[WITHDRAWN] Mary Rose 20 inch f/5 **The Whole Scope**

[Rodstar (Rod)]

***I have now withdrawn this from sale. Thank you to those who have contacted me about the Mary Rose. She is a joy, and I plan to keep her for the time being. Cheers, Rod ***

Dear Friends,

It has been a great thrill over the last nine years to share with so many of my friends on IIS (and beyond) some spectacular views through my beloved 20 inch SDM telescope "The Mary Rose”. We have had many amazing nights observing at the Kulnurra and Mangrove Mountain with the Central Coast IIS group, as well as a number of years at SPSP, and many camping and extended observing trips to such places as Wee Jasper (south of Yass) and Coonabarabran with family and astro friends. I have collected countless hours of photons from my backyard too!

Many hundreds of people have been introduced to the wonders of the night sky through sky tours conducted through the Mary Rose, indeed several large groups had this opportunity just two weeks ago under very dark Coonabarabran skies.

One of my fondest memories with the Mary Rose was sharing an evening observing at SPSP with Alan Dyer, the famous North American astronomy writer. As a result of that evening, a picture of The Mary Rose ended up in Alan’s popular publication, “The Backyard Astronomer’s Guide”.

The key to this telescope’s success has been its amazing primary mirror. Made by OMI in 2007, the mirror has a Strehl of 0.96, which makes it pretty much as perfect as you are ever going to get. It has been a great honour to have many of the most experienced amateur astronomers in Australia tell me that the optics are as good as they have seen in a telescope of its size.

Given the above, it has been agonising for me to come the conclusion that I need a telescope that is lower to the ground at zenith. When I had the zeal of youth, scaling the second (and sometimes third) rung of my ladder to observe at zenith was easy and fun, but after almost a decade, I want something a little easier on my creaky knees. So I have just placed an order with OMI to produce a new mirror for my telescope at f/3.8. I will need to be very lucky indeed to get a mirror half as good as the Mary Rose’s, but sometimes change is needed.

UPDATE*** SDM Telescopes is going to be building me an entirely new telescope for my new mirror, and so I am looking to sell the whole Mary Rose.

Price is $10,500.

For this price, I will throw in my Stellarview 80mm finderscope, Argo Navis, carry cases for the secondary cage and the truss poles, and various other items that make this a complete unit. For a little extra, I will even sell the trailer which the Mary Rose can be transported in.

This offers a genuine opportunity for someone who cannot afford the new price for a scope of this quality from SDM, which would be about $24,000. And you don't have to wait two years, which is the current wait time.

My only stipulation that I would make is that I am hoping to sell later in the year - preferably in the lead up to Christmas, so let me know if this timing works for you - time perhaps to save your pennies??!!



Please PM me if you are interested.

PS For nostalgic reasons, find below some links to old threads about The Mary Rose. Hope you enjoy them!

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ight=Mary+Rose

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ight=Mary+Rose

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ht=SDM+upgrade

[ausastronomer (John Bambury)]

I just wanted to add some independent comments about this mirror.

I have observed with this scope on quite a few occasions, most recently at Coonabarabran earlier this month. I have used a lot of large aperture telescopes over a lot of years. As part of our 3RF scope kit and the privately owned scopes amongst the 3RF volunteers we have a 14" SDM, a 16" SDM, 4 x 18" Obsessions, an 18" Obsession Ultracompact, 2 x 20" Obsessions, 2 x 25" Obsessions and a 30" SDM. I have also used countless large aperture scopes at several overseas star parties up to Larry Mitchell's 36" Obsession. I have used telescopes with mirrors from most of the world's most renowned mirror makers for the amateur astronomy market, past and present. These include, Mark Suchting, Carl Zambuto, Mike Lockwood, Steve Kennedy, John Hall (Pegasus), Bob Royce, Vaughan Parsons (Intermountain Optics), Alika Herring, Alan Raycraft, John Hudek (Galaxy Optics), Jerry Wilkinson (Galaxy Optics), Terry Ostahowski and James Mulherin (OMI).

The 20"/F5 OMI mirror in the Mary Rose is one of the absolute very best large aperture telescope mirrors I have ever used.

Those interested can buy it with confidence that it is an absolutely cracking mirror.

Cheers,
John B

[wavelandscott (Scott)]

I have not looked at classified in a long time and so,was surprised to see this. As Rod has outlined and John endorsed, this is a fine mirror!

[johngwheeler (John)]

Originally Posted by ausastronomer

Those interested can buy it with confidence that it is an absolutely cracking mirror.

Cheers,
John B

Not sure that "cracking" is the adjective I'd choose to help sell a $6,000 mirror :-)

But, it does sound like a great example - if only I could afford it and the rest of the telescope to go around it....<sigh>

[Rodstar (Rod)]

Hi everyone,

I have been considering options, and I am willing to consider a sale of the entire scope, i.e. the Mary Rose as a complete unit. The figure I have in mind is $10,500. This would be half what you would pay for a new SDM. And no 2 year construction wait. Please PM me if interested.

Cheers,

[xstream (John)]

I can also add whom ever was to purchase this scope would not be dissappointed.
I've spent many an hour looking through the eyepiece of the "Mary Rose" and it truely is one of the best.
The price Rod is offering for this scope as whole is a bargain, grab it before it's too late!

[Rodstar (Rod)]

Thanks John for your kind words. As you say, the price is a bargain, less than half of what a new scope from SDM of this size and quality would cost, which brings it into the reach of more folk who are suffering from aperture fever!

[Atmos (Colin)]

I'd snatch it up in a heart beat if my wallet was considerably thicker than it currently is It is a beautiful looking scope that in all likely hood won't be within my financial reach until well after it has been sold.