Bob S.
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/14/05
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Zambuto Mirrors
#5669216 - 02/08/13 02:50 PM
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Wow, somebody is going to be a very happy camper and be able to go to the head of the line on a Zambuto Newtonian mirror that Carl listed in the vendor section and ready for delivery. Having owned more Zambuto mirrors than anybody in the world in a lot of different brands of telescopes (I am really not bragging because there is nothing to brag about, it is just a reference fact and please, no flames), I frankly cannot get enough of them and the line for them keeps getting longer as the economy is picking up. I will be picking up my 23rd or 24th ZOC mirror in a Parallax Instruments tube Newtonian tomorrow and have been jonesing for this particular scope/mirror combination for at least a year. It is a 14.5" f/5. I have had several conversations with the original owner since the first month that he got it and he and I will be meeting for a handoff tomorrow. Joe Nastasi of Parallax Instruments is a good guy and a heck of a machinist/mount/scope maker. I have had some pretty spectacular tube Newtonians and they seem to really perform in the right tubes/circumstances. I plan to perform experiments with the scope and determine what combination of improvements will give me the most refractor-like images with that large aperture moving on a German Equatorial Mount. I am thinking of a Mag Lev rear fan that will either be sucking or blowing, a Di Lio baffle, and closed or open rear of the tube. All of these things will tell me through experimentation what is most efficacious in terms of potentially improving the scope's native performance which has already been reported to be very high. I am very excited about this. Sadly, I will not be able to physically handle, in any way, the scope for another week after getting it because of recent cataract surgery. I am going to have to have my neighbors unload everything for me  That is akin to 30 days of clouds to me  Anyway, as they say, "It is all good". Bob
Edited by Bob S. (02/08/13 02:58 PM)
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Jeff Porter
super member
Reged: 09/03/10
Loc: Utah
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Re: Zambuto Mirrors
[Re: Bob S.]
#5669343 - 02/08/13 04:21 PM
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Bob,
Congrats on the new scope and ZOC mirror. I experienced the difference about a year and a half ago when I did a shoot out of two 10" Orion telescopes, one which had a ZOC mirror. Since then I have acquired two of my own, and I am loving every minute of it.
Keep us posted.
Jeff P
Edited by Jeff Porter (02/08/13 04:33 PM)
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CHASLX200
Post Laureate
Reged: 09/29/07
Loc: Tampa area Florida
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Re: Zambuto Mirrors
[Re: Jeff Porter]
#5669358 - 02/08/13 04:27 PM
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I have owned 5 Z mirrors and they are insane for planet viewing in my steady skies with powers over 1000x.
Chas
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City Kid
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/06/09
Loc: Northern Indiana
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Re: Zambuto Mirrors
[Re: Bob S.]
#5669364 - 02/08/13 04:30 PM
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Holy moly! 24 Zambuto mirrors! I own two and I'm very pleased with them. I'm sure I will never come close to 24 though.
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cliff mygatt
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/27/09
Loc: Kitsap County, WA
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Re: Zambuto Mirrors
[Re: City Kid]
#5669403 - 02/08/13 04:49 PM
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I am very pleased with my one Zambuto and have not looked back.
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MDavid
member
Reged: 11/15/11
Loc: 29°N (Texas)
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Re: Zambuto Mirrors
[Re: Bob S.]
#5669423 - 02/08/13 05:01 PM
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Quote:
...Sadly, I will not be able to physically handle, in any way, the scope for another week after getting it because of recent cataract surgery. ...
Did you request any special coatings for your new lens? 
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dscarpa
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 03/15/08
Loc: San Diego Ca.
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Re: Zambuto Mirrors
[Re: Bob S.]
#5669451 - 02/08/13 05:19 PM
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I've got one on order for my Teeter 11" F/5 STS! It's over budget because I decided to swing for SIPS. David
Edited by dscarpa (02/09/13 01:47 PM)
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GeneT
Ely Kid
Reged: 11/07/08
Loc: South Texas
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Re: Zambuto Mirrors
[Re: Bob S.]
