30” Starsplitter Dobsonian has found a new home

[lguise]

Some members may remember seeing that I advertised our 30” Dobsonian for sale a few months back on Astro Buy & Sell. The advert had well over 1000 ‘hits’ and prompted quite a bit of interest, so I thought it might be worth reporting the outcome.

Our reason for sale was that there is just too much light pollution at its present site, coupled with it being too massive to move easily out to a temporary dark site. Our hope was that it would go to someone with a good home site, not too far away from us, so we might still be able to make the occasional observing visit. This would have been the perfect outcome.

Well sometimes opportunities come up that you just don’t expect! After an excellent final night in Bedford observing globular clusters etc with friends from Bedford AS, the 30” was packed up and has now finally reached its new home………………. in a very dark part of La Palma in the Canaries. Yes it’s not just ‘down the road’ unfortunately, but it is in a far better site than anything in the U.K. and those extra degrees of the southern sky will be very interesting. We will be going out to visit it soon. The new owner’s plan includes building accommodation for visitors to stay to use a range of instruments including the 30”. I will update this thread when more detail is available.

Linton

[Fegato]

Marvellous, what a wonderful looking thing!

[Astronomist]

Wow that is massive! Nice that it will be used under a truly dark sky, the view must be breathtaking. 

[NGC 1502]

Here’s hoping for great observing for the new owners of the 30” and whoever visits👍

Many years ago I had the privilege of visiting you.  Phil Stone who lived next door to my father in law gave me that privilege and during full daylight we observed Saturn from the dome. I may be mistaken but I think the instrument was a large SCT with of course go-to enabling object location in day time.

And in 2011 I visited yourself Linton to purchase a used 10” OO Dob, still in use today.

Of course, very sadly I heard of the passing of Phil, a fine example of a friendly character and a wonderful engineer.

Best regards from Ed.

Edited June 18 by NGC 1502
Correction

[TiffsAndAstro]

one day, this will be my guide scope.

[Alan White]

Nice to see the instrument going to an improved home, although sadly so far away.
I will read about its new home no doubt in the near future.
30" and that ladder make my back hurt and my head spin though.

[Emperor!Takahashi!]

Awesome scope. It will transport you to the stars... and any location in the UK or Ireland if you climb in and light the fuse at the bottom.

[LondonNeil]

5 hours ago, TiffsAndAstro said:

one day, this will be my guide scope.

I like your style sir!

 

What a scope! What views that must give and what a wrench it must be to give it up.  I hope you get to visit it often. 

[lunator]

Linton

Excellent news. That scope in dark skies will be awesome: 😀

Better start saving my pennies to visit 😀

[lguise]

The 30” has now been reassembled in La Palma and has been used these last few nights over New Moon. The new owners are just blown away with what they can see. So far they have only viewed objects below 25 degrees altitude though! They need a much taller ladder!

Second shot is just with a mobile phone, imagine having that sky and a 30” outside your back door!

Will post again when I know more about accommodation going forward etc.

Linton

[Swoop1]

Sad because I HAVEN'T got that sky (or the light silo to view it through).

[Xilman]

On 18/06/2024 at 15:33, lguise said:

...  the 30” was packed up and has now finally reached its new home………………. in a very dark part of La Palma in the Canaries. Yes it’s not just ‘down the road’ unfortunately, but it is in a far better site than anything in the U.K.

I beg to differ.

Whereabouts in La Palma? The island is sufficiently small that almost everywhere is just down the road and I would like to pay it a visit sometime, if possible.

Judging by the trees, I'd guess it is on the west side of La Palma. Puntagorda perhaps?

Edited July 8 by Xilman
Add final sentence.

[Xilman]

On 18/06/2024 at 21:26, lunator said:

Better start saving my pennies to visit 😀

If you do visit, please drop me a line. There's a roughly 50% chance I will be in La Palma at the same time. Wherever I am I can provide advice and assistance. It may even be possible to provide accommodation at Tacande Observatory, but no promises on that one.

Paul

[lguise]

Paul,

Yes I see it is ‘just down the road’ for you at least part of the time!

I will drop you a PM, but yes it is around 1000m altitude on the West side of the island at present, but the new owners also have a site further North which is even darker. Their plans are to encourage visitors and to provide a range of scopes and accommodation. They have two observatories on site at present. Hopefully I will be able to give more information after visiting and once they have had time to make their plans firm.

Linton

[Xilman]

12 minutes ago, lguise said:

 yes it is around 1000m altitude on the West side of the island at presentHopefully I will be able to give more information after visiting and once they have had time to make their plans firm.

I am at 760m in the centre of the island, though west of la Cumbre Vieja and therefore on the dry side of La Palma. See http://www.astropalma.com for more information.  Friends of mine live on the north coast at Francesca but the mountains there get in the way of a lot of the sky.

When you visit, please contact me and at the very least we can go out for a beer or intoxicant of your choice.

[Xilman]

Incidentally, there was a 0.8m telescope here three years ago.  8-(

Only a very few kilometres south of me. I got lucky, they didn't.

Edited July 8 by Xilman

[guillaumetmt]

On 18/06/2024 at 16:33, lguise said:

Some members may remember seeing that I advertised our 30” Dobsonian for sale a few months back on Astro Buy & Sell. The advert had well over 1000 ‘hits’ and prompted quite a bit of interest, so I thought it might be worth reporting the outcome.

Our reason for sale was that there is just too much light pollution at its present site, coupled with it being too massive to move easily out to a temporary dark site. Our hope was that it would go to someone with a good home site, not too far away from us, so we might still be able to make the occasional observing visit. This would have been the perfect outcome.

Well sometimes opportunities come up that you just don’t expect! After an excellent final night in Bedford observing globular clusters etc with friends from Bedford AS, the 30” was packed up and has now finally reached its new home………………. in a very dark part of La Palma in the Canaries. Yes it’s not just ‘down the road’ unfortunately, but it is in a far better site than anything in the U.K. and those extra degrees of the southern sky will be very interesting. We will be going out to visit it soon. The new owner’s plan includes building accommodation for visitors to stay to use a range of instruments including the 30”. I will update this thread when more detail is available.

Linton

Dear Linton, it’s an incredible scope, looking at the sky with such an instrument must be magical !!

[Saganite]

Looking through that instrument at our home site  was quite incredible so I can only imagine what it would be like from its new home. Thanks for posting it Linton.

A trip out there will be in my future , I am sure...

[guillaumetmt]

28 minutes ago, Saganite said:

Looking through that instrument at our home site  was quite incredible so I can only imagine what it would be like from its new home. Thanks for posting it Linton.

A trip out there will be in my future , I am sure...

The site of La Palma must be fantastic indeed 👌, 

nothing to do with my sky in the north of France 🫣!

Edited July 28 by guillaumetmt