rwiederrich
Goldfinger
Reged: 11/17/05
Posts: 5870
Loc: Bremerton Washington
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I will post pics later...but guess what came today......?
The biggest GEM you have ever seen. It has 3" solid steal shafts a counter weight the size of a basketball, and an 11" Buyers Gear drive It came with the controller as well.
It is mounted on a 10-11" steel pier with three legs with rollers. It held a 15" newt.
It is massive. I will check and see if there are any identifying marks. But I don't see any.
This thing is massive.
Anyone know what brand it could be.
It's black and very well built.
Rob
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www.goldmtobservingcenter.com
Providing a great place for amateur astronomers, and ATM's to come and enjoy their hobby.
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rwiederrich
Goldfinger
Reged: 11/17/05
Posts: 5870
Loc: Bremerton Washington
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OK...now for some pics.
Here is one of it in the scope garage.
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www.goldmtobservingcenter.com
Providing a great place for amateur astronomers, and ATM's to come and enjoy their hobby.
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rwiederrich
Goldfinger
Reged: 11/17/05
Posts: 5870
Loc: Bremerton Washington
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One of the Beyers gear and drive.
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www.goldmtobservingcenter.com
Providing a great place for amateur astronomers, and ATM's to come and enjoy their hobby.
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rwiederrich
Goldfinger
Reged: 11/17/05
Posts: 5870
Loc: Bremerton Washington
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This one is a bit out of focus but you can see the comparison to the Dew can. As you can see...the shafts are as big as a Dew can...... 
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www.goldmtobservingcenter.com
Providing a great place for amateur astronomers, and ATM's to come and enjoy their hobby.
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rwiederrich
Goldfinger
Reged: 11/17/05
Posts: 5870
Loc: Bremerton Washington
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And the drive corrector that came with it.
So who made this and what information can you give me?
Thanks
Rob
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www.goldmtobservingcenter.com
Providing a great place for amateur astronomers, and ATM's to come and enjoy their hobby.
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letimotif
no complaints
Reged: 05/20/07
Posts: 1059
Loc: Far Flung Isles of Langerhans
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Well, at least we know something about the drive
"Orion" AccuTrack
Same format for the control box.
I'm sorry, I meant to add "Skyward Eyes" post to this from 06/05/08:
http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/2442127/Main/2441350
Edited by letimotif (08/20/08 08:49 PM)
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Bart
sage
Reged: 05/28/06
Posts: 221
Loc: Inside the (DC) Beltway
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How did you wind up with it?
What's with the wooden box? What was it used for?
I'm surprised that something so massive can be supported by those tiny little wheels... You'd think the wheels would shatter with all the weight.
Anyway it looks like fun, a new toy!
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Mead 12" LightBridge
Orion 127mm Mak
Orion 80ED
Orion Short Tube 80
Baader Hyperion 3.5,5,8,13,17,24mm
Baader Hyperion Aspheric 31mm
Orion Sirius 25mm
Celestron Plossl 4,6,9,15,32mm
Orion UltraView 10x50
Canon XTi
My two eyeballs
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rwiederrich
Goldfinger
Reged: 11/17/05
Posts: 5870
Loc: Bremerton Washington
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Quote:
How did you wind up with it?
What's with the wooden box? What was it used for?
I'm surprised that something so massive can be supported by those tiny little wheels... You'd think the wheels would shatter with all the weight.
Anyway it looks like fun, a new toy!
It was given me by the science teacher of a local school.
That *box* is simply the attempt at a cradle for the 15" newt that lived there once. It is having a DOB base built for it instead. The GEM was too big and put the EP too high for general public use.
I have two purposes for the mount....one: I may build a 16" newt for it myself................or two: I might build that 10" f/16 I always wanted. I will build an extension or sink a 10" steal pier in cement in the ground.
I have many options to play with.
Lastly..the small wheels are a bit of a problem...small rocks are a nightmare. I may replace them with neumatic wheels.
I'm still waiting for someone to come forward with information on this mount, and its possible manufacturer.
Rob
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www.goldmtobservingcenter.com
Providing a great place for amateur astronomers, and ATM's to come and enjoy their hobby.
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BluewaterObserva
Post Laureate
Reged: 05/18/04
Posts: 4763
Loc: Zuni Mtns, NM
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Saweeeettt...
I love those old surplus EQ mounts...
In an act of male bonding.. I will say.. "Mine's bigger!! My shafts are 3.5"...." Na na na na
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DAVIDG
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/02/04
Posts: 1423
Loc: Hockessin, De
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It looks to be a Cave mount that they used on their 16" Observatory Newtonians.
