What's the longest scope you've owned or used.

[mikeDnight]

The 7 & 1/3" Alvan Clark refractor once owned by Stoneyhurst College a few miles from where I live. It was F18 and was superb, but sadly the powers that be sold it to a collector in the US. Then they replaced it with a 15" refractor that is simply the pits, but they are happy because its BIG! 

[Chris]

12 hours ago, Ibbo! said:

owned 8" f 13 newtonian  ( I still have the mirror) planeatry scope with tiny secondary that was used arround the time of the SL/9 impats on Jupiter.

 

2600mm Focal length and a 9" plus tube, that's what I call a big scope! I bit of climbing involves near zenith I should imagine. 

[Chris]

12 hours ago, John said:

My old Istar Perseus 6" F/12 refractor was easily the longest - a beast of a scope to mount although it looked wonderful !

The shortest was probably the Celestron C5 (excluding dew shield) of which I've owned a few over the years.

When John from Peak2Valley optics delivered the big Istar refractor I was amazed at the length of the box that it came in. Even more impressive / daunting was the F/15 6" that he was on his way to deliver to another customer 

 

 

I remember that beast well john, along with the issues mounting it!

[Chris]

11 hours ago, Peter Drew said:

Longest I own is my 30" F4.1, the longest I've used is the 15" refractor at Stonyhurst college, approx 20feet.   ?

We need a shocked face like button for this one!

[Chris]

3 hours ago, nightfisher said:

My longest was the Anteres 105 F15, this was the one with a chip in the lens, and when i got it there was a home made aperture reducer fitted to blank out the chip, this took the scope up to F19, but i removed it taking back to native F15, a lovely scope but just to long to be sensible, glad i owned it though

The dew shield certainly adds to the length, the setup is nearly touching the ceiling. 

[Chris]

2 hours ago, Obsession 30 said:

Obviously my 30” Obsession 

? oh my word! it's over double your height!

[Chris]

1 hour ago, mikeDnight said:

The 7 & 1/3" Alvan Clark refractor once owned by Stoneyhurst College a few miles from where I live. It was F18 and was superb, but sadly the powers that be sold it to a collector in the US. Then they replaced it with a 15" refractor that is simply the pits, but they are happy because its BIG! 

What's wrong with the 15"? is it the figure or focal length?

[Peter Drew]

13 minutes ago, Lockie said:

What's wrong with the 15"? is it the figure or focal length?

I'm hoping to find out in the near future. I'm currently in negotiation with Stonyhurst College to examine the telescope optically and mechanically to see what will be needed to improve its present rather neglected state. The objective certainly needs a clean, rusty water has seeped between the lens components and the rear surface has a layer of dusty grot on it. Like @mikeDnight, I was unimpressed with the performance when I had the opportunity to use it many years ago.

[Chris]

1 minute ago, Peter Drew said:

I'm hoping to find out in the near future. I'm currently in negotiation with Stonyhurst College to examine the telescope optically and mechanically to see what will be needed to improve its present rather neglected state. The objective certainly needs a clean, rusty water has seeped between the lens components and the rear surface has a layer of dusty grot on it. Like @mikeDnight, I was unimpressed with the performance when I had the opportunity to use it many years ago.

I really hope it can be sorted out, a real shame otherwise. 

[ngwillym]

Being mainly an SCT man, longest I owned was probably the 8" f/6 Dark Star Newt,longest used = deffo the 18"/24" Radcliffe twin refractor at eh University of London, Mill Hill when I was doing my degree - http://www.ulo.ucl.ac.uk/telescopes/radcliffe/

Neil