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A family shot of the different focuser of the scopes.

On the left the Cassegrain Focuser, middle the 16cm refractor focuser and right the 20 cm focuser.

The eyepiece attachment system is very similar to the Zeiss system.
This are the 3 different eyepiece dovetails from the different focuser's. It are Zeiss style dovetails. Or are it original Zeiss dovetails?
More and more I find indications that Kozelsky knew very well the Zeiss Jena material.
The large Zeiss Jena scopes were "common" in Eastern

Vilém Gajdušek (1895–1977) was Czech optician and prominent telescope designer. Asteroid 3603 Gajdušek is named for him.

Asteroid 8229 is named in honor of František Kozelský (1913–2003 ), a Czech telescope maker well-known for his work in collaboration with V. Gajdušek. Kozelský. Kozelský made several 60cm Cassegrains and a series of 20cm refractors for observatories in Czech Republic, Slovakia and the rest of former Eastern Europe.

Hvězdárna Ždánice (1963) was the first big project by Gajdušek

About a month ago a received an offer for buying the abandoned Public Observatory of Zdanice in the Czech Republic.
The observatory was build in the 1960’s, the communist era of Czechoslovakia.  It was abandoned after the revolution when the subventions dried up and the founder died.
 
The Observatory consists of two parts: the original Observatory and a later added hotel.
The hotel is in very bad condition.  Very expensive to restore and no added value to the observatory.  The observatory is wo

I've been searching for a photo to illustrate this message.  Couldn't find a real good image.

The interest in the old photographic techniques gives me a feel good.   Wonderful evolution in the mind of photographers to research the history of their medium.  They discover new techniques and tricks. 

Contemporary photographers make Daguerreotypes, salt prints, calotypes, etc.  Wonderful.

Now the photographers talk again about dark rooms, chemistry, sorts of paper and alchemy.  It's all about the o

The history of Belgian photography isn't the history of pioneers.  Belgium was the third country after France and the UK that was involved in the history of photography.

Belgian photography is characterized by craftsmanship.  What means you can discover fantastic photographers in all styles.  Not the inventors but users.  The Association Belge de la Photographie (APB, or Belgian Photography Association) was international highly esteemed.  The APB was founded by the young Belgian government (Bel

A collection of vintage deep sky photos presented by AnamorFose Photo Gallery.
Astrophotography was an important motivator for the development of early photography.

AnamorFose (www.anamorfose.be) is a Belgian based art dealer specialized in vintage photography from 1880 until 1950.

A collection of vintage solar eclipse photos presented by AnamorFose Photo Gallery.
AnamorFose (www.anamorfose.be) is a Belgian based art dealer specialized in vintage photography from 1880 until 1950.

A personal history of photography Photography is malicious and dark Following two historical Collector’s Room Updates (pictorialism and modernism) the third Update is a unique perspective on photography and its history with images exploring the boundaries of conventional photography. Photography as a medium explodes and loses its traditional connotations. Historically accurate but not educational. A thematic group exhibition with original photographs by: E.E. Barnard (USA), Nikolaï Kossikoff (BE

De Fullerscopes montering is een rechttoe rechtaan montering zonder ingewikkelde franjes.  Dit is ook een nadeel.  De originele houder van de worm is niet van de beste kwaliteit.  Het gevolg is veel backlash.

Ben al lang op zoek naar een definitieve oplossing voor dit euvel.  De bestaande houder bood geen oplossing.  Gelukkig kon ik een tweede identieke montering bemachtigen waar de vorige eigenaar begonnen was met het maken van een moderne houder voor de worm.  De grootste verbetering is dat er

De titel zegt het al: wolken en mist.  Niet veel gezien van de gedeeltelijke zonsverduistering van gisteren.  Andere delen van het land hadden iets meer geluk.  Een waterig hemeltje.  Enkel in het oosten was het helder.

Om 8 uur kon ik de kerktoren van Izegem niet zien.  Die staat op een 500 meter van bij ons.  Tegen 9 uur kon je al de toren zien.Om 9u30 was er een klein waterig zonnetje.  Hoop.  Van zeer korte duur.  Voldoende om de telescopen en de camera juist te richten.

Dit was het dan.  He

Er zijn zo goed als geen eclipsbrilletjes meer te koop in Vlaanderen.  Het was een rush.

Zonsverduisteringen spreken de mensen altijd enorm aan.  Het is ook een uitzonderlijk spektakel.
De zonsverduistering van vrijdag zal niet zo'n spektakel zijn.  Geen donkere middag of mooie Corona.  Jammer.

Wel het spektakel van de maan die voor de zonneschijf zal schuiven.

Gelukkig kan ik de zonsverduistering vanuit de sterrenwacht waarnemen.  Een luxe.
Het is de bedoeling om de zonsverduistering te kunnen

Een klassieke montering uit de jaren vijftig vraagt soms wat onderhoud. 

De Fullerscopes montering is een rechttoe rechtaan equatoriale montering zonder franjes.  Dit maakt het onderhoud simpel zonder veel kopzorgen. 

Eerst de pooluitlijning nagekeken.  Had enkele maanden geleden de montering van de zuil genomen en zonder uitlijning teruggeplaatst.  Was nog relatief correct maar kon beter.  Met de Losmandy poolzoeker is dit een fluitje van een cent.
Nu werkt de GOTO nog preciezer.  Een plezier.

Looking for parts for your 3" 75mm Unitron Polarex telescope?

On our website you can find an overview of all the mounts, OTA's and parts we have for the Unitron Polarex 75mm 3" telescopes.

Don't hesitate to contact us with your requests.

Xavier

Some time ago I received an email from Dave Komar, Editor of the Unitron History Project, with the questions: "How did you get into this business?  What's your story? "

Answered Dave with a short story and the result is a page on the Unitron History Project website.

This was the occasion for me to look for old photos to illustrate the article.

At the end of the Nihon Seiko saga in 1999 Unitron launches a set of digital setting circles for the 3" equatorial telescope.  A last action to compete with the Celestron and Meade computerized telescopes.  Too late.  The war is over.  The computerized mounted SCT telescopes won the war.

Unitron made two different versions of the ImageTrac: an automatic version with motors for the RA and the dec and a manual, Push-to version.  It's the manual version we're reviewing.

I don't think Unitr

Bought a Unitron - Polarex equatorial mount 152 with custom made GOTO system by AWR from the UK.
I think Unitron purists will be horrified by the idea of changing this marvelous mounts.
It isn't any longer a real collector's item but a work horse.

It's interesting to see how people are searching to give their classic gear a second life.
You can also see it as a compliment for the versatility of the Polarex system to be able to be updated to the modern standards.