[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