18inch Newtonian telescope , including any or all mounts shown in pics -ie Equatorial mount(blue), Dobsonian mount and Losmandy plate and saddle attachment to mount to your own mount, is offered for sale. You can take the lot or whatever combination you want - negotiable.
F4.7 with very good optics. Has given 10 years service. 32kg OTA (everything included except mount), aluminium tube splits in two, each of which splits in three plus the secondary turret (for extreme portability). Secondary section rotates. Prizewinning designed OTA and eq mount for portability. This OTA is a clone of the one used at public nights on the coast with SAS but the eq mount is the same. Eyepiece height is 2m at the vertical.
Mirrors are aluminised and the primary has a quartz overcoating. Coatings are in very good condition and can be expected to last very well - maybe another 10 years. The optics are free from astigmatism and aberrations and the mirror certificate from the mirror maker claims 1/4 wave accuracy. In practice with excellent seeing the cooled scope compares well with smaller optics of the highest quality. Mars showed more detail than the view from a 10inch newtonian. The homunculus of Eta carina can be clearly seen. Globulars are spectacular. 20-40mm eyepieces of 1.25" and 2" diameter are most delightful not requiring coma correction. Secondary has device to assist replacement into its aligned position if mirror is removed for storage or transport.
Collimate with Cheshire eyepiece, laser and star test (not included!).
Includes mirror certificate which I can copy to anyone with an enquiry.
Alternatives for configuration -
1/ Dobsonian - assemble the mount using 8 nuts finger tight, seat the lower half in the mount then mate the 2 tube halves, tilt to horizontal, seat top end on a step of the ladder, fit the mirror 6 allen screws.
2/ Equatorial mount - setup tripod level with 3 wheelnuts tool using compass to approximate polar alignment, mate eq head, mate lower tube 4 screws, mate top half and tilt horizontal etc
12 volt battery required - RA tracking speed adjustment by hand dial. No DEC gear or motor.
3/ Saddle and Losmandy plate to attach to your own mount. (Losmandy Titan being used extensively for astrophotography but not included).
Includes-
Equatorial mount and tripod plus associated 12v battery and leads
Dobsonian mount complete with saddle (dismountable from lower tube)
Losmandy plate and saddle to attach to lower tube section.
Helical focusser,
right angle finder scope,
Rigel quickfinder.
Mirror box.
Ladder
Cooling fan in mirror cell.
Fan over primary mirror face.
Dew heater for secondary
Asking $2700 negotiable - more so if you dont require an included item.
Last edited by gb44; 27-09-2017 at 09:48 AM.
Reason: clarify deal
