Tom Trusock
Reged: 02/26/02
Posts: 33846
|
|
Quote:
Bottom line, you're in an exponentially better position to evaluate this product than me. If you say its a new classic, I accept your opinion. My question was entirely about the target market for this product. I'm not going anywhere with this.
No biggie, I was just wondering what you were referring to and what I was missing.
FWIW, the title is a bit of a play on words; IE the "old" obsession is now the "Classic" so...
--------------------
You do not need a parachute to skydive, you only need a parachute to skydive twice...
|
Tom Trusock
Reged: 02/26/02
Posts: 33846
|
|
Quote:
Tom,
You perfectly defined my needs. I regularly attend star parties (I use a piece of AstroTurf to control dust). I need to drive to reach dark skies. I do not want to limit my vehicle choices to SUVs. The idea of more aperture for less weight and bulk is very appealing to me. I'm in my mid-50s and think that a lighter scope is a great long term choice for me. Setup seems to be even easier than with the Classic Obsession.
I find the Plettstone mirror too exposed for my comfort (especially for stray light, sneezes and dropped objcets), but have no reservations about the UC arrangement. I know that this scope will not be everyone's dream - but for me it represents an exciting alternative.
Jim,
I think you've nailed Dave's target audience and the raison d'etre for this scope. He knows full well it's not for everyone - he's not discontinuing the classics, this is just another option for folks.
FWIW, as I see it, the two biggest downsides to the plettstone are the lack of a shroud, and the three pole design. There are still some issues with mirror exposure on the UC, but I think a shroud is a must have for just that reason. It's very nice to have some additional choices.
--------------------
You do not need a parachute to skydive, you only need a parachute to skydive twice...
|
Arief
super member
Reged: 06/02/04
Posts: 441
|
|
Nice review, Tom.
What's wrong with the three pole design?
--------------------
Arief
10" f/6.1 Swayze
7" f/5.5 Raycraft
6" Intes MK67 f/12 MCT
4.5" TMB 115 f/7 Triplet APO
|
Tom Trusock
Reged: 02/26/02
Posts: 33846
|
|
Quote:
Nice review, Tom.
What's wrong with the three pole design?
Flexture. A truss has better stability.
--------------------
You do not need a parachute to skydive, you only need a parachute to skydive twice...
|
Tom Karpf
super member
Reged: 11/18/05
Posts: 162
Loc: Newington, CT
|
|
Quote:
Quote:
I'm trying to figure out the target market for this scope.
For starters -
People with small fuel efficient vehicles who need to drive to a dark site
People who (for one reason or another) have size constraints on their telescope - either in use or storage
People who are unable to lift or manuver the standard style 18" dobs (this is far far lighter).
People who travel to star parties often.
People who are lousy ATM'ers.
I'm definitely in this target audience. Even the 18" sounds like it will be MUCH more portable than my home-built 8" f/7 (and would, consequently, be used more often than my 8").
Hopefully Dave will still be building telescopes in a couple of years when I can finally afford this.
--------------------
Thomas Karpf
Secretary - Astronomical Society of Greater Hartford
8" f/6.8 homemade Dobsonian with home-made mirror
Dynamax 6" Schmidt-Cassegrain
ETX-90 RA Maksutov-Cassegrain
ETX-70 Achromatic refractor
|
Starman1
Vendor (EyepiecesEtc.com)
Reged: 06/24/03
Posts: 17639
Loc: Los Angeles
|
|
Quote:
That said, my new truck is larger than my old Durango. Gets better gas millage as well. However, I don't think I could fit my 18" classic into any car on the market - truck, van or SUV required.
T
Steve Overholt drove his 30" dob to RTMC and Mt. Pinos one year in a Ford Festiva. When he slid the mirror box in and saw it missed the wheel wells by an inch on each side, he smacked his forehead and said, "I could've had a 32"!!"
With creative packing, the 18" Classic would fit in my VW GTI (I could carry 2 15s). The issue is the length of the poles, not the mirror box (not to mention lifting it in and out).
A friend of mine has a Honda Fit (European: Jazz) that has enough room in the back for a 20".
I used to sell backpacks, and the tendency of customers to buy grossly over-sized backpacks to carry their goods was known in that industry as the "backpack phenomenon". I think Americans buy their cars the same way--the number of people who actually fill the space in their cars with what they carry is very small.
