My wee little gear collection

[omaroo]

After having joined a while ago, I thought that I might post an entry which shows my current lot. I tend to hoard gear because I ..well... just love optical equipment:

1) Dual 12" binocular that I'm copying at the moment:

http://www.omaroo.net/albums/album44/P4150097.sized.jpg

2) 12" LX200GPS with EyeOpener, William Optics SCT focuser (not attached in pic), BucksGears upgrade, Petersen Engineering clutch upgrade, corrector plate heater:

http://www.omaroo.net/albums/album34/P8260024.sized.jpg

3) SkyWatcher f/5 8" Newt on EQ5 (re-painted off-white because I can't stomach SkyWatcher Blue):

http://www.omaroo.net/albums/album34/007_G.sized.jpg

4) William Optics f/6 ZenithStar 66ED Petzval:

http://www.omaroo.net/albums/album34/Zenithstar_074.sized.jpg

5) My wife's little Orion Space Probe 3" EQ Newt (which is now painted off-white like the 8"):

http://www.omaroo.net/albums/album34/013_G.sized.jpg

6) Meade ETX-60 60mm Autostar & T/Oaks Solar Cell (only really used for solar observing - which is very boring right now...):

http://www.omaroo.net/albums/album34/PB060084.sized.jpg

7) Meade 80mm f/11 refractor which I was using as a guider on the LX200GPS. It's pretty dormant these days:

http://www.omaroo.net/albums/album34/043_G.sized.jpg

8) Saxon 120mm f/8 achromat:

http://www.omaroo.net/albums/album34/saxon.jpg

9) My Nikon cameras (all film!!! :) - a Nikon F, Nikon EL and N50.

Lenses:

1) 35-70mm 1:1.45
2) 55mm 1:3.5 Micro
3) 43-86mm 1:3.5
4) 35mm 1:2
5) 50mm 1:1.4 (Standard lens - Nikon EL2)
6) 50mm 1:1.4 (Standard lens - Nikon F)
7) 24mm 1:2.8
8) 105mm 1:2.5
9) 105mm 1:1.4
10) 300 1:4.5 ED-IF (AI)

http://www.omaroo.net/albums/album34/cameras_002.sized.jpg

[Draig]

Hi Chris,

By Golly that some wee collection you have there! :thumbsupmate:

I'm courious though, what's the view like out of the 12" Bino scope?

Cheers Colin

[Radar]

Holy Cow Chris! That is some serious gear. That bino scope is fantastic. Is it motorised? Is it made locally? May I ask what kind of price someone would pay for something like that? And of course, what are the views like? How would the view compare to a single 12inch telescope?

Cheers

Ray

[AstroTasmania]

Hi Chris,

A man after my own heart, and a NIKON user as well! you obviously like Nikon gear as well a selection of various scopes. I like the twin 12" concept - have you started on it yet?

I still have some late model Nikon film bodies - sadly rarely used now. If I use film I use one of my 6 x 7 outfits.

Thanks for sharing. This hobby certainly grabs you I find. My collection started back in the 60's and the last few years I have started spending my offspring's inheritance!!!

Clear skies...

[omaroo]

Thanks Ray, Colin & AstroTas :)

I must say that I appreciate the fact that Mark Suchting (from Deep Sky Optics) brings these along to star parties when their maker Paul lets them out of his house. Mark designed the optics train and the co-collimation systems. These binos blow me away every time I use them. I can easily say that views are as impressive as a 20" monocular such as an Obsession. In addition to those views, the bino gives "depth" to images that, although is slightly "false" (3-D), are unbelievable to look at. If you take M42 for instance, you can see right "into" the dust lanes. It's as though you are looking at a "thing", not just a picture. Another couple of ojects I love to see through these are Tarantula, Omega Cen and 47Tuc - where the central disk "bulges" towards you.