#5669586 - 02/08/13 06:36 PM
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Zambutto mirrors are the best of the best.
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Bob S.
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/14/05
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Re: Zambuto Mirrors
[Re: GeneT]
#5669650 - 02/08/13 07:28 PM
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Phil, The number of ZOC mirrors kind of crept up on me. I did not intend to be such a serial user of so many different scopes and sizes of ZOC mirrors but the experiences were soooooo much fun! Mike, I didn't get special coatings but did make sure they were aspheric lenses to cut down on light scatter  And finally, David, You are the first person I have heard of getting a SIPS in an 11" scope and f/5 at that. You sure won't have to worry about coma. That is going to be one wild telescope! Bob
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JimMo
I'd Rather Do It Myself
Reged: 01/08/07
Loc: Under the SE Michigan lightdom...
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Re: Zambuto Mirrors
[Re: Bob S.]
#5669693 - 02/08/13 08:07 PM
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I have always lusted after a Zambuto mirror. When I built my dob Carl didn't yet sell to the general public so I "settled" on an Ed Stevens mirror. AFAIK it was one of the last 14.5" mirrors he made. Someday I hope to retire and get a 20" or 22" sub f4 mirror, either a Lockwood or ???.
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alancygnusx2
professor emeritus
Reged: 11/25/08
Loc: CA
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Re: Zambuto Mirrors
[Re: Bob S.]
#5669707 - 02/08/13 08:15 PM
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Bob,
Congrats! - I am sure you will enjoy your new Zambuto, but I thought you were putting your Junkie ways behind you! 
What you should do is get a 60" Lockwood in a Horizon structure and put that baby in an observatory - viewing with that should cure you of all this buying and selling. It would be the ultimate fix for the ultimate junkie 
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Bob S.
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/14/05
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Re: Zambuto Mirrors
[Re: alancygnusx2]
#5669731 - 02/08/13 08:37 PM
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Poor Jim, You had to settle for a Stevens mirror. Sadly, I had one of those dogs he made for me for a 12.5" f/5 Portaball structure that had been cannabalized during the timeframe you mentioned. I was only able to run it up to 102x/inch of aperture without image breakdown one night here in North Florida on an equatorial platform. That old dog could hunt! It was the highest mag per inch that I have ever gotten out of any Newtonian mirror and Saturn's rings almost cut my eyes before my opthamologist did these past few weeks 
Alan, I have scoured on the Internet for an astrojunkie treatment center and have come up snake-eyes. I would imagine that a 60" Lockwood/Horizon would cure most of what ails me. Unfortunately, the Parallax scope was on my radar before I "changed" my ways? In fact, the original owner said that we had conversed about the scope and I had mentioned that I almost bought it a month before he did. I had forgotten that tidbit. I did make a very atypical decision to start selling a scope for any scope I acquire from here on out. Sheesh, I have been blessed with the opportunity to be the steward of so many fine scopes over the past 11 years. One of the things that I know you know first hand with your new quartz ZOC mirror is that Zambuto mirrors have a very special level of performance that has been significantly additive to our spiritual/quasi-scientific/entertainment adventures in astronomy. There are only a rarified few opticians that I think can hang with Carl and for the amount of mirrors he has produced professionally, I don't think he has a peer. Bob
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Jeff Morgan
Post Laureate
Reged: 09/28/03
Loc: Prescott, AZ
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Re: Zambuto Mirrors
[Re: cliff mygatt]
#5669772 - 02/08/13 09:09 PM Attachment (70 downloads)
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Here is the scope that contains my very first Zambuto - awaiting good weather in northern Arizona for First Light.
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Bob S.
