Obsession Telescopes

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Obsession Telescopes
Founded Lake Mills, Wisconsin, USA (January 1, 1989 (1989-01-01))
Founder(s) David Kriege
Headquarters Lake Mills, USA
Area served Worldwide
Key people David Kriege
Products Dobsonian telescopes

Obsession Telescopes is an American telescope manufacturer that specializes in Dobsonian telescopes. It was started in 1989 by David Kriege and is based in Lake Mills, Wisconsin.[1]

Products

The company specializes in large aperture truss-pole Dobsonian telescopes.

Obsession uses primary mirrors supplied by Optical Mechanics, Inc. (OMI) and Galaxy Optics and secondary mirrors supplied by United Lens.

In 2007 Obsession released a new line of highly portable telescopes they designate as UC (Ultra Compact). Since that time, they have then referred to their original line of telescopes as "Classic" models.

Obsession also offer the StellarCAT ServoCAT drive system[2] and Wildcard Innovations Argo Navis Digital Telescope Computer (DTC).[3] on their range of telescopes.

Models

Obsession telescopes available circa 2012.[4] The telescopes ranged in price from over $3000 USD for the 12.5 inch to $12–15,000 for the 25 inch.[5][6]

  • Aperture, Focal Ratio, Focal Length
  • 12.5 inch, f/5, 63 inch[7]
  • 15", f/4.5, 68"
  • 15" UC, f/4.2, 63"
  • 18", f/4.5, 81"[8]
  • 18" UC, f/4.2, 75"
  • 20", f/5, 100"
  • 20", f/4,80"[9]
  • 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)

Obsession manufactured a limited number of 30" telescopes.[10] In 2009, Obsession Telescopes assisted OMI in the design of the OMI Evolution-30.[11]

Obsession telescopes are used by a range of users, including amateur astronomers, academic institutions, and some professional observatories. An Obsession Telescope 25" was the largest aperture telescope at the Custer Observatory in New York State for a time.[12]

Awards

The Obsession 18" f/4.2 UC ('Ultra Compact') won a Sky & Telescope Magazine Hot Product of 2008 Award and received positive reviews reviews by Astronomy magazine in April 2008.[13][14]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.manta.com/coms2/dnbcompany_739pnt
  2. ↑ http://www.obsessiontelescopes.com/accessories/ServoCAT/index.php
  3. ↑ http://www.obsessiontelescopes.com/accessories/ArgoNavis/index.php
  4. ↑ http://www.obsessiontelescopes.com/telescopes/compare_english.html
  5. ↑ http://www.obsessiontelescopes.com/telescopes/index.html
  6. ↑ http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?arch=1&cy=2007&cm=11&cmn=November&item_id=1731
  7. ↑ http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=1645
  8. ↑ http://telescopereviews.com/item.php?item_id=1166
  9. ↑ Astronomy Magazine, March 1991. Obsession 20" Review, by Alan Dyer
  10. ↑ http://www.obsessiontelescopes.com/obsessed/30-inch-owners.html
  11. ↑ /http://www.opticalmechanics.com/evolution_dobs/Evo-30_intro/index.html
  12. ↑ http://www.custerobservatory.org/
  13. ↑ Sky & Telescope Magazine
  14. ↑ Astronomy, April 2008

Further reading

  • Sky & Telescope, February 2009, "Obsession 12.5" Review"
  • "The Dobsonian Telescope, A Practical Manual for Building Large Aperture Telescopes", by David Kriege and Richard Berry. 496 pages. Published Willmann-Bell Inc., June 1997. ISBN 978-0943396552

External links

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