Proud owner of SDM056 Garin Taylor has created this excellent ‘how-to’ video of the transport and assembly process of his 18″ masterpiece. Well done Garin – you show just how portable a monster dob really is!

Peter is interviewed on ABC radio by Matt Dowling – It’s a great story and really captures what it is to be a part of the SDM family! Click play to listen to the show.

And you too can be part of the family – just dare to dream BIG and give Peter a call!

It seems like yesterday when aperture fever took hold of Peter Robbins and he came to SDM to build his dream telescope. Ten years later on, our inaugural customer and owner of the magnificent 30″ f/5 monster that is SDM#001 is still passionate about his scope and is often seen at star parties and community events generously sharing his eyepiece with all around. Peter is a very popular man in Queensland!

Whilst there have been many incremental improvements to the basic design over the years, it is testimony to the durability and longevity of these wonderful instruments that after a decade of use, SDM#001 still looks like new.

And looking back over ten years we know that the largest SDM scope to see the stars is currently 32″, the smallest is 16 times smaller at 8″ and that the average SDM Telescope is a little over 19″.

We have also calculated that if we took all the mirrors and made them into one humungous optic, it would have almost exactly the same surface area as the Anglo Australian Telescope at Siding Spring!

Now that’s a lot of aperture…

Ever wondered how hard it is to align a big dob? Here’s a quick How-to!

Peter is just back from delivering the fantastic SDM#049, complete with custom trailer, to its owner John Anderson from Darwin. This 18″ beauty with superb Carl Zambuto primary was dropped off in the Flinders Ranges, a mere day and a half’s drive for Peter and more than double that for John.

But as a reward for all those K’s, the team were thrilled with spectacular views and Peter, pictured here, found an observing chair befitting of the SDM Name!