- Dave
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Homemade 'scopes 8"f/7,6" f/5", 6"f/4, 4.25" Schief. 60mm Coronagraph,60mm H-alpha system, 4.25" White-light Solar Newtonian,solar spectroscope, 4.5" f/16 Schupmann Medial refractor, 14 Stellafane awards 7 in optics
Engineering = Taking what you have and making what you need.
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rwiederrich
Goldfinger
Reged: 11/17/05
Posts: 5870
Loc: Bremerton Washington
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Quote:
Saweeeettt...
I love those old surplus EQ mounts...
In an act of male bonding.. I will say.. "Mine's bigger!! My shafts are 3.5"...." Na na na na
..yeah cuz you got that awesomely huge newt trying to live on it....so you had better have .5" more shaft.
I was there when you got that mount, and I still am feeling the excitement of it.
Well this mount was *given* to me......bond on that! 
Oh the things that lift us up..........When Am I EVER going to get some pics of the inside of your OB, and your set-up....  Hmmmmm
As I recall I did see an image of your scope in your backyard...eons ago...but none after you got things set up.
Help me.......
Rob
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www.goldmtobservingcenter.com
Providing a great place for amateur astronomers, and ATM's to come and enjoy their hobby.
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rwiederrich
Goldfinger
Reged: 11/17/05
Posts: 5870
Loc: Bremerton Washington
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Quote:
It looks to be a Cave mount that they used on their 16" Observatory Newtonians.
- Dave
I suspected that...since it recently had a 15" on it that is being placed in a DOB mount.
Who knows where the original scope is now.
I want to put a 16" on it or maybe a 10"f/16 refractor..
Thanks for your input.... 
Rob
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www.goldmtobservingcenter.com
Providing a great place for amateur astronomers, and ATM's to come and enjoy their hobby.
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BluewaterObserva
Post Laureate
Reged: 05/18/04
Posts: 4763
Loc: Zuni Mtns, NM
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I am getting there. I really do hope to have it functional by Thanksgiving weekend.
I won't be finishing the inside of the obs till next spring though.
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rwiederrich
Goldfinger
Reged: 11/17/05
Posts: 5870
Loc: Bremerton Washington
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Quote:
I am getting there. I really do hope to have it functional by Thanksgiving weekend.
I won't be finishing the inside of the obs till next spring though.
OK...those are excuses...Just pop off a pic or two of the scope set-up on the mount IN the Ob...nothing special..just an itty bitty picture. It can even be slightly outta focus...I don't care.....
Please..please.....please.......
Rob
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www.goldmtobservingcenter.com
Providing a great place for amateur astronomers, and ATM's to come and enjoy their hobby.
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mikey cee
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/18/07
Posts: 2287
Loc: bellevue ne.
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Well you guys are getting there! My shafts are only 3" but those bearings weigh way more than standard concrete blocks. Plus the rigidity of those large 3/4" steel mounting plates.....no flexation going on there.  Mike
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Mike 10x50 sears tower binocs, 3" f/10 edmunds reflector, 2.4" f/11.7 manon refractor, 6" f/8 jaegers refractor, "The 8 Ball" 8" f/13.3 brandt refractor, 3" f/15.8 sans&streiffe refractor, 3.1" f/15 selsi refractor(towa 339), 2.4" f/15 sears refractor, selsi 30x30mm spyglass, criterion 5-draw 25x45x75x spyglass(1957).
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rwiederrich
Goldfinger
Reged: 11/17/05
Posts: 5870
Loc: Bremerton Washington
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Quote:
Well you guys are getting there! My shafts are only 3" but those bearings weigh way more than standard concrete blocks. Plus the rigidity of those large 3/4" steel mounting plates.....no flexation going on there. Mike
Mike...first..thanks for posting that picture of your scope/mount. I can't get enough images of that beauty.
Second.. Were did you say you got those pillow type blocks from?
I priced those bad boys and.....man..
Thirdly..I will machine rings for mine to hold that 10"f/16 that has been at the back of my mind for so long. I wondered how I would mount it, and I pretty much bagged it cuz of the mount issue. Now I can put the plans into activity once again.
Fourthly..I was GIVEN this mount and the drive corrector...This makes the investment in the scope all the more bearable.. I have to finish up my 18" lattice truss newt and fork mount first. Going over to the shop tonight by the way..... 
Lastly....I always appreciate how you motivate me to try to out do your rig.
Spitz may have held onto the record for 30 years...but...just you wait Mr Higgins....
Rob(why can't you live closer?) 
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www.goldmtobservingcenter.com
Providing a great place for amateur astronomers, and ATM's to come and enjoy their hobby.
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