- Obsession Telescopes
-
Obsession Telescopes is an American telescope and optics manufacturer that specializes in Dobsonian telescopes. It was started in 1989 by David Kriege and is based in Lake Mills, Wisconsin.[1]
Contents
Products
The company sells large open frame Dobsonian telescopes. Obsession uses mirrors by Optical Mechanics, Inc. and Galaxy Optics for main objective, and by United Lens for secondary mirrors. The optical tube assembly use an open truss similar to a "half-Serrurier truss," and come in either Classic, or since 2007 certain models are available as UC (ultra compact).
Related systems on the telescopes include ServoCAT drive system since 2007 and Argo Navis digital setting circles.[2] Materials used include a laminated wood called "ApplePly" and PVC material called Kydex.
Models
Obsession telescopes available circa 2009, twenty years afters its founding in 1989.[3] The telescopes ranged in price from over $3000 USD for the 12.5 inch to $12-15,000 for the 25 inch.[4][5]
- Aperture, Focal Ratio, Focal Length
- 12.5 inch, f/5, 63 inch[6]
- 15" , f/4.5, 68"
- 15" UC, f/4.2, 63"
- 18" ,f/4.5, 81"[7]
- 18" UC, f/4.2, 75"
- 20" , f/5,100"
- 20" ,f/4,80"[8]
- 22" UC, f/4.2, 80"
- 25" ,f/5,125"
- 25" , f/4, 100"
- 30" , f/4.5, 135" (Discontinued)
- 36" , f/5, 180" (Discontinued, only four of these were ever produced)
They also used to make 30"[9] After O.T. withdrew from the 30 inch market, OMI still wanted offer their 30 inch mirrors.[10] Drawing on help from Obsession Telescopes, and their own experience with 48 inch telescope, they offered the OMI Evolution-30 in 2009.[10]
Obsession telescopes are used by a range of users, including amateur astronomers, academic institutions, and some observatories. A OT 25" was the largest aperture telescope at the Custer Observatory in New York State for a time.[11]
OT is an Optical Instrument and Lens Manufacturing company located in Lake Mills, Wisconsin in the United States of America.[1]
Awards
The Obsession 18" f/4.2 UC ('ultra compact') won the Sky & Telescope Magazine hot product of 2008 award and was well reviewed by Astronomy magazine in April 2008[12][13].
References
- ^ a b http://www.manta.com/coms2/dnbcompany_739pnt
- ^ http://mysite.verizon.net/res7kup3/
- ^ http://www.obsessiontelescopes.com/telescopes/compare_english.html
- ^ http://www.obsessiontelescopes.com/telescopes/index.html
- ^ http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?arch=1&cy=2007&cm=11&cmn=November&item_id=1731
- ^ http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=1645
- ^ http://telescopereviews.com/item.php?item_id=1166
- ^ Astronomy Magazine, March 1991. Obsession 20" Review, by Alan Dyer
- ^ http://www.obsessiontelescopes.com/obsessed/30-inch-owners.html
- ^ a b /http://www.opticalmechanics.com/evolution_dobs/Evo-30_intro/index.html
- ^ http://www.custerobservatory.org/
- ^ Sky & Telescope Magazine
- ^ Astronomy, April 2008
Further reading
- Sky & Telescope, February 2009, "Obsession 12.5" Review"
- "THE DOBSONIAN TELESCOPE, A Practical Manual for Building Large Aperture Telescopes"
External links
Categories:- Telescope manufacturers
- Companies established in 1989
- Jefferson County, Wisconsin
- Companies based in Wisconsin
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
