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Finally got everything together and the scope is working beautifully. I am giving the scope TLC and keeping that beautiful 18" f/4.2 mirror and my eyepieces locked up in a vault.

Everything about the system is first class. I got to appreciate the quality and stability of the Obsession-AN-SC integrated scope for the first time last night. Unbelievable!!! Aligned on Sirius and Aldebaran and did a GO-TO to Rigel that was it. Every one of 20 objects distributed all over the sky was in the eyepiece each time. Saturn tracked dead center in the eyepiece for over 15 min, the longest I took it. This was my first experience with Obsession movements, servo motorization, and digital navigation and the whole experience was fantastic. And all from Leesburg with our bright Washington, DC skies. AN is proving quick to learn and use, and the 2 star alignment method is lean and elegant. The encoders are working fine with no slippage. All parts of this system from Obsession, Wildcard, StellarCAT, OMI, Televue and Catseye work together seamlessly.

The scope's axes are built precisely square. The views are stable with no shaking or vibration. 18" UC is very stable, with minimal torsion or hysteresis and no sticky behavior in the bearings. Lovin' that! The OMI mirror is close to perfection and I am eager to do a star test in stable air. Love the widefield views with Televue eyepieces. AN is an absolute pleasure, and the servo motorization is truly fantastic. The movements to objects are all so precise, the accelerations and decelerations are smooth, the tracking is superb. And all these mechanisms working together -- it just all works!

Thanks for helping me get up and going. Now to celebrate, first with family, then with friends. I hope I don't lose track of you guys. Clear skies,

Doug Murphy, Leesburg, Virginia
Obsession 18" UC #10


Stacey Greenhill, 18" UC owner in Wheeling, Illinois - April 15, 2008
Hi Dave,
First light, amazing!!!! Definitely worth the wait, and that was at the end of my driveway under a streetlight.


Chris K., 18" UC owner in Sunnyvale, California - March 29, 2008
Dave, I have had two sessions using 18"UC #26. I wish I could describe just how much I appreciate this telescope you've made for me. It surpassed every expectation I had. Quick, easy set up & take down. Collimates well. Smooth motion. Views that took my breath away (even with poor seeing). My Obsession has unlocked the heavens and night will never be the same.
Clear skies, Chris K.


Doug M., 18” UC owner in Leesburg, Virginia - March 20, 2008
Dave, The 18UC arrived safely yesterday. I read through your setup instructions and watched your DVD for putting the scope together. It looks very handsome and lean. There is no way I could have created a scope like this on my own. Every feature reflects thought and experiment and your many years of experience with working with your hands (with machines as well as teeth). I really look forward to using the new scope.

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Bernard Chevalier, 18" UC owner in Chaponost, France - March 18, 2008 First light a week ago of the 18" UC N° 14 and I am fully satisfied with it. Mechanics are wonderful, smooth as well as precise, whether conditions did allow a full check of optics but seems great anyway.

Jim Walsh, 18" UC owner in Mansfield, Texas - October 19, 2007
Hi Dave, I'm writing this to you from my campsite at Okie-Tex, where I took delivery of 18" Obsession UC #1 this week. You've done it again! I think you've just opened up a whole new chapter in amateur astronomy -premium ultra-portable dobs!

The design of the scope is ingenious and just full of cool little ideas that are executed flawlessly. And of course, optically, it is a stunner! I was the most popular guy at Okie-Tex once word got out that I had the new UC set up. Add in the Ethos eyepiece and observing just doesn't get any better than that!
You're a true artist and visionary. Seriously.
Thanks again, Jim Walsh

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