16" Sumerian Canopus

[Mike73]

Just received these photos of my new Sumerian Canopus this afternoon so its all finished and ready to be shipped to the UK on Monday!!

So I'm just a tad excited about this.......I may of mentioned it once or twice recently in different threads and the Mrs has been giving me the thousand yard stare every time I have mentioned 'new telescope' but I just cant wait to get this into some dark skies!!

16" Sumerian Canopus f/4.5 1820mm

[earth titan]

WOW.

Nuff said!

Looks brilliant. I'm hoping you provide lots of reviews when it arrives.

Typed by me on my fone, using fumms... Excuse eny speling errurs.

[beamish]

Mike I do hope that this isn't a totally ludicrous question but.... are the mirrors included in the price ?? cos if the answer is yes then that is one hell a great buy !

[E621Keith]

That is a beauty Mike. I can't wait to hear your first light report.

Are you going to SGL8 and will you bring it?

Mike I do hope that this isn't a totally ludicrous question but.... are the mirrors included in the price ?? cos if the answer is yes then that is one hell a great buy !

Optics are optional on Sumerian Dobs. The €1.6k price tag is for the 16" structure. GSO optics (i.e. the ones used in Lightbridge) cost a additional €1k. Having said that I'd say the structure is worth the small premium over a Lightbridge 16. The is also options for premium mirrors which cost considerably more.

[beamish]

ta , beautiful piece of engineering, add the Go-To facilty and wowser !!

[Mike73]

That is a beauty Mike. I can't wait to hear your first light report.

Are you going to SGL8 and will you bring it?

I'd really like to make it up to SGL8 Keith but its a long trip up from Cornwall, maybe be one day but I'II definately go to the SW star party on Exmoor if it happens again.

[Moonshane]

seriously Mike, that's a stunning scope. the work that's gone into it is remarkable.

[LukeSuppalot]

Cracking scope Mike, and perfect timing. You should get the scope just in time for the first new moon after the clocks have gone back.

Nicely done.

[KevUU]

Good god, what an insane piece of kit!

Try to keep the drool away from the primary when you set it up

Have fun (not that you need encouragement to with that setup!)

[m.tweedy]

I have longed for one of these scopes. How do you clean the writing off the primary-surely it must affect the view.

:p

[Beulah]

Ahhhh - I'll be back when I can remove the green filters from my eyes...

[Mike73]

How do you clean the writing off the primary-surely it must affect the view.

I presume he supplies a scouring pad and window cleaner??

(Ohhhhh I actually cringed after I wrote that!! )

[Daniel-K]

awesome scope no doubt you will need a dew cover though

[Mike73]

awesome scope no doubt you will need a dew cover though

I've got a shroud to cover the trusses and the secondary is heated so it should be ok.

[m.tweedy]

Joking aside it is one serious scope. I am not envious just pleased for you. I just hope the skies clear for you to use it when you get it. Now where are the full set of Ethos to go in it? It is just a pity we live at opposite ends of the country as I would have loved to try my Ethos 21 in it.

[swamp thing]

Mike, that is a seriously nice bit of kit.

Congratulations and enjoy it.

[Bart]

very, very, nice. Good luck and enjoy that fine piece of engineering

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Looks awesome. I'll keep my fingers crossed for some clear skies.

[DirkSteele]

Looks like a fantastic piece of engineering. I look forward to a first light report and in depth review in the future.

Clear skies,

[skybadger]

Have they changed the upper ring from a single flat ring to a cylinder ? I'm sure I saw one at Kelling that was smaller and had the focuser hanging underneath the secondary ring with stiffening supports.

I just mention it because that looks like a chunky eyepiece to be hanging off the top !

Waiting for the report ..

Mike

[E621Keith]

Have they changed the upper ring from a single flat ring to a cylinder ? I'm sure I saw one at Kelling that was smaller and had the focuser hanging underneath the secondary ring with stiffening supports.

I just mention it because that looks like a chunky eyepiece to be hanging off the top !

Waiting for the report ..

Mike

May be you are confusing the Canopus with the Alkaid suitcase dob? The latter has a flat ring secondary cage and is available up to 14".

[Mike73]

Have they changed the upper ring from a single flat ring to a cylinder ? I'm sure I saw one at Kelling that was smaller and had the focuser hanging underneath the secondary ring with stiffening supports.

I just mention it because that looks like a chunky eyepiece to be hanging off the top !

Waiting for the report ..

Mike

Yep sounds like the Alkaid to me which is a different model to mine.

Balance issues was something that I wanted to get right, I told Sumerian that I wanted to use a 26mm Nagler, Paracorr ,12x60 TS Finder and there solution was to spread Alt bearings. This was all checked in the final assembly so it should be correctly set up when I receive it.

I would like to say that customer service from Sumerian has been fantastic, it truly is a custom telescope built around what I had in mind and his experience of building these scopes.

There isnt alot of reviews on the Canopus around, a couple on some Dutch forums which I had to translate but I couldnt find any English reviews so I will give a full review with all the details as soon as I get my hands on it which will hopefully be before the weekend.

Thanks for the comments gents.

[Moonshane]

this is one of the things that they seem to get very right and e.g. Skywatcher etc get so wrong. a large alt bearing (generally matched to the ground board in diameter) will make a scope much easier to balance.

that said, balancing any dob built in this way is always a challenge.

[Beulah]

MIke,

Detailed pics please when you get it.

[Matthew]

Thats is a awesome looking scope Mike,i hope you can make SGL8 i'd love to see it in the flesh.