Interesting & cheap ultralight Dobsonian structures

[Shiraz (Ray)]

Follow up to previous post, have now spent some useful time on the Hubble Optics site without incident. Maybe someone who really understands the mechanics of the internet could explain what might have happened on my previous visit. Regards Ray

[astroron (Ron)]

I cannot even contact them at all
Iclick on contact us and all I get is info@hubble-optics.com.
I cannot get any further than that
when I go into their website all as it does is do exactly the same thing when I press contact us
Obviously they don't really want business
If anyone can send me an email address or way to contact these people I would be gratefull, but then again why I am bothering with such an abomination of a website I don't know
Cheers

[bojan]

Interesting - Yes...
Cheap.. No. Maximum $100 in material used.

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

Originally Posted by bojan

Interesting - Yes...
Cheap.. No. Maximum $100 in material used.

I'm not talking about ATM - so why do you compare it to a build-your-own? Not a fair comparison, and quite frankly a completely irrelevant statement. In relation to other minimal truss designs that are commercially available it IS cheap. Not sure why you feel the need to keep shooting these posts down because you can and will build your own for less? Sheesh! $100 in material? Maybe. I doubt that there would be any overly exotic materials in them. For what they're charging it is certainly not worth the time I'd take to design, and then build one (through several development iterations I venture to say). Absolutely no contest. My Tak Mewlon is probably only worth a couple of hundred in raw materials too - just tell me where to buy one at that price. I'm keen!

Better still, I'll give $100 to build me one. Can I pick it up next week some time?

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

I've just had another email from Tong, who has listened to you guys, considered the statements regarding the mailto URL, and has thus added one. He previously used the gif to display the address so that displayed the address to a human without it being able to be interrogated by robots.

There you go Ron - try it now

[Octane (Humayun)]

The other thing Ron might need is a mail client which interprets the mailto tag.

I'm not sure what happens if you click on one without a client installed?

H

[astroron (Ron)]

Thanks Chris and H,It works now
Cheers

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

Originally Posted by kinetic

A bit unfair Chris.
Kinda makes me stop feeling warm and fuzzy about offering any ideas
with an ATM slant anymore.
They look great, and cheap and I'm sure Bojan's comments were given
in completely good faith re the ATM angle.

Steve

I disagree Steve, I'm sorry. I took his comments to imply that these ready-developed and built systems were "expensive" and therefore not worth more than the "maximum $100" of material they're comprised of. Whilst I'm fully capable of building anything like this - it's not hard, do I have the time? Certainly not - ergo I'm more than happy to pay the retail value to have one - like most others on this forum. As far as I am concerned, ATM is for those that relish the challenge of building something because they find it enjoyable. That should not imply that it's lazy not to do so, and that buying ready-made is a rip-off. I didn't present this company and their products to be criticised for being in the market selling decent gear for what it's worth commercially.

An SDM scope is probably only worth a couple of hundred in materials too. Does this fact make them only worth that? Of course not - just like these.

[Satchmo]

Originally Posted by Omaroo

An SDM scope is probably only worth a couple of hundred in materials too.

I think you would find Peter Read would beg to differ there . A few hundred dollars would not even buy a half sheet of exotic ply using extra thin hardwood laminates that are used. SDM's are typically very well appointed with Feathertouch focusser , dew heaters and custom made pole and cage cases, covers and all sorts of things that add up the cost.

My reference to SDM was making the point that to fit all the extra gear like Servocat to one of these skeleton structures, you would have to mod it heavily and it would start to _look_ like an SDM design .

For the price these frames look great - so long as you you don't want to fit a Servocat and you spend some time baffling the secondary cage and tube from stray light. I am looking forward to seeing someone import one and relate their experiences.

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

LOL Mark. You know that I was being facetious in making a point. Of course SDM materials are worth a bomb. I maintain that the sum of its component parts is NOT what determines the finished scope is worth.