Founder David Kriege Key people David Kriege Headquarters Lake Mills | Area served Worldwide Products Dobsonian telescopes Founded 1989 | |
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Obsession Telescopes is an American telescope manufacturer that specializes in Dobsonian telescopes. Founded in 1989 by David Kriege, the company is based in Lake Mills, Wisconsin. It sells large aperture telescopes throughout the world. An example of a telescope they have produced is a Dobsonian with a 12.5 inch mirror. They have also produced telescopes with computerized positioning. The company is noted as a pioneer in amateur astronomy and is an important and the most major producer of Dobsonian telescopes. Around 1987 the founder, Kriege, went to a star party and experienced a Dobsonian telescope, and then built Obsession 1 at this time astronomy was a hobby (this is before founding OT). The style of telescope was unique early on but over time became more popular. One style of Dobsonian the company developed is an ultra-compact style. The Dobsonians are a big deal to amateur astronomers because they offer a big aperture compared to the cost of the telescope and its mobility. This allows the telescopes to be taken to star parties, where amateur astronomers gather at night to use their scopes together. Telescopes from OT have also been used for astrophotography.
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Products
The company specializes in large aperture truss-pole Dobsonian telescopes. The OT telescopes have a set standard for telescopes among amateur astronomer telescopes. One of the advantages is the ultra-compact style, which allows higher mobility, with a compact size, relative to the diameter of the main mirror. The compactness is achieved by making the traditional Dobsonian design collasible. In this way, the truss shrinks down to a smaller size making it more easy to transport a bigger telescope. This mobility advantage makes it easier to take a larger diameter aperture mirror to a star party, which are popular in the amateur astronomy community. (the traditional way is that a big telescope is fixed in an observatory)
Having a bigger aperture can improve many aspects of telescope performance, provided that the overall quality is maintained. For example, an 18 inch diameter telescope has five times the light-gather power of an 8-inch telescope, all else being equal. In addition, the bigger telescope has finer resolution and better contrast. By gathering more light fainter astronomical objects can be seen.
Obsession uses primary mirrors supplied by Optical Mechanics, Inc. (OMI) and Ostahowski 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 and Wildcard Innovations Argo Navis Digital Telescope Computer (DTC) on their range of telescopes. The argo navis is a digital telescope computer.
Models
Obsession telescopes available circa 2012. The telescopes ranged in price from over $3000 USD for the 12.5 inch to $12–15,000 for the 25 inch. Obsession manufactured a limited number of 30" and 36" telescopes. In 2009, Obsession Telescopes assisted OMI in the design of the OMI Evolution-30.
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.
Obsession telescopes available circa 2009, twenty years afters its founding in 1989. The telescopes ranged in price from over $3000 USD for the 12.5 inch to 12 to 15 thousand for the 25 inch.
Awards
The Obsession 18" f/4.2 UC ('Ultra Compact') won a Sky & Telescope Magazine Hot Product of 2008 Award.