I saw a 36, 40 and 50 inch telescopes online and wondered what you would pay for them.
Orion 36 f/4.0 Truss-Tube GoTo Dobsonian Telescope w/parabolic primary mirror made of low-expansion borosilicate glass. IT IS 3660 MM IN LENGTH.
Premium hand-figured optics by Normand Fullum
27-point flotation primary mirror cell with collimation adjustments
Secondary mirror features spring loaded collimation adjustments
6 carbon graphite collapsible truss tubes with Moonlite(TM)* truss-tube connections
Dual-Speed 2" Moonlite(TM)* Crayford focuser w/1.25" telescope eyepiece adapter and adjustable focusing tension
Orion EZ Finder Deluxe Telescope Reflex Sight
Unique low-mass/high rigidity compact Dobsonian mount fabricated from CNC machined, 17-layer Russian Birch & aluminum plate epoxy bonded composite
material
Ebony Star and Virgin Teflon bearings
Argo-Navis(TM)* electronic setting circles with over 29,000 astronomical objects in the on-board database
ServoCAT(TM)* tracking and GoTo system; can be controlled from most popular planetarium programs for robotic telescope control
5 cooling accelerator fans located in mirror box
Collapsible secondary cage light shield
Lens/dust cap
Orion Dynamo Pro 12V Rechargable Power Station. (that’s the 36 inch).
Included Items:
Orion 40 f/4.0 Truss-Tube GoTo Dobsonian Telescope w/parabolic primary mirror made of low-expansion borosilicate glass. IT IS 4065 MM IN LENGTH.
Premium hand-figured optics by Normand Fullum
27-point flotation primary mirror cell with collimation adjustments
Secondary mirror features spring loaded collimation adjustments
6 carbon graphite collapsible truss tubes with Moonlite(TM)* truss-tube connections
Dual-Speed 2" Moonlite(TM)* Crayford focuser w/1.25" telescope eyepiece adapter and adjustable focusing tension
Orion EZ Finder Deluxe Telescope Reflex Sight
Unique low-mass/high rigidity compact Dobsonian mount fabricated from CNC machined, 17-layer Russian Birch & aluminum plate epoxy bonded composite
material
Ebony Star and Virgin Teflon bearings
Argo-Navis(TM)* electronic setting circles with over 29,000 astronomical objects in the on-board database
ServoCAT(TM)* tracking and GoTo system; can be controlled from most popular planetarium programs for robotic telescope control
5 cooling accelerator fans located in mirror box
Collapsible secondary cage light shield
Lens/dust cap
Orion Dynamo Pro 12V Rechargable Power Station
Starry Night Special Edition software. (that’s the 40 inch).
Orion 50 f/3.75 Truss-Tube GoTo Dobsonian Telescope w/parabolic primary mirror made of low-expansion borosilicate glass. IT IS 4765 MM IN LENGTH.
Premium hand-figured optics by Normand Fullum
36-point flotation primary mirror cell with collimation adjustments
Secondary mirror features spring loaded collimation adjustments
6 carbon graphite collapsible truss tubes with Moonlite(TM)* truss-tube connections
Dual-Speed 2" Moonlite(TM)* Crayford focuser w/1.25" telescope eyepiece adapter and adjustable focusing tension
Orion EZ Finder Deluxe Telescope Reflex Sight
Unique low-mass/high rigidity compact Dobsonian mount fabricated from CNC machined, 17-layer Russian Birch & aluminum plate epoxy bonded composite
material
Ebony Star and Virgin Teflon bearings
Argo-Navis(TM)* electronic setting circles with over 29,000 astronomical objects in the on-board database
ServoCAT(TM)* tracking and GoTo system; can be controlled from most popular planetarium programs for robotic telescope control
5 cooling accelerator fans located in mirror box
Collapsible secondary cage light shield
Lens/dust cap
Orion Dynamo Pro 12V Rechargable Power Station. (that’s the 50 inch).
36 inch- $55,600
40 inch- $80,000
50 inch- $123,000
Thanks for reading all this and I wanted to know what you thought they were worth. Thanks!
Considering a 50" scope is bigger than some observatories have, I don’t think 123 grand for the whole package is unreasonable at all. The 36 inch one falls in line with other big dob-makers pricing in that range too, so I think they’re fairly priced. I certainly wish I had the money for one of those 50 inch monsters though, lol
Considering a 50" scope is bigger than some observatories have, I don’t think 123 grand for the whole package is unreasonable at all. The 36 inch one falls in line with other big dob-makers pricing in that range too, so I think they’re fairly priced. I certainly wish I had the money for one of those 50 inch monsters though, lol
References :
Despite the Orion brand name, these telescopes are actually being made by Normand Fullum in Quebec, Canada. Normand established his reputation by winning prizes at Stellafane for his amazing wooden telescopes, which are as much works of sculpture as telescopes. Recently he has switched to working in metal and developed these ultralight telescopes. There is really nothing else like them on the market and, as far as I know, none have been finished for sale to customers yet. Normand is a superb craftsman — I’ve seen a couple of his wooden telescopes. The only way to describe them is to say that if Gandalf was into astronomy, these are the telescopes he’d use!
I wouldn’t consider buying something like this myself. Aside from the enormous cost, these are telescopes that must be used from atop a tall ladder, something I simply cannot do because of physical limitations.I can’t use any telescope that won’t let me observe from a seated position — my two 11-inch telescopes fill the bill perfectly.
References :
Prices are about right. At those sizes, prices really do get astronomical and your level of commitment is is just about as great. Then you still need the accessories that makes a scope that large work – namely a very tall ladder.
Here’s prices for other big dobs -
http://www.webstertelescopes.com/scopes_currently_in_stock.htm
http://www.obsessiontelescopes.com/telescopes/index.html
References :
I wouldn’t buy such a big telescope myself. I don’t have that kind of money and anyway it is a big chore to use such a large telescope unless you have it permanently mounted in an observatory.
References :
They are worth what they are asking, if there is a market. I do not question their value, since they are beautiful instruments that provide quality that at one time was found only in places like Haleakala or Mt Wilson. I cannot possibly afford such an investment, nor can I afford to build the new building to put one in. They are not easy to use, and they are so big that they cannot be moved around to share the views with your friends. So to me personally, they are not worth nearly as much as they are asking. But I am pretty sure that they are worth that much to a few people. It’s like Lamborghinis;you can always find a few customers who want the best of the best and are willing to pay for it.
References :
Not much to me, as I have the 25 inch Obsession and a lot of nice Televue eye lenses, and a Ozypowski equatorial platform drive, which cost me $13,500. It is more than big enough.
For those larger scopes, you need a fixed position and a building to go around them, computer to do some good planning, and a few nice cameras for it. That might add $15K to any purchase.
References :
Fifty-five years of amateur astronomy