CHASLX200
Post Laureate
Reged: 09/29/07
Loc: Tampa area Florida
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Re: Starstructure 26" F3.3 Horizon
[Re: zjc26138]
#5631935 - 01/19/13 05:45 PM
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Looks very well thought out.
Chas
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Peter Natscher
sage
Reged: 03/28/06
Loc: Central California
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Re: Starstructure 26" F3.3 Horizon
[Re: michael]
#5632086 - 01/19/13 07:29 PM
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Mike,
Does the primary cell remove the same as in the LE's?
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26" Horizon awaiting the Mike Lockwood Primary mirror which I am told is at the coaters. 
Mike
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Carl Wright
member
Reged: 08/05/04
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Re: Starstructure 26" F3.3 Horizon
[Re: Peter Natscher]
#5632205 - 01/19/13 08:56 PM
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Peter,
The front of the mirror box is removable. It does not come out the back like the LE model.
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Peter Natscher
sage
Reged: 03/28/06
Loc: Central California
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Re: Starstructure 26" F3.3 Horizon
[Re: Carl Wright]
#5632383 - 01/19/13 10:48 PM
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So, you can pull the primary out through the front, as I can do also with my 24" LE, but the cell assembly stays screwed in against the four side walls as sort of a bulk head for mirror box strength. Am I correct?
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Peter,
The front of the mirror box is removable. It does not come out the back like the LE model.
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Project Galileo
professor emeritus
Reged: 11/14/07
Loc: Jefferson County, Colorado
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Re: Starstructure 26" F3.3 Horizon
[Re: Peter Natscher]
#5632871 - 01/20/13 10:02 AM
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Love it!
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michael
Vendor (Starstructure Telescopes)
Reged: 01/24/04
Loc: Trinity Florida
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Re: Starstructure 26" F3.3 Horizon
[Re: Peter Natscher]
#5633062 - 01/20/13 12:03 PM Attachment (83 downloads)
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Hi Pete,
Your correct. The steel inner cell frame is through bolted to the sides of the mirror box adding strength.
Like Carl said, the mirror cell is not removable from the rear of the scope. Instead the top plated of the mirror box is removable (same as your 24”) and the primary is accessed from the top.
Note that the top opening on the Horizon is rectangular not square. The 26” has an opening of 28” wide X 34” long so there is ample room to get your hands in to remove the primary. No worries about hitting something on the way out.
I do understand that people like removable mirror cells so that they don’t have to handle the optics directly. This is the main reason I’ve always designed my scopes with removable mirror cells. In the case of the Horizon, it just couldn’t be.
Looking at it from a user point of view, there are a few benefits to this design. With removable rear set-ups you have to have the entire scope assembled to access the rear cell. Also you have to deal the weight of the mirror and mirror cell when removing.
I guess I look at it this way, The Horizon really shines with larger aperture, 24” and up. Folks buying scopes of these sizes are mostly using ramps to load them and rarely need to pull the primary mirror anyway. When the primary mirror is needed to be removed, for cleaning or whatever, I have always recommended (rear cell or not) that one does not attempt this alone. With optics weighing over 60 pounds it’s not the weight but the awkwardness of the piece that can potentially be a problem.
With care one can clean the optics in the scope anyway, so you can get over with never needing to pull it out.
Here is another picture showing the mirror cell mounted.
Mike
Edited by michael (01/20/13 12:40 PM)
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michael
Vendor (Starstructure Telescopes)
Reged: 01/24/04
Loc: Trinity Florida
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Re: Starstructure 26" F3.3 Horizon
[Re: michael]
#5633114 - 01/20/13 12:34 PM Attachment (81 downloads)
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Hi All,
Wanted to share this pic showing one of the many jig setups to build the Horizon.
Mike
Edited by michael (01/20/13 01:21 PM)
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Bob S.
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/14/05
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Re: Starstructure 26" F3.3 Horizon
[Re: michael]
#5633156 - 01/20/13 12:57 PM
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Michael, Going to a steel mirror cell appears to really enhance the capabilities of the new Horizon. I can imagine that as you get commissions to build 40-60" scopes that all of these new enhancements are going to pay big dividends. I have always been amazed that your work is measured in hundreths/thousands of an inch where other scope builders measure/build their structures in much larger size tolerances.
