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How do people handle large telescopes?


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With great difficulty. When trying to get my C9.25 ota onto the mount I invariably put my life in my hands. I've nearly dropped it a couple of times. You do need three hands, but until evolution gives me that crucial third hand I have to be very careful. I did recently buy a small clamp which attaches to the dovetail which makes life a little easier. Just basically take it all into the garden piece by piece and set it up in situ. How people with even bigger scopes manage, i'll never know.

I think that in time we will grow that third hand from our neck. You know when your hands are full that you always use your neck/chin to hold whatever you are carrying/holding.

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I find the easiest way for me to move my 8se about is on the mount. I take the tripod out firstly then the mount and OTA in one piece.

I have just upgraded to the 8 OTA. The 6 was easy to carry out whole, but I'm surprised how much bigger the 8 OTA is! Might have to split in now but that was the reason I sold my dob.

Damn my hunger for aperture

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I have just upgraded to the 8 OTA. The 6 was easy to carry out whole, but I'm surprised how much bigger the 8 OTA is! Might have to split in now but that was the reason I sold my dob.

Damn my hunger for aperture

I'm in a wheelchair. Thats the only reason why i split it. I'm sure most people could handle it in one piece.

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I think it wise; no matter how much one can carry, to split up the complete set up into three parts (Mount, Scope and weights). Accidents happen, and to fall with a complete set-up could become extremely costly and a tad painful on the body and wallet.

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My 12" F/5.3 dob is about as portable as a 12" solid tube scope can be I reckon. The tube just lifts of the mount and weighs around 16 kg so quite manageable. The mount weighs around 10 kg so very easy. If I use the equatorial platform thats another 6kg or so. The tube and mount can be carried short distances around the garden in one piece. I had a 12" Meade Lightbridge in the past and that was much heavier.

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I loosen the axis locking on mounts before carrying. A knock on the door or the head might affect the inner works. Moving stuff out and setting up becomes a routine.

On the base of the Lb I put 3 sturdy rubber bumpers, so that'll sit on the ground,

Nick.

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I went from a 150p to 200p. The 150p I could just lift out the door in one piece. The 200p I had to break down into smaller parts. I saw a 300 on an EQ6 at a show - what a monster!

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Thanks everyone! Also, I was having problems with narrow corridors in my house, so do you think it's a necessary step to fold up the tripod?

David

Yes it can become an obstacle course when you have rooms to enter, accessed from corridors full of stuff, steps to descend etc. I always check the floor to, as living in a family home, it does become a dumping ground. I have bashed my focuser and diagonal, telrad (if attached) onto door frames and once into a picture frame whilst negotiating a doorway and tight bend - the wood work suffered, the scope parts are fine.

A lot of this type of equipment is heavy, so employing good posture when lifting to avoid back strain is always necessary.

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Ithe observatory I use a scope hoist to lift the 'big guns'up and down since the pier is over six high and largest scope 12" F4 weighs in at a hefty 20kg. This is NOT a scope you can lift to over head height and then try and clamp in a saddle with your other hand!!

Scope hoist makes it easy

DSCF7006_1024_zps13deaf0b.jpg

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This is how i used to set up my scope. HEQ5 + 200PDS. Quite similar to your setup, but slightly larger mount.

I first take off the scope, then take out the mount, very roughtly polar align it, attach the counterweights, get the scope and put it on, then pull out/down the counterweights. :)

I try to carry the OTA by the dovetail when possible, as it gives a good grip. If not possible, like when i go upstairs on the terass here for example, i hold around it from below, and one hand at the primary mirror end where it's easy to get a decent grip as there's no cover plate there on my scope.

If i move the mount with the scope attached, it's only very short, like a few meters tops. It's not easy handle it all safely in one go.

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Wow Jannis, i am amazed that you can do any observing from that site thanks to the huge bright street light right across the road and traffic driving by. Not to mention the light coming from your shed. Even for imaging,it must play havoc.

I can only think that the skies up there in Norway are so dark that even that amount of light pollution does not hamper your efforts.

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Well, let's just say that after they replaced the lovely (filter-wise) sodium-vapor lightbulb with a 3x as strong bright white lightbulb - that street lamp have accidently recived a hole in the cover glass and died - twice - in one year... :angel5:

On the otehr hand, it Is actuallt possible to still do AP even when it's on, but it asure as hell messes up my night vision a lot, together with cars passing by with flood-lights on. It also restricts where i'm able to image, as too close to the lamp would wash out my images completly, and too close to the road would case trashed subs every time a car passed by.

But this is a bit off topic i guess :)

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Well, let's just say that after they replaced the lovely (filter-wise) sodium-vapor lightbulb with a 3x as strong bright white lightbulb - that street lamp have accidently recived a hole in the cover glass and died - twice - in one year... :angel5:

I like your style.

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