Tom Trusock
Reged: 02/26/02
Posts: 27276
Loc: Alternate Reality (TM)
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Link
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There are two theories to arguing with my wife. Neither one works.
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Chris Schroeder
Postmaster
Reged: 12/11/04
Posts: 5078
Loc: N.E. WI Sky Glow
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Great review with plenty of laughs hidden in there T. I see you got me in there a couple of times, and I'm not one of the dawrfs either, unless you consider I'm just short for my weight 
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Chris
Mallincam Color Hyper Plus
10" DSH with SC DSC, CPC 800 XLT
M102ED S.V., ZS 80FD 10th Anniv, ZS 66SD, PST
POD XL3 http://POD.SchroederCity.com
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rboe
Numbfinger
Reged: 03/16/02
Posts: 39464
Loc: Phx, AZ
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Hmm, I wonder if we could get your buddy to visit the All Arizona Star Party with that beast.
A strong case could be made for a permament base for that beast. Some place were Omega Centauri could be viewed. Which would mean it would be far enough away from you so that I could get some eye piece time too. 
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Ron
NS11GPS
Pronto
16" dob
15X70 Obies
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George N
sage
Reged: 05/19/06
Posts: 296
Loc: Binghamton & Indian Lake NY
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Thanks for the great review of a GREAT telescope (made from unobtainium?).
For two years I got to look thru one of the four Obsession 36’s when the owner brought it to Stellafane. I kept calling it "Dobasaurus Rex"! It was at least as big as the famous T Rex, and it was pretty scary staring it in the eye(piece) after climbing up that long ladder in a dark rocky Vermont field. The owner told me that owning a scope like the 36 was a “lifetime commitment like getting married or joining a monastery!” He said that he was thinking of selling it and going back to an Obsession 20, but they all say that! I believe he still owns the scope. I did not see him set it up, but it could be pulled back into its trailer using an electric winch powered by the tow vehicle’s battery. There was also an 8x50 finder on a separate stalk that was at eye level when standing on the ground with the scope pointed nearly straight up.
There’s a guy with a nice home-made 30-inch who has set up next to me the last three times I’ve been to Cherry Springs State Park in PA. I’m glad he’s there ‘cuz all of the people line up at his scope and leave me and my little Obsession 20 alone!
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George N
Obsession 20
Optical Guidance Systems 10" F/9 R-C Cass
6" F/5 & 8" F/8 home-made Newts
MI-250 mount
SBIG STL-1301E CCD
Member, International Dark-Sky Association
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Erix
Toad Lily
Reged: 12/25/04
Posts: 20373
Loc: Ohio, USA
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That night at BEOTS was truly special with the 30", especially shared with such great friends. I'm thrilled he has it. What a deserving person and generous man. 
This was what I kind of thought the 30" would look like with another truss as a finder back when we were anticipating the new arrival. 
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Erika
10" LX200 Classic, ETX70-AT, DS Maxscope 60mm, 12" Truss Dob, Orion ED80, WO Binoviewers, 10x50's and 7x50's Binoculars, Rebel XT 350
Having Fun in the Sun!
More solar fun: 2007 July - tracking NOAA10963
Support bacteria. It's the only culture some people have.
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Marco Meiling
super member
Reged: 04/02/07
Posts: 142
Loc: Hellevoetsluis, Netherlands
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Shall we all put money together to send Tom to Belgium when the 44-inch of Houdini is finished in order to review it? 
The 30-inch made me drool all over, what a scope.
My wife already got a heartattack when I brought the 10-inch in.
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My new scope just arrived from it's maker, and guess what 5 cloudless nights predicted, yippie
Petra: 10-inch homebuilt Dob
Lola: Vixen A70/900f
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Don Allen
member
Reged: 07/07/05
Posts: 32
Loc: Charleston, SC
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Tom,
Incredibly funny review. Thanks.
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Don
SV 102ED SN 52
Giro Alt/Az
NGC Mini-Max
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Tom Trusock
Reged: 02/26/02
Posts: 27276
Loc: Alternate Reality (TM)
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Thanks much for the comments folks. They're all fun to do -although I'm willing to admit this might have been a bit more fun than others.
Dunno, need to spend some more time with the 30" to be sure.
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There are two theories to arguing with my wife. Neither one works.
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gmacln
professor emeritus
Reged: 04/10/06
Posts: 661
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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Tom, you're a lucky man to have access to that kind of equipment. Thanks for sharing. I think you may have created a few new cases of aperture fever!
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Gord
18" Obsession #1390
TeleVue 140
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John Fitzgerald
In Focus
Reged: 01/04/04
Posts: 1218
Loc: AR
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The comment at the end of the review that says "Do not use this telescope to look at the moon "; is that a joke or does it really say that on a sticker? All of them I have seen just say "do not look at the sun with this telescope".
