Telescope Porn
David V. Loewe, Jr
When you absolutely, positively have to have the biggest one for miles
around.
--
"I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail
fast; for I intend to go in harm's way."
- John Paul Jones
Alan Woodford
<dave...@charter.net> wrote:
>http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=trusstubedobs/~pcategory=dobsonians/~product_id=09162
>
>When you absolutely, positively have to have the biggest one for miles
>around.
That would give me a -really- good view of the underside of the clouds
round here :-)
123 Kbucks - at the current exchange rate, that's about 25% more than
my house cost!
Technically very impressive, but from a practical viewpoint, how is it
anything other than a dimension compensator?
Alan Woodford
The Greying Lensman!
Harry Mary Andruschak
> http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=trusstubedobs/~...
>
> When you absolutely, positively have to have the biggest one for miles
> around.
> --
> "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail
> �fast; for I intend to go in harm's way."
> � � - John Paul Jones
But how much extra for mounting, dome, drive gear etc etc. ?
Still, if I ever win the lottery, I think I wouldbuy one, move out
into the desert, and enjoy
David Loewe, Jr.
<adopts...@aol.com> wrote:
>On Jan 4, 7:15?pm, "David V. Loewe, Jr" <davelo...@charter.net> wrote:
>>
>> When you absolutely, positively have to have the biggest one for miles
>> around.
>But how much extra for mounting, dome, drive gear etc etc. ?
The drive gear appears to be included in the price of telescope. You
can probably find suitable dome prices online (although they claim that
the thing is marginally portable). Dobsonians are intended to be carted
around to star parties. Vehicles are allowed to be up to 102" wide and
use the roads without special permits, so it *should* fit on a trailer.
I have no idea how much it would cost to permanently mount this monster.
Also, I'd think that, if you can afford the telescope itself, you should
be able to afford all the ancillary stuff that would go with it.
>Still, if I ever win the lottery, I think I wouldbuy one, move out
>into the desert, and enjoy
--
"I saw the light I've been baptised
By the fire in your touch and the flame in your eyes
I'm born to love again I'm a brand new man"
- Kix Brooks, Ronnie Dunn & Don Cook
Keith F. Lynch
> "David V. Loewe, Jr" <dave...@charter.net> wrote:
>> http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=trusstubedobs/~pcategory=dobsonians/~product_id=09162
>> When you absolutely, positively have to have the biggest one for
>> miles around.
> That would give me a -really- good view of the underside of the
> clouds round here :-)
> 123 Kbucks - at the current exchange rate, that's about 25% more
> than my house cost!
Am I the only one who remembers when "Dobsonian" meant a cheap
homemade telescope?
--
Keith F. Lynch - http://keithlynch.net/
Please see http://keithlynch.net/email.html before emailing me.
David Loewe, Jr.
<k...@KeithLynch.net> wrote:
>Alan Woodford <al...@bortas.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>> "David V. Loewe, Jr" <dave...@charter.net> wrote:
>>> http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=trusstubedobs/~pcategory=dobsonians/~product_id=09162
>
>>> When you absolutely, positively have to have the biggest one for
>>> miles around.
>
>> That would give me a -really- good view of the underside of the
>> clouds round here :-)
>
>> 123 Kbucks - at the current exchange rate, that's about 25% more
>> than my house cost!
>
>Am I the only one who remembers when "Dobsonian" meant a cheap
>homemade telescope?
Isn't $123 K cheap for a *50"* telescope?
--
"Why is it you can wipe something with a dirty rag
and make it clean?"
-- 12/04/91, John S. Novak III
Alan Woodford
<dlo...@mindspring.com> wrote:
>On Fri, 8 Jan 2010 01:33:16 +0000 (UTC), "Keith F. Lynch"
><k...@KeithLynch.net> wrote:
>
>>Alan Woodford <al...@bortas.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>>> "David V. Loewe, Jr" <dave...@charter.net> wrote:
>
>>>> http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=trusstubedobs/~pcategory=dobsonians/~product_id=09162
>>
>>>> When you absolutely, positively have to have the biggest one for
>>>> miles around.
