16 inch DOB ?

Geoff · #1 06-10-2006, 07:22 AM

Hi All,
I heard rumors that a 16 inch DOB will be available soon ie Guan Sheng?.
Has anyone any info on this?
It would be 2.5 times the apature of my 8 inch!

Cheers
Geoff

astro_nutt · #2 06-10-2006, 08:14 AM

H Geoff,
In the Jan/Feb issue of Aust Sky and Telescope page 31...Andrews has a 16" f/4.8 dob..(coming soon in March 2006!) and is priced at $2,499.00..pretty sure it's made by Guan Sheng...haven't seen one though!!
Hope this helps!

sejanus (Gavin) · #3 06-10-2006, 09:17 AM

the size of those things scare me

never looked through one though!

ving (David) · #4 06-10-2006, 10:39 AM

i recon they'll be great

meade are bringing out a 16" light bridge too, so keep an eye out for that too

astro_nutt · #5 06-10-2006, 10:40 AM

Definitely a ladder job...would be a bugger to transport unless you have it mounted on a tralier!!!...I would have it set up permanently on a motor-driven Alt-azimuth mount...and enjoy the view!!

ving (David) · #6 06-10-2006, 10:54 AM

nah astr-nutt, apparently the lightbridge is f4 or something very fast so it'll be about the same height as the 12".

rmcpb (Rob) · #7 06-10-2006, 11:49 AM

Dave, you are right about the speed, it would cost you more in eyepieces than the scope because they would have to be really good ones

But I think I will have to try to scrape some spare petty cash together for one one day, or at least a 12".

ving (David) · #8 06-10-2006, 01:52 PM

i'd probably just go standard plossls if i bought the 16"... getting good wide fields would be too expensive.

astroron (Ron) · #9 06-10-2006, 02:09 PM

A 16" scope gives you 4 times the light gathering capability than an 8" scope . good eyepieces nearly always enhance your observing, but you don't have to buy the most expensive ones to get the benefit of the extra inches of your scope.

xelasnave · #10 06-10-2006, 02:33 PM

16 would have near double light gathering of a 12 (close enough)

I hope they arrive soon I am begginig to lose hope sortta sounds too good to be true at the price ( I started looking at 16 s etc 4 years ago) Cant remember the price but it was a lot more than the projected 16 coming
alex

ving (David) · #11 06-10-2006, 02:40 PM

yeah but the 16" will be almost twice as fast. edge performance will be an issue

xstream (John) · #12 06-10-2006, 03:55 PM

Interesting new link on the front page of this Site.

Pity there's no mention of the price though.

xelasnave · #13 06-10-2006, 04:23 PM

How big would you have to go to EQ mount it...sigh
alex

ving (David) · #14 06-10-2006, 06:48 PM

theres plenty of eq platforms that'll handle it alex

Rodstar (Rod) · #15 06-10-2006, 07:06 PM

Hate to pour cold water on the parade, but I have heard some less than complementary things about the side bearings of the 12" Lightbridge. I would hope that the 16" version is made of tougher stuff to carry that much weight.

rmcpb (Rob) · #16 06-10-2006, 08:10 PM

Easy enough to make a cradle with large bearings for any scope. At that price it would be a very small task to have to undertake.

cahullian · #17 06-10-2006, 11:31 PM

Even their 8" dobs need a bit of tweeking so why would a 16" be any different?

Can't wait until they come out as I have been doing a lot of overtime to buy up big soon.

Gazz

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #18 06-10-2006, 11:55 PM

Did the kids drop out of school Gazz

Geoff · #19 07-10-2006, 06:41 AM

Thanks for the info guys,
I hope the f ratio is about 4.5, The F4 would have to be spot on.
I don't intend to transport it at this stage as I have nothing to move it in, I could put wheels and a towbar on it and tow it I suppose.

I intend to rebuild the mount similar to my 10 inch Dob mount in the article "Geoff's DOB mount". And put a small shed on rails around it. I will be stuck in light polluted sky's I know but it should be good.
I built a setting circle on the 10 inch Dob mount and an inclinometer on the tube. Using the Laptop with a red screen, and with Starry night, I can find anything within the capabilities of the scope. When properly set up, I look up the Alt Az of an object and move the scope to those settings and most times the object is in the field of view of the 32 mm eyepiece or very close.
This "Push TO" is great as I still learn the sky by the laptop and the red dot on the scope. No electronics to go wrong, and 10 min to set up.
I hope to set up a 16 inch in the same way if I get one.
Cheers
Geoff

Apocrisiary (Michael) · #20 08-10-2006, 09:14 AM

Bintel have added the 16" Lightbridge on their website....under $3000.
I think I will join the queue....is a 16" TOO big to start with?