setup and size as it performed very well on planets, clusters and double stars. I still have it and in fact must at least a couple of others around the house somewhere.

[clive milne]

It's been a while so the memory has faded a bit, but I think it might be a tiny bit misleading to say that a 10" Newt' would beat the pants off it.. (maybe Andrew could chime in here..?) Certainly, a good 10" Newtonian would afford a better view on most things with the exception of double stars with a high magnitude differential. Resolving Antares for example is pretty much routine with a 7" AP. Also on nights of exceptional seeing, the axial star images would show text book diffraction patterns. In my experience, it is more difficult to see this in even a perfect Newtonian due to light scatter from the reflective coating.

In any event, I will say this;
In my days when I had the option of using either a well baffled 12.5" Newtonian or the 7" AP, the Newtonian was the preferred choice every time without exception by a country mile.... but that was a superb Newtonian.

As for imaging, I think the case for a refractor isn't as strong as it is often made out to be, with perhaps one exception (FSQ106)
Due to the secondary required, it just isn't practicable to build a reflector that can cover that sized image plane with a 500mm focal length.

Maybe Bratislav could do a cameo and present a prescription for a badass Companar derivative and prove me wrong... ?

best
~c

[clive milne]

Yep... not to detract from their quality,
There in lies their value in a nut shell.

[brian nordstrom]

:) With the single sided focuser and well made 24mm finder ? If so ,
nice.
Brian.

[alocky]

Most of the 60mm Unitrons only had one focus knob, as far as I recall.
The other thing is the aluminium tape in the objective deteriorates and may need to be replaced if you pull the objective apart for a clean.

Clive's point about the merits of a 10 and a 7 is well taken, in fact I've never split Antares with my 10" newt (and it's a good one), but I've only tried a few times. One of my Unitrons does it regularly, the other can't.
I've seen the horsehead through the 10", but I don't think I'll bother with the 'tron.
For Lunar and Solar viewing these scopes are hard to beat, and side by side with my Tak FSQ106, there's not a lot of difference at the same magnification. Correction wise, and photographically, obviously the Tak's a different animal.
But set a Unitron up at any public outing, and it will be seconds before someone says - 'Now that LOOKS like a REAL telescope...' Its even got a very cool set of driveshafts and gearboxes down to where the motor sits on the spreader.
Cheers,
Andrew.

[MattT]

Where did you teach Steve? Did you ever get up to the Oddie on Stromlo? Not sure how my school did it, but sure glad they did :) Have had the refractor bug ever since. Lastly are the wooden piers solid wood or a veneer over something else? Always wanted one of course.... still drooling
Matt

[ZeroID]

As a serious ATM'er I read the Cloudy Nights Classic Scopes section avidly and enjoy the stories of restoration and admire the beautiful results. They are works of art for sure and the history just adds to the mana of the equipment. They also appeal to my 'SteamPunk' tendencies. I have a great desire to start an astro\optical section at Motat ( Museum of Transport and Technology) over here in Auckland. One day maybe, plenty of space to build an old style dome and even make it usable.

I have yet to see a Polarex or Unitron come up for sale over here in NZ although amazingly I spotted a 10" Cave mirror at an astro swap meet at Star Dome last year. Couldn't justify buying it but I keep my eye open for old refractors and eventually I hope to be in a position to restore one to it's former glory.

[brian nordstrom]

;) Northland Astro society has one , a Polerex 60mm Alt AZ , and I used to use it as a teaching aid to show the differance between a " Real " scope the Polerex , and the terrible dept store :( scopes .( trying to save a few x - amateur astronomers . )
I rebuilt this scope after it was donated by an elderly member , yea , REAL ! well made and sexy :thumbsup: scopes It is still there , I think .
Brian.

[mr bruess]

Here's a few pictures of my Polarex/Unitron 60mm refractor
It has a metal finderscope. Probaby 8 by 24mm.
I own a museum telescope that still performs well by today's standards.
There's 3 red dots on the objective lens holder.
The tube is all metal.

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: yea the 6x24 finder ,, the 910mm f/l ,,
,,,, these finders work so well little scopes on their own right's . Cool.
thats why they are rare as hen's teeth these days , lots got stolen by the kids ( and rissoles ) so they had a REAL Piriate's scope ???
fit's in your pocket ???? ...
I caught a 20 year old visiter to the " northland astro societies " public night doing just this ...:mad2: ( in the club rooms while everyone was using the C14 ) he payed lots of PENNENCE .. for weeks after that man !@! boy ??? .
Good score your baby, Glenn , a real piece of history .:thanx: .
Brian

[torana68]

Picked up another 60mm today in Canberra ............. its not bad but the foil spacers are shot and have moved, will see what its like should I get a cloud free night. :)

[donavan.jones]

Hi Peter,
Did you ever get to restoring this scope, still interested in restoring if your keen, have some engineers at my disposal from work (university of Newcastle) and are keen to help, I know is been awhile just come across this old tread.
Cheers Donovan

[dereko]

Hi. New member.
I have a 75mm Polarex In excellent condition. I bought it in the seventies brand new. I didnt use it as much as I thought I would so it has been stored for most of that time. It has an Alt-Az mount,all the eye pieces,wooden tripod,the original wooden case and even the original brown paper and wood shaving packaging. I dont use it and would like to pass it on to somebody who will appreciate it more than I do. Could someone tell me the best way to go about that


Derek Osborne

[torana68]

Ebay maybe? The market in Oz is still pretty slow for old stuff.

[Wavytone]

Derek,

Assuming your scope is complete and useable, take a look at this older thread from a deceased estate. I don't know what the lots actually sold for but a couple of 3" unitrons in fair condition were north of the $1k mark. FWIW of the gear had seen a LOT of wear and tear (the images are gone now).

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?p=1374174

One of the blue mountains chaps brought a classic Vixen 60mm f/15 to one of the club nights a few months ago, and it was a very salient reminder of how good an achromatic refractor could be, when done right. Absolutely perfect image.

[torana68]

Condition and completeness is important but they change hands for a lot less than what’s in that wish list above :)

[Wavytone]

Oh I know those prices were quite optimistic.

Supply vs demand. Both very limited.

[Tropo-Bob]

I dusted off my 60mm Unitron today in preparation for sneaking a view between the clouds of either Jupiter or the Moon in the next few days.

[torana68]

How did it go? The little 60mm Unitron rarely fails to impress.

[xelasnave]

Dont miss Venus it looked great yesterday.
Alex

[Tropo-Bob]

I had quick views of Jupiter over a few nights. Its always fun to idenity the Moons and see if any events are happening. I also saw our Moon, but it was dancing like how I used to, i.e. all over the place; before early clouding and sometimes light rain kept bringing the evenings to a premature end.

Last night was much better, so I upsized a little to my Vixen ED81 to clearly see the Red Spot and several bands of Jupiter. Saturn also looked amazing.