A buddy in Texas, Jimi L., recently forwarded me some images of his new
48" f/4 Dobsonian that is nearing completion. I have attached these images here.
The gentleman in front of the telescope is James Mulherin, President and
Lead Optician at Optical Mechanics. Inc (OMI) in Iowa. The pictures were
taken in the OMI workshop where the telescope was constructed.
The primary mirror itself was supplied by Yuri Petrunin at the Telescope Engineering
Company in Russia.
The telescope is fitted with a ServoCAT and one of our own
Argo Navis
Digital Telescope Computers for full slew/track and pointing capability.
OMI have a web page devoted to the scope and you can read about it here.
http://www.opticalmechanics.com/48Dob/index.html
Once complete, the scope will be moved to Jimi's new custom home observatory at
a dark sky site at Limpia Crossing in Texas, only a few miles away from where
the Texas Star Party is held and close to the McDonald Observatory.
The telescope took a remarkably short amount of time to construct. Jimi talked
excitedly about it less than a year ago when we were at the Texas Star Party
and then at RTMC near Los Angeles afterwards. James Mullherin
agreed that OMI would take on the task of building it and with first light now
having been achieved and delivery expected in April, it is a remarkable
achievement.
Best Regards
Gary Kopff
Managing Director
Wildcard Innovations Pty. Ltd.
20 Kilmory Place, Mount Kuring-Gai
NSW. 2080. Australia
Phone +61-2-9457-9049
Fax +61-2-9457-9593
sales@wildcard-innovations.com.au
http://www.wildcard-innovations.com.au