How do you get three Dobsonians in one office?

[faulksy]

it's about 5'4" but I could drop it another 4-5" by adding a small weight at the top end.

that's amazing most dobs I have read about in the region of 14" - 16" are around 5-10 upwards

[ibraidwo]

it's about 5'4" but I could drop it another 4-5" by adding a small weight at the top end.

This may be a dumb question (I have never owned a dob), but how can you drop the focuser by 4-5" by adding a small weight? Once it's pointing straight up, how can adding a weight lower the focuser..

[Dunkster]

Looks like plenty of room for a couple more

A nice flex tube with a cushion on the lid could double up as a desk chair for your wife, everyone's happy

[Stu]

This may be a dumb question (I have never owned a dob), but how can you drop the focuser by 4-5" by adding a small weight? Once it's pointing straight up, how can adding a weight lower the focuser..

I got confused by that too when I first read it :-). I believe it means that if you add a weight at the top, you can slide the OTA down 4-5" in the rings and it will still be balanced. Sure Shane will confirm.

Stu

[Moonshane]

Quite right Stu

although I didn't explain it well, you are spot on. I meant that as the scope is balanced for the current height, if I slid it down in the tubes to bring the eyepiece height down a little, I'd need to add a small weight at the top end to maintain balance.

[Moonshane]

by the way, I have nothing against fracs at all other than the small aperture and observing position compared with a dob. I'd love to look through the 106 and 21E!

[Moonshane]

how do you find the 6inch f11, I assume its superb on the planets ( is it the orion special?) its a scope I would love to add to the collection

hi Lee

yes, it's one of the OOUK collector's items (this was how John at OO described them as they had sold so few). It has 1/6 pv optics so is a decent figure too. It's a fine scope and does give excellent planetary and lunar views. I also really like it for double stars and as mentioned it's my solar scope too. I have flocked it full tube (that was a challenge and I did it with nobody in the house as I knew I'd be swearing a lot), added a dual speed focuser and a dew shield and fan. it was actually an ebay special and probably the best bargain I have ever had (although I did have to drive to Southampton to get it - the petrol costs added 50% to the cost so you can guess how cheaply I got the scope).

I often use it for planetary and doubles when the moon is out (and moon of course) as I can really ramp the power up with the eq platform. In the winter when the moon is near the zenith I can and have used 400-500x on the moon. if you ever see one for sale then I'd snap it up. my only criticism is that being so long it is a little spindly and would be possibly prone to toppling but I added some weights to the bottom and now fix it to the EQP so it's very stable.

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/159354-orion-optics-6-f11-planetary-dobsonian/

[paulastro]

Fabulous, thanks for this post. I'm going to show my wife your picture and then she wont think I'm so bad after all, ha ha. Mind you, my office is far more cluttered than yours!

[Moonshane]

Mind you, my office is far more cluttered than yours!

so was mine until the day before this pic - in fact I could have been on Britain's Worst Hoarders according to my wife.

[ibraidwo]

Thanks for clarifying, I did wonder after responding whether it was to do with moving the scope in the rings...

[earth titan]

Get rid of your wifes desk & I reckon you'll have enough room for a 20" too.

Or get rid of the wife :-o Never know when a desk might come in useful;-)

Typed by me on my fone, using fumms... Excuse eny speling errurs.