I rest my case. If you can go to 5 or 6 grand then you can get to 10 grand and if you can get to 10 grand then you can have a lot better scope than that.
Zambuto mirror
Protostar secondary, dew control and spider
Servocat Goto
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I rest my case. If you can go to 5 or 6 grand then you can get to 10 grand and if you can get to 10 grand then you can have a lot better scope than that.
Zambuto mirror
Protostar secondary, dew control and spider
Servocat Goto
ArgoNavis
Powered groundboard
Markless stalk
Wheelbarrow handles
Telrad
Feathertouch focuser
If you can go to 5 or 6 grand then you can get to 10 grand
As much as I'd wish this to be true, it ain't. Just because I can afford a $40k car doesn't mean I can afford an $80k one.
Quote:
Zambuto mirror
Protostar secondary, dew control and spider
Servocat Goto
ArgoNavis
Powered groundboard
Markless stalk
Wheelbarrow handles
Telrad
Feathertouch focuser
All of this for $10k? You must have gotten a very good deal. According to Peter's price list that sum doesn't include the cost of the primary mirror.
Let's not lose our perspective. There are Porsche people, and there are Audi people, and there are Toyota people. And they all get what they need. So let's not sneer at people who don't have unlimited funds to sink into, what is after all, a hobby. Or the companies that cater to them.
As much as I'd wish this to be true, it ain't. Just because I can afford a $40k car doesn't mean I can afford an $80k one..
Well then just settle for a $30k car and you'll have the $10k you need for the scope. Win win.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steffen
All of this for $10k? You must have gotten a very good deal. According to Peter's price list that sum doesn't include the cost of the primary mirror.
I refer you to the point I made in post 13 of this discussion thread. My 18" Plettstone f4.2 with all the fruit listed I bought secondhand off Astromart, US$ 6900 plus AU$1500 shipping and insurance and just over AU$ 1000 customs and GST. Such scopes pop up on Astromart all the time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steffen
Let's not lose our perspective. There are Porsche people, and there are Audi people, and there are Toyota people. And they all get what they need. So let's not sneer at people who don't have unlimited funds to sink into, what is after all, a hobby. Or the companies that cater to them.
I couldn't agree with you more Steffan, in the year or so that I've had the scope I spent $10 on a wing nut replacement. Nothing left to do to it. Contrast that with my Lightbridge 16 experience ( and that of just about everyone else who bought one ), the only original piece of mine left is the exterior.
Who's sneering at people who don't have unlimited funds?. You yourself just suggested I got a very good deal, I just told you how I got it (again).
$5699 from My Astro shop. That's not bad. 50 Kg's once setup. The 16" is over 80kg's I believe. So while not a what we would call an ultra light its definitely shed a lot of weight. Lack of goto would bother some. But, we don't know if there wont be a goto option in the future. I wouldn't be surprised if it was in design/testing at the moment.
It seems to be clearly designed as a easily transportable deep sky beast. I am personally considering this as an upgrade next year.
I certainly like the design. If it gets GOTO, I will seriously consider it! For now, I'll sit tight (I'm not in a position to get a big Dob until next year anyway).
Pushto is actually a better option in my opinion, provided it comes with encoders and and interface to planetarium software (preferably via wifi). For one thing it is always much faster to target, at least mine is, compared to motor driven scopes. This means it is faster to align and more time to observe. Secondly, there is less to go wrong, have a look at the problems that Allan_l is having with his Skywatcher drive motor ( or is it the controller board, or the cable, etc - you get the idea). Drive motors also increase weight significantly, and anyone with a big dob will tell you anything that can reduce the weight they have to deal with is a great idea.
That seems like a reasonable price for a 18" dob - consider the pricing of the 12" RCs from GSO, and the expected price for the 16" RCs.
The real determinant of the pricing is going to be the price that GSO puts on their 20" dob which was confirmed by GSO (early this year) for introduction later this year. I would not be surprised to see GSO announce their 20" just after the SKywatcher becomes available and they will undercut the Skywatcher price. The GSO will likely follow on from the 16" GSO architecture and stick with the same bearing system (which is excellent), which will save money in development and production.
The GSO 16" dob tube sections are actually 19" inside diametre and could easily be upgraded to an 18" mirror with very little effort (albeit you would need to retain the focal length (which means abit faster) - just a new mirror and carrier and away you go. That's an option I am considering myself, say an 18" Zambuto mirror, on a custom carrier, in my GSO tube - what a 'sleeper' scope. Then again GSO could just grind an 18" mirror and give you slightly longer struts and you'd have a budget 18".
The GOTO Dobs on the market are also push-to, with double encoders. It makes a BIG difference (to me at least) to not have to constantly nudge, especially at higher powers.
Interesting video. Did anyone else see all the counter weights? Very top heavy. Probably due to the light weight mirror and the UTA ring which looks like its made from solid metal. To think that scope still weighs 68 KG's.
Interesting ideas there however making components with of carbon fibre is a bit out of my comfort zone lol. I was thinking more along the lines of what a bloke could do with a selection of aluminium stock, a compound mitre saw and a router. I really like the look of Bruce Mills ultra minimalist approach. I will add that I really like the German guys idea for the fabric light shield with vertical stiffeners.
