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My local high school has a telescope that has sat unused for at least a decade.
I play poker with the principal and have an opportunity to assist getting it back into usability.
Visited it this morning
doesn't appear to need much
it's a 12.5 inch Newtonian in about six foot tube on equatorial mount with clock drive
in a domed silo adjacent the school
mirror looks good - fortunately it was parked pointing down so hasn't accumulated dust
I replaced the dust cover
the motorized observatory dome rotates okay but vertical door doesn't move - probably a simple electrical problem i'll look at early tomorrow morning before it gets too hot in there
A box with probably a dozen expensive looking Meade 2" eyepieces (one is a 40mm ultra wide angle with a glass lens probably a full inch across) and a camera adapter but no camera,
and a solar filter
So my immediate questions are
I just plan to fix and lube motors for door and dome,
brush out the dust in tube
inspect clock drive, clean it and the drive gears on mount
align mount for our latitude
see if I can find Saturn one evening next week
Any pointers?
Would you guys remove the main mirror and diagonal before dusting out the tube? I'm inclined to
I muddled through an alignment on my 4" can probably stumble through this "Real" 'scope
right now I do see my eye smack dab in middle when sight down focuser with no eyepiece so she's not bad now...
Would you guys lube the eyepiece rack&pinion? With what - silicone grease , plain grease, Vaseline,,,,, I'm afraid of vapors getting on the optics is that a worry ? Same for mount drive gears ??
I guess you can tell I'm excited...
Pointers to a guiding article would be appreciated.
I guess i'll re-up subscription to Sky and Telescope...
Also in the basement is an ancient looking brass telescope perhaps 4 feet long
with name engraved in script
F Fritsch
K K Hof Universtats Optiks
Wien Alserstrasse 17
it sits on a solid brass equatorial mount with brass reduction gears & handwheels
sadly the kids have swiped the eyepieces
I quick google turned up nothing on it - is it familiar to anyone?
Anyhow - please wish me luck. I feel like this is an opportunity to learn a lot more about an old hobby, with a very nice piece of equipment.
Pointers to informative articles at low but not quite zero expertise level would be appreciated.
Thanks,
old jim
I play poker with the principal and have an opportunity to assist getting it back into usability.
Visited it this morning
doesn't appear to need much
it's a 12.5 inch Newtonian in about six foot tube on equatorial mount with clock drive
in a domed silo adjacent the school
mirror looks good - fortunately it was parked pointing down so hasn't accumulated dust
I replaced the dust cover
the motorized observatory dome rotates okay but vertical door doesn't move - probably a simple electrical problem i'll look at early tomorrow morning before it gets too hot in there
A box with probably a dozen expensive looking Meade 2" eyepieces (one is a 40mm ultra wide angle with a glass lens probably a full inch across) and a camera adapter but no camera,
and a solar filter
So my immediate questions are
I just plan to fix and lube motors for door and dome,
brush out the dust in tube
inspect clock drive, clean it and the drive gears on mount
align mount for our latitude
see if I can find Saturn one evening next week
Any pointers?
Would you guys remove the main mirror and diagonal before dusting out the tube? I'm inclined to
I muddled through an alignment on my 4" can probably stumble through this "Real" 'scope
right now I do see my eye smack dab in middle when sight down focuser with no eyepiece so she's not bad now...
Would you guys lube the eyepiece rack&pinion? With what - silicone grease , plain grease, Vaseline,,,,, I'm afraid of vapors getting on the optics is that a worry ? Same for mount drive gears ??
I guess you can tell I'm excited...
Pointers to a guiding article would be appreciated.
I guess i'll re-up subscription to Sky and Telescope...
Also in the basement is an ancient looking brass telescope perhaps 4 feet long
with name engraved in script
F Fritsch
K K Hof Universtats Optiks
Wien Alserstrasse 17
it sits on a solid brass equatorial mount with brass reduction gears & handwheels
sadly the kids have swiped the eyepieces
I quick google turned up nothing on it - is it familiar to anyone?
Anyhow - please wish me luck. I feel like this is an opportunity to learn a lot more about an old hobby, with a very nice piece of equipment.
Pointers to informative articles at low but not quite zero expertise level would be appreciated.
Thanks,
old jim