Big dobs.

[Dreadz]

Ok, I know I'm mentally spending money I don't yet have but in the next few months I will be in a position to buy a big dob. The only downside is that storage space is an issue. With that in mind I'm looking at the travel/ultra portable dobs on various sites. As much as I would love an 18 or 20 inch dob I dont think I can justify (my wife would kill me!!) spending £5000+ so it looks as if 16" may be about my price point.

Anything from the states is going cost a fortune in import duty so british or eu suppliers would be preferable and at the moment I'm seriously drooling over the Sumerian Alkaid 16" which if it follows the pattern of prices for its smaller siblings should be within my reach with 1/10wave optics and be storable in a package the size of a small suitcase.

http://www.sumerianoptics.com/en/

I know ES have just released their travel dobs and the 14 inch is tempting at that price and the David Lukehurst ultra portable dobs look very good, although not as as compact but the alkaid looks to be a seriously impressive piece of kit but is there anything else I should be considering??

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

[russ.will]

There was a link on here to a Polish chap who was making some very nice looking lightweight Dobs, to which you could add your own optics.

Russell

[Dreadz]

Now you mention that I vaguely recall seeing an ad on ABS. Shall have another look. Thanks

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

[russ.will]

Yeah, there are at least two Polish makers and the one I'm thinking of is the other one! You'll know him when you find him (in misogynistic terms) because of the very slender wife that appears for scale in many of the site's photos.

Russell

[ollypenrice]

Have a look at David Lukehurst. He's a first rate guy about whom one never hears anything significantly negative - or I never have. I've met him and would order without hesitation.

http://www.dobsonians.co.uk/

OLlly

[crashtestdummy]

I would have a look at a 16" Sumerian canopus like the one Mike73 has,quality scope!!!

I looked at the polish scope site and had discussions for a while with the guy about buying the 16" but the carriage from Poland was massively expensivehttp://www.teleskopytaurus.pl/

I ended up with a second hand 16" lightbridge but I've now sold that and I'm grinding my own 22" mirror

[scarp15]

If storage is an issue, I think that the standard David Lukehurst Truss dobsonian would still be a very good option to consider from that perspective.   

[estwing]

My mirror is as big as a dustbin lid...I kid you not so in a box it's about the same size as a standard cooker but half the height.. Cookers are very hard to move threw door ways so are big dobs most are kept in sheds or a garage...but if you have the space and money...go for it, just don't forget the £2000 your gonna spend on Ep's!!

[todd8137]

My 16" was made to the same specs as the russain guys ,got my mirrors from Oldham optics it blows the meade and sky watcher ones out the water ,that said as already said eps are a must cheap ones do not cut it I was rather shocked when mine came I built it up in the kitchen and wow it was a little on the large side

Pat

[Dreadz]

Looked at the lukehurst dobs and the canopus (and several other big dobs that google could muster) but the alkaid seemed to tick all the boxes, especially its compactness

@estwing what scope is that in yr profile pic?

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

[estwing]

It's a custom made truss Dob ,a very kind and generous member on here made it as his finale scope...it's loosely based on the obsession scopes...

[Space Dragon]

The Sumerian Dobs are a work of Art.

And practical.

If you can swallow the cost, go for it.

I've been tempted but will wait for a windfall.

[cotterless45]

The Canopus looks good for that money.i can remember a time when 6" was the old 16". Almost the same price as the Explore Scientific 16". I'd go with the Canopus, if it goes in the car with Mrs.c.

Or I might have to leave one at home,

Nick.

[Byz1453]

I am lucky enough to have the Sumerian 10" Alkaid which was the biggest he made at the time that was airline portable.

It weighs 10kg, the 14" weighed around 22kg from memory and the dimensions start to mount up as you go up the scales. I also ended up with an Orion Optics 1:8 mirror. And Moonlight focuser.

Michael is a great guy and will talk you through the process and make sure you get the scope you want.

He lent me a bigger Canopus for a few weeks to test for him and it was a joy to use, in some ways much nicer than the Alkaid, but then again they are designed for different purposes. The Canopus was very easy to dissemble and pack away at the end of a night plus it took up very little room in my shed.

I can't compare to any other similar designs but I can wholeheartedly recommend the Sumerians, they are lovely bits of kit.

But as mentioned above be prepared to spend even more on EPs. Such scopes deserve nice glass...;-)

Kieran

[swamp thing]

Why not build your own?

My larger scope is an obsession/webster copy. Built by using the KB book. Follow that book, you can't go wrong.

[Dreadz]

I think I'd be extremely happy with either of the Sumerian models, will have to wait to see the price for the alkaid 16 once its published. As for ep's I'm aiming for a set of the ES 82° at least, unless I can stretch to the 100°, nagler's and ethos' are unfortunately likely to be out of my reach. Maybe one day.

@swamp thing I'd love to build my own but given the amount of spare time I have I'd still be building it in 10 years!!!!

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

[Mike73]

I have a 16" Sumerian Canopus and yes they are very nice scopes, I wouldnt change mine for the world but truss dobs regardless of design do take maybe a little less than 10 minutes to set up from start to collimated and ready to go. Thats not very long really but if you fancy a quick session in your garden after work in the winter and the weather is 50/50 then that set up time wears pretty thin after a while especially those times when you set up and the cloud comes in!

I'm really not trying to put you off because they are great scopes but if you are the type that likes to head to dark skies for decent sessions then I'd say go for it but if its just to use from home and store inside then I'm not so sure.. 

You can see in this pic I now use a 10" for home use as a grab n go......and some more Canopus pics    http://www.pbase.com/mike73/random_pics

[faulksy]

I have a 16" Sumerian Canopus and yes they are very nice scopes, I wouldnt change mine for the world but truss dobs regardless of design do take maybe a little less than 10 minutes to set up from start to collimated and ready to go. Thats not very long really but if you fancy a quick session in your garden after work in the winter and the weather is 50/50 then that set up time wears pretty thin after a while especially those times when you set up and the cloud comes in!

I'm really not trying to put you off because they are great scopes but if you are the type that likes to head to dark skies for decent sessions then I'd say go for it but if its just to use from home and store inside then I'm not so sure.. 

You can see in this pic I now use a 10" for home use as a grab n go......and some more Canopus pics    http://www.pbase.com/mike73/random_pics

looking good mike

[todd8137]

10 minutes mike73 you got a bad back (heheheheh) my sixteen takes me as quick as a can open the roof (5 clips that are padlocked and three motorbike,chains that old the roof down ) even if I had to,set the truss tube up from scratch a reckon it would take 25 minutes with the pier in there a foresee a shed extension being built over the summer

Pat

[Dreadz]

Transport to dark sites is another consideration for me. Our car has 3 child seats in the back and my brother in laws is so full of junk its unreal so the alkaid or canopus would mean a lot less hassle when loading into the car. I'll be keeping my skyliner as a "grab and go" for the garden although if funds allow I may upgrade the optics in that too

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

[Mike73]

I reckon a Sumerian is for you then.

Drop Michael an email and just tell him exactly how you intend to use your scope and he'll advise you on what model will be best for you.

Customer service really doesn't get any better.

I'm on my phone so can't see your location but maybe there is someone fairly local to you with a Sumerian? It's a lot of cash to pay out without seeing one first.