Nikon and Wild heads

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Rossf
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Nikon and Wild heads

#1 Post by Rossf » Sat Sep 26, 2020 11:22 am

Hello
Did I imagine it or did I once read that a Nikon S (or Labophot era) head has the same dovetail size as 60s Wild Heerbrugg? ie I can put a Nikon S head on a Wild Heerbrugg scope?
Regards ross

PeteM
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Re: Nikon and Wild heads

#2 Post by PeteM » Sat Sep 26, 2020 7:50 pm

Could be wrong, but I believe all Nikon finite heads from S Nikons to Labophots and finite Optiphots have around a 48.5mm dovetail. For the Eclipse (infinity) the size jumped up to just under 51mm. There were also a few infinite Optiphots sold for things like wafer inspection.

Don't know what the dovetail is on Wild scopes, but sounds like you have one in hand.

Scarodactyl
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Re: Nikon and Wild heads

#3 Post by Scarodactyl » Sat Sep 26, 2020 8:29 pm

I think the s series heads were like .5mm smaller than labophot series. I had to modify a rafcamera s series dovetail adapter to make it fit my labophot series head.

PeteM
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Re: Nikon and Wild heads

#4 Post by PeteM » Sat Sep 26, 2020 9:09 pm

Did a quick check on the max dovetail diameter on a couple of Nikon black S-era heads. A binoc at 48.46 and a trinocular at 48.53mm.

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Rossf
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Re: Nikon and Wild heads

#5 Post by Rossf » Sat Sep 26, 2020 9:20 pm

Thanks for the replies fellas-um I probably didn’t make myself clear-I have a few Nikon S heads (monocular,binoc,trinocular) and am thinking of getting a Wild Heerbrugg and thought I read the heads are basically interchangeable.Ill try to do more research today but if any Wild Heerbrugg owners know the dovetail size that would be appreciated much.
Regards ross

viktor j nilsson
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Re: Nikon and Wild heads

#6 Post by viktor j nilsson » Sat Sep 26, 2020 9:39 pm

I just checked the binocular head dovetail on one of my wild m20's. Couldn't find my calipers, but it's very close to 40mm.

PeteM
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Re: Nikon and Wild heads

#7 Post by PeteM » Sat Sep 26, 2020 9:54 pm

It's often possible to make a larger or smaller dovetail -- or shim or cut down the old one. Olympus 42mm dovetails, for example, attach with 3 screws. Simple job to remove and replace them or turn them down. Soft aluminum wire and rods (copper, solder, thermoplastic, etc.) are available in multiple gages, up to a few mm thick, and can temporarily fit a smaller dovetail head to a larger dovetail stand.

For 160mm tube finite scopes the trick is then to get the tube length to the eyepieces right.

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Rossf
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Re: Nikon and Wild heads

#8 Post by Rossf » Mon Sep 28, 2020 9:01 am

Good info PeteM !

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