Scale of 12" dob...

[SnakeyJ]

Whoops - couldn't resist!  An impressive 36" dob well Mallets Mortar if I'm honest    The specs are F3.6 - apparently is lobbed a 2400lb shell 1.5 miles!

I'm sure they've mounted that big frac in the background the wrong way around!

Edited September 20, 2013 by SnakeyJ

[emadmoussa]

Looks like a giant dinosaur's poop to me...

[estwing]

german dob...http://www.missing-lynx.com/reviews/german/dorareviewdh_1.html

[SnakeyJ]

german dob...http://www.missing-lynx.com/reviews/german/dorareviewdh_1.html

Don't suppose Kellingheath is on the branch line?

[emadmoussa]

Again..hats off for German engineering. Explore Scientific not included...well, they're American anyway with Chinese products...

[scarp15]

I was able to observe seated with my 12" F4.9 Dobsonian, including at zenith, perched on my adjustable observers chair. I have recently purchased a second hand OOUK14" dobsonian. It blends into the house / room space well, even my wife thinks its OK, after intial thoughts of it resembling a boiler. It is F4.5 and I expect to be able to observe whilst seated with this set up.

[NIGHTBOY]

It'll go under the stairs mate, I have one. I don't mean to hi jack but whats with all these fancy mounts on them all?? Smoother?

[Moonshane]

they are made of either plywood or aluminium and are a lot lighter, take up less space and are smoother and more robust than the chipboard skywatcher ones which do in fainess work well enough if properly adjusted.

[NIGHTBOY]

Where do you get them from?

[Moonshane]

I made my own which is the best option really as you can tailor them to suit your preferred observing height.

[John]

Where do you get them from?

Orion Optics will make the aluminum ones for about £400. Shane made me mine along the same lines from 18mm Baltic ply and somewhat less cost   

It's really stable - 400x is no problem.

[Stargazer_00]

Mmm...as tempting as it seems, I think it's too big for a small house.

I could imagine me bringing it into the house and the wife will do this to it

Is that a solar scope version?

[bingevader]

Mmm...as tempting as it seems, I think it's too big for a small house.

I could imagine me bringing it into the house and the wife will do this to it

I found this image quite disturbing!

Even if money were no object and I no longer needed it, I'd never do this to a reasonably decent 'scope.

Even if the mirror was completely useless, the tube, focuser and finder look intact.

I'm in the process of "handing on" my scuba equipment, which will probably go to a good home for free, burning it never even crossed my mind!

Cheers

[emadmoussa]

Bruce looking through his "Fire Scope."

He had bought a 16-inch dobsonian telescope, and the thing was a monster; heavy to lug around. So Bruce decided to rebuild it.

Since he didn't need the tube and mount, he brought it out to the club's annual December bonfire and threw it in. We joked "how's the seeing?" and he walked up to it and looked through the focuser.

Bruce posted something about it on an online newsgroup, complaining about "tube currents" and how the manufacturer never contacted him.

Perhaps a cooling fan would've helped?

[emadmoussa]

http://www.graaa.org/bruce/brucesidellphoto1.html

[Naemeth]

I've said it before, but I can easily carry a 10" dob (in two parts) down 3 flights of stairs. The 12" I wouldn't be so sure about as I think the Skywatcher base is bigger.

[AlexB67]

I don't own either, but it is often said 10 inch is the kind of comfortable limit that can be easily handled by one person. I suppose a consideration has to be how far you have to carry it around, If 20 meters more in a garden when you observe from different spots in a session ( as I do ) I suppose 12 inch could become a bit of a burden.

If you got a good back and are up to it why not 12 inch, it keeps you warm carrying it around a bit in the cold winter  

Edited September 21, 2013 by AlexB67

[dezzie]

Type in 12" dobsonion on youtube, plenty on there, or you could get a flex tube design that collapses down to make it compact!

[TractionMan]

Here's a thread with some images from when I unpacked assembled my 12" Fkextube. Might give you an idea of it's size.

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/194023-project-flextube/

/Stellan

Edited September 21, 2013 by TractionMan

[emadmoussa]

Here's a thread with some images from when I unpacked assembled my 12" Fkextube. Might give you an idea of it's size.

/Stellan

Thanks, but where's the link?

[TractionMan]

It's there now. Oooops!

[Avocette]

I've had hands-on experience of the SW 200p and 250px solid tube and lately the 300p Flextube Dob. I'm about 5ft 10in tall and have a slightly dodgy back which occasionally reminds me to lift by 'bending my knees'. So far I don't sit down but prefer to stand, with the scope mounted on a water butt stand with levelling feet. This makes the eyepiece of the 300p just a little high when pointing at the Zenith (I stand slightly on tip toes).

I always think of these scopes as being heavy, bulky items with delicate, easily damaged parts. WIth the 200p I tried once or twice to move it around the garden assembled and then gave that up. With the 250 and the 300p I am not prepared to do so and always split and carry the Dob in two parts.

I carry the solid tube with one hand on the mirror cradle/tube end casting and the other around the tube at about two thirds of the length. With the Flextube so far I have always collapsed the structure, locked the turnscrews, and carried it by the frame casting at the bottom of the secondary mirror tube. This method is awkward with the weight extended away from my body. This is especially true when climbing or descending stairs especially since ours are sort of spiral ones with no clear headroom. I'm looking for a better way.

The SW Dob mount base circles are identical for the 200p and 250px (52cm diameter) and 62cm for the 300p. The 300p base is a bit more heavy and awkward and probably needs a second handle. Overall I'd say that the 300p Flextube is at the limit of my ability to manhandle on my own. I can't imagine getting along with a Flextube GoTo version with the extra weight of the motors.

By the way rumour has it that some of the even larger SW Dobs won't pass through a standard door way!

[nicks90]

i would second what Avocette says above,

the 300 flextube is fairly heavy if you are of slight build or have a bad back, joints, [insert malady here].

I collapse my OTA down, but leave a 4" gap between the top and bottom parts. To move it, I grab the primary mirror casting with my right hand and my left hand goes in the 4" gap next to one of the truss sections and i hoik it around like that. That way I have a firm grip with my fingers on two parts of the scope, which in my opinion is slightly safer than one hand gripping and the other 'cuddling' the ota. Also has the advantage of being able to twist your body and tube about to get past obstacles and though narrow gates etc.

The base is big, heavy and awkward - although mine is the tracking version with motors - but either way the truss tube 300 dob bases are taller than non truss tubes and therefore heavier and more awkward.

If i had to move mine about more than the 20 feet from my garage to the back garden / boot of my car, I would seriously reconsider the 12" and look at a 10" non auto / non flextube designed dob.

Nick

[emadmoussa]

I'm actually confused here, isn't the flexitube supposed to be lighter??

[swamp thing]

I'm actually confused here, isn't the flexitube supposed to be lighter??

I think the aim of the Flextube is to make a more compact structure for transport/storage.

They are actually heavier than their solid tube equivalents.