What is Your Droolworthy Telescope?

[AstroKriss]

2 minutes ago, Mandy D said:

That's a nice setup.

Thanks, only recently finished building my DIY observatory... If you want to take a look: (https://astrokriss.com/observatory-build/)

[AstroKriss]

5 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

I agree with Mr Spock. A 250mm apochromat would be the ultimate observatory set-up. It would have to have a nice observatory building and dome to complement it though! My first choice would be a 250mm Takahashi on a Tak equatorial.

and just to give a sense of scale:

 

A close second would be an observatory set-up like this

I like Takahashi!!!

Crikey, what a beast... I can't begin to imagine what that must cost lol....

[Mandy D]

11 minutes ago, AstroKriss said:

Thanks, only recently finished building my DIY observatory... If you want to take a look: (https://astrokriss.com/observatory-build/)

Interesting read. It looks like a very nice job you've made of it, especially considering your limited experience in building such things.

[AstroKriss]

5 minutes ago, Mandy D said:

Interesting read. It looks like a very nice job you've made of it, especially considering your limited experience in building such things.

Thanks, now looking forward to some clear dark nights of the UK winter (fingers crossed) 

[RobertI]

Some droolworthy telescopes here to be sure, I’d love a really big frac in an observatory in my back yard, but to be honest, I’d prefer to use my 4” APO on top of that mountain in Chile!  

[Paul M]

Yeah, it'd be all about the location and usability for me.

My own 10" RC scope would be great on an observatory class mount, in a remote observatory, far away from cloudland UK.

It's not the scope that limits my enjoyment, it's the light pollution, weather and endless summer daylight that spoil it for me.

[Ags]

I don't often look at super-telescopes, I mostly confine my drooling to telescopes I might conceivably get - which turns out to be the most expensive form of drooling! Far better to to fantasize about the completely unobtainable...

Currently I think a lot about a 10" synscan dob. It should be great for planetary imaging and for visual browsing of the Moon. I can also continue my alt-az lucky imaging of DSOs with it.

[John]

This may sound a little immodest but I will put forward my 130mm F/9.2 LZOS triplet refractor on the T-Rex mount. I have been a great admirer of Sir Patrick Moore's Cooke 5 inch refractor (see my avatar) for many years and I was so pleased to be able to get something along those lines of my own a few years ago. The objective was designed by the late Thomas M Back and executed by LZOS in Russia. The tube was assembled by APM in Germany and the focuser is a Starlight Feather Touch. The T-Rex alt-azimuth mount was designed and built by a highly skilled Japanese engineer on behalf of the Kokusai Kohki company in Japan. When the engineer sadly passed away in 2016, the design and build capability went with him.

From discussions with Markus Ludes at APM I reckon there have been no more than 150 of these telescopes made since they were launched in late 2005. The relatively slow (for a triplet) focal ratio is a result of the objective being designed especially for the visual planetary and lunar observer. 

While I have greatly admired larger aperture refractors, the 130 F/9.2 is readily useable, and on the T-Rex mount can be moved around without much trouble and it's performance is simply the best that I have experienced, inch for inch, from any telescope 🙂

 

  

 

Edited September 20, 2023 by John

[Mandy D]

1 hour ago, John said:

This may sound a little immodest but I will put forward my 130mm F/9.2 LZOS triplet refractor on the T-Rex mount. I have been a great admirer of Sir Patrick Moore's Cooke 5 inch refractor (see my avatar) for many years and I was so pleased to be able to get something along those lines of my own a few years ago. The objective was designed by the late Thomas M Back and executed by LZOS in Russia. The tube was assembled by APM in Germany and the focuser is a Starlight Feather Touch. The T-Rex alt-azimuth mount was designed and built by a highly skilled Japanese engineer on behalf of the Kokusai Kohki company in Japan. When the engineer sadly passed away in 2016, the design and build capability went with him.

From discussions with Markus Ludes at APM I reckon there have been no more than 150 of these telescopes made since they were launched in late 2005. The relatively slow (for a triplet) focal ratio is a result of the objective being designed especially for the visual planetary and lunar observer. 

While I have greatly admired larger aperture refractors, the 130 F/9.2 is readily useable, and on the T-Rex mount can be moved around without much trouble and it's performance is simply the best that I have experienced, inch for inch, from any telescope 🙂

 

  

 

Wow! That one is certainly worthy of being on the lsit, if only for the story and people behind it. I love that it bends international frontiers and that you ended up with such a superb instrument. The small quantities in which it was produced certainly make it more interesting, too. Thank you for sharing this one with us.