Through a couple of 13mm Naglers or 26mm PanOptics the view approximates that which you might see when arriving at an object in a spacecraft - and you're looking through a porthole directly at it. The stereopsis achieved is far greater than looking through a set of bino viewers mounted to a large monocular scope. After using these I'd never go with a big dob. I can just stand there - with my feet on the ground in front - at zenith, and just comfortably look down into the EP's. No ladders in the night required.

Cheers
Chris


AstroTas - the Nikon gear was handed down by my father a while ago. He used to be president of the Northern Suburbs Camera Club in Sydney and has had Nikon gear since 1965. The F and EL have taken millions of shots each and have never had a failure. I used to get to use them when I was growing up, and still enjoy their sheer mechanical brilliance to this day. I would never use another brand. Even though Canon currently have a better CCD solution with their CMOS device in the 300/400, I will wait until Nikon up the ante and have a digital system that is equally-well tuned to astrophotography before I jump on and go digital. I must say that I'm finding it difficult to buy good slide film any more though...

Cheers
Chris

[phoenix]

Hey Chris


Thats a nice little collection you have got there. With those Dual 12" binocular where do you view from ? :duh: Do you have a pic of the viewing area.



Cheers Jason :pipethinker:

[omaroo]

Hey Chris


Thats a nice little collection you have got there. With those Dual 12" binocular where do you view from ? :duh: Do you have a pic of the viewing area.

Cheers Jason :pipethinker:

Hi Jason :)

The set pictured aren't mine. They was designed by Mark Suchting and built (and is owned) by Paul Shopis. I'm using them as the basis for a set I'm building. I've used this set twice now - once at IISAC Lostock 07 and the other time at SPSP 07. Each time was out in the middle of the meadow. GREAT views!

Cheers
Chris

[Radar]

How do you transport the bino's? Does it all come apart into smaller pieces?

[omaroo]

How do you transport the bino's? Does it all come apart into smaller pieces?

Ray - it's just like any other truss dob. You take the cage assembly off, then the truss tubes and finally remove the mirror cells and store them separately. It all breaks down to fit in an average sedan. The only real difference is that the cages and base box are double-width.

Cheers
Chris

[wakaleo]

My goodness, Chris, I'm impressed! No, I'm stunned! You and Shevill are peas in a pod.

To think you have an 80mm refractor sitting dormant when that is the only type of telescope I own (so far!). And once you get your eyes to those binos, how do you tear yourself away? They'd have to give me electric shocks, or perhaps spray me with 'mace'.

Agree with the Nikons. I've been using them (in a totally amateurly way) since 1978. Wouldn't buy anything else, although I like the second-hand Olympus OM1 my daughter gave me.

[omaroo]

My goodness, Chris, I'm impressed! No, I'm stunned! You and Shevill are peas in a pod.

To think you have an 80mm refractor sitting dormant when that is the only type of telescope I own (so far!). And once you get your eyes to those binos, how do you tear yourself away? They'd have to give me electric shocks, or perhaps spray me with 'mace'.

Agree with the Nikons. I've been using them (in a totally amateurly way) since 1978. Wouldn't buy anything else, although I like the second-hand Olympus OM1 my daughter gave me.

Mmmm... mace injectors....mmmmm.... now there's a thought for the next star party! :hmm:

My 80mm f/11 refractor is not quite as nice as yours... I'd like an ED80 short tube. A great scope to have indeed!

Cheers
Chris

[Radar]

Can you shed some more info on that strange looking mount / wedge thing that the Meade is on please Chris? It seems to be replacing a pier or tripod. What do you attach it to?

[omaroo]

Can you shed some more info on that strange looking mount / wedge thing that the Meade is on please Chris? It seems to be replacing a pier or tripod. What do you attach it to?

Hi Ray

That is a very strong wooden wedge built by Zane Hammond at Magellan Observatory in NSW. While the scope belonged to him, it carried the 12" LX200GPS in his observatory. Elevation is hard-set to 34-something degrees to suit his location, but the set-screws at the base give it a little leeway. When I build an observatory I'll probably use it too, as it contains a nice area inside to house all the wiring, batteries and electronics.

Cheers
Chris

[Caveman]

I Just love those bino's:cool!: