[WITHDRAWN] Exceptional Deep Space Ultra Advanced Capability Dobsonian telescope

[Astromelb]

Exceptional Deep Space 368mm (14.5 inch) Custom Engineered Hand Crafted Dobsonian telescope
It's time to move on some of the gear that I have that will simply never get used

You will not see gear like this advertised on I In S anytime soon, this is an exceptional once off opportunity for you to purchase something staggeringly exceptional

Details:

Custom engineered 14.5 inch Ultra Series (Limited Availability) 14.5 inch John Hudek Galaxy Optics 368mm f4.5 primary mirror. Custom hand crafted aluminium cell (I hand crafted this unit using components left over from a prototype Aston Martin 12 cylinder torque tube unit - the commercial gear didn't satisfy me, just not strong enough or stable enough, so I did this myself, it is so much better than the commercial stuff it isn't funny). Secondary mirror Protostar Quartz >1/30 wave PV enhanced coated. Spider and secondary holder by Astro Systems USA

Tube is Sonotube plus coated with fibreglass for additional strength and longevity. Mount is marine ply (the wood alone cost $ 600). Focuser is an ultra premium Astro Systems (USA) Phase 4 - 2 inch Crayford ultra smooth with 1.25 inch adaptor

Capability - this unit has the performance that most of the advanced astronomy community dream of. The telescope's performance is monumental to put it mildly

If I was to hand craft one of these units today it would cost me over $ 5k in materials alone, and take way way over a hundred hours to hand craft, more like 150 hours plus

It's performance is stunning

It's condition is excellent, I have cared for this unit as I care for all my scopes, it suits a new buyer

Why am I selling it, simple. I have a 20 inch Officina Stellare on order, do I need to say more

Price is $ 3,500

Pickup from Bentleigh, Melbourne - or shipment nationally at extra cost (I would give it to Pack & Send to ship

Payment in cash on pickup or via Paypal

Thanks for looking

[Astromelb]

Dear John,

Thank you for your interest and your questions.

The secondary is a Quartz from Protostar USA and size is 2.6 inches, and is enhanced coated using the EBD Electron Beam Deposition process, which is the best ultra extreme accuracy performance secondary in the world.

It enables full illumination of large eyepieces such as a 2 inch options of - 50mm Takahashi, 40mm Pentax XW, 65mm Clave, 45 Masuyama & 41mm Panoptic and such - all of which I have used in this telescope and are all fully illuminated.

The secondary was deliberately designed to be as small as possible whilst not interfering with using large eyepieces, and thereby achieves an excellent central obstruction ratio well below the magic 20% mark at 16% which is excellent. Planetary performance with this telescope provides images that startle - I have achieved the best images of Jupiter I have ever experienced with this telescope - it was magnificent.

Deep Space provides images that you have likely never experienced, the power WITH QUALITY is the key here, and this unit has both.

The OTA weighs 39 Kg, and the mount box weighs 38 Kg. The Dob box is marine ply double thickness 38mm sides and bottom, it is super strong, and provides a stable foundation for the unit.

The mount sides are hinged with stainless steel hinges, and fold down when the front plate is removed, it is attached using dairy industry stainless steel bolts and wing nuts.

The girdle for the telescope is stainless steel and hand crafted by a dairy industry stainless steel fabricator, and has Kynor super high strength (exotica level plastic) wheels on the sides attached to it with extra large and strong dairy industry stainless bolts, the wheel sit on nylon blocks on the Dob box. It includes felt lining the whole circumference on the inside where the girdle sits against the tube, it's positioning is stable and there is no movement, connection of the girdle is with dairy industry stainless fasteners. Motion is very smooth, precise and stable, as this is super strong manufacturing and design.

The eyepiece height is straight dead on standing up at the Zenith for a person 5 foot 11 inches tall.

I have been hand crafting telescopes for decades, this is the best unit I have ever made, and it has been my private telescope for the last 5 years, I simply don't need it due to having purchased the 20 inch Officina Stellare, as I simply won't need this unit.

