Timebandit

Thank you stu for those stats on Mike's 20incher , us who only have a wee 14incher in comparison really wanted to know how much more surface area Mike mirror has(over twice as much?) , how much more light gathering ability, therefore how much more magnification he can use to get into those DSO and to produce a much better image than us with 14 inches get ?. i wonder which view Mike will be getting through the Faulksy big dob build with a 20" Orion Optics UK 1/10 high grade mirror? ?

Don't forget to take the mirror cover off first? . Overwise you will have found a really dark site again.

Hi Mike well done. I am not envious of your 20incher?. All these positive postings are giving me aperture fever again. I think I will need to go and lay down in a dark room and hope it passes. But when you are making observation like" can't believe the different colour stars never noticed it before " it really does make me think I am missing out on a great experience. And as you have had a OOuk 14" also ,then the 20incher has obviously showing you a new and greatly enhanced experience. I am sure others reading this post will also revaluate there current scope set up and bouts of aperture fever may set in (your a bad man Mike ?). I am really happy though all your hard work has come together to produce a great big dob from your initial session, well worth the effort by the sounds of things. PS ,keep the posts coming Mike ,as It will be really interesting the full extent of an increase in aperture and quality mirror brings to the overall viewing experience, and if my aperture fever gets to much, then maybe its time for a 20" dobby as a cure ?

Well done Mike, after your low point on Tuesday I was half aexpecting a pm with a for sale price and negotiations to commence . And myself looking through a 20" dobby this weekend would of been very nice ?. But I am so happy that you took all the feedback on board that helped you get through the low point ,and in the end everything has come together for you. And after all your hard work over these months ,you would of really kicked yourself if you had of sold your big dobby in your low moment. I hope when you get your first few proper session's in with dobby (uk weather conditions kindly permitting ) that those DSO really are intensified with that Big 20" light grasping mirror combination and 1/10 superior quality ground mirror finish. Should be a great view and a far more in depth view of this vast universe we are in. As your a DSO man Mike I can see this dobby being a long term companion for you so great you will reap the benefits. Mike congratulations on getting to the end lap with 20" Faulksy built big Dobby . Enjoy☺

Hurraaaaay. Well done Mike. All a bad dream yesterdays news?. Things are now looking up? When you go and collect, take lots of bubble wrap to help protect that 20 incher. Walk carefully to your care also with that big mirror, no tripping. Also lots of soft blankets to go on your vehicle floor to help with vibration when driving. This all reminds me when I picked my Dob up, worried all the way back home about damaging it. Total relief when I got back , parked up and scope in one piece? I should imagine there will be a bit of a tailback this afternoon around the Wrexham area. As Mike drives his BIG newborn home carefully at 5mph ??.

Hi Mike, we must of been posting at the same time by the looks of it. Bad news that mate. I cannot believe the bad luck you are having trying to get your hands on this OOuk mirror. You have put so much work into your Faulksy 20" Dob build. I really thought joking aside that the Big mirror would be with you today or tomorrow at the very latest. I am getting aperture fever after seeing your build progress and a few other big dobs recently appearing, and a 20" would be nice and very tempting. But you have built this scope from scratch Mike , put your considerable skill and effort into it. And you are at the last hurdle , all that is left is that mirror. Do you really want to sell. Don't do anything in the spur of the moment. Have a few days to think about it and the mirror situation also. Keep your chin up Mike I am sure you will want to keep that Dob Faulksy build and get a solution to that mirror. I hope OOUK look at a few of these postings and give you a phone call and get a solution for you. As we all want Mike to finish his 20" Faulksy Dob build.

This is not good Mike , delay , delay, not sure???? ?. A 20 " mirror of 1/10. Surely they cannot say ready Friday to you ,and then today not sure. It not like you to can leave a 20" couple of thousand pounds of mirror lying around on the floor somewhere . Maybe someone at OOuk has mistakenly hung it up in the staff toilets thinking it was a new bathroom mirror for them ??????. , But seriously Mike I do feel sorry for you I hope it's located and they put it in a taxi at there expense ,or someone at staff OOuk puts it in there car and deliver it to your door for this evening. Keep my fingers crossed for you Mike.

With the impending delivery tomorrow of Mike's new born , I don't think he will be sleeping tonight as he will be to excited to see his long awaited new born????? I just hope it's not another false alarm for Faulksy and the arrival of his new born is delayed again ? I will pop my head into the maternity ward tomorrow Mike and hopefully will see you with your new Big baby ?

17/8/16 Delivery Date Hi Mike , I thought I would just pop my head into the maternity ward to see if you are at long last a proud father? Has the faulksy BIg mirror arrived from OOUK , and have you installed it into the mirror box I am sure we are all awaiting an update and a few photos of your new born ?

Hi . I managed to get the pentax 7xw into the 120apo the other night for a bit of late night viewing (the clouds where kind enough to give me 30min views ). I managed to get Saturn in view between the neighbouring trees and the views were great. Even though I had what I call the atmosphere shudder in force at times, between those moments when the still moments arrive the planet just opened itself up to me. The view of Saturn through the 120apo and the 7xw was the best I have ever seen the planet , just sharp and crisp. It inspired me so much you may have noticed i now have put a little picture of Saturn in my profile. It really does make this hobby worth while when you get a combination set up that gives you crisp views like you see in books(not to the same size scale though). It is amazing sometime what the back yard hobbyists can achieve nowerdays with there set ups in their gardens , without relying on NASA?

