17 replies to this topic

[mycroft10]

I am seriously thinking to order a 22' inch mirror from Terry Ostahowski. How do you like his optics in your scope? Are they very good. Would you encourage me to get an Ostahowski primary mirror?

[Jethro7]

I am seriously thinking to order a 22' inch mirror from Terry Ostahowski. How do you like his optics in your scope? Are they very good. Would you encourage me to get an Ostahowski primary mirror?

HelloMycroft10,

I have a Discovery 12.5" Dob with brand new Terry Ostahowski Optics. The Optics are Superb. Terry has been a mirror crafter for many years. I would definitely purchase another mirror from Terry if I ever need one.

 

HAPPY SKIES AND KEEP LOOKING UP Jethro

[Oberon]

I have a 16" Ostahowski - can't complain that's for sure! 

[CHASLX200]

I am seriously thinking to order a 22' inch mirror from Terry Ostahowski. How do you like his optics in your scope? Are they very good. Would you encourage me to get an Ostahowski primary mirror?

Had a 12.5" that was a killer.

[Darren Drake]

I have a 12.5 inch PDHQ split tube Discovery with an Ostahowski mirror.  It's quite excellent and here is a DPAC image done on that mirror.  It's a null test with the errors doubled.  

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[Maximus001]

In addition to having a 16" primary of his, which was terrific, I also had him resurface the secondary mirror.  He's a great guy to work with and in all respects competent from my experience.

[Brian Carter]

I had one of his 10" mirrors on my very first dobsonian.  It had a quarter-inch chip dinged out of the edge and was still the the best newtonian mirror I've owned.  That chip bothered my and I replaced with with a "bespoke" Woden Optics (later OWL, later who knows?) mirror with a turned edge.  

 

I should have kept that mirror.  All of the other scopes with his mirrors I've looked through have been fine too, he has a great reputation as a mirror maker and I wouldn't hesitate to buy one he'd made.  Lucky you, go for it!

[Speedy1985]

You'll have no regrets getting one of their optics sets. I have a 20" New Moon with Ostahowski quartz primary and secondary mirrors and because I dealt directly with Terry and his wife separately while the structure was being built, my experience was excellent. The optics were completed sooner than expected in about 8 months and then were sent directly to New Moon for Ryan to install when he was ready to complete the build. The primary testing results were excellent and Terry offered some very specific comments about the results when he sent me the report. As he does with all of his builds, Ryan at New Moon tested my new build before I picked it up, and he commented that the optics and the views they provided were excellent. So far, in my use, I've seen no reason to disagree and I trust both Terry's reputation and Ryan's opinion. 

[Jethro7]

In addition to having a 16" primary of his, which was terrific, I also had him resurface the secondary mirror.  He's a great guy to work with and in all respects competent from my experience.

Hello Maximus001,

Terry Ostahowski, has the reputation as one of the best there is for mirror re-coating. 

 

HAPPY SKIES AND KEEP LOOKING UP Jethro

[jhomka]

I homebuilt a 24” F3.0 DOB using an Ostahowski quartz optics set about 5 years ago.  The optics are excellent.  Deep sky and planetary views are very contrasty indicating a smooth finish.  When seeing is good,  I can use in excess of 1000X on planetary nebula and the field stars are still very pinpoint.  The central star in the Ring nebula is visible without averted vision.

Terry was a pleasure to work with and delivered the optics on time.  I can recommend Ostahowski Optics without hesitation.

 

John Homka

 

 

 

[cuzimthedad]

I own a 15" F/4.5 Teeter, mirror by Ostahowski. In short to your question...Yes!

[jg97]

Not a primary but Terry Ostahowski made my 4.5in quartz secondary.  I'm very happy with it!

 

And I have observed through John Homka's scope (post #10 in this thread) many times - impressed every time I look through John's scope!

 

Jack

[aatt]

I have a 22” Terry O mirror. Stars are pinpoints and planetary views are quite fine. I don’t think you will regret having him make you one.

[Ihtegla Sar]

I have a 20" f/4 Classic Obsession with an Ostahowski mirror and a SIPS. Seeing here doesn't let it really strut its stuff often, since magnification is typically limited to about 100x-250x and thermal conditions are usually pretty bad here with rapidly dropping temps most of the night, but on rare occasions when seeing and thermal conditions are good, it has given some spectacular views of Jupiter, Mars a few years ago, and last November the Eskimo nebula that looked better than the photos at 500x with my AT 4.8mm XWA. The Veil and the Crescent Nebula are spectacular and even the nebula in Sagittarius look great despite being low on the horizon. I've seen galaxies and globular clusters down to about mag 15 in skies that measured 21.4 MPSAS on my SQML (the light pollution map says my skies are 21.84, but I've never measured darker than 21.7 and more typically they measure 21.2-21.5). I think it would go deeper if seeing were better here. When seeing limits magnification to under 250x, it can be hard to see small dim DSOs.

According to the optical report, its .923 Strehl, but the peak is hidden in the secondary shadow, so it's probably better than .923 Strehl in practice. I haven't been able to detect any defects with a star test or with my 10 lines per millimeter Ronchi eyepiece.

Edited by Ihtegla Sar, 11 January 2025 - 07:53 PM.

[mycroft10]

A couple of years ago I happened to see that Obsession was now offering Dobs with Ostahowski fused quartz mirrors and in the shorter focal length 20" f/4. Wow I wanted one a fused quartz mirror from a quality mirror maker in a shorter focal length that rang all my bells. I want one. Contacted Kriege and was informed that they no longer made wooden Classic scopes since the previous fall. I was so disappointed. And even today if you look at the website you will see the wooden Classics for sale right up to 25" never taken off. It just makes me wonder how many people have contacted Obsession to order a Classic scope and told no. Its almost like false advertising.

 

You were very lucky to be able to order an Ostahowski 20" f/4 Obsession they did not sell them for very long. Who knows maybe you got the last one. 

 

The replies to my query have been many and all very very positive about Terry's mirrors. People love them. Actually I have never heard anything ever negative about his optics. He very much seems to know very well exactly what he is doing.

 

I am going to order a 22" f/3.3  2" thick quartz mirror from him and get the rest of the scope from New Moon Telescopes. I got the quote for the mirror from Ostahowski 2 days ago.

 

From what you are saying you live in a place where you have very dark skies? For me thats only a dream unfortunately. I live in a town of about 100,000 people 30 miles north of Toronto with 3 million people. You know what that does to the sky.

Cheers, Jim

[Ihtegla Sar]

I got lucky and called Dave at just the right time in late 2019 a couple months before COVID just as he was starting his last batch of Classics. Even with COVID he still got the scope to me by April 2020, so just a little over four months from order to delivery.

I'm right next to Portland Oregon, which has a couple million people in the greater metropolitan area, but a 2 hour up the Columbia River gorge and skies are reasonably dark. I can see light domes in the distance from Portland, Seattle, Goldendale, The Dalles and Yakima, but to the south and southeast there aren't any light domes.

[KidOrion]

I have a 12.5 Discovery with Terry O optics, and it outperforms any other scope I’ve used in terms brightness of image and sharpness. One quite well-known telescope builder called it the sharpest mirror he’d ever seen.

[CHASLX200]

Terry is the real deal.