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?
Observing since 1966
Messier Cert #898
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Tom Trusock
Reged: 02/26/02
Posts: 27276
Loc: Alternate Reality (TM)
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John, that's just my warped sense of humor. 
Gord, I am amazingly lucky. And grateful to have some wonderful friends.
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There are two theories to arguing with my wife. Neither one works.
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KWB
Postmaster
Reged: 09/30/06
Posts: 7618
Loc: Westminster,Co Elev.1646Meters
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After reading your report I'd say definately is nice to have friends in the right places. Sometimes it is better when it comes to who you know,rather than what you know when it comes to luck.
I liked your report,Tom. 
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Kenny
"When dealing with a mystery,choose the most unlikely of the likely possibilities"-Sherlock Holmes
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Glassthrower
Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks
Reged: 04/07/05
Posts: 14577
Loc: Hurricane Alley
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Superb review. 
Although dobs are not my cup of tea, this has me wanting some serious aperture.
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Michael Gilmer - Member of the Meteoritical Society & Collector of Falling Stars.
Galactic Stone & Ironworks - Buy/Sell/Trade Meteorites, Moon Rocks, Mars Rocks, & 35 different falls and types!
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half meter
Postmaster
Reged: 05/05/04
Posts: 12507
Loc: Great Lakes
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Quote:
They're all fun to do - although I'm willing to admit this might have been a bit more fun than others.
Dunno, need to spend some more time with the 30" to be sure.
Spending more time with the 30" is a good idea, Tom! Thanks for a very funny and enjoyable read.
Maybe the temptation of the 30" will get Ron and Erika (and some others, too) to relocate somewhere between Tom and me?  
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Gary
Collins I3 (Thin Film) Image Intensifying Eyepiece
Coronado Maxscope DS 90 <0.5A w/BF30
152 mm f/8 TMB/A&M Carbon Fiber APO; f/5 with 4" Borg ED Field Flattener/Reducer
20" Obsession/OMI Mirror/Servocat/Argo Navis
First Light for the 30" Obsession at BEOTS!
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Glassthrower
Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks
Reged: 04/07/05
Posts: 14577
Loc: Hurricane Alley
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So who is going to be the first to mate TWO of these monsters together into the first 30" reverse binoscope? 
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Michael Gilmer - Member of the Meteoritical Society & Collector of Falling Stars.
Galactic Stone & Ironworks - Buy/Sell/Trade Meteorites, Moon Rocks, Mars Rocks, & 35 different falls and types!
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Mr. Bill
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 02/09/05
Posts: 2740
Loc: Just passing through.....
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That's what I like about multi day star parties....get to look through someone else's 25+ inch behemoth without the hassles of ownership....kinda like crewing someone else's sailboat.
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10x50 Fujinon FMT-SX binos
15x70 AP binos + Paragon p-mount
Oberwerk 100BT 45 degree + Hercules fork mount
120mm f/5 Orion achromat + Moonlite focuser
140mm f/5.7 Vixen NeoAchro Petzvel refractor
150mm f/6.5 Antares achromat
150mm f/8 homemade achromat....EE Barnard MW Sweeper
8 inch newt with f/5 Swayze mirror
10 inch f/4.7 Orion newt + Paracorr
15 inch f/5 Discovery split tube
35mm Pan, 26mm Nagler, 17mm Nagler, 13mm Ethos, 8mm Ethos
Member IDA
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ken scharf
sage
Reged: 02/09/08
Posts: 393
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Is it REALLY true that looking at the moon with such a large scope would blind you? If you used the same power as you would with a 6" the exit pupil would be so HUGH that your eye would only get a fraction of the light. At the power that this scope deserves the exit pupil would be within normal eye size but the field is now so narrow that only a fraction of the moon's image (and light) gets to the eyepiece. Now don't tell me that pointing a mirror this large at the moon is going to start a fire. I just gotta see THAT!
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Tom Trusock
Reged: 02/26/02
Posts: 27276
Loc: Alternate Reality (TM)
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No. That was just my warped sense of humor.
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There are two theories to arguing with my wife. Neither one works.
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ken scharf
sage
Reged: 02/09/08
Posts: 393
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Well you know having NEVER even seen a scope larger than 12" let alone looked though one I ALMOST thought it might be possible, though the physics involved said no!
On an unrelated note, wonder if the mythbusters will fall for the *BLEEP* that NASA faked the moon landings. That's what the show this Wed is about.
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Tom Trusock
Reged: 02/26/02
Posts: 27276
Loc: Alternate Reality (TM)
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I gotta remember to TIVO that one.
T
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There are two theories to arguing with my wife. Neither one works.
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