What do Sky-watcher Dobs use?

[mitchelln]

I'll measure the base for you. It weighs about 20kg. I use a 2" Baader MKIII Coma corrector. It works really well

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[emadmoussa]

I'll measure the base for you. It weighs about 20kg. I use a 2" Baader MKIII Coma corrector. It works really well Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk

Thanks a lot.

[mitchelln]

The base is 64cm across and 82cm high.

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[itmo]

I use my 12" goto flextube constantly without electricity. it is a bit stiff to push around but i can quite easily track jupiter at around 300x. The base just barely fits out of  a door and i can just about carry it out by myself. 

[Tinker1947]

Back and forth, back and forth 12" or 16", 12" or 16",......

[AlexB67]

Emad, The weights/dimension are one the SW website. 

http://www.skywatcher.com/product.php?cat=6&id=67

A bag of cement weighs around 50 kilos but is not very cumbersome to carry I find, but certainly a work out for me, but I aint build like Arnold Swarchenegger  .  A concrete blocks typically 15 kg, easy to carry.  Perhaps do some praccy and you'll get a feel go for it    My flextube  OTA weighs 15 kilos, in the collapsed from I find it very easy to carry because it is easy to grip, it has a rim were where the trusses are supported.  I suspect for  normal healthy person no back issues, or for me anyway, it would get somewhat awkward to hold flextubes above 12 inch OTAs in the SW range, that would be my guess anyway. Even if I could manage a 14 inch by myself, I doubt I'd want to use it that often if needs to be carried anymore than a few meters from a shed an there is an easy way to do it with some wheels etc.

[itmo]

Afaik the bases of 14" and bigger dobs are actually made to be carried in pieces and assembled every time. The 12" base is made to be assembled once and carried as a whole and due to it's size it is a bit awkward to carry alone. 

[Avocette]

I've just been and measured my 12" manual mount - its also 64cm diameter but 73cm (not 84cm) high. I've also just been checking out those SW webpages. The 12" OTAs are said to weigh 21kg, the 14" 23.5kg but there's no mention of the weight of the 16"! However they do quote the 'shipping weights' which total 43kg for the 12" manual, 49kg for the 12" GoTo, 80kg for the 14" GoTo and 96kg for the 16" GoTo.

As I mentioned earlier in the thread the 12" OTA with its bulk and weight is at my limit of comfort for handling (think of a full airline suitcase weight allowance but with strange weight distribution in an R2D2 tube shape). All I can say about the prospect of carrying the larger ones is phew!

I attach a photo of my scope to show that you can get a matching 64cm diameter water butt stand!

[emadmoussa]

Back and forth, back and forth 12" or 16", 12" or 16",......

Very true.

[John]

I know you probably know this but the Orion Optics dobs are quite a lot lighter and have a more compact footprint than their Meade / Skywatcher / Revelation cousins. They aren't driven though (unless on an EQ platform) and do cost a lot more when new, I appreciate that.

My OO 12" F/.5.3 weighs around the same as a Skywatcher 10" F/4.8. Having owned a 12" Meade Lightbridge in the past and found it too heavy for my needs I've been really pleasantly surprised at how easy my 12" dob is to set up, move around and tear down when the clouds threaten. It's actually pushed my ED120 refractor off the top spot in terms of frequency of use, which I was not really expecting (though Shane predicted it   )

Sorry about the diversion - back to the Skywatcher / Revelation options.

[emadmoussa]

One of the reasons I had to let my NEQ6 go was the awkward weight. While the Dob is normally a two- step set up, more weight will make the hell of a nightmare if you need to lug a large piece of kit through the small kitchen door into the garden.

If I am going 12 inch flextube, this focuser will have to retire immediately. Even the dual speed ones SW fit to the 14/16 inchers still use thumb screws. It is funny how they go all the way perfecting an instrument and then settle with a less than mediocre focuser...aaahhh

Is the coma corrector necessary for the f/4.9? And how much is a shroud needed?

[emadmoussa]

I know you probably know this but the Orion Optics dobs are quite a lot lighter and have a more compact footprint than their Meade / Skywatcher / Revelation cousins. They aren't driven though (unless on an EQ platform) and do cost a lot more when new, I appreciate that.

My OO 12" F/.5.3 weighs around the same as a Skywatcher 10" F/4.8. Having owned a 12" Meade Lightbridge in the past and found it too heavy for my needs I've been really pleasantly surprised at how easy my 12" dob is to set up, move around and tear down when the clouds threaten. It's actually pushed my ED120 refractor off the top spot in terms of frequency of use, which I was not really expecting (though Shane predicted it )

Sorry about the diversion - back to the Skywatcher / Revelation options.

