Derek asked me to give my further impressions of my cases for my 900 GTO
mount, so here goes.

I had a set of custom ATA cases made for me through Company 7 for my 900 GTO
mount. They are made by Calzone, with Anvil latches, and are the prototypes
for the new line of AP custom ATA cases sold by C7. There are two, one for
the RA assembly alone and another for the DEC assembly, dec shaft,
counterweights, and miscellaneous cables, keypad, polar scope.

Even the foam is customized for the mount--each case contains multiple
densities of foam, depending on what that particular area is supporting. The
entire interior is lined in a rich long-nap velour. The cases have a
full-length hinge on one side and have three latches on the other--a central
combination latch and two special flat Anvil latches that won't catch on
anything during shipping--and have two retaining straps to keep the lid from
opening too far. Each has one retractable handle on the front.

Several color combinations are available. I chose white exterior with a rich
red interior, but black on black was very tempting.

The cases hold the ra and dec assemblies VERY snugly. The fit on the dec was
perfect, but the ra wasn't quite right and was sent back to Calzone to be
refitted (again, these are prototypes) and hasn't yet returned. The cases
are ATA-shippable as-is; you can stick a shipping label on the outside and
it is ready to go. They are extremely well-constructed, and could take a
real beating while protecting their contents from damage.

I also had a matching case made for my 155 EDFS. It differs from the mount
cases only in the fully removable cover which is held on each long side by
one combination latch and two flat Anvil latches. When the cover is removed,
the long sides of the case spring outward a bit, allowing you to grasp the
scope more easily (this would be difficult if the case didn't spring outward
due to the very snug fit in the firm foam--it fits in the cutout like a
glove). There are three retractable handles, one on the top and one on each
end.

All in all, I am very happy with the cases. They are beautiful, extremely
well built, and protect their contents from even the most determined baggage
handler. The only downside, besides the cost, is that they are heavy.

I don't have a web page to post images yet, but I will be happy to snap a
digital camera shot of them and e-mail to anyone who is interested.

Regards,
Paul Gustafson


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