noodlehat

Thanks, yueah i think ive come to same conclusion that the setting circle will be nice to have on the dob base but prob not end up using it it on the EQ platform.

I found the reiner website also has plans for 12"+ version as well 👍

http://www.reinervogel.net/index_e.html?/Plattform/Bauplan_e.html

@westmarch @FrankRyanJr many thanks for this guide and both your inputs, its my next project after re doing my dob mount. I just have 2 quick questions: 

- I have a 12" dob with a 700mm diameter circle base with feet at about 600mm diameter , ive worked out i need to scale the plans 15% for its feet to fit on the top board of the EQ mount, I take it I'm just scaling the timber plans and not scaling the aluminium arcs etc? The 50mm gap between boards stays the same and all rods etc?

- Also, if my dob base has a fixed setting circle on it, if I begin with it aligned correctly, will the EQ mounts movement keep the setting circle aligned correctly or will it all go to hell? Is there any way to get a setting circle on the dob base to work with the movement of an EQ platform?

Many thanks.

5 minutes ago, Ratlet said:

How are you planning mounting the setting circle?

Be interested to see how the setting circle looks once it arrives.

I'm planning doing the same thing as yourself in the future.

yeah bit of a test really, the foamex is pretty cheap..ish. and thought would hold up to any moisture. Think its basically what estate agent signs are printed on?

I'm probably just gonna use some 10mm pins to fix to bottom board as I don't need it to rotate to align

I'm just planning to view from one spot on my deck, so my plan is to fix the circle, then using T nuts on the bottom board and my deck, have it align the bottom board automatically every time I place the mount on my deck and screw down 2 bolts into the sockets on the deck. Using the T nuts will hopefully means its exactly correct and I don't get any wiggle.... Bit of a suck it and see I guess. Possibly a bit convoluted but makes sense to me! 

Stage 1. Eyepieces arrived 😁 in case:

https://www.cases-and-enclosures.co.uk/hard-cases-protective-storage/hurricane-equipment-cases/hurricane-waterproof-and-shockproof-case-green-l379xw258xh104mm

Also making a modified base for setting circle printed on foamex from here: https://www.printed.com/products/display-boards

as an aside, lost a good half hour/ 45mins to the display your eyepieces cases thread at the weekend.... turns out this hobby is like catnip to those of us with ocd leaning tendencies! 

19 hours ago, bosun21 said:

The 12” Stella Lyra dobsonian is approx 61” when vertical on its mount. I state approximately due to mine having longer rubber feet fitted to allow my sack trolley to slide under it. I also have a much thicker roller bearing fitted on the base. HTH.

perfect, many thanks. 

15 hours ago, Mr Spock said:

Mine is in two bits. I keep the base and tube separate. My shed has plenty of room for that. If it were stored assembled and moved out assembled, the tube would have to tilt quite a bit to come out of the shed.

I either lift the tube out, or frog-march it on the long feet I have attached, depending how my back feels. The tube has clearance on it's own but I have to be careful lifting it as it can catch on the top of the door frame if I'm a bit clumsy. The base I lift by the handle (I've been meaning to fit a couple more to make it easier to lift). The EQ platform is in two bits and if the roller is rubber like mine I wouldn't recommend storing a scope on it as the rubber will develop a flat side from the weight - unless you put something between to lift it off the roller in storage..

thanks, currently designing storage so good to know.  EQ platform on the list but maybe after got a handle on it and justify the extra cost!

7 hours ago, Carbon Brush said:

An awesome setup in a great location that you are planning.

May I suggest you take a look here?

https://www.astrotufftruk.com/productsandprices

If you have the scope assembled on a trolley it can be on site and ready in a minute or two.
The truck has jacking screws to level the base.
I had a look at their stuff at PAS last Saturday. It is very well made.
They are happy to customise to suit narrow doorways and the like.
You can of course make your own.
I have used old coffee tables or desk tops to transport a dob and thought about something better.

 

 

 

thanks, they look great but may have to be a purchase down the road a bit to justify to other half. 

