Hi all,
I am moving from the NSW Central Coast to Kiama within the next few weeks and have decided to sell my 10"/F5 GSO dob now, to save transporting and storing it. I had planned to sell it when SDM #50 is completed
http://www.sdmtelescopes.com.au/projects.html
but the pending move has expedited its sale.
This scope has been modified in just about every respect you can possibly modify a telescope, to optimise its performance, by someone who knows how to set a newtonian telescope up properly, ie ME.
Some of the mods are:-
1) It is fully flocked.
2) It has annular knife edge baffles installed above the primary and either side of the focuser.
3) It has a 2 speed GSO focuser which I have reworked to be as good as a GSO focuser can be.
4) The focuser is internally baffled
5) The secondary has a stainless steel wear plate installed for the collimation screws.
6) The secondary has spring loaded thumbscrews installed for easy collimation.
7) The primary has knurled spring loaded collimation screws installed for easy collimation.
8) The base has been rebuilt with ebony star laminate and virgin teflon bearings so that it hand tracks beautifully. The base is in reasonable condition (particle board doesn't last forever in dewy conditions). However, I have a brand new GSO factory built base ready to go for the scope, with ebony star and virgin teflon already fitted.
9) The scope has a cooling fan fitted and an air pump fitted to break the boundary layer above the primary.
10) The base has a battery strap fitted to hold a 12V 7AH sealed LA battery.
11) The scope has Argo Navis installed with a 10K tick encoder on 1 axis and an 8192 tick encoder on the other axis. The Argo easily puts everything directly into the FOV of a 10mm Pentax XW.
12) The scope has stainless steel bushes and springs installed on the altitude bearings
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I am superstitous
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14) The most important thing. The scope has an exceptional quality set of optics. I don't waste my time with bad optics. The primary in this scope is easily better than 1/8th wave. An experienced optician commented to me after testing the mirror, "I don't know how these people can make a mirror this good for this price." It has given some exceptional planetary views over the years which many forum members could attest to. With mass produced Far East optics, they are not all created equal. This mirror is the absolute cream of the crop.
The price. Any reasonable offer would be considered, but please don't insult me. I can appreciate I will never recover my costs on this scope, but keep in mind the time and cost that has gone into getting this scope to perform as it does and the fact that an Argo Navis plus encoders and mounting hardware costs just on $1,000.
The tube has a very minor dent on its underside which is not visible unless I showed you where it was and it does not affect it's performance in any way. Remember this scope has been very well used because I bought it and set it up to look through, not look at. It's a performer not a looker.
If interested send me a PM. I would prefer not to ship the scope, if I can avoid it, but would do so with buyer paying shipping.
I will post some more pics tonight when I get home from work.
Cheers,
John B