>>
>>> That would give me a -really- good view of the underside of the
>>> clouds round here :-)
>>
>>> 123 Kbucks - at the current exchange rate, that's about 25% more
>>> than my house cost!
>>
>>Am I the only one who remembers when "Dobsonian" meant a cheap
>>homemade telescope?
>
>Isn't $123 K cheap for a *50"* telescope?
Yep, I wonder how much a 50-inch long-focus newtonian on an equatorial
mount would cost.
And how you'd transport it!
David V. Loewe, Jr
I'm pretty sure that almost anyone who bought a 50" equatorial would get
it permanently mounted somewhere.
However, *this* thing should fit on a trailer. Although I think you'd
need a mini-forklift along to lift it into place when you got to the
star party.
--
"With a gentleman I try to be a gentleman and a half, and with a fraud
I try to be a fraud and a half."
- Otto von Bismarck
Marcus L. Rowland
Loewe, Jr" <dave...@charter.net> writes
Why do I suddenly find myself imagining a TV series about a retired
trucking millionaire turned amateur astronomer who drives his rig and
telescope from one eclipse site (or other astronomical event) to the
next, fighting crime en route.
Someone really ought to make it...
--
Marcus L. Rowland www.forgottenfutures.com
www.forgottenfutures.org
www.forgottenfutures.co.uk
Forgotten Futures - The Scientific Romance Role Playing Game
Diana: Warrior Princess & Elvis: The Legendary Tours
The Original Flatland Role Playing Game
Rich Lynch
wrote:
> http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=trusstubedobs/~...
>
> When you absolutely, positively have to have the biggest one for miles
> around.
I'm amused by some of the information they provide:
"Use extreme caution leaving it uncovered during daylight.
Concentrated sunlight from this much aperature can damage the
telescope or set its surroundings on fire!"
and
"The customer is also responsible for arranging for needed material
handling equipment at the delivery site (for example, the crated 50"
mirror will weigh about 500 lbs -- you'll want a forklift or a whole
bunch of friends!)."
David Loewe, Jr.
Well, he needn't use a semi-tractor/trailer for the thing. It's only
about 14' long and the mirror is only 50". The typical semi-trailer is
48' long and 102" wide - clearly overkill. A hot shot would work just
fine.
http://www.uship.com/static/users/c7f3fc3b-e3d0-4828-8.jpg
--
"I - I don't believe it, There she goes again
She's tidied up, and I can't find anything
All my tubes and wires, And careful notes
And antiquated notions..."
Thomas "Dolby" Robertson
rksh...@rosettacondot.com
Even that looks like overkill. Something like this, maybe:
http://www.longhornsales.com/tandem-axle-flatbed-trailers.html
I have the pipetop version because I realized long ago that I tend to be
hard on equipment.
Robert
--
Robert K. Shull Email: rkshull at rosettacon dot com
David V. Loewe, Jr
<al...@bortas.demon.co.uk> wrote:
A little nosing around led me to the Wikipedia page for OMI.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_Mechanics,_Inc.
It claims that a 100 cm (which should be a little over 10" short of the
Orion product) equatorial costs $460,000.
>And how you'd transport it!
--
"And if the lowly Italians, the lamest, silliest, least stable of
our NATO allies, can build a machine like this, just think what
*we* can do."
- P. J. O'Rourke on driving a Ferrari 308
David V. Loewe, Jr
wrote:
You are correct. I just wanted to show what a "hot shot" was in general
as I didn't think the term would be familiar to very many people outside
the trucking industry. It was the best picture I could quickly find.
Further nosing found fairly large (30") Dobsonians that had collapsible
frames.
http://www.opticalmechanics.com/evolution_dobs/evo-30_intro/index.html
This would obviously make it even easier to transport them as you could
stick it in a significantly smaller space.
>Something like this, maybe:
>http://www.longhornsales.com/tandem-axle-flatbed-trailers.html
>
>I have the pipetop version because I realized long ago that I tend to be
>hard on equipment.
Marcus L. Rowland
Jr." <dlo...@mindspring.com> writes
Well, you obviously need somewhere to live as well - I was thinking in
terms of a luxurious trailer with accommodation for the hero and a few
friends, the telescope, kitchen, Jacuzzi, etc.