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/14/05
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Re: Zambuto Mirrors
[Re: Jeff Morgan]
#5669802 - 02/08/13 09:29 PM
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Jeff, That is a beautiful telescope!!! I would sure love to live nearby to witness first light. Man, that is a really loaded, somewhat minimalist scope. Talk about your 21st century time machine. Please do give us an extensive write-up on your first light experience along with a ton of pictures describing how you built that beauty. Bob
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JimMo
I'd Rather Do It Myself
Reged: 01/08/07
Loc: Under the SE Michigan lightdom...
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Re: Zambuto Mirrors
[Re: Jeff Morgan]
#5669807 - 02/08/13 09:34 PM
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Wow. Nice job Jeff. Can you give some vital stats? Weight? Mirror size?
Cheers,
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JimMo
I'd Rather Do It Myself
Reged: 01/08/07
Loc: Under the SE Michigan lightdom...
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Re: Zambuto Mirrors
[Re: Bob S.]
#5669830 - 02/08/13 09:51 PM
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Quote:
Poor Jim, You had to settle for a Stevens mirror. Sadly, I had one of those dogs he made for me for a 12.5" f/5 Portaball structure that had been cannabalized during the timeframe you mentioned. I was only able to run it up to 102x/inch of aperture without image breakdown one night here in North Florida on an equatorial platform. That old dog could hunt! It was the highest mag per inch that I have ever gotten out of any Newtonian mirror and Saturn's rings almost cut my eyes before my opthamologist did these past few weeks
Bob
Yeah, well I like dogs and Ed made me a good one. In my *BLEEP* skies which are usually located under the jet stream I've only had few nights with really good seeing when I could go over 500x. I'd like to get down and observe at Chiefland sometime to experience some of those steady skies you are blessed with.
Cheers,
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plyscope
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 11/23/06
Loc: Perth, West Australia
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Re: Zambuto Mirrors
[Re: Jeff Morgan]
#5670001 - 02/09/13 12:25 AM
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That looks first class Jeff and up to your usual high standard. 
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Damo636
sage
Reged: 08/16/11
Loc: Ireland
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Re: Zambuto Mirrors
[Re: plyscope]
#5670150 - 02/09/13 04:50 AM
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Beautiful scope Jeff!!
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starman345
Wait, I'm Thinking
Reged: 07/06/10
Loc: New Brunswick, Canada
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Re: Zambuto Mirrors
[Re: Damo636]
#5670254 - 02/09/13 08:04 AM
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Scope Looks great Jeff!
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Jeff Morgan
Post Laureate
Reged: 09/28/03
Loc: Prescott, AZ
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Re: Zambuto Mirrors
[Re: Bob S.]
#5670376 - 02/09/13 09:38 AM
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Thanks Bob. I'm still debating on whether or not to do a finder scope. The big question is how much to trust ServoCAT. My first time with it you see. The structure is ling enough that I can sight down the length close enough to get my first two guide stars.
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Jeff Morgan
Post Laureate
Reged: 09/28/03
Loc: Prescott, AZ
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Re: Zambuto Mirrors
[Re: JimMo]
#5670395 - 02/09/13 09:47 AM
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Wow. Nice job Jeff. Can you give some vital stats? Weight? Mirror size?
Cheers,
I can dig out all the weights and distances Monday or Tuesday (trying to get out the door to the airport as I type!), but here are the component basics:
- 16" f/7 Zambuto primary;
- Aurora Precision cell;
- Moonlight connectors, tubes to be foam-filled (pending warmer weather and focus testing);
- Wood construction is balsa honeycomb with 1/16" aircraft grade Finnish Birch skin;
- ServoCAT drive system;
- Moonlight focuser with filter slide. The slide resides outside of the flockboard light shield so as not to add obstruction to the light path (easy to do with a long skinny light cone); and
- Protostar 2.6" quartz diagonal and 4 vane spider.
The scope was originally going to be a 12.5" f/9 to replace a 12.5" f/6. In talking with Carl Zambuto he suggested given the money involved, I really should move up in aperture too. I always felt that galaxies was the one type of target I really needed more of, and going to 16" would give me just the right bump.