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michael
Vendor (Starstructure Telescopes)
Reged: 01/24/04
Loc: Trinity Florida
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Re: Starstructure 26" F3.3 Horizon
[Re: Bob S.]
#5633218 - 01/20/13 01:27 PM
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I've aways known that steel is the way to go. On the LE scopes I've used aluminum to keep weight down but need to do more to keep the aluminum frames ridge. With the Horizon, I've eliminated all the weight of the mirror box so I was able to go to the steel cell with no worries of increasing the total weight of the scope. Basically, the weight of the Horizon is the same as the LE. On the larger sizes 30" plus, the Horizon will be lighter.
Mike
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michael
Vendor (Starstructure Telescopes)
Reged: 01/24/04
Loc: Trinity Florida
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Re: Starstructure 26" F3.3 Horizon
[Re: michael]
#5639236 - 01/23/13 04:57 PM Attachment (71 downloads)
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Hi All,
New picture showing the mirror box closed up on the radius.
Mike
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GeneT
Ely Kid
Reged: 11/07/08
Loc: South Texas
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Re: Starstructure 26" F3.3 Horizon
[Re: michael]
#5639376 - 01/23/13 06:25 PM
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Impressive secondary system.
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Peter Natscher
sage
Reged: 03/28/06
Loc: Central California
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Re: Starstructure 26" F3.3 Horizon
[Re: michael]
#5639533 - 01/23/13 08:31 PM
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Mike,
What's that I see at the opposite sides of the rocker box base? Two openings! Are they for a newly designed transport handle?
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Hi All,
New picture showing the mirror box closed up on the radius.
Mike
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michael
Vendor (Starstructure Telescopes)
Reged: 01/24/04
Loc: Trinity Florida
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Re: Starstructure 26" F3.3 Horizon
[Re: Peter Natscher]
#5641465 - 01/24/13 08:53 PM
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Pete,
That's the front of the scope. Those are for the wheels. But the Horizon has the same in the back so there will be two handles.
Mike
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michael
Vendor (Starstructure Telescopes)
Reged: 01/24/04
Loc: Trinity Florida
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Re: Starstructure 26" F3.3 Horizon
[Re: michael]
#5641487 - 01/24/13 09:05 PM Attachment (53 downloads)
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Hi all,
I've been getting a lot of PM's / emails with concern about the rear opening for primary mirror. On the concept scope, shown on my site, the opening looks very small. Here is a picture showing the opening on the 26".
Mike
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michael
Vendor (Starstructure Telescopes)
Reged: 01/24/04
Loc: Trinity Florida
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Re: Starstructure 26" F3.3 Horizon
[Re: michael]
#5641497 - 01/24/13 09:07 PM Attachment (49 downloads)
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Here is a shot from the front showing that the rear opening is covered by the primary mirror.
Mike
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Carl Wright
member
Reged: 08/05/04
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Re: Starstructure 26" F3.3 Horizon *DELETED*
[Re: michael]
#5648660 - 01/28/13 04:40 PM
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Post deleted by Carl Wright
Edited by Carl Wright (01/28/13 06:20 PM)
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starman345
Wait, I'm Thinking
Reged: 07/06/10
Loc: New Brunswick, Canada
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Re: Starstructure 26" F3.3 Horizon
[Re: Carl Wright]
#5648772 - 01/28/13 05:26 PM
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Mike, it looks like just two collimating knobs? The apex of the triangle is fixed solid?
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michael
Vendor (Starstructure Telescopes)
Reged: 01/24/04
Loc: Trinity Florida
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Re: Starstructure 26" F3.3 Horizon *DELETED*
[Re: Carl Wright]
#5648911 - 01/28/13 06:32 PM Attachment (32 downloads)
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Hi All,
A few pictures showing the servocat install.
Mike
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michael
Vendor (Starstructure Telescopes)
Reged: 01/24/04
Loc: Trinity Florida
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Re: Starstructure 26" F3.3 Horizon
[Re: starman345]
#5648917 - 01/28/13 06:34 PM
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Hi Brian,
Yes fixed but not solid. It's able to pivot on the two lower collimation bolts.
Mike
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michael
Vendor (Starstructure Telescopes)
Reged: 01/24/04
Loc: Trinity Florida
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Re: Starstructure 26" F3.3 Horizon *DELETED*
[Re: michael]
#5648929 - 01/28/13 06:37 PM Attachment (34 downloads)
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Pic 2
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