Are you sitting down.new 16"GSO truss dob

[Starcrazzy]

Hi,
I was just speaking with Lee Andrews from Andrews comms in sydney..He recently returned from a trip to china where he met with Gueang sheng bigwigs..They have given him exclusive rights to stock there brand new GSO 16" truss dobbs..The unit will be fully transportable as it comes apart and has sturdy connectiing mechanism..The Mirror's are 1 12th wave which is awesome..So anyone thinking about buying a new scope in the next few months put a hold on it cause theses scopes are going to go out the door ar $2400 each...Yep...$2400...I feel a new era in backyaed astronomy in this country is about toi arrive...I am saving already...Finally the average keen amatuer can afford a SERIOUS instrument..

I am counting the days...
Clear skies( not lately)

[Striker]

wow....what a bargain.

Even I could see myself with one of these...

[Darkplague]

Lets hope they dont use particle board for the mirror and rocker boxes! :prey:

[danielsun]

That sounds fantastic i'll be definately be keeping check on that!!!!;)

[ving]

buy one for me too tony! :D

[ballaratdragons]

LOL! Check the date on this link with the exact same story!

Sorry Starcrazy, but we have known for a looong time. But thanks for remimding us :lol:

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=1851&highlight=inch+truss

[Starcrazzy]

Apparently, they are aluminium bottom section with the primary, if you ring or email him he can give you a full rundown on the design..he is raving about the connection mechanism and the top section with the secondry, he says its a real innovation..I havn't had much to do with truss dobs so i wouldn't know the differance...all i know is that the meade 10 and 12 " trusses are ****** expensive when ya can get 16" of light gathering, galaxy detailing, nebula rectifying, comet hunting power baby for under 2 and a half big bickies..I may attach my meade etx125 as a finder...hehe...about all its good for

[janoskiss]

Yes, but where are the PICS from Lee's trip to China?? I want to see what the base is like before I consider buying this scope. If it's just an oversized Lightbridge than that's no good, because the mount won't be transportable enough.

[Starcrazzy]

Yea well not evryone knew about it hey..:lol: ...

[Starcrazzy]

Lee only looked at the design on the computer, they hadn't actually constructed any at that stage so he couldnt take any pics..

[Starkler]

Yep thats the important parameter, just how high is that base :confuse3:

I reckon its a fair bet that the base is melomine coated chipboard as per the lightbridge. Hopefully its a thicker gauge of wood otherwise there might be flexure issues in the base.

Also with all the bad experiences with poor packing of the lightbridges and resulting mirror damage, I want to be reassured that this model is better packed and also to know Andrews return policy should it arrive not up to scratch.

[Astroman]

When I emailed lee not long ago, all he could tell me was it was 16" and F4.8, he had no other details.

[h0ughy]

lets walk first guys. it has to hit the shores first, then have a reaaly good look at it

[ballaratdragons]

Stuff that Houghy. We volunteer you to fly to Taiwan now and check it out first hand LOL!

[h0ughy]

lest see ken, I would rather spend the money getting the scope than buying a plane ticket. can you get the AN for me so i can fit it to the scope

[iceman]

It's certainly got the possibility to shake things up, along with the lightbridge (up to 12").

It could be my next scope upgrade..? (ssh don't tell the wife!) but not for a while yet. Still, pretty cheap for 16 inches of mirror.

If it's portable enough, stands up to the QA inspections of fault-finding amateurs, it could be very good especially with AN on it.. but what to drive it with? Servocat? EQ platform? Dob driver? I'd need a bigger EQ platform for that!

[Robert_T]

if it lives up to expecations then I think even I'll be joining the Dobber ranks (at least part time). I'd a little dubious about claims of 1/12th wave optics though if that's what is being claimed - what do the existing GSO mirrors run at?

cheers,

[janoskiss]

Well, Andrews' website lists them all as 1/12, but you don't really know till you check for yourself. Sorry, I don't have an interferometer handy atm.

[ballaratdragons]

The googled report I read was that my GS12" is supposed to be 1/12th wave.

[Rodstar]

Wash your mouth out, Robert.......and I will try to think positive SCT thoughts.....(lest I consider defecting too)..... :P

[h0ughy]

quick quick get the paper bag he is hyperventilating :lol:

[h0ughy]

but a little 16 on the side would be nice, you know just for show, a little brighter, show up your manual goto skills
:lol: :wink2:

[h0ughy]

was that the 12th person at the factory to wave it on. :lol: it will be hard to dispute that until every optical surface has been tested and a strehl ration calculated. then that will be the benchmark

[Robert_T]

I'm trying to think really positive zenlike SCT thoughts... but 16in is AWFUL big, :) .Be great if it did have 1/12th wave optics, but even if not it'd still be "a nice bit on the side" as Houghy says.

I got a big mother equatorial mount under a sheet that's been waiting years for something like this - might just have to resurrect it ...

[Astroman]

even if the mount was a ud, I am sure many of us tinkerers could make it better, ie laminate it in 1/2" plywood.

[Rodstar]

I just "popped in" on the Obsession website.....why stop at 16" when you can have 30" for only $US15,000! :scared:

[Starcrazzy]

Yes, im sure for that price the mount may b a litle dodgy, but im sure that gso wouldn't release mass produced crapp..i don't have a GSO scope but all ive read and indeed the ones ive looked through were quite impressive....But its 16 "..thats 16"...the light grasp alone would be phenomonal..Mabye a bit better suited to someone who lives in a dar sky area and doesnt have to move it around to much..But, i have an 8" newt and i observe in quite polluted skies and have found many a dim galaxy or neb..The price of the scope opens up huge possabilities for the average bloke..Weather you keep it on the dob mount it comes with or tinker somthing up you'll be in or some observatory quality views and man, woulnd't the neighbours be poppin here heads over the fence to take a squizzy at what your looking at..And aren't we trying to get as many people as possibl into astronomy, when you consider that at the next start party you go to newbies could be faced with a 10 " goto wizzbang machine standing next to a the monster dob..imagine there surprise when they ask the inevitable question..How much is this scope worth and they find out the big one is he cheapest one there..by a thousands..;)

[Starkler]

I think I want one , Im tempted, but I have to know so much more about them as 2400 isnt chickenfeed to risk on an unknown entity.

16" of aperture is enough to show detail and structure in planetary nebs, instead of just bluey-green fuzzballs, and that prospect has me drooling :)

[Starcrazzy]

Yes, i'd have to see one first..deffinately..I think Lee would erect one and find somewhere in his iny store to display it...but id want to be crawling all over it..lol..pocking and prodding..Imagine the piccs u could get from it..oooohhh yea baby...

[ausastronomer]

Thats correct. They are rated at 1/12th wave surface accuracy but that equates to only 1/6th wave at the wavefront, or a strehl of about .92 which is a very good mirror BTW, and way better than diffraction limited. I have heard of some that have tested as high as .97 strehl with interferometer testing.

CS-John B

[Harlequin]

I can't wait until this telescope is available. I am prepared to wait for this to be my first telescope purchase, until then I will practice on my friends scope. I look forward to the advice and review about recommended eyepieces and mods once you have had a chance to use this scope.


Regards


Harlequin

[mickoking]

16", at this size I stop using metric ;) But seriously at the price quoted go for it, I will :thumbsup: I once owned a 14" (350mm) truss tube and man it was awsome it also cost 3 times as much.