Seeking Australian telescope maker for custom reflector

[yagon]

I'd like to build the scope of my dreams: a portable/truss 10" ~f7 EQ mount reflector. The following links illustrate the type of scope I seek:

I very much like this philosophy towards reflectors:
http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthrea...l/fpart/1/vc/1

The following designs from Royce are the closest to what I'm seeking, particularly because they incorporate top quality design/optics into a relatively portable package:
http://www.rfroyce.com/mynewt.htm
http://www.rfroyce.com/newtonian8f8.htm

I also like the obsession 15UC for its portability, but it's too big for my requirements and it's not optimised for planetary/lunar observation:
http://www.obsessiontelescopes.com/t..._UC/index.html

My problem is, I don't have the time, space, equipment and skills to build a scope like this. However, I am willing to pay someone to build it for me.

Is there anyone in Australia who could build such a scope for me?

[Starkler (Geoff)]

You just missed by a week someone who had a truss design 12" which was on sale for months!

[Satchmo]

1O" and under scopes for planetary are ok if you don't mind black and white views of the planets at higher magnifications ( as the image is too dim) to excite colour vision.

There is simply no subtitute for aperture and light gathering. A 12" F5 will be a far superior planatary instrument than an 8" F8. Long focal length instruments just had better reputations 30 years ago because they had so little departure from a sphere and there was less skill about to make faster mirrors for the amateur. A slight difference in central obstruction between different F ratios is nothing compared to the importance of smooth optical surface.

As far as I know theres a S/H 12" F6 conical mirror available here
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ad.php?t=31474

Hope this helps.

[tnott]

I agree, the effect of central obstruction is negligible compared to the increase in aperture, especially if it is a good mirror.

http://legault.club.fr/obstruction.html