Unitron is a US-based company and distributor of optical instruments including stereo microscopes and accessories, binoculars, and classic brass telescopes. The company was founded in 1952 by Lawrence A. Fine as the United Trading Company and located in Boston, MA. He registered the UNITRON

trademark A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from others ...

in the United States for first use in commerce in February, 1952. The company started out importing smaller ( 1.6" to 4"

refractor A refracting telescope (also called a refractor) is a type of optical telescope that uses a lens (optics), lens as its objective (optics), objective to form an image (also referred to a dioptrics, dioptric telescope). The refracting telescope d ...

s) that were manufactured by Nihon Seiko of Japan. By 1961 Unitron expanded the product line to include 5" and 6" models that were suited for

observatory An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. His ...

use. A very small number of the 5" and 6" models were produced. Several of the 6" Model 620's remain operational at observatories to include: Rafes Urban Astronomy Center, Denton, Texas;

Castleton State College Castleton University is a public university in Castleton, Vermont. It has an enrollment of 2000 students and offers more than 30 undergraduate programs, as well as master's degrees in education and accounting. It is accredited by the New England ...

, Castleton, Vermont, Ferris State University, Big Rapids, Michigan, and the University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut. Fine sold the company in 1975 to Ehrenreich Photo Optical Industries and it was relocated from Boston to New York. He and his wife Ellen were killed in a private airplane crash in Canada on 3 August 1978 and much of the early history of the company was lost. The Unitron as well as Polarex and lesser-known Weltblick telescopes were all manufactured by Nihon Seiko until that trading company went out of business in 1992. The telescopes (which included 1.6" to 9" refractors) were noted for their high quality specifications and metal and wood construction. The company is currently located in

Commack, New York Commack ( ) is a hamlet and census designated place (CDP) that roughly corresponds to the hamlet by the same name in the towns of Huntington and Smithtown in Suffolk County, on Long Island, in New York. The CDP's population was 36,124 at the 2 ...

and manufactures primarily microscopes and accessories for industrial use. The telescope product line is limited to several classic brass telescopes suited primarily for awards and presentations.

References

External links

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Unitron History Project
Telescope manufacturers Instrument-making corporations Manufacturing companies based in New York (state) Companies based in Suffolk County, New York Islip (town), New York Manufacturing companies established in 1952 Technology companies established in 1952 1952 establishments in Massachusetts {{US-manufacturing-company-stub