My Opticron arrived today! 🙁 (1 Viewer)

[johnbaz]

Hi

I won this HR80 a few days ago, It was delivered today but my heart sank when I saw the massive fungal bloom on the objective lens, Wasn't expecting it as there was no mention of it in the item description |=(||=(|

I contacted the fleabay seller asking for a full refund as i'm pretty sure that when the fungus feeds on the coating, It's gone forever ||



Cheers, John |=(|

 

[Binastro]

John,

To me this looks like massive balsam failure, but more photos would help.

What does the view through it look like?

Regards,
B.

 

[johnbaz]

John,

To me this looks like massive balsam failure, but more photos would help.

What does the view through it look like?

Regards,
B.

Hi B

The view through it isn't too bad (My ageing eyes don't help!!) But it's not as good as I was expecting!

What type of pics woukld you need to be able to tell?

I took two pics but they're almost identical!!


Regards, John :t:

 

[johnbaz]

This is both of the pics I took, One of them I already posted (Can't recall which one!!)..

John |=)|

 

[Binastro]

Hi John,
At least a sunny day.

I think a very bad case of cement failure.
Maybe excessive heat.
Perhaps in a foundry

The objective needs soaking apart and recementing.
Standard for old timers. Not worth it today.
So a new objective needed or a dead cheap price and use as is.

If the HR has ED glass then it is more susceptible to failure. The ED element could also be suspect if not coated on both sides.

Incidentally, I had 3 Pentax 8-20x24 binoculars.
One was excellent, two not so good.

The Japanese 77/1250 astro refractors can be very good. Maybe 0.965 inch eyepieces or 24.5mm?
The 80mm might have 1.25 inch fitting?

Regards,
B.

 

[johnbaz]

Hi John,
At least a sunny day.

I think a very bad case of cement failure.
Maybe excessive heat.
Perhaps in a foundry

The objective needs soaking apart and recementing.
Standard for old timers. Not worth it today.
So a new objective needed or a dead cheap price and use as is.

If the HR has ED glass then it is more susceptible to failure. The ED element could also be suspect if not coated on both sides.

Incidentally, I had 3 Pentax 8-20x24 binoculars.
One was excellent, two not so good.

The Japanese 77/1250 astro refractors can be very good. Maybe 0.965 inch eyepieces or 24.5mm?
The 80mm might have 1.25 inch fitting?

Regards,
B.

Hi B

I'm waiting for a reply from the seller to see what's going to happen, The Opticron was £144 with postage, I'm hoping to return it for a refund!!

When you mentioned the 77/1250, Were you referring to one of these?

If so, Yes, It takes the 0.965" eyepieces, I have some in my watching folder in Fleabay, They're in China!, If i'd have ordered them a month ago I would have them now!!

I found that scope at a bootsale, Think I paid £10, The objective lenses had actual water between them!!, I should really remove and wash them and refit them but the scope was put in to the spare room, It's like stepping in to the Tardis in that room! No idea how I got so much in to such a small room!!


John :t:

 

[Binastro]

Yes, that is the astro scope.

If it is an air spaced objective it might still be O.K. with simple glass types.
There may be pencil marks on the edges. If so line them up.
Don't put the elements or the objective in the wrong way. You would still get an image but not very good.

I still use 0.965 i8nch eyepieces. Japanese orthos and Kelners are good. Indian ones may be poor. Don't know about Chinese.
Some Swift 4m orthos are radioactive containing thorium, as are some Japanese 6mm orthos.

The finder is £10, so you got the scope for nothing.

B.

 

[johnbaz]

Yes, that is the astro scope.

If it is an air spaced objective it might still be O.K. with simple glass types.
There may be pencil marks on the edges. If so line them up.
Don't put the elements or the objective in the wrong way. You would still get an image but not very good.

I still use 0.965 i8nch eyepieces. Japanese orthos and Kelners are good. Indian ones may be poor. Don't know about Chinese.
Some Swift 4m orthos are radioactive containing thorium, as are some Japanese 6mm orthos.

The finder is £10, so you got the scope for nothing.

B.

I still have to get a mount or rings (Or whatever is used to fix it!), I presume it needs a 76mm set of rings, I've searched for them but can never seem to find that size!!



John :t:

 

[Binastro]

The front cell housing holding the doublet objective should unscrew from the front.
The lenses should fall out or come out after unscrewing the cell assuming the scope is intact.
Or they may come straight out after unscrewing the front.

Sutton's water filled panoramic lens from 1859 may be the first really wide angle lens.
Made by Cox in 1860, later by Ross.

There are oil immersion refractor lenses.

B.

 

[jring]

This is both of the pics I took, One of them I already posted (Can't recall which one!!)..

John |=)|

Hi,

I agree with Binastro that it looks more like cementing failure with those regular edges of the flaws, but who had the bright idea to cement an 80mm objective... there is a reason why you normally don't cement for anything larger than binocular objective lenses... and this is a nice demonstration...

Please return it and ask the seller to claim for warranty - it might still be under warranty.

Joachim

 

[johnbaz]

Hi,

I agree with Binastro that it looks more like cementing failure with those regular edges of the flaws, but who had the bright idea to cement an 80mm objective... there is a reason why you normally don't cement for anything larger than binocular objective lenses... and this is a nice demonstration...

Please return it and ask the seller to claim for warranty - it might still be under warranty.

Joachim

I posted it back this morning Joachim, He refunded me immediately!

He said that when he last looked at it a couple of weeks ago it was perfect, Would the cement let go this much so quickly?


Kind regards, John :t:

 

[jring]

Hi,

possible through thermal or physical shock. Larger elements will create quite a bit of stress by thermal expansion when cemented and either will deform (not great for optics) or the cement will fail. From 80mm up you usually either use oil or airspace.

Joachim

 

[johnbaz]

Yes, that is the astro scope.

If it is an air spaced objective it might still be O.K. with simple glass types.
There may be pencil marks on the edges. If so line them up.
Don't put the elements or the objective in the wrong way. You would still get an image but not very good.

I still use 0.965 i8nch eyepieces. Japanese orthos and Kelners are good. Indian ones may be poor. Don't know about Chinese.
Some Swift 4m orthos are radioactive containing thorium, as are some Japanese 6mm orthos.

The finder is £10, so you got the scope for nothing.

B.

Hi

I checked back, Apparently I only paid £5 for the Circle K scope!! :t:


John |=)|

 

[johnbaz]

Well!, I just bought another Opticron, A slightly smaller (60mm Piccolo) on Ebay for a bit over £50!

It seems to have lost it's badge but looks in excellent condition!

The objective looks in myuch better condition than the HR!

I think it must have been kept in it's box for much of it's existence!!

Just the wait now, Delivery has been promised for next wednesday


John 🙂

 

[pete_gamby]

Hi John - assuming it arrives and is a keeper, we still have badges for the Piccolo.

PM me your address if you want one.

Cheers, Pete

 

[johnbaz]

Hi John - assuming it arrives and is a keeper, we still have badges for the Piccolo.

PM me your address if you want one.

Cheers, Pete

Pete, You are a star!!

PM incoming


John

 

[johnbaz]

I forgot to say that I removed the objective lenses from the Astro telescope and washed them in soapy water (Fairy washing liquid!), They came up nice and clean!

I bought an adaptor from ebay to use the standard 1.25" lenses as i've a few of those, Still have to get something to fix it to a tripod though, I occasionally have a look on ebay but may put a running search on..

Kind regards, John 👍