David V. Loewe, Jr
<forgotte...@ntlworld.com> wrote:
>"David Loewe, Jr." <dlo...@mindspring.com> writes
>>On Fri, 8 Jan 2010 21:13:41 +0000, "Marcus L. Rowland"
>><forgotte...@ntlworld.com> wrote:
<Monster Dobs>
>>>Why do I suddenly find myself imagining a TV series about a retired
>>>trucking millionaire turned amateur astronomer who drives his rig and
>>>telescope from one eclipse site (or other astronomical event) to the
>>>next, fighting crime en route.
>>>
>>>Someone really ought to make it...
>>
>>Well, he needn't use a semi-tractor/trailer for the thing. It's only
>>about 14' long and the mirror is only 50". The typical semi-trailer is
>>48' long and 102" wide - clearly overkill. A hot shot would work just
>>fine.
>>
>>http://www.uship.com/static/users/c7f3fc3b-e3d0-4828-8.jpg
>
>Well, you obviously need somewhere to live as well - I was thinking in
>terms of a luxurious trailer with accommodation for the hero and a few
>friends, the telescope, kitchen, Jacuzzi, etc.
Wouldn't a nice hotel be much better?
--
"Power corrupts. Absolute power is kind of neat."
- John Lehman, Secretary of the Navy, 1981-1987
Robert Sneddon
<al...@bortas.demon.co.uk> writes
>Yep, I wonder how much a 50-inch long-focus newtonian on an equatorial
>mount would cost.
>
>And how you'd transport it!
You could always get one of these things:
http://www.eso.org/public/videos/eso0935d/
It's one of two purpose-built transporters used to move radio-telescope
antennas around at an ESO observatory site 5000 metres up in Chile. The
idea is that the array of telescopes can be physically reconfigured to
support different observing programs by repositioning them as needed.
--
To reply, my gmail address is nojay1 Robert Sneddon
David Loewe, Jr.
<fr...@nospam.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>Alan Woodford <al...@bortas.demon.co.uk> writes
>
>>Yep, I wonder how much a 50-inch long-focus newtonian on an equatorial
>>mount would cost.
>>
>>And how you'd transport it!
>
> You could always get one of these things:
>
>http://www.eso.org/public/videos/eso0935d/
>
> It's one of two purpose-built transporters used to move radio-telescope
>antennas around at an ESO observatory site 5000 metres up in Chile. The
>idea is that the array of telescopes can be physically reconfigured to
>support different observing programs by repositioning them as needed.
My initial reaction is - Too slow.
--
"I took a shower and I put on my best blue jeans,
I picked her up in my new VW van.
She wore a peasant blouse with nothing underneath,
I said, Hi, and she said, Yeah, I guess I am."
Dean Friedman
Philip Chee
> Well, you obviously need somewhere to live as well - I was thinking in
> terms of a luxurious trailer with accommodation for the hero and a few
> friends, the telescope, kitchen, Jacuzzi, etc.
Sounds like that oversized trailer (complete with sun-deck and
kitchen[1]) used in Burst Angels to cart around their giant robot
unobtrusively (well comparitively unobtrusive anyway).
[1] Our hapless protagonist answers a job advert for part time chef
without realizing the nature of his employers occupation. Reporting to
work sometimes involves having to dodge bullets and explosions to reach
the trailer/truck.
Phil
--
Philip Chee <phi...@aleytys.pc.my>, <phili...@gmail.com>
http://flashblock.mozdev.org/ http://xsidebar.mozdev.org
Guard us from the she-wolf and the wolf, and guard us from the thief,
oh Night, and so be good for us to pass.
William December Starr
Alan Woodford <al...@bortas.demon.co.uk> said:
> Yep, I wonder how much a 50-inch long-focus newtonian on an
> equatorial mount would cost.
>
> And how you'd transport it!
Dirigible!
-- wds
Marcus L. Rowland
<fr...@nospam.demon.co.uk> writes
That looks like the sort of machine that inevitably falls off a cliff /
falls into a forgotten mine shaft / won't stop and is heading straight
for a town / in most episodes of Thunderbirds. It's missing the ominous
"big machinery moving" music, of course.
Alan Woodford
But wouldn't that need a bigger trailer?
<g,d,r>