|
Oddie
Aah many memories of the Oddie in the 70's, I had access on Monday nights for several years before it was opened to CAS, schools and the public more generally. 9" f/16...
It had a clockwork drive with a governor much like the ones on the (much smaller) Unitron mounts, the main difference being sheer size, and that it took two hands to crank up the weight for a nights tracking.
It had a plate camera on top - 5" f/5 triplet that took quarter-plates, though you had to use filters to get decent star images out of it. I can recall using a box of III-aj plates on it one year then deciding it was crap anyway and instead piggy-backed my 8" f/7 Newtonian on top with SLR body attached and VERY long shutter release, and used the Oddie for guiding. That combination took far better photos.
It was an interesting antique while it worked, but now that it's gone I don't think there is much point rebuilding it - as a scope for use by suitable amateurs or a teaching scope for the postgrads a well equipped 40cm LX200 would be much better.
The Oddie had the best site on the mountain - on many nights the Oddie was clear of the fog that often rolled in to cover the 72" and GMT.
|