I have an offer sitting there, but $600 plus another $500 for recoat (he tells me it needs doing) ,transport to get it or a 2 day drive, plus strip and paint all adds up and doesn't suit my budget Id love to do it though. (I can have a brand new Bintel 12" landed on my door for less, just for comparison, and yes I know there is a very good chance the optics will be better)
I had one of those 12.5 Astro-Optical Dobs. (It was what I replaced my 8inch reflector with). I really enjoyed it for a long time (15 years?-mirror was recoated), then I become older and it seemed to become heavier. I ended up selling it and replacing with a GSO 12inch, which seemed to have better optics (or was that just a thinner, more rapidly cooling mirror?). The GSO was much lighter and easier to assemble, but still took up a lot of floor space, so I again sold after about 5 years and now prefer refractors.
Don't 'spose you have a photo of the 12.5? did it have the wooden mirror cell?
Sorry, no photos. Yes, a wooden mirror cell that used to detach and bolt on to a wooden surrounds to the end of the tube via wing-nuts.
The mirror (and cell) would normally be kept in a large wooden box and only attached when the scope was to be used. It kept the weight down, but added to the set-up time.
From memory, the scope cost about $2,700 in 1988.
I wonder if it was one of my mirrors as I worked there from 1985 - 1988.
We were using Schott glass blanks at this stage - 305 mm diameter with slope angle sides ( rear diameter was slightly less) .
Yes those 50mm thick 12" were poor for cooling - I think 35mm more common these days makes much better sense. The 12" metal tubes were literally a two person lift and the 10" you had to be fit. Mirror cells for 12" at AOS were always wooden as they never had any castings made for cells in that size. The old metal tubes did not translate well onto dobs due to the weight .
That Gumtree 12" certainly looks like it could have been AOS from the knurled nuts on the spider , but the focusser is not original and the Dob mount is home made job. It doubtless needs a recoat as AOS mirror did not have an overcoat - that will set you back at least $500.. I'd probably rate that scope as a case of if you are prepared to bring a ute and take it away its yours . I tried to sell a 10" F6 AOS dob in mint showroom condition here , which needed a recoat and didn't get any offers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tropo-Bob
Sorry, no photos. Yes, a wooden mirror cell that used to detach and bolt on to a wooden surrounds to the end of the tube via wing-nuts.
The mirror (and cell) would normally be kept in a large wooden box and only attached when the scope was to be used. It kept the weight down, but added to the set-up time.
From memory, the scope cost about $2,700 in 1988.
I wonder if it was one of my mirrors as I worked there from 1985 - 1988.
I tracked down the quote for this scope. It was dated in November 1989 so probably not your mirror.
Funny to see your description of the scope. I thought that I had joined the big league after buying it. My first, very humble scope (30x30) was a Xmas present in 1965; so I had a very long apprenticeship.
Amazingly, some now begin with a 12inch telescope!
..........................Funny to see your description of the scope. I thought that I had joined the big league after buying it. ............................Amazing ly, some now begin with a 12inch telescope!
The 12.5 DK (AOS) I have is horrendously heavy......but when it was new it would have been extremely impressive as well as expensive, weight probably not an issue as it would have lived in some sort of observatory (if you had that much money to spend you'd have somewhere to put it)
2 years ago I picked up a classic long tube 40 year old Japanese refractor.
It is a rare SYC Yamamoto 108/1600 refractor on a pedestal mount.
The optics are the same as the equally rare Tasco 20TE professional scope.
I sold my SW Equinox 120 ED on a HEQ5 mount to help acquire it.
The sell / buy costs worked out about the same.
I have no regrets in doing so. It gives excellent images up to 400x on steady nights. The on axis resolution is sharper then the ED120, its is only slightly dimmer. There is minimal CA even on hi magnifications.
Yes it is a large scope and it require 3 trips to mount safely.
The build quality is amazing and it looks like optical art. A scope like this will hold its value but it is my 'retirment' scope and as such will keep it indefinelty.
Hi, it was really looked after well. The optics dealer who I got it from had it in dry storage for decades. All it needeed was a polish and lube. The only really upgrade was re-spraying the lower leg extensions matt black. It is actually more impressive in real life then the photos show. It weighs around 90 Kgs. and in the first photo it is about 7ft. above the ground. It takes 1.25in EP's. The mount movements are superb. I keep it in the lounge often where it certainly has that 'wow' factor. I use it with the kids neighbors during summer for mainly planetary and lunar observations.
Photo below with understanding wife !
It weighs around 90 Kgs. and in the first photo it is about 7ft. above the ground. It takes 1.25in EP's. The mount movements are superb.
I remember seeing the similar version in a 1960's Tasco booklet about using telescopes. It certainty looks great and I would love to look through it... but 90kgs: Ouch!
for those into nice old stuff go to Australia Astronomy buy and sell for what could be the ultimate vintage set up (forgetting Japanese 'scopes for a min) 16 inch F6 plus 10 inch F6, 6 inch F5 etc Observatory Newtonians - 'Cave' (USA)
for those into nice old stuff go to Australia Astronomy buy and sell for what could be the ultimate vintage set up (forgetting Japanese 'scopes for a min) 16 inch F6 plus 10 inch F6, 6 inch F5 etc Observatory Newtonians - 'Cave' (USA)
I looked at that and thought it looked just like Peter Andersen's setup out the back of Mt Cootha in Brisbane. Last time I was there was 32 years ago when he very generously allowed the AAQ to have a star party in his backyard!
How 'bout that, I can't remember my own phone number, but I can remember that...
Quote:
Originally Posted by torana68
for those into nice old stuff go to Australia Astronomy buy and sell for what could be the ultimate vintage set up (forgetting Japanese 'scopes for a min) 16 inch F6 plus 10 inch F6, 6 inch F5 etc Observatory Newtonians - 'Cave' (USA)
I 'd guess that in the bottom of that closed tube lays a 3" thick United Lens 16" mirror blank. With a lot more knowledge of good telescope design now , you'd have to be prepared to do some serious work to make that perform well using lots of ventilation holes and a fair bit of horsepower in the cooling .
3'" is a big hunk of glass.....anyone ever see an AOS 14"? were they sold complete or just mirrors?
The 14" AO Dobs were sold complete (for just about $3400 if my memory is correct). I only saw the photos in the adverts, but their mounts looked flimsy to me.
Id love to do it though. (I can have a brand new Bintel 12" landed on my door for less, just for comparison, and yes I know there is a very good chance the optics will be better)
