Post by Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe on Sept 26, 2012 0:09:22 GMT -6
November 2009/2012
Three Years with the C11 Beast in the Chicago Astronomer arsenal
Three Years with the C11 Beast in the Chicago Astronomer arsenal
It's gonna be three years since I first gained possession of the C11 Beast - which was languishing for many years in a storage locker at the Adler Planetarium...dusty, neglected and crammed into a rusting steamer trunk.
I won it at a Adler auction for a steal...and when I first saw it - I knew I had to have her. Others, I understand, had their eye on it, but for one reason or another I won the bid from those with deeper pockets...I feel that it was waiting for me and wanted to explore the Universe again. ( Later on, Adler staff tell me that it has landed in good capable hands and glad it's getting good use.)
Over the past three years, it has revealed secrets of the cosmos to thousands of Chicago Astronomer fans and has proven to be a wonderful instrument. It has gone thru many mods and regular maintenance, bringing it into a better performing and looking scope.
In comparison to the first pics of the C11 three years ago, the SCT looked drab and plain. Straight from the factory - without any personalization, upgrades or special touches.
Link to the first shake-out session of the C11 here:
astronomer.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=StarParty&action=display&thread=2613
I added the mini 60mm finderscope and the Rigel right away, and used 1.25" eyepieces exclusively. With the upgrade to an 11" aperture from my 4.5" workhorse - it was as if I were blind and saw again. Spending time alone with the Beast has never been disappointing and is almost a religious experience.
I have included 2" eyepieces, flocked, painted, collimated, attached grab/speed rails & Grab handles, and thoroughly cleaned the Beast. Three finderscopes of various mm's ride on top as well as a laser guide and an extended dew shield protects the corrector plate from light glare and moisture. She is performing nicely, bringing me closer to the stars than I have ever been.
I am still not finished with the mods and It will continue to evolve - becoming better and better each time. The mount is showing it's age, with the drive motors becoming finicky. A new mount is in our future, but the OTA is sound and solid. It impresses our visitors at every Chicago Astronomer Star Party and I'm always asked on how much it costs. Tricked out with the mods, it's valued at...well - quite a bit.
It is a lot of heavy gear to haul to observation sites...and sometimes I would rather not, but never regret doing so after a successful Observation session - public or private.
So, thank you C11 Beast, we got big plans together - and have many more years of discovery and sharing the skies with our friends..