It breaks my heart to sell it, but I have too many scopes, so something has to give, and this is one has to make way. It's a little like selling your favourite Ferrari, when you have just bought the new F12 model Disappointing and exciting both at the same time for myself as the owner.

Trust this assists.

Rgds,
Cris.
Astromelb.

[Satchmo]

On behalf of a non IIS acer : How thick is the primary mirror ? Galaxy mirrors have always come with an interfergram. Can you list optical specs?

How heavy is the tube assembly ?

[Astromelb]

Dear Mark,

The primary is 2/3 thickness at 36mm, Galaxy do not do their ultra series at full thickness as you know. A full thickness primary would have cool down issues as you know, and have lowered performance. This is why I hand crafted the super strong primary cell. The optics don't move, whatsoever in it's orthagonality within the light path. Collimation simply doesn't move This is not like an Obsession and require collimation every hour.

The primary is one of John Hudek at Galaxy Optics limited series ultra optics, it is 1/20 wave PV. A replacement primary would cost more than my asking price alone, that is if you could talk John into letting you have one, and if he is running a batch at any time soon, as he doesn't do these often.

The performance of the system is exceptional. The stability optically, mechanically and in performance usage is also exceptional. This system does not require the ongoing non stop maintenance of all the truss tube designs, it is much stronger than any of them.

The 2ndry is one of Protostar's limited release custom Quartz and is 1/32 wave PV, and EBD Electron Beam Deposition process coated, again it was custom engineered personally for me in calling in some personal favours for me after years of support using their products.

I made this telescope for myself to use, and as I am the biggest pain in the arse perfectionist in astronomy you will ever find, I pulled out all the stops and just hand crafted the best thing I have ever made, it's that simple.

I do not have interferometric results and all sorts of test data, this is not how this works, you are not buying an Officina Stellare Sitall and carbon tubed RC here - this is my personal telescope that I made for myself. You need to consider whether as owner of Astronomy Alive and after making hundreds of telescopes over decades I know what I am doing - your call.

May I recommend your enquirer make contact with myself directly, as whilst I applaud your efforts to support this process you are a wonderful telescope maker, and my only real competitor to my business hand crafting telescopes here in Australia. Should you be assisting or enquiring here ? - it a reasonable question, only you can answer that one.

Clear skies to you.

Rgds,
Cris,
Astromelb.

[Satchmo]

Originally Posted by Astromelb

I do not have interferometric results and all sorts of test data, this is not how this works, you are not buying an Officina Stellare Sitall and carbon tubed RC here - this is my personal telescope that I made for myself.

You need to consider whether as owner of Astronomy Alive and after making hundreds of telescopes over decades I know what I am doing - your call.

Chris - All Galaxy mirrors are serialized and have interferometric data supplied and on file. You can obtain it if you have lost it by contacting John Hudek at Galaxy . If you are making claims of this sort of accuracy ( 1/20 PV ) from a company that supplies IF data with all its mirrors , It would be reasonable to supply the data as it is supplied by the maker

May I recommend your enquirer make contact with myself directly, as whilst I applaud your efforts to support this process you are a wonderful telescope maker, and my only real competitor to my business hand crafting telescopes here in Australia. Should you be assisting or enquiring here ? - it a reasonable question, only you can answer that one.

I don't make telescopes, and I rarely make small mirrors such as in your telescope. I am often asked to advise people on purchases or test their optics , as I am doing here as I know how to ask the right questions and what the answers mean . You have supplied me with all the information I need to respond , thank you.

[Astromelb]

Dear Mark,

Thank you for your enquiry.

What I am selling here is an exceptional telescope, I do not after having hand crafted hundreds of telescopes over decades have to prove to you or anyone else that I know I am doing.

I suggest you tell your interested party to not proceed. I am not starting one of these back and forth argy bargy on I In S with you.

Thank you.

Rgds,
Cris.