Hello. I thought I would show you my refractor set up. A skywatcher equinox 120 Ed apo on a AZ4 stainless steel leg mount. And not forgetting the William Optics dielectric. I have found this set up a great performer. The equinox 120 Ed apo has given me the sharpest, crispiest views I have had from any scope to date(refractor style). The AZ4 gives me real confidence, so solid and secure. And so easy to use and set up. I really do like this combination, top performer IMO I hope you like my refractor set up as much as I do . Thanks

Hi Mike ,any definite confirmation date from OOuk about when your Big mirror will be finished?(or is the 17-8-16 mirror delivery date or scope finished date?)) I am not even going to ask why you did not grind your own. As mapstar kindly gave me a 36 page post to read in your absence about his 22" mirror grind,. Finished reading mapstar 22" grinding post about 1am at night. Serves me right for opening my big mouth?

Woooow. All is forgiven Faulksy I can see why you got Orion Optics UK on speed dial on your phone ASAP. From bits I have read before about mirrors I knew there was a bit of work involved in them, but had no idea how much of a job it was. Taking numerous weeks to sand and grind the mirror into shape did really take some patience and perseverance and skill ,well done Damian, so I take my hat off to you. And I suppose you add up all the materials involved from the blanks onwards and then the labour costs involved (if you added your own time into the equation) then I can see why it does not make sense really to make your own mirror,if there's a reasonable cost commercially available option. Just image if you where half way through that DIY mirror grind and you dropped the blank or for some reason ground it out of shape and had to start all over again? . After seeing this post about the mapstar build, it makes me realise how lucky we are nowerdays to be able to buy large mirrors or telescope if we want them. Look on net ,choose item, pick up phone, pay, wait for delivery lorry. Job done. But seeing Mike's and Damian building there scopes is very interesting all the same and I admire them for doing there scopes to the facts and figures they like, custom building, But I am so glad my OOuk 14 was ready made, as it has tired me out reading how to make/grind a mirror, never mind make a whole scope. Well done lads?

Hello Mike just wondering if anything to update on the post and "Big" mirror from OOUK? Were you ever tempted to try grinding your own mirror on this build? I am not sure where you start on doing a home made mirror, I suppose a very Big and thick piece of glass comes into the equation somewhere. I am sure I have read some chaps still do grind their own, and if I recall correctly then the old timers used to have to make their own mirrors due them not being commercial available at that point in time for there requirements. I am not sure how easy it is though. Maybe that's why your mirror has taken so long from OO, maybe there is some skilled craftsman with a big circle of glass in front of him and lots of grinding paste carefully polishing to 1/10 for you?

Hello Mike. I am glad you are updating your fan base on here with how the faulksy DIY Dob build is going (not so DIY in my opinion but more of a Faulksy Professional Dob build). I am glad to hear good thinks coming from OOuk about the "Big" mirror coming your way hopefully in the near future. I don't seem to of received a reply from OOuk about possibly lending a VX20 with 1/10 mirror at present. Probably to busy on your mirror Mike to reply ?

Hello. Do OOUK lend Dobs out, very kind of them. I would like to try a VX 20 with 1/10 mirror please?

Hello Mike , and I have just starting reading this post . But my first impressions are I am really impressed. I hope you don't mind me saying and please don't take offence but when I think of a DIY build, i was thinking of "hammer and nails , bolts and washers" sort of approach. But how wrong was I . This is really impressive Mike its a technical work of art. And just beautiful craftsmaship has gone into the making of this scope. Many hours of your skill has gone into this project and I hope you reap the benefits. Thanks for putting this post up as it's nice to show what skill members really do have out there. Work of art mate ☺

Hello. And thank you for doing that review. I think it will help a lot of people when deciding on a possible big scope. We all think about a larger aperture and how it would be nice to have our own big dob. But your review has certainly picked up the size is not everything argument. And has highlighted even if you have a big budget scope of around £3500 mark that you may not get the scope of your dreams and in your case it seems to be reflected in your review that you are very disappointed. I had a similar decision not so long ago as I wanted to start getting into the big dob dream. And had looked into this model as well 16". I am glad after all and especially after your review that I did not opt for this scope and instead decided to go for an Orion Optics uk. The main thing that swung this was the OO build quality is good , but it's the mirror that really swung it in knowing what Quality in pv you have got in your scope. Therefore in the end I did get a 14" 1/10pv and I am very happy with the build quality and pv mirror. I do hope you get your problems with your Stargate sorted out, but this review does highlight that size is not everything.

Hi John ,nice scope. I do like a decent frac , even though 90 percent of the time I do use my dob. Every time I get the frac out it is just such a crisp image( bit like comparing HD TV to standard). I recently got myself a 120 apo frac and so glad I did(even though I then had to spend sometime saving to get a suitable mount). I see that your Sw 120 was turning into a dust catcher . But in all fairness for the money that I paid for my 120 Ed apo(used) compared to the likes of Taks then I am very p!eased with the bang for buck you can get with these skywatcher scopes . I see in a later post you do acknowledge what good value these scopes are ,which is nice to hear from an advanced member with so much knowledge. Your post has got me thinking about if I would go up in aperture. In the short term probably not , longer term maybe and if I did I would probably go for a 150mm frac and have done with it, as I feel I would not want another jump of aperture again. 150 mm I think would satisfy any aperture craving I would have, and still just about be affordable at some point I see you are very happy with the 130 APM TMB which is good to hear . John do you think this will be it now for your frac scopes ,or will the little devil inside us all get the better of you and push for bigger aperture?