Now, if you have a lot of gear, and kids, and you're headed out for several days, there's always a justification for a larger vehicle. But there are also roof racks and roof containers, and even small trailers for smaller cars.
But I've paid attention to how fully packed most people's vehicles are when they show up at Mt. Pinos for a night or two of observing, and, almost without exception, smaller cars could have packed everything brought.
I guess you could say the Obsession UC just gets better mileage. 
--------------------
Don Pensack
www.EyepiecesEtc.com
12.5" Teeter/Zambuto, 5" Maksutov
Sustaining Lifetime IDA member
|
JimW
professor emeritus
Reged: 08/31/04
Posts: 696
Loc: Mansfield, Texas
|
|
tonyd,
Over on the TSP CN thread, they report that the 18" UC weighs 60 or 65 pounds, with the mirror representing 42 of that.
--------------------
Jim Walsh
18" Obsession UC #1 AN/SC
SV90T (Stardust Blue)
DM-6 mount (on order)
PST
Leupold Wind River 8x42
|
Tom Trusock
Reged: 02/26/02
Posts: 33846
|
|
Quote:
Now, if you have a lot of gear, and kids, and you're headed out for several days,
This is usually the case for me.
--------------------
You do not need a parachute to skydive, you only need a parachute to skydive twice...
|
JAT Observatory
NOT a Wimp
Reged: 02/20/05
Posts: 8893
Loc: In the Primordial Soup
|
|
I like the design. I have always wanted a big Dob. I guess I shouldn't ask what something like that might cost?
--------------------
-Marcus
Hey what did you expect? After all, I am just a pig with a nice smile!
www.jatobservatory.org
|
JimW
professor emeritus
Reged: 08/31/04
Posts: 696
Loc: Mansfield, Texas
|
|
Marcus,
The cost is the same as the Classic Obsession 18" with the Feathertouch focuser upgrade. As with the Classsic, the shroud is an option.
--------------------
Jim Walsh
18" Obsession UC #1 AN/SC
SV90T (Stardust Blue)
DM-6 mount (on order)
PST
Leupold Wind River 8x42
|
Tom Trusock
Reged: 02/26/02
Posts: 33846
|
|
Aye sir!
--------------------
You do not need a parachute to skydive, you only need a parachute to skydive twice...
|
Downward Bound
Adrenaline Junkie
Reged: 03/29/06
Posts: 3106
Loc: Seattle
|
|
Quote:
I'm trying to figure out the target market for this scope.
For starters -
People with small fuel efficient vehicles who need to drive to a dark site ME
People who (for one reason or another) have size constraints on their telescope - either in use or storage ME
People who are unable to lift or manuver the standard style 18" dobs (this is far far lighter).
People who travel to star parties often. ME
People who are lousy ATM'ers. Definitely ME
I'm in the target audience, ME too!! 
--------------------
Bill
'flectors: R200SS, Webster/Kennedy 22" f/3.6
'fractors: PST, AT-66, TV-85, FS-102, APM/TMB-152
'bins: 15x63, 10x50, 10x52, 22x85
410+028B, Sphinx, Telepod, EZ Touch, G-11
|
Downward Bound
Adrenaline Junkie
Reged: 03/29/06
Posts: 3106
Loc: Seattle
|
|
Thanks for the great review Tom 
Any word on ETA???? (sorry if I missed it in the review)
--------------------
Bill
'flectors: R200SS, Webster/Kennedy 22" f/3.6
'fractors: PST, AT-66, TV-85, FS-102, APM/TMB-152
'bins: 15x63, 10x50, 10x52, 22x85
410+028B, Sphinx, Telepod, EZ Touch, G-11
|
ckwastro
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 11/23/05
Posts: 1192
Loc: Tempe, AZ
|
|
Quote:
Quote:
Nice review, Tom.
What's wrong with the three pole design?
Flexture. A truss has better stability.
Tom, thanks for the very nice review - I've been looking forward to hearing about it.
