Show Us Your Dobs

[johninderby]

Inspired by the recent thread on showing your Alt-Az mounts decided to start this thread. 

So as the title says lets see what your “Dob History” is including what you have now. 🙂

 

I’ve had 8”, 10” and 12” Skywatcher dobs. The 10” was a Flex Tube GOTO that I converted into a solid tube by getting hold of a newt solid tube. 

Then there was a 16” Meade Lightbridge. Big and heavy and not the greatest mirror. 

Replaced the Lightbridge with an OD350 with 1/10pv mirror. Much modified with a StellarCat drive and Argo Navis and mounted on a Scopebuggy.

Now have  Bresser Messier 10” dob. Lovely scope and not too big. 👍🏻

Edited January 28, 2020 by johninderby

[John]

Lovely scopes John - good idea for a thread

I'll dig around for some pics of the ones that I've owned.

[johninderby]

Do ypu find it a bit scary when you realise how many scopes you’ve owned???  🙀🙀🙀

Edited January 28, 2020 by johninderby

[John]

27 minutes ago, johninderby said:

Do ypu find it a bit scary when you realise how many scopes you’ve owned???  🙀🙀🙀

Yes, particularly when I forget some that I've owned !

I should probably put this thread in the scopes discussion area - I can leave a link here to it as well though. Is that OK ?

[Sunshine]

im assuming you mean only dobs we "have" owned and not current dobs correct?.

[johninderby]

7 minutes ago, John said:

Yes, particularly when I forget some that I've owned !

I should probably put this thread in the scopes discussion area - I can leave a link here to it as well though. Is that OK ?

Yes please move it. 👍🏻

[johninderby]

11 minutes ago, Sunshine said:

im assuming you mean only dobs we "have" owned and not current dobs correct?.

Title changed to “Show Us Ypur Dobs”.

Edited January 28, 2020 by johninderby

[Sunshine]

[John]

I can't find pics of all of the ones I've owned so I've substitued other pics for some.

1. Revelation 8 inch. Made by GSO but sold under the Revelation branding by Telescope House

2. Skywatcher Skyliner 250PX. Bought off e.bay for £100 "Buy it Now": The owner wanted to see the back of it !

3. Skywatcher Skyliner 200P. Bought from FLO as an "open box" bargain. Super scope - very good "all rounder"

4. Meade Lightbridge 12 inch. Bought used (as usual !). Really felt like a big scope. Needed quite a few mods. Rather heavy to move about

5. Orion Optics 12 inch F/5.3. I bought the OTA and SGL friend "Moonshane" made me the superb plywood dob mount. Continues to please each time I use it

[Barry-W-Fenner]

9 hours ago, John said:

I can't find pics of all of the ones I've owned so I've substitued other pics for some.

1. Revelation 8 inch. Made by GSO but sold under the Revelation branding by Telescope House

2. Skywatcher Skyliner 250PX. Bought off e.bay for £100 "Buy it Now": The owner wanted to see the back of it !

3. Skywatcher Skyliner 200P. Bought from FLO as an "open box" bargain. Super scope - very good "all rounder"

4. Meade Lightbridge 12 inch. Bought used (as usual !). Really felt like a big scope. Needed quite a few mods. Rather heavy to move about

5. Orion Optics 12 inch F/5.3. I bought the OTA and SGL friend "Moonshane" made me the superb plywood dob mount. Continues to please each time I use it

250px for £100 buy it now! Bargain of the century John!

Excellent set of scopes you have there. I still have my eye on your current Orion Optics 12" 🙂 

Its good to read your positive words about the 200p, Hearing that from someone with your experience and numerous scopes is reassuring that I will  find many great things with mine!

Regards

Baz

 

 

[Barry-W-Fenner]

10 hours ago, johninderby said:

Inspired by the recent thread on showing your Alt-Az mounts decided to start this thread. 

So as the title says lets see what your “Dob History” is including what you have now. 🙂

 

I’ve had 8”, 10” and 12” Skywatcher dobs. The 10” was a Flex Tube GOTO that I converted into a solid tube by getting hold of a newt solid tube. 

Then there was a 16” Meade Lightbridge. Big and heavy and not the greatest mirror. 

Replaced the Lightbridge with an OD350 with 1/10pv mirror. Much modified with a StellarCat drive and Argo Navis and mounted on a Scopebuggy.

