Help from the Dob Mob !

[Earl]

Well I have tried a Solid tube SW10, truss 10 and both are just too heavy for me to move about, (physically take to observing location and put away) I feel the Base is the main issue its huge and very heavy. (imagine a drunk struggling with a sack of coal..... feel so damned usless at times)

Im considering a VX8L How heavy and managable would one of these be?

[mister_wavey]

when you say too heavy to move about, what does moving involve? I push my reeeeally heavy 16" truss dob base from my shed around my garden on a trolley (or on wheelbarrow-style wheels to and from the car when away from home). I move my 10" classic orion XT tube dob around the garden assembled on a trolley (or just separately carry the base, then OTA - neither is terribly heavy).

If I had stairs or hills, I'd be stuffed, but I can manage rolling then around on the flat ok. Especially for that extra aperture: those inches, man, that's the reward right there.

Both trolleys are hand built from just 10cm casters n' plywood.

[mister_wavey]

(*them instead of then, and castors instead of casters. Blame the whisky - it's cloudy)

[Earl]

Moving involves been able to dead lift it (not the hard part) and walk it 10 feet from the storage spot to the observing spot) I have left side weakness from the stroke last year and walking is not as easy as it could be) I dont really have room for a trolley as it is stored next to the back door in a covered alcove.

[Moonshane]

A few people have added wheels to dob bases. A similar setup to the pillar mount you sold me with wheels and hand wheels for whe in position.

[Scooot]

Hi Earl,

I think an OO VX8L would be much more manageable. The main advantage being you can lift the Dob mount and the OTA separately.

My 10" dob mount weighs 12kg about the same as the tube, the 8" OTA is listed as weighing 8kg on OOs website and I'd guess the mount would be similar.The Dob Mount is also square so not that awkward to carry either.

[Moonshane]

I agree with Scoot but they are quite expensive new of course