The 3600GTO "el Capitan" is shown under test in the Astro-Physics observatory. Walter Piorkowski, head of our mount department, generously allowed us to use his large 16 inch f/5 Newtonian-Cassegrain to which we added some stainless steel stock on the mounting plate to reach 250 lbs. We feel that the mount can handle additional weight quite easily. Shown in the photo from left to right: Robert, Dave, Roland and Howard. Unfortunately, Walter was behind the camera.

The telescope is a homemade 16 inch f/5 Newtonian-Cassegrain using a full thickness 3 inch thick Pyrex primary mirror and a 3 3/8 inch minor axis pyrex secondary mirror. The optics are housed in a 19 1/4 inch aluminum tube with a truss assembly to reduce weight. The primary mirror was made by the Chicago-area master mirror maker Kenneth Wolf in the Adler Planetarium optical shop in approximately 1965. The optical tube assembly was made by Walter Piorkowski.