Not quite off the topic John I was thinking the same, but then got discouraged by the price.

[mitchelln]

One of the reasons I had to let my NEQ6 go was the awkward weight. While the Dob is normally a two- step set up, more weight will make the hell of a nightmare if you need to lug a large piece of kit through the small kitchen door into the garden.

If I am going 12 inch flextube, this focuser will have to retire immediately. It is funny how they go all the way perfecting an instrument and then settle with a less than mediocre focuser...aaahhh

Is the coma corrector necessary for the f/4.9? And how much is a shroud needed?

Check out my recent Moonlite focuser thread I hadn't realised in my ignorance how bad the standard focuser was even with a Lacerta upgrade until I fitted the Moonlite.

You don't need a coma corrector unless you want it sharp to the edge. You certainly won't notice it for planetary or center FOV stuff. I started taking deep sky photos and got fussy Saying that, the Baader makes a remarkable difference. The view is trail free right to the edge.

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[emadmoussa]

Check out my recent Moonlite focuser thread I hadn't realised in my ignorance how bad the standard focuser was even with a Lacerta upgrade until I fitted the Moonlite.

You don't need a coma corrector unless you want it sharp to the edge. You certainly won't notice it for planetary or center FOV stuff. I started taking deep sky photos and got fussy Saying that, the Baader makes a remarkable difference. The view is trail free right to the edge.

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yep...you read my mind. Moonlite it is mate! I remember my first dual speed focuser..was like a revelation (not GSO )...no going back to those rubbish stock ones. My fracs came with fantastic focusers though.

Do you mean made a difference in imaging or generally?

[mitchelln]

yep...you read my mind. Moonlite it is mate! I remember my first dual speed focuser..was like a revelation (not GSO )...no going back to those rubbish stock ones. My fracs came with fantastic focusers though.

Do you mean made a difference in imaging or generally?

The eye is far less fussy than a photo. You can see some coma near the edge with the eye if you look for it, but generally the view is great. If you put on the corrector you then realise the coma is gone.

At Stargazing Live the clouds rolled I so we we forced to point the scopes at terrestrial targets. It's then I realised just how good the optics are on this scope. Not only could I read the time on a small clock tower 6 miles away, I could see that the pointing needed repairing!

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[itmo]

I have a lacerta upgrade and i am quite happy with it, i also have a 20 euro 2"->1.25" adapter which has a brass compression ring, and I fit my 2" filters to the end of it. So I am quite happy with it. What I am not happy with is the 90mm maksutov focuser , but I am not willing to dish out dosh for a better one. Need to hack something up. 

[emadmoussa]

For me personally a good quality focuser transformed the scope. I didn't realize how rubbish my old focuser was until I bought the 80ED. And even the 80ED focuser seemed flimsy in comparison with the Revelation one I had on my SCT or the 3" one on my frac. If you use big EPs, a good focuser will prove worth the while.

[emadmoussa]

The eye is far less fussy than a photo. You can see some coma near the edge with the eye if you look for it, but generally the view is great. If you put on the corrector you then realise the coma is gone.

At Stargazing Live the clouds rolled I so we we forced to point the scopes at terrestrial targets. It's then I realised just how good the optics are on this scope. Not only could I read the time on a small clock tower 6 miles away, I could see that the pointing needed repairing!

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That's cool. Next thing for me whenever time allows if FLOCKING.....

[emadmoussa]

The eye is far less fussy than a photo. You can see some coma near the edge with the eye if you look for it, but generally the view is great. If you put on the corrector you then realise the coma is gone.

At Stargazing Live the clouds rolled I so we we forced to point the scopes at terrestrial targets. It's then I realised just how good the optics are on this scope. Not only could I read the time on a small clock tower 6 miles away, I could see that the pointing needed repairing!

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Sorry - I'm assuming with the moonlite focuser you need the installation kit? http://www.firstlightoptics.com/moonlite-focusers/moonlite_installation_kit-5.html

[mitchelln]

Sorry - I'm assuming with the moonlite focuser you need the installation kit? http://www.firstlightoptics.com/moonlite-focusers/moonlite_installation_kit-5.html

Yes, you need the universal mounting kit. It has threaded holes for all the main scopes. It makes installation easy. No DIYing around

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[mitchelln]

That's cool. Next thing for me whenever time allows if FLOCKING.....

Yup, I think flocking is going to be my next mod Easier with the Flextubes of course.

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