Does anywhere sell a tabletop mount?

[happy-kat]

Which makes me think of the photo tripod thread which carries the heritage 130p (as a weight comparison) I'll add a link later.

[Ben the Ignorant]

A largish and wide-field (only 750mm focal length) tabletop scope is this one from Orion:

http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p1890_Orion-StarBlast-6-Reise-Dobson-Teleskop-150-750mm---Parabol-Optik.html

[ollypenrice]

I'm not really sure what the table top will bring to the t...  Oh dear, let's try that again!

What's the advantage of the table top? Isn't it going to get in your way when you want to observe a different side of the sky? I'm trying to visualize how you'd get to be able to see in all directions without moving it. If you move it you'll have to re-align it unless it's a simple manual alt-az like a Dob.

Or so it seems to me.

Olly

[happy-kat]

It is easy to table top observe, you work with a section of sky. You observe what is in that section so you place your chair and table to suit the sky portion you are looking at.

Sometimes the need to table top observe is there for a variety of reasons.

This is the thread I said I would like to here (as the two telescopes your mak 127mm and the heritage are similar weight for considering simple tripod action), however seeing as I observe seated I don't often use a tripod as I see that even more limiting as the seat gets trapped between the tripod legs and makes it even less easy to slightly change observing sky area.

 

[ollypenrice]

Yes but is it easier to move a table than a tripod? Genuine question. I don't know.

Olly

[Mr niall]

24 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

Yes but is it easier to move a table than a tripod? Genuine question. I don't know.

Olly

Well now you've got me wondering... but I have an idea it'll take up less room in the house and be easier to setup too.

[happy-kat]

In reply to Olly: Why would you move the table if using a table top dobsonian mount for the OP's mak 127 telescope. which is a much better telescope with the eyepiece at the bottom than a reflector. I have sat when using a tripod and the tripod legs are right in the way of moving far more of a problem then using a suitable table.

[Mr niall]

21 minutes ago, happy-kat said:

Why would you move the table if using a table top dobsonian mount for your mak 127 telescope. which is a much better telescope with the eyepiece at the bottom than a reflector. I have sat when using a tripod and the tripod legs are right in the way of moving far more of a problem then using a suitable table.

Yes well to be honest I think you've summed up why I want to move to tabletop, I absolutely love my mak 127 it's perfect for my needs. On reflection the heritage mount looks 100% exactly what I'm looking for! 

[happy-kat]

Sorry I hadn't meant yourself I was replying to Olly in that prior post.

Though there is a consideration that a tripod does perhaps mitigate and that is if using a table there is an element of leaning forward to look through the eyepiece. If using a tripod you can get the eyepiece close to your body as you can maneuver the chair to being between the tripod legs closer to the telescope and positioned closer to your head I found when I used a tripod with my ST80. I don't keep my ST80 here that fits on the heritage mount with a bottom orientated eyepiece position so use my heritage telescope/base on an upturned bucket which is very low but that is because it is a reflector and the eyepiece is at the other end still it's not particularly comfortable to observe.

[Geoff Lister]

It depends on your table.

 Virtuoso 90 on patio table and chair - comfortable

 

Virtuoso mount and 127 MCT - also comfortable

 

Heritage 130p - use standing or lower table + chair

The 127 MCT is slightly too heavy for the Virtuoso mount's maximum specified OTA weight, but OK if you do not use max rate for slewing.

[Geoff Lister]

And finally:-

Heritage 130p on 2 stools + chair; stable & very comfortable

I have fitted an optional mirror to the RDF, so this can be used, in the same plane as the EP, without leaving the chair:-

Wooden off-cut; 10mm dia x 1mm thick rare-earth magnets glued to rear of RDF and in 11mm-drilled shallow recess in wood; 40mm square acrylic mirror tile attached to wood with double-sided sticky foam pad (contact glue's solvent penetrated mirror's rear coat and degraded mirror slightly on 1st prototype); quick coat of black acrylic paint; car touch-up top-coat lacquer to protect magnet surfaces from paint rubbing.

The 2 side cheeks shown above are not necessary, as the magnets hold the 16 gram assembly in place. It comes off in an instant if straight-through RDF view is required. The middle photo also shows 30mm square and 30mm diameter options, but the 40mm gives a wider FOV round the finder's window, as shown in the 3rd photo. Any larger, and it would be too easy to knock the assembly off the RDF, during normal scope handling. By making the diagonal saw cut slightly steeper than 45 degrees, the optimal viewing angle is moved forwards, to roughly over the front of the RDF, and thus in line with the EP.

Geoff

[JOC]

I'm assuming the table is with the idea that the OP can lay the sketching book next to the telescope - the OP mentions that sketching would like to be attempted.   My thoughts are that a sturdy camera tripod in a collapsed form might be a useful thing to investigate - mine goes low on wide legs and looks stable.  My other thought concerns the table - as many of you know I have a base made from a water butt stand made for my Dob.   What I will say is that this is just the stand, with a piece of wood on top and no other modifications.  Whilst these things are built for water butts and thus you might think they are secure for telescopes I have noted more than a degree of wobble as the assembly moves on top of the stand as the plastic base flexes under the weight.  The extra height is ideal and I like it a lot, but the telescope is far more steady on the nights I just dump its 'shipped with stand' straight on the gravel drive.  Thus I would caution the OP to ensure that they can solidly and metaphorically 'tap dance' on their table with the telescope on it (HSE reasons cause me to add the word 'metaphorically' esp. since the OP has a bad back), also to consider that if they plan to occasionally move said table that three legs are easier to get level than four. 

[Mr niall]

3 hours ago, Geoff Lister said:

It depends on your table.

 Virtuoso 90 on patio table and chair - comfortable

 

Virtuoso mount and 127 MCT - also comfortable

30p - use standing or lower table + chair

The 127 MCT is slightly too heavy for the Virtuoso mount's maximum specified OTA weight, but OK if you do not use max rate for slewing.

Thanks for those pics - really useful to visualise things!

[Mr niall]

1 hour ago, JOC said:

I'm assuming the table is with the idea that the OP can lay the sketching book next to the telescope - the OP mentions that sketching would like to be attempted.   My thoughts are that a sturdy camera tripod in a collapsed form might be a useful thing to investigate - mine goes low on wide legs and looks stable.  My other thought concerns the table - as many of you know I have a base made from a water butt stand made for my Dob.   What I will say is that this is just the stand, with a piece of wood on top and no other modifications.  Whilst these things are built for water butts and thus you might think they are secure for telescopes I have noted more than a degree of wobble as the assembly moves on top of the stand as the plastic base flexes under the weight.  The extra height is ideal and I like it a lot, but the telescope is far more steady on the nights I just dump its 'shipped with stand' straight on the gravel drive.  Thus I would caution the OP to ensure that they can solidly and metaphorically 'tap dance' on their table with the telescope on it (HSE reasons cause me to add the word 'metaphorically' esp. since the OP has a bad back), also to consider that if they plan to occasionally move said table that three legs are easier to get level than four. 

Yes thats the idea anyway, the table is the one thing I am confident about though, regularly survives a good tapdance. I did look at compact tripods I'm just a little nervous about where their centre of gravity would be if the OTA was pointing quite high. The footprint would need to be quite small for it to work in the table you see...