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turtle86
Pooh-Bah Everywhere Else
Reged: 10/09/06
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Re: Zambuto Mirrors
[Re: Jeff Morgan]
#5670407 - 02/09/13 09:53 AM
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Beautiful scope--a planet killer and galaxy killer all in one.
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The Planetman
sage
Reged: 01/27/06
Loc: Western KY
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Re: Zambuto Mirrors
[Re: turtle86]
#5670420 - 02/09/13 10:04 AM Attachment (24 downloads)
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I have a Galaxy (Jerry Wilkinson) 18" f/5.5 - 99.8" FL. Absolutely stunning images.....
This 18" that Carl is offering would make someone an absolutely killer scope!
I love the image scale. Globular clusters are mind blowing!!
Planetary? You just have to see it to believe it.....
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CHASLX200
Post Laureate
Reged: 09/29/07
Loc: Tampa area Florida
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Re: Zambuto Mirrors
[Re: The Planetman]
#5670620 - 02/09/13 12:09 PM
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Quote:
I have a Galaxy (Jerry Wilkinson) 18" f/5.5 - 99.8" FL. Absolutely stunning images.....
This 18" that Carl is offering would make someone an absolutely killer scope!
I love the image scale. Globular clusters are mind blowing!!
Planetary? You just have to see it to believe it.....
I would love to have that Dob for high power planet work.
Chas
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Jeff Morgan
Post Laureate
Reged: 09/28/03
Loc: Prescott, AZ
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Re: Zambuto Mirrors
[Re: JimMo]
#5691319 - 02/20/13 04:49 PM Attachment (13 downloads)
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Quote:
Wow. Nice job Jeff. Can you give some vital stats? Weight? Mirror size?
Cheers,
Thanks. Life has been complicated lately and it took a while to pull the numbers together. Looking back at the original plans, I hit my numbers reasonably well. Attached is a .jpg with most of the vitals.
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JimMo
I'd Rather Do It Myself
Reged: 01/08/07
Loc: Under the SE Michigan lightdom...
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Re: Zambuto Mirrors
[Re: Jeff Morgan]
#5691379 - 02/20/13 05:30 PM
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Thanks Jeff. She sure is a beauty. I was just admiring it in another thread. Cheers!
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jpcannavo
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/21/05
Loc: Long Island New York
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Re: Zambuto Mirrors
[Re: Jeff Morgan]
#5692311 - 02/21/13 07:53 AM
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Jeff
Did you say 16" at F7! And I thought I was slow! Wonder if a 2.1" secondary would have still been adequate? I guess a paracorr will never be straining your budget! Nice work!
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Jeff Morgan
Post Laureate
Reged: 09/28/03
Loc: Prescott, AZ
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Re: Zambuto Mirrors
[Re: jpcannavo]
#5693318 - 02/21/13 06:44 PM
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Jeff
Did you say 16" at F7! And I thought I was slow! Wonder if a 2.1" secondary would have still been adequate? I guess a paracorr will never be straining your budget! Nice work!
Always trade-offs. I thought a bit about the 2.14", and at first I wanted to make it work. But there were a couple of factors to consider:
1) A 2.6" already gets me below the commonly accepted obstruction threshold of 20%;
2) I wanted to take the hassle-factor out of filter use by doing the slide. Using a larger diagonal to push the focal plane further out (easy to do with that skinny light cone) and allows me mount the slide well outside of the incoming light instead of becoming a huge obstruction; and
3) At 2800 mm focal length, I wanted to fully feed an eyepiece for maximum true field. Even with my 31 Nagler I'll only be getting about 0.8 degrees! Going with the 2.14" diagonal would have been pushing it in terms of illumination (a downside of that skinny light cone).
One of the things on my mind has been the AstroSytems diagonal holder. I may order another spider and holder to swap out for evaluation and it would present the opportunity to try a 2.14 diagonal.
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