Hi Marcus, I understand your excitement! I bought one of these about 12 months ago. They are indeed a magnificent piece of engineering, and look amazing on an ME. I have mine in a sirius home dome. A couple of things to note. If you are using an ME, SB provide a formula for calculating the optimum peir height. I used that formula and found that the pier was about 4 cm too high. Not a problem if you have an adjustable pier, but I had to get the extention on mine remachined. The other thing is, you will find there is little free space in the dome to mount anything larger than a dslr on the scope and keep a full range of movement on the mount.
One final comment, Gino at OS is an excitable salesman. My scope was not ready to "grab the sky" as he put it, out of the box. That, however is not a criticism of the scope.
I know Jan Rek had some issues with OS service too. His good advice to me was to check the mirror spacing before mounting the scope. The correct spacing is 702mm, as these scopes use astrosib optics.
Happy snaps attached.
I look forward to hearing how it all goes for you.
Regards
Peter
Last edited by TraKtorman; 28-02-2013 at 09:54 PM.
Hi Marcus, I understand your excitement! I bought one of these about 12 months ago. They are indeed a magnificent piece of engineering, and look amazing on an ME. I have mine in a sirius home dome. A couple of things to note. If you are using an ME, SB provide a formula for calculating the optimum peir height. I used that formula and found that the pier was about 4 cm too high. Not a problem if you have an adjustable pier, but I had to get the extention on mine remachined. The other thing is, you will find there is little free space in the dome to mount anything larger than a dslr on the scope and keep a full range of movement on the mount.
One final comment, Gino at OS is an excitable salesman. My scope was not ready to "grab the sky" as he put it, out of the box. That, however is not a criticism of the scope.
I know Jan Rek had some issues with OS service too. His good advice to me was to check the mirror spacing before mounting the scope. The correct spacing is 702mm, as these scopes use astrosib optics.
Happy snaps attached.
I look forward to hearing how it all goes for you.
Regards
Peter
Well blow me down!! I didn't know there was one of these babies in Aus already! Have you got any astrophotos to share Peter?
I'd be astonished if some adjustment & collimation wasn't required out of the box!! I mean, it's a given isn't it? I'm getting the motorised secondary and ATC-02 control package so adjusting the mirror spacing should be easy (if it all works as advertised).
I've got an ATS pier. They build them with a separate mount adaptor plate that "plugs" into the pier tube. I'll simply remove the adaptor and cut the tube down to size and replace the adaptor. Simple DIY stuff. If I don't shorten the pier the end of the OTA will be perilously close to the dome ceiling. I've already changed the adaptor plate once when I moved from a Tak EM400 to a PME. Quite nice being able to do that and was one of the reasons I went with an ATS pier.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Logieberra
Bumped into this last night, a behind the scenes glimpse at OS. Enjoy Marcus.
' ... about 5 to 6 months of waiting ahead but I’m hoping for end of July-ish'.
Marcus, is she getting close? Keep us posted.
End of August at the earliest. Unfortunately, any later and it will bump into some other personal committments that will mean setting it up will be delayed until October! Patience is a virtue I guess.
Well, finally! I've been advised that my Officina Stellare RC360 Pro will ship from Italy within the week. I had to wait an extra 2 months, so I'm counting on the wait being worth it! It's certainly clear though that if you want one of their large scopes you'll have to be patient.
Realistically, it's another 3 weeks away at least - transit time, customs clearance and then a trip down to Melbourne to pick it up from Cris at Astronomy Alive. There's no way I'm going to subject it to local couriers.
Anyhow, a few people have asked so there's the update. Stay tuned, I'll be reviewing the whole experience thoroughly, after it arrives, in a new thread.
Seems, RC Optical-Systems USA, have closed their doors.
I have been unable to contact them and their web-server is no longer connected.......
Nice toy Marcus.
Peter, there are a couple of RCOS pages still up - a list of customers and warranty info. Everything else is 404. I guess that's more customers for Officina Stellare and Planewave.
Very glad I didn't buy a scope from RCOS just before the lights went out. And yes, I think Officina Stellare has a big opportunity if they play their cards right. While 8+ months is a long lead time for an amateur scope, if the optical performance matches the hype and is up to par (ie RCOS-like) it will be worth the wait.
I expect commissioning will take a while after I take delivery so don't hold your breaths for first light. There'll be plenty of new-toy-pics though
Peter, there are a couple of RCOS pages still up - a list of customers and warranty info. Everything else is 404. I guess that's more customers for Officina Stellare and Planewave.
Indeed... but a pity as they made an albeit not cheap, but superbly designed & engineered product.
I had a hunch things were not going well... but am cheesed-off by their lack of communication.
I checked their website recently also and it came up as an error. I did eventually find their site and it seemed still active.
I don't about the larger scopes for institutions (I imagine that dried up substantially with the US recession) but companies like Planewave making large similar scopes for half the price was always going to be damaging.
Whether a 20 inch Planewave is equal to a 20 inch RCOS is not something I am sure of. Perhaps not. But the difference would not be great.
Yep, post those piccies, Marcus. So we can all salivate over our collective screens That's a great piece of kit that should last you a lifetime, or until your acquire enough money to buy a 40" scope, at least
I think we're going to see quite a few more US companies go belly up. Despite all the assurances and the media BS, the US economy is pretty much terminally ill. It's only a matter of time before this ridiculous "debt ceiling" of theirs becomes so unwieldy and their government so ridiculously inept that the backside falls out of it. Might be time to learn how to grind large mirror blanks!!!
I think we're going to see quite a few more US companies go belly up. Despite all the assurances and the media BS, the US economy is pretty much terminally ill. It's only a matter of time before this ridiculous "debt ceiling" of theirs becomes so unwieldy and their government so ridiculously inept that the backside falls out of it. Might be time to learn how to grind large mirror blanks!!!
Yes Carl, I agree, the US economy, like a lot of economies around the world are built like a house of cards and will collapse accordingly, in due course. The US is currently at 73% debt to GDP ratio. What happens when it gets nearer 100%? It has to collapse at some point, as you cannot keep borrowing money without paying it back.
As for governments being inept.......nothing new there then.
I didn't know there was one of these babies in Aus already! 
Have you got any astrophotos to share Peter?
Patience is a virtue I guess.
It's certainly clear though that if you want one of their large scopes you'll have to be patient. 
That's a great piece of kit that should last you a lifetime, or until your acquire enough money to buy a 40" scope, at least 
Bona Fortuna and Viva Italia! 
Heading to Melbourne (Cris at Astronomy Alive) on Friday to pick it up.
.... and not this 