FWIW, my friend had the 12.5" Plettstone and it is far more solid & stable than it looks IMHO. I used the scope a lot over 2 years when we observed together, and he never had to recollimate, nor were star images deformed in any way while moving the scope. Vibrations were not an issue either, and the scope took mags well into the 500x range and above. I can't speak to the other sizes, but the 12.5" was solid as a rock.
--------------------
Kerry
- Astro-Physics 92mm f/7 Stowaway
- Takahashi Mewlon 210
- Denkmeier BV
- Giro III mount
- Brandon, Nagler, Leica single EPs, UO Ortho and Edmund RKE Binoviewer sets
|
JimW
professor emeritus
Reged: 08/31/04
Posts: 696
Loc: Mansfield, Texas
|
|
Bill,
Dave told me that he is shooting to have 18" Obsession UC #1 ready for me in time for the Okie-Tex star party in October.
--------------------
Jim Walsh
18" Obsession UC #1 AN/SC
SV90T (Stardust Blue)
DM-6 mount (on order)
PST
Leupold Wind River 8x42
|
ckwastro
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 11/23/05
Posts: 1192
Loc: Tempe, AZ
|
|
Quote:
Quote:
I'm trying to figure out the target market for this scope.
I'm in the target audience, ME too!!
I'm a definite candidate for the target audience. Always lots of gear that must be stored inside the house rather than the garage, so more compact is better. After doing this with my old 14.5, moving a classic 18 or 20 through doors and down hallways, then another 100 feet to the car cannot be all that much fun. And the SUV is always packed to the nines anyway for the observing trips.
I prefer the classic truss, but as I get older, I'm more tempted to consider the UC/UL designs for easier storage, moving, and transporting.
--------------------
Kerry
- Astro-Physics 92mm f/7 Stowaway
- Takahashi Mewlon 210
- Denkmeier BV
- Giro III mount
- Brandon, Nagler, Leica single EPs, UO Ortho and Edmund RKE Binoviewer sets
|
hoof
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 04/07/05
Posts: 1523
Loc: Redmond, WA
|
|
I have a very compact car, and used to own a 12.5" truss dob that barely fit into the passenger seat of my 2-seater. It looks like I might finally have found a 'scope in the 15" range that can fit into my car (when Obsession starts selling the 15"). As an aside, 62lbs for an 18" scope? That's insane (only 20lbs heaver than my current 8").
I thought I was done buying 'scopes. The old 12.5" truss dob I had was just too heavy (shouldn't be a problem for the 15" UC), so sat around doing nothing most of the time. But this seems like it might be a nice replacement, and I'd get a "bigger" 'scope to boot. Plus, with Obsession doing this, the ultra-light ultra-compact 'scope market might finally take off.
One question: Can those handles on the side of the 'scopes be positioned elsewhere? They look to add 1" or more to the width of the 'scope. Since width is my primary factor, that could mean the differece between fitting and not fitting in my passenger seat.
--------------------
Jonathan Hoof
15" F/4.14 Discovery Truss
8" F/5.9 Orion XT8i
6" F/6 Intes-Micro MN66
127mm F/7.5 Meade APO
80mm F/7.5 Orion 80ED
18x50 IS Canon binoculars
|
Daniel Mounsey
Vendor - Celestron
Reged: 06/12/02
Posts: 4899
|
|
Tom,
That's sweet. Astronomy Technology Today did a preview on it too. I think it's a fantastic idea.
--------------------
|
JimW
professor emeritus
Reged: 08/31/04
Posts: 696
Loc: Mansfield, Texas
|
|
Daniel,
I agree. Just look at this thread - as I write this, it has been 19 hours since Tom posted his review and there have been 347 hits and 37 posts. That's quite a bit of buzz over a new product that represents a significant investment for most of us.
--------------------
Jim Walsh
18" Obsession UC #1 AN/SC
SV90T (Stardust Blue)
DM-6 mount (on order)
PST
Leupold Wind River 8x42
|
ScottAz
Fleet Navigator
Reged: 02/06/05
Posts: 1243
Loc: Kenosha, Wisconsin
|
|
Thanks, Tom! As per a previous exchange, I guess you really don't ever sleep! 
--------------------
Scott Azmus
18" Obsession
NexStar 11 GPS
Celestron 8SE
AT80ED (f/7)
Many Views Yield Truth
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
[Re: 
Edit
Reply
Quote
