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  1. #1
    Member Michael's Avatar
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    Your own telescope.

    This forum has many visual observers and the most visual observers have a Dobson. Very simple, nothing beats aperture.

    In the Netherlands (and maybe whole Europe) a 20" telescope is a very large telescope. My own telescope is a 16" and large enough for me but what I see in the signatures 28", 32" and even larger are no exception. So maybe it's nice to show a picture of your telescope. Nothing special because most forums have a thread like this but in this case, only Dobs.

    I will start with my own telescope, a 16" f-4.5 Dobson.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by Michael; December 6th, 2012 at 04:55 PM.

  2. #2
    Co-Founder DSF.com Jimi Lowrey's Avatar
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    This is my grab and go scope!Dsc_0095.jpg
    Clear Skies,

    Jimi Lowrey
    Fort Davis Texas

    48"F4 OMI/TEC
    28'F4 ATM

  3. #3
    Member nicoscy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jimi Lowrey View Post
    This is my grab and go scope!Dsc_0095.jpg
    Jim, your finderscope is the size of my current grab n' go
    Takahashi FS-128
    Astro-Physics Stowaway 92 (paid the deposit!)
    Sky-Watcher 72ED
    Borg 55FL

  4. #4
    Administrator/Co-Founder Dragan's Avatar
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    Hi Michael,

    Welcome to Deep Sky Forum! Gorgeous looking scope!! Truly!

    My primary scope is a 25" f/5 Obsession from 2001 named "Toto". Its serial is #610. I used it manually until a few years ago when I installed the Argo/Servocat systems.

    Small bit of trivia about my scope. It actually contains James Mulherins (Optical Mechanics) very first production 25" mirror. I didn't learn this until years later when I visited his shop for a re-coat.

    toto.jpg
    Clear Dark Skies,
    Dragan Nikin
    25" f/5 Obsession #610 "Toto"
    30" f/4.5 OMI EVO #1 "Tycho"
    www.darkskiesapparel.com

  5. #5
    Member nicoscy's Avatar
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    Oh, great. A refractor guy in a forum dominated by Dobs...

    I refuse to post my tiny refractors here so I will just have to wait next month when I get my Dob.

    Thank God this is not a contest otherwise I would be feeling very "substandard" with my upcoming 12" Dob
    Takahashi FS-128
    Astro-Physics Stowaway 92 (paid the deposit!)
    Sky-Watcher 72ED
    Borg 55FL

  6. #6
    Member MarcE's Avatar
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    Good chance for me to present my new 24" f3.3 made by Tom Osypowski. Very well made with a fine mirror by Mike Lockwood.
    Picture shows the happy owner after first light session last month in the bavarian alps.
    Compared to Jimi's "grab'n go scope" i should call it "pocket scope".
    CS
    Marc

    4.jpg

  7. #7
    Member Bill Weir's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by nicoscy View Post
    Oh, great. A refractor guy in a forum dominated by Dobs...

    I refuse to post my tiny refractors here so I will just have to wait next month when I get my Dob.

    Thank God this is not a contest otherwise I would be feeling very "substandard" with my upcoming 12" Dob
    It certainly isn't a contest. There are more than a lifetime of objects to be seen with a 12" scope. This is my f/5 12.5" that was built by a friend.

    Bill Me 1 - Copy.jpg
    f/3.3 20" Super FX-Q Starmaster

  8. #8
    Member nicoscy's Avatar
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    Bill, so true about not being a contest. My back rules the day (a couple of discs are not what they used to be), hence my order for a lightweight 12" Dob courtesy of Michael. Oh, it's gonna keep me busy for a looooong time!

    I do admit that I would like to take a peek through some of the dobs you guys are toting. Who knows? I might just get on a plane in the future and crash a few starparties across the globe
    Takahashi FS-128
    Astro-Physics Stowaway 92 (paid the deposit!)
    Sky-Watcher 72ED
    Borg 55FL

  9. #9
    Member reiner's Avatar
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    This is my 22" f/4.0 Dob, the scope I use almost exclusively.



    It's a lowrider with the secondary being more tilted than in a classical Newtonian. This deflects the light path down by 30°, so I can use the scope with my feet on the ground all the time (even with my EQ platform, that you can hardly see underneath :-) )
    Reiner

    22" and 14" Dobs on EQ platforms and Deep Sky Observing
    www.reinervogel.net

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by nicoscy View Post
    Oh, great. A refractor guy in a forum dominated by Dobs...

    I refuse to post my tiny refractors here so I will just have to wait next month when I get my Dob.

    Thank God this is not a contest otherwise I would be feeling very "substandard" with my upcoming 12" Dob
    Well I'm not afraid to post my tiny refractor. Here it is. This forum may be dominated by Dobs but they’re not the only useful telescope out there. And I will never own a Dob of any size.
    WO Megrez 90 APO.jpg
    Clear Skies,
    Dan Acker
    90 Millimeter Observatory

  11. #11
    Member Galaxyman's Avatar
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    Well Dan here's another useful DSO non-dob Beast3.jpg
    Karl
    E.O.H.

    Telekit 22" f/4.5 dob (Swayze Optics)
    Homemade 12.5" f/4.8 dob (Parks optics)
    APM/TMB 8" f/9 refractor
    Explore Scientific 6" f/6.5 refractor
    Celestron Omni 4" f/9 refractor

    "There's an amazing universe all around us...EXPLORE IT!!!"

    So many galaxies, so little time!

