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#21
Telescopes Etcetera.... / Re: Restoration of 3" equatori...
Last post by Roberto - Apr 20, 2024, 13:35:45As the scope was in such good state I decided to work on it only recently and started by disassembling and cleaning the mount:
And the worm wheel before cleaning it:
And after:
The patina was nice but the dials and brass work was pretty oxidised so I gave it a good scrubbing with Mothers' polish.
And the worm wheel before cleaning it:
And after:
The patina was nice but the dials and brass work was pretty oxidised so I gave it a good scrubbing with Mothers' polish.
#22
Telescopes Etcetera.... / Re: Restoration of 3" equatori...
Last post by Roberto - Apr 20, 2024, 13:34:03A few days later I collected it and took some pictures comparing it to the 3" Dollond:
It is a shorter tube but with very similar focuser. The finder is a lot better in the N&Z. It came with four eyepieces, including what looks like a pancratic tube.
Here are some pictures of the mount in its original state:
The tripod was in worse state than the mount but the telescope was functional and with very, very good optics. I only tested it during daytime and posted about it in the Groups.io forum for the Antique Telescope Society as I had not been able to find this particular model in any of the N&Z catalogues available online.
The experts in the Antique Telescope Society forum suggested it may have a Cooke lens (!) and although I could not see any markings upon disassembling it, it looks very similar to a picture showing on page 68 of a History of Cooke, Troughton & Simms telescopes by Anita McConnell:
Knowing I had not the weather nor the time to work on it, I put it away until this year.
It is a shorter tube but with very similar focuser. The finder is a lot better in the N&Z. It came with four eyepieces, including what looks like a pancratic tube.
Here are some pictures of the mount in its original state:
The tripod was in worse state than the mount but the telescope was functional and with very, very good optics. I only tested it during daytime and posted about it in the Groups.io forum for the Antique Telescope Society as I had not been able to find this particular model in any of the N&Z catalogues available online.
The experts in the Antique Telescope Society forum suggested it may have a Cooke lens (!) and although I could not see any markings upon disassembling it, it looks very similar to a picture showing on page 68 of a History of Cooke, Troughton & Simms telescopes by Anita McConnell:
Knowing I had not the weather nor the time to work on it, I put it away until this year.
#23
Telescopes Etcetera.... / Restoration of 3" equatorial N...
Last post by Roberto - Apr 20, 2024, 13:30:20After the 2020 restoration of the 3" Dollond, last November I came across a nice vintage equatorial telescope being sold locally. It was described as in good condition, including no blemishes on the objective.
Here are some original pictures from the seller:
Here are some original pictures from the seller:
#24
Astrophotography / Re: Eclipse pictures and timel...
Last post by Roberto - Apr 18, 2024, 17:10:28Thank you! Yes, the 2026 eclipse is just above the horizon in Catalunya; a bit higher in Iceland but that's a cloud magnet.
The 2027 eclipse passes over Gibraltar and northern Morocco before crossing over Tunisia and then onto Egypt. That's a much better option.
Roberto
The 2027 eclipse passes over Gibraltar and northern Morocco before crossing over Tunisia and then onto Egypt. That's a much better option.
Roberto
#25
Astrophotography / Re: Eclipse pictures and timel...
Last post by The Thing - Apr 18, 2024, 16:48:48Wow! Dream stuff.
Seeing a total eclipse is on my bucket list so I'm planning to drive down to Spain for 2026, but it'll be just before sunset so a bit iffy. Maybe 2027 as well.
Seeing a total eclipse is on my bucket list so I'm planning to drive down to Spain for 2026, but it'll be just before sunset so a bit iffy. Maybe 2027 as well.
#26
Astrophotography / Re: NGC1499 California Nebula ...
Last post by The Thing - Apr 18, 2024, 16:45:09Thats is stonking John, nice colourway for the filters.
#27
Astrophotography / Re: NGC1499 California Nebula ...
Last post by Roberto - Apr 18, 2024, 13:13:15Very nice John! Difficult to decide between both versions as equally aesthetically pleasing. Good work.
Roberto
Roberto
#28
Astrophotography / Re: NGC1499 California Nebula ...
Last post by Carole - Apr 17, 2024, 22:08:01Some extremely nice detail there John.
#29
Astrophotography / Re: NGC1499 California Nebula ...
Last post by Carole - Apr 17, 2024, 22:04:45John, is this OSC with an Ha filter. I can see some colour in the stars.
Lovely result by the way.
Lovely result by the way.
#30
Astrophotography / Re: NGC1499 California Nebula ...
Last post by JohnDeathridge - Apr 17, 2024, 17:54:52