Jump to content

Banner.jpg.b89429c566825f6ab32bcafbada449c9.jpg

BIG dob owners - who built your scope?

Dreadz

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 86
  • Created
  • Last Reply
quaoar

quaoar

Posted
Posted

solo DOBFEST!

And I'm not done yet lol I see a 32" SDM in my future.

All I can say knowing what I know now is that the optic is everything. You can always make a poor mirror cell better ( or replace it ) or upgrade components but a poor mirror is a poor mirror. The Kriege Berry book is a fantastic resource worth it's weight in platinum. Nothing beats a good night out with a big dob, fellow stargazers and good seeing. ( except maybe the egg and bacon toastys at the servo on the way home ).

Cheers

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Dreadz

Dreadz

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Dreadz have you took in consideration the weight of box on a 20" swampy is a big guy and he said he wouldn't even attempt to lift his. unless you have a van or plan on using it at home 100% of the time (which would be a waste) take the weight into consideration. i have, although i mainly observe with friends there are times i like to get out solo and for this reason i have opted for 18" which from looking at Calv's its probably just manageable for me, and it will fit in my car with a tent :D

You could almost be the voice of reason in my head! :)

I was sitting looking at the specs for the telekit when it suddenly sunk in, bigger is not always better! Yes it would be amazing to have a 20"er but not if its going to be a PITA every time I have to manoeuvre it through my patio door or manhandle it into the boot to go somewhere dark. The rocker box on the 20" telekit is pretty much 2.5ft square by 2ft deep and at a guess will weigh 50kg plus when loaded with a mirror. Thats going to old pretty quickly especially if it clouds over 10 mins after setup!

Maybe time to reign in the aperture fever!

Sent from my GTi9300 using random spelling mistake generator!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
John

John

Posted
Posted

I've seen a few 20" dobs including Swampthing's wonderful one. You don't really manoeuvre or manhandle it anywhere - these are really massive things - think in terms of the size of a small car !. Even the Skywatcher 16" is a massive beast which would, as far as I can see, need 2 people to move it around.

The views are wonderful through these scopes but they are very serious propositions in terms of ownership, handling and usage I reckon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
astronymonkey

astronymonkey

Posted
Posted

Yes the lightbridge 16 ich base needs planning permission - its way to big for what is needed. .....My DIY base is 6ib lighter and about 6inches narrower and includes an encoder mod.

For me an 18inch f4 is the optimum size as it gives a decent eyepiece height where a step wont be needed, at f4 you can keep exit pupils reasonable in low power eyepieces , and with a lightweight design can be manageable by one person..... its also about a grand cheaper than a 22inch.

My lightbridge is manageable on my own, but I agree with Crash that the bottom tube is heavier than it needs to be mainly due to the steel mirror cell.

Despite an 18 being my ideal size, if there is a big dob at a star camp then Im first in the que !

cheers

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ollypenrice

ollypenrice

Posted
Posted

that scope looks so simple, but is a great idea, looks like a walk in the park to make

Gosh yes, that is seriously minimalist. I wonder about the two balls supporting the mirror, though. Really neat and elegant but a sling supports the mirror around more of its edge. Might two point support introduce a little pinching at lower elevations? I don't know.

Olly

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.