  12. #12
    Member Preston Pendergraft's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Galaxyman View Post
    Well Dan here's another useful DSO non-dob Beast3.jpg
    Karl,
    Okay how big is that refractor? Looks massive.
    Preston
    8in Orion Skyquest XT
    10X50 Orion Resolux
    My blog updated once a month

  13. #13
    Co-Founder DSF.com Jimi Lowrey's Avatar
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    Marc your new scope looks great, who made the platform that you are using?
    Clear Skies,

    Jimi Lowrey
    Fort Davis Texas

    48"F4 OMI/TEC
    28'F4 ATM

  14. #14
    Member MarcE's Avatar
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    Hu Jimi, platform is also made by Tom O.
    It was built in 2010 and i used it last two years with my 15 inch Obsession.
    Was a bit big for the 15incher but the plan was to make it work with both scopes 15" and 24".
    Indeed a very well working platform - perfect finish and tracking.
    Best regards
    Marc

  15. #15
    Co-Founder DSF.com Jimi Lowrey's Avatar
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    This is my 28" F/4 that has a excellent Steve Kennedy mirror. I built this scope last year and it won a merit award at the Texas Star party last year. I named the scope Black Betty.

    2012_Lowrey_meritaward.jpg
    Clear Skies,

    Jimi Lowrey
    Fort Davis Texas

    48"F4 OMI/TEC
    28'F4 ATM

  16. #16
    Member Howard B's Avatar
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    28withHowardatSSP.jpgAnd this is my 28 inch f/4, also with a Steve Kennedy mirror. I made this scope in 2004 and designed it as a combination of Tom Osypowski's Spica Eye's OTA and Dan Gray's azimuth base to accommodate Dan's then brand new Sidereal Technology drive - I was one of his beta testers. Everything worked so well I still use his prototype controller. Anyway, I love everything about this scope. The only problem is that it's in the wrong location - it (and me) should live somewhere with a lot fewer clouds!
    Howard
    30-inch f/2.7 alt-az Newtonian
    https://sites.google.com/site/howardbanichhomepage/
    https://sites.google.com/site/sprays...pemirrors/home
    Contributing Editor, Sky & Telescope magazine

  17. #17
    Member MarcE's Avatar
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    Very cool scope, Jimi.
    I often remenber the great days in West Texas.
    Where is Black Betty at home right now?
    BR
    Marc

  18. #18
    Member davidem27's Avatar
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    These are my scopes:

    Reflector
    and Refractor





















    Okay, it's a stupid joke!
    They are a piece of one of the original William Herschel's telescope and the 28" refractor of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich

    Here it is my real one
    Davide Pistritto
    Dobson 24" f/4 - TeleVue Ethos with Paracorr 1 - Thousand Oaks filters on filterslide
    Uranometria 2000.0, Triatlas, MegaStar 5


    Beware for your CDDs! eheh...

  19. #19
    Member skyraider's Avatar
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    Attachment 725
    My 25" f/4 Obsession
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by skyraider; June 17th, 2013 at 03:13 AM.

  20. #20
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    This is my 18" Quantum by Astrosystems. New hand rubbed finish outside, new black paint inside, new finder, new coatings (last year), BETI for the netbook/Megastar combo. Sweet system for me. Now if only the weather could clear up!!!

    DSCN0211.jpg
    John
    12" f/5 Phoenix

  21. #21
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    Great stuff.

    Jimi, I'm a fan of your both "grab and go telescopes". The trend is towards travel scopes like yours

    My main instrument, 27" f/4.2 can be seen in the picture below - the right one Left you can see a 60mm Takahashi (finder)scope.

    Clear Skies, uwe
    http://www.deepsky-visuell.de
    Germany

    27" f/4,2

  22. #22
    Member Bill Weir's Avatar
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    20 Super FXQ.jpg And here is what is now my most used scope a f/3.3 20" Starmaster with a quartz Lockwood mirror.

    Bill
    f/3.3 20" Super FX-Q Starmaster

  23. #23
    Member RolandosCY's Avatar
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    ...And here is my baby, an 18" f4.5 Obsession Classic, #1934. It is seen cooling down in the backyard, yearning for dark skies... This is the biggest telescope I've ever owned and has given me already tons of pleasure! It is presently accompanied by two refractors, a Takahashi FS102 and a SW ED80, along with several pairs of binoculars (including a wonderful set of Takahashi's 22x60 "Astronomer")....


    Cooldown.jpg
    The Darker the Better!
    -------------------------
    18" f4.5 Obsession Classic #1934
    10" f5 Skyatcher Dob
    152mm f5.9 Teleskop Service
    Takahashi FS128
    SkyWatcher 120 f5
    Takahashi FS102
    Takahashi FSQ106N
    SkyWatcher ED80 Pro
    SkyWatcher ED72 Evostar
    Televue Naglers and Ethos

  24. #24
    Member Michael's Avatar
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    Beautiful (and large ) telescopes. This thread is not only for Dobs so here are a few other scopes of mine I use pretty much. Except the 12" Travel Scope. That one is for holidays only.

    IMG_3893.JPG
    12" f-4 Travel Scope

    IMG_8610.jpg
    102mm f-7 ED Grab & Go

    IMG_4715.jpg
    Bresser f-5 R-152S
    16" Canopus, 12" Alkaid, Bresser R-152, TS 102mm ED, Tal 100R, Dynamax 8, Mizar CX 150,...

  25. #25
    Member Preston Pendergraft's Avatar
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    Well I think I have the smallest scope.

    Here is my 10in LX200R GPS. This is now sold as the LX200ACF. It is a decent little scope. I would like to move up to a big dob or a C14 someday. Sorry some of the pics are sideways... not sure why they are that way.
    Attached Images Attached Images

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