Now have  Bresser Messier 10” dob. Lovely scope and not too big. 👍🏻

Another John with a great collection and experience with various scopes. I know where to go when i need advise on my next dob 🙂

 

Baz

[johninderby]

24 minutes ago, Barry-W-Fenner said:

Another John with a great collection and experience with various scopes. I know where to go when i need advise on my next dob 🙂

 

Baz

We are always happy to help you spend more money. 😁🤣

Edited January 29, 2020 by johninderby

[Barry-W-Fenner]

The little 200p & Nephews 76 heritage have joined the party 🙂

 

Baz

[fifeskies]

Skywatcher 200p on a converted OO 10ins Dob base

Its my "portable" scope , sets up in seconds as just lifts out of the cradle.  Fits easily on car back seat. 

The aluminium base is perfect for those damp nights and wet grass it doesn't get bothered by wetness

[Barry-W-Fenner]

15 minutes ago, fifeskies said:

Skywatcher 200p on a converted OO 10ins Dob base

Its my "portable" scope , sets up in seconds as just lifts out of the cradle.  Fits easily on car back seat. 

The aluminium base is perfect for those damp nights and wet grass it doesn't get bothered by wetness

I am really liking this type of base, The Altitude bearing ( sorry I cant remember if thats alt or az)  Looks a nice improvement.  I have been fortunate that my 200p base has performed very well when aiming the scope. However last night in my brief session I noticed that when moving up and down it was starting to stick a bit and making me lose my target. If I could make this function a bit smoother that would be helpful.

 

Baz

[johninderby]

OO dob bases

https://www.orionoptics.co.uk/MOUNTS/dobsonianmount.html

I really like the OO dob bases but they aren’t cheap. Prices shown are without VAT.

Edited January 29, 2020 by johninderby

[Barry-W-Fenner]

1 minute ago, johninderby said:

OO dob bases

https://www.orionoptics.co.uk/MOUNTS/dobsonianmount.html

I really like the OO dob bases but they aren’t cheap. Prices shown are without VAT.

Why John, WHY! 🙂 That base for the 8" looks great! I would really like that, I assume I would need all components listed. The best part of another £300 - I dont know if I could sneak this purchase past the wife 🙂 

Thank you

 

baz  

[fifeskies]

Yes they are expensive items , but very high quality.

I got mine second hand with my 10in scope , but moved my 10 onto an NEQ6pro that's my fixed observatory mount on an altair pier , not quite installed yet , am using it on the tripod until ROR observatory is finished , at painting the inside stage so almost here now.

The OO dob bases do pop up now and then second hand.

 

 

[Barry-W-Fenner]

5 minutes ago, johninderby said:

OO dob bases

https://www.orionoptics.co.uk/MOUNTS/dobsonianmount.html

I really like the OO dob bases but they aren’t cheap. Prices shown are without VAT.

One thing I cant understand though. When turning the scope what do you hold on to. My current Sky Watcher mount has the handles on the alt bearing to hold, i cant seem to see anything on the OO Base.

Baz

[John]

4 minutes ago, johninderby said:

OO dob bases

https://www.orionoptics.co.uk/MOUNTS/dobsonianmount.html

I really like the OO dob bases but they aren’t cheap. Prices shown are without VAT.

Moonshane (Shane) designed the dob base for my 12 inch along similar lines to the OO ones but made it in 18mm baltic ply. I did approach OO for one of their bases originally but the price was off putting. Moonshanes build was somewhat less expensive and I could have it made to my specifications. Its a superb design and works exceedingly well 

 

[Barry-W-Fenner]

2 minutes ago, fifeskies said:

The OO dob bases do pop up now and then second hand.

I think I will be keeping an eye on the classifieds & good old flea bay then. 

 

Thank you

[johninderby]

Yes they are ££££

The Bresser base is a big improvement over the Skywatcher and does work very well. Pity Skywatcher doesn’t upgrade their bases but I suppose they are “cost effective” 🙂

Edited January 29, 2020 by johninderby

[John]

1 minute ago, Barry-W-Fenner said:

One thing I cant understand though. When turning the scope what do you hold on to. My current Sky Watcher mount has the handles on the alt bearing to hold, i cant seem to see anything on the OO Base.

Baz

I have a "dob knob" somewhere that I was going to fit to my dob but I didn't bother. I just hold the lip of the end tube ring and move it around.

 

[John]

An added benefit of either plywood or OO's aluminum bases is that they weigh considerably less than the MDF that is used for many dob bases. My 12 inch dob weighs about the same in total as the Skywatcher 10 inch does.

 

[johninderby]

I just put a handle near the top. Find it easier to use than a knob as you can just rest your hand on it rather than hold it.