In the meantime i've ordered my eyepieces so now i'll have to order the dob as well! 😂 helps avoid analysis paralysis. 

19 hours ago, Franklin said:

Your intended observing site looks the business and the views through a 12" reflector at a dark site like that will be awesome! I'm jealous🙂.

haha, thanks hopefully it will! looking into bortle zones/ dark sky and my light pollution levels I had thought initially it would be even better numbers but I guess i get some pollution from Plymouth/ Torbay area in the far distance. 

thanks all.

Hi @Mr Spock I just had a quick question about your 12 stelllalyra dob storage ive gleamed from a few of your other threads.  Do you store all in one piece and wheel it out or are you assembling it in bits carrying the EQ platform, mount and scope all out separately? I also wondered if you knew the rough total height of the dob when store vertically on the mount in the shed? Currently planning my outdoor storage shed structure, will be about 10m from viewing platform. 

Many thanks. 

Many thanks all, I think i'll just get the 10mm Nirvana instead then and try and keep it so my set takes as much advantage of the Parfocal Nivarnas as possible and save £50!  Cheers.

Hi all,

Thanks for this great forum with all its expertise. I've been trawling over it a while and am planning to shortly push the button on buying my first proper setup. Now its probably a bit over keen and I understand the general advice is not to spend too much before you've gotten a hand on everything but I feel this is a good setup that will stand test of time. 

See attached images, I'm on the side of Dartmoor in a little valley and planning to put an observatory platform around about the red dot in photo which is pretty much South Facing with slight hills to East and West. 

Im happy to spend around about the £1500 mark all in for mainly Visual observation and will be storing the Dob outside in a shed/ outbuilding a few meters from observing platform, hence i'm happy to go for a bigger Dob than perhaps normally recommended for beginners as not planning to take it anywhere and will likely build some sort of wheeled sledge. 

I've attached an equipment list, i'm planning on purchasing the StellaLyra 12" Dob with a couple of extras. My main question refers to eye pieces which I've shortlisted down and blue highlighted the possible additional purchases I've settled on following comments and previous posts I've read on this site.,

I guess the main question is which 10mm piece out of the options given I want a good planet EP, which as I understand would be a 10mm Ortho ( with/ without barlow). The cheaper recommenced BCO concerns me with eye relief/ design and ease of use vs the Vixen SLV with a very comfortable looking eye cap (or is the vixen not an ortho?) ! My understanding a smaller FOV is better for planets vs the 10mm Nirvana?

Finally whats the pros/ cons of these Ultra Flat Field lenses vs the ultrawide of the Nirvana?

Any advice greatly appreciated.  

9 hours ago, Mr Spock said:

While some people like zooms for their convenience, I prefer the better corrected optics and wider fields of single focal length eyepieces.

Many thanks, this was my conclusion also after some reading of various threads and getting a better understanding. The FOV seemed to shrink very low on some of the focal lengths on the zooms. Budget wise Id say its best to pay a little extra for the correct/ better quality view one time than want to upgrade a zoom in a yr or 2.

On 08/01/2023 at 18:35, Mr Spock said:

Don't rule out high powers just because some say you can't use it. When conditions allow I use my 12" at x380 with great success. 

For your Dob, I'd recommend the 12mm and 8mm plus x2 Barlow. That will give you x100, x150, x200 and x300 - a really nice spread.

For wide field I'd suggest the 30mm StellaLyra UF. That would give x40 and 1.75°. Just right for getting the Pleiades in 😜

Hi, to add onto this thread.. For those of us just starting out, i'm awaiting stock of the StellaLyra 12" Dob... we should basically aim for 2 or 3 good eye pieces as you outlined?  Using a 2x Barlow ( any recommendation for which one on the StellaLyra 12"?to give additional magnification options rather than buying the extra eye pieces? And this is a better route than going for say the Baader Hyperion Zoom?

Regarding the AFOV with the suggested Nivarnas, is there any reason one would not want the larger AFOV at particular magnification levels? Does that more depend on what your trying to view? 

Many thanks.