400/500mm - 18" (7/12/10): at 286x appeared faint, fairly small, elongated 2:1 or 5:2 NNW-SSE, 0.7'x0.3', even surface brightness except for an occasional faint stellar nucleus. After careful viewing for a couple of minutes, I could occasionally glimpse an extremely faint quasi-stellar knot, <5" diameter at the north end (~20" from the center). The companion is not catalogued in NED or HyperLeda, but has the SDSS designation SDSS J162653.96+513338.2.

600/800mm - 24" (6/29/16): at 375x; fairly faint, fairly small, slightly elongated NNW-SSE, 0.5'x0.4', weak concentration. Occasionally low surface brightness extensions (spiral arms) increase the size to 0.7'x0.4'. An extremely faint stellar or quasi-stellar "knot" (companion galaxy SDSS J162653.96+513338.2) was visible at the north end [20" from center]. A mag 10.4 star is 2.0' NW.

SDSS J162653.96+513338.2 is the companion noted by Arp: "Spiral galaxies with small high surface brightness companions on arms". It is mentioned in the UGC notes as a "Blue condensation 0.12' x 0.10' at 0.35' north center, probably at tip of spiral arm" but is not catalogued in NED or HyperLeda.