EQ mount with dob.

[mrstraighty]

I've got a 4.5 Orion dob and a EQ mount I got with a Seben turdscope. Was thinking of putting the relative small dob on the seben's mount and using the seben for an ashtray. Kidding but its a piece of junk.

[rwilkey]

Hi there, no reason why you can't do that, you just need to get tube rings and dovetail for the Orion in order to mount it on the EQ mount, I pressume it has a standard fitting Vixen style plate?

[mrstraighty]

No it's got a clamp/ring mount already. Should go right on. We'll see.

[haitch]

I think you might struggle with that - the Seben probably isn't made of good enough quality materials to use as an ashtray :-P

[haitch]

Actually, in seriousness, how's the mount from the Seben? - I struggled to get one of those to even stay pointed where I aimed it. It wouldn't lock, the tripod and mount flexed and it was just a nightmare.

[twotter]

An ashtray is a little harsh. Could you not use it as an umbrella stand instead?

[JamesF]

If the Seben primary is any use perhaps it could be the basis of a dob project itself?

James

[haitch]

If the Seben primary is any use perhaps it could be the basis of a dob project itself?

James

Unles there's been a major change at Seben it'll be spherical - you'd probably struggle to shave with it

[JamesF]

Unles there's been a major change at Seben it'll be spherical - you'd probably struggle to shave with it

I had a feeling it might be.

James

[mrstraighty]

I got it mounted and I am currently in Rio Grande City Tx. staying in a haunted hotel( La Borde House-Youtube it). Nice dark skies just outside of town. Might go out and try it tonight? The Seben tripod seemed okay but it is very flimsy. Cant really say I was always so frustrated with the scope that I never really worried about the legs. We'll see. The finder on the the thing was worse than a toy scope and the mount for the finder was a very stupid design and almost no way to get it aligned correctly. I've got some survey tripods in my work truck maybe i can moun t the EQ on those. Maybe I'll make a lamp from the Seben? That would be novel.

[mrstraighty]

I will say the mount makes the Orion 45Xt which is set up for 3' tall people, much more comfortable.

[mrstraighty]

The mount was a little unstable as was I after a few pints! The weight was not suuficient and it was difficult to look straight up. thats where Jupiter is early in Texas right now. Regret not bringing my dob base. Oh well job will be over in a few weeks. My thoughts? Keep it on the dob base and use the Seben and its tripod for a lamp.

[haitch]

The mount was a little unstable as was I after a few pints! The weight was not suuficient and it was difficult to look straight up. thats where Jupiter is early in Texas right now. Regret not bringing my dob base. Oh well job will be over in a few weeks. My thoughts? Keep it on the dob base and use the Seben and its tripod for a lamp.

You could try filling the tripod legs with sand to give it a bit more weight. That way it'll make a sturdier lamp. Is the focal length of the Seben scope about twice as long as the tube? If so, if you look down the focuser you should see a barlow/corrector that is supposed to increase the foacl length and correct for the spherical mirror. Both of these it does badly.

I was lucky enough not to own one - it was my father-in-law's. He was convinced the extra aperture would more than make up for quailty difference of similar priced scopes of smaller aperture of better pedigree - how wrong he was.

[mrstraighty]

Not sure of the FL on the Seben, I think its 1000 and it is 900 on the Orion. I thought I gould go on the cheap too. Oh well. Im really impressed with the Orion for it's size. Sand in the legs sounds like a good idea so long as it doesn't leak out. We'll see.