[Stu]

Just seen this thread, and will copy John to a degree. I have wanted one of these scopes for a long time, always missing out by either being too slow or not having the cash available at the time. Finally the stars aligned and one came up which I could collect on my way home from Dartford to Somerset and I had enough cash available to fund it. At some point, hopefully not too far in the future I will venture North and collect ‘The Beast’ aka the 150mm f10 PST mod from Mr Drew, and also a very nice Feathertouch focuser from David for the Tak, then it really will be perfection.

 

[Deadlake]

A dream scope is one you have chased after and then it arrives.

For example a LZOS 130 mm F6 with a Kruppax tube to stop dewing and the tube freezing.

I have larger mirrored scops, however for being able to relatively easily take the scope out, align and view and the sharpness on planets and widefield this scope gives a lot of flexibility. Larger mirrored scopes allow to see deeper, the view does not have the pristine view of the LZOS.

Would I like a larger APO, of course however any scope  over 130 mm needs a dedicated observatory IMHO to offset the setup time.

Edited September 20, 2023 by Deadlake

[GalaxyGael]

Those early space-age Takahashi ultra mounts and Tri piers are stunning. 70s space age personified.

Always liked the kruppax tubed tmb lzos classics with the far too heavy grey focusers, and the astreya quads. The 100mm f/8 is ice pure visually. Built better than tanks.

 

[stuy]

I’ve found my  drool worthy scope 9” lzos  apo and the 10” maknewt ain’t bad e

[Mandy D]

@stuy Awesome!

[John]

I wonder what the largest aperture apo refractor in private hands in the UK is ?

@stuy's must be right up there - it's magnificent 😁

[stuy]

10 minutes ago, John said:

I wonder what the largest aperture apo refractor in private hands in the UK is ?

@stuy's must be right up there - it's magnificent 😁

As far  as I know there isn’t another 9” lzos here may be wrong , a few 8”

tho I think, it really is a pleasure to use planetary view in good seeing is quite extraordinary the contrast is incredible especially in the binoviewer! It’s a lump that’s for sure ! But stays in observatory but the mak newt is portable just!!

[Mandy D]

21 minutes ago, stuy said:

As far  as I know there isn’t another 9” lzos here may be wrong , a few 8”

tho I think, it really is a pleasure to use planetary view in good seeing is quite extraordinary the contrast is incredible especially in the binoviewer! It’s a lump that’s for sure ! But stays in observatory but the mak newt is portable just!!

I was just drooling over the Skywatcher 190MN and am seriously tempted to get one for AP. What size is your MN?

[stuy]

36 minutes ago, Mandy D said:

I was just drooling over the Skywatcher 190MN and am seriously tempted to get one for AP. What size is your MN?

It’s a  intes micro 10” f5.5 

[Mandy D]

@stuy That, also, is droolworthy. I think it's probably beyond my budget, too. But, budget is not what this thread is about.

[John]

Lots of droolworthy instruments together at the Giovale Public Observing Deck at the Lowell Observatory. This was just being completed when we visited the observatory back in 2019. I think the smallest scope there is a TEC 140 triplet and the largest a 32 inch dobsonian:

 

 

 

[RobertI]

40 minutes ago, John said:

Lots of droolworthy instruments together at the Giovale Public Observing Deck at the Lowell Observatory. This was just being completed when we visited the observatory back in 2019. I think the smallest scope there is a TEC 140 triplet and the largest a 32 inch dobsonian:

 

 

 

I think I need to make a pilgrimage to this place John. Amazing. 

[bish]

25" obsession. I need to ignore that storage and transportation would be a pain.

[Concordia000]

It’d be a Takahashi TOA-130 or 150 for me, coupled with a FSQ-106ED, an AP Stowaway/traveller and a new Vixen VSD90. 

[niallk]

I'd love to look through one of these:

https://luntsolarsystems.com/product-category/universal-and-solar-telescopes/dedicated-solar-lunt-telescopes/305mm-h-alpha-solar-telescopes/

Though at €84,000 I'd be afraid to touch it...

[niallk]

On 26/09/2023 at 20:44, bish said:

25" obsession. I need to ignore that storage and transportation would be a pain.

Looked thru a 20" one once.  Also saw the ramps collapse as the owner was unloading from the back of an estate car and the mirror box crashed down about 2 feet.   That cured my dob aperture fever!!

 

These days I'd drool over dark, transparent, good seeing conditions more than equipment.!

Edited September 30, 2023 by niallk