this is a great post, it puts into perspective the desire and appeal
of classics scopes. While it saved me from bidding up on a classic
scope on Ebay for now, in the end it did reinforced my desire for
some classic glass.


--- In classictelescopes@yahoogroups.com, "Clint whitman" <clint@...>
wrote:
>
> Well it been busy here with work and all. Finally got the San &
> Streiffe 76 mm Carton Optical Company 1965 Refractor that I
> purchased on E-bay! The kicker was the scope was listed the first
> time and I was out bid. The bid went all the way to $203 plus $55
> shipping so it was way beyond what I would spend in its condition,
> but I was looking on E-bay the next day and the scope re-listed. I
e-
> mail the guy and asked why he didn't take the next lowest bid since
> the buyer backed out he said he didn't know he could and he would
> just let it ride, my bid on the first action was $145. Well he re-
> listed on Monday morning 9 am Pacific Time so I just watched and no
> one saw the re-list. The morning of the end of action the scope was
> at $45 everyone including me was at work and 15 seconds before the
> end I put $75 and the one other guy watching it only had time to
try
> $50 so I won the scope for $52 plus shipping of $55. All the parts
> are there and most are in new condition the tube has a dent but
> every thing else was in great shape. On the first night the scope
> produced allot of flaring. Playing around with it I figured out
that
> both lenses were in backwards so after a good cleaning and flip now
> the star tests are good and I can make out the Cassini divisions in
> Saturn's rings from Van Nuys CA. Which I would assume is good, nice
> clear stars and black back ground. So I am in the midst of
> restoration I did the main cell and the focuser in order to
> determine if the scope was a keeper prior to a complete
restoration.
> I started a photo directory for it and will be posting to it. Well
> one thing I do want to mention is this. The only other scope I have
> of the size is a Williams Optics 80mm Fl. Anniversary you know the
> little red dude you see around. I think it is an F7 where the
Carton
> is a F15. In a side by side test of the Optics the WO scope blows
> the socks off the Classic Carton refractor, both using 11/4 inch
> eyepieces. The WO also costs I think around $700 to $800 for the WO
> and is a 2" eyepiece scope. The view thru the WO is hard to beat
for
> its size and set up on a vixen alt az mount it is a dream to use
> compared to the good old Tasco. Now I am only pointing this out for
> one reason, that if you are just getting into astronomy please get
a
> large aperture scope or spend a lot of money on a small high
quality
> refractor and a really good eyepiece in order to get blown away by
> the sky before you get into the Really cool old classic scopes like
> a 60mm or 76 or 80mm Towa, GOTO, Carton There is a reason so many
> of these are sitting in peoples closets, They do not hold a candle
> to a scope like a 10" SCT or a big reflector. I think if I didn't
my
> socks blown off by M13 and my Tak 130 F or the Cave I wouldn't
still
> be so stoked to go rebuild, tweak and peek this 45 year old
Japanese
> scope or the 1960 4" Unitron that's coming. These should be viewed
> just like classic cars. 2007 Honda = WO 80mm FL. 1966 Camaro = 1965
> Cave 12.5 F8. 1966 six cylinder mustang = Carton 76mm. And the 1965
> Austin Martin would be the 5" Ziess Please comment on this Thats
> what the group is for,,,, Clint
>