What's the biggest Amature scope in Oz ?

DavidU (Dave) · #1 03-09-2009, 08:58 PM

Does anyone know who has the largest amature telescope in Australia?
I have heard of a few 20"+ dobs. Maybe satchmo knows

astroron (Ron) · #2 03-09-2009, 09:01 PM

There are a couple of 30" I know of.

DavidU (Dave) · #3 03-09-2009, 09:03 PM

30" ! I will look for a link or pic.

ngcles · #4 03-09-2009, 09:04 PM

Hi David,

Not certain, but I believe the biggest is Jos Roberts' 36" f/5 Newtonian on a Dobson mount. I have refered to it as a "Newtonian" but strictly it isn't because it has a tertiary mirror so the focuser is only a couple of steps up the ladder. A bugger to collimate though ...

He lives up near Mt White between Sydney & Newcastle in NSW.

It was up at the SPSP about 4-5 years ago.

Best,

Les D

astroron (Ron) · #5 03-09-2009, 09:05 PM

David, go to SDM Telescopes for pics of some of them

Darth Wader (Wade) · #6 03-09-2009, 09:11 PM

Something I lust after on a daily basis:

http://www.obsessiontelescopes.com/t.../30/index.html

Edit: Woops, not in Oz... carry on!

DavidU (Dave) · #7 03-09-2009, 09:16 PM

A 36 !! bleeding hell

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #8 03-09-2009, 09:17 PM

But SDM is.
http://www.sdmtelescopes.com.au/

Lumen Miner (Mitchell) · #9 03-09-2009, 09:47 PM

I can't find the link but someone built a 36", in his backyard in Beecroft, Sydney. T'was about 50 years ago though... It was donated to a Uni, then switched hands a few times.

koputai (Jason) · #10 03-09-2009, 10:19 PM

I've had a few looks through a 30" up at the Pony Club, nice.

When I was a teenager living out at Camden, there was a guy with a huge equatorially mounted Newt. It was in the 24" to 30" region, which is pretty big to be eq mounted.

Cheers,
Jason.

Satchmo · #11 04-09-2009, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ngcles

Hi David,

I have refered to it as a "Newtonian" but strictly it isn't because it has a tertiary mirror so the focuser is only a couple of steps up the ladder. A bugger to collimate though ...

I think `folded Newtonian ' would be an accurate description.

GrampianStars (Rob) · #12 05-09-2009, 09:19 AM

There's a 24"

dob down the road here
not used much anymore as you need an oxygen bottle
when you climb up the ladder

Satchmo · #13 05-09-2009, 09:29 AM

Heres an old picture of Jos Roberts 36" F5 folded Newtonian. The 2" thick mirror was made by Intermountain Optics USA. It is in an observatory now. The top of the scope is not visible here..it has an 11" diameter folding flat.

Paul Haese · #14 05-09-2009, 06:09 PM

I think there is a 36" here on a GEM. A chap that lives up near Black Springs Very large telescope and turrent roof.

stephenb (Stephen) · #15 05-09-2009, 08:18 PM

Could we confidently say there is probably around 6-10 over 30" in Oz?

Blue Skies (Jacquie) · #16 05-09-2009, 09:51 PM

There are at last two 30" scopes in Perth, both of them Obsessions. One is at Perth Observatory and the other is still in the original owners hands, to my knowledge.

renormalised (Carl) · #17 05-09-2009, 10:11 PM

Decent sized scopes...maybe we should call them "dinodobs"

GeoffW1 (Geoff) · #18 05-09-2009, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by renormalised

Decent sized scopes...maybe we should call them "dinodobs"

Astroboy coined the name "Dobzilla". My favourite.

Attached is an early version of Bobs Knobs for one of these scopes

Cheers

Satchmo · #19 06-09-2009, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Haese

I think there is a 36" here on a GEM. A chap that lives up near Black Springs Very large telescope and turrent roof.

If its the one I'm thinking of its a 30" F5 . "Full thickness" 5" thick mirror made by the late Bill James.

Virgs · #20 06-09-2009, 10:52 PM

You are talking about Ian Bedford and his 30 inch.In the observatory next door there is a 20 inch as well owned by Andrew.