Dob portability

[Swedeman2013]

Hey folks,

I'm interested in an 8" dob as my next purchase but am wondering how portable it will be to throw in the car and drive away from light pollution , towards the country. Does everyone disassemble it into two parts and put it together later or is it usually left as one piece?

Cheers

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

I carry it out of the house in one piece, but to go in the car i need the base in the boot and the tube in the back.

[gravityguy]

I have the 10 inch dob and it is no problem to carry around at all. I take the tube off the base, lay it over my back seats in tje var and its fine. I then just put the base in my boot. I have a peugeot 306. I also have a sankey water butt stand to put it on which goes in the front although it would fit perfectly fine in the boot also. Dissasembly only takes a couple of mins as does reassembly. I would imagine the 8 inch will be just as easy (I would say easier but the 10 inch is so easy I cant see how anything else could be easier! lol)

[swamp thing]

1363848631[/url'>' post='1875348'] I would imagine the 8 inch will be just as easy (I would say easier but the 10 inch is so easy I cant see how anything else could be easier! lol)

Aaah! You see, your not thinking. If you add handles to your Dob you can carry the base in one hand and the tube in the other. Saves trying to carry it assembled, and trips to the car.

Not that I've ever bothered, as like you say it's about as easy as falling of a log anyway

[gravityguy]

Aaah! You see, your not thinking. If you add handles to your Dob you can carry the base in one hand and the tube in the other. Saves trying to carry it assembled, and trips to the car.

Not that I've ever bothered, as like you say it's about as easy as falling of a log anyway

Haha I wouldn't fancy taking both at the same time through narrow doors, I would no doubt end up bashing the tube on a door frame and either denting it or putting the collimation way out. Neither of which really appeals. As it only takes a couple of minutes to take both pieces separately, I think I will stick with that method. I also have a dog that given half a chance would be out on the street like a shot and running off somewhere. At least carrying one at a time I can close doors as I go through them! lol

[JonnyN]

Also an 8" Dob user here. Have no problem getting it into the back of the car, as jimmy said, its usually carried in one piece by the handles to the car and then separated into tube and base and stored however seems appropriate at the time! Usually base in boot and tube on back seat with seatbelt wrapped around because I'm extra paranoid. Hey at least I dont bubble wrap it for the trip!

[Hzadbhat]

I always put mine (8" and 10" dob) in the car in two pieces. I kept the box it was shipped in as well as the foam inserts, and this is my travelling case for the scope. The base stays in one piece.

Unless your base is made of far higher quality materials than the one that came with it, I would not be removing any of the screws for the base.

My base is made from chipboard, I've heard mdf is also commonly used. Neither of these treat screws well. You'll get the screw in nicely on first assembly, but any time you take them out, they will go back in loosely. Disassembly WILL lead to failure.

JonnyN :- I see NO problems with using bubble wrap to protect your toys.

[Swedeman2013]

Great advice everyone thanks!

[zoneca]

Get the collapsible one. It should be no problem to fit in your car. Look at my pp, you see how short it can be although its a 12".