600lb capacity mount

The Chronos HD45 harmonic drive telescope mount system has a weight capacity of 600 pounds, and will be custom-made for your observatory!

Who in the HELL would have a scope that weighs 600Lbs?

(I mean amateur astronomers.)

Good God i have enough trouble taking my 28Lb scope from my tv room out to the back garden.

With THIS mount (and the scope) i would need to apply for a HGV licence.

I think 'relativity' plays a part PJ. Think of it like this: 15 years ago the best CCD camera us amateurs could buy had a resolution of 640 X 480 pixels and cost about $320. Today, we call it a webcam from PC World for €30.

The same can be said for mounts. When the LX series from Meade first came out in the mid-90's, it was very expensive. Today, very affordable (don't even get me started on the current exchange rate lending a hand). We now have more amateurs able to purchase larger mounts than in the past, so more advanced models are needed to replace obsolete pro versions now affordable to amateurs.

Did I explain that ok?

Seanie.

Yep fine Seanie. But.......i was more concerned about the weight of a scope that would need such a BIG mount.

Yep fine Seanie. But.......i was more concerned about the weight of a scope that would need such a BIG mount.

Well, that follows progression. What was affordable and/or used in observatories about 10 years ago is now in the hands of amateurs. Professional institutions can now buy larger/heavier scopes to suit their needs for their money. The benefit of a heavy scope - if it has a mount to suit - is the sturdiness, and hence lack of vibrational movement. It kind of dampens its own vibrations due to its huge weight.

You'd be surprised how heavy component parts can be for some of the larger mirror-based telescopes out there. A 30 inch mirror weighs about 260lbs - and that's without the tube assembly, focuser, piggyback items, and a Canon 350D!

Seanie.