Show Us Your Dobs

[Barry-W-Fenner]

8 hours ago, russ.will said:

I can't complain. Both it and a pair of Morpheus turned up by 10am this morning, out on the lawn early evening to cool and a quick collimation check. Not much wrong there, so returned after 9pm for first light. Venus a crisp little crescent, then revelled in some moon for the rest of the evening. May add a knob or handle as per John above, because by the time I've added a camping mat dew shield, it's nice to have something to tug it around with.

Lovely looking scope the Bresser. They certainly look like they have a quality finish to them.

On your small list of mods is there going to be a coaster for the wine glass?! I have one attached to my dob base for the Friday and Saturday night viewing!

Cheers

 

Baz

[fiestazetecmk2]

You can make sw 200p so much better 

[russ.will]

19 minutes ago, fiestazetecmk2 said:

You can make sw 200p so much better 

Which water butt stand is that on the bottom?

Russ

PS. that barely qualifies as a 200p anymore!

[westmarch]

My Lightbridge 250 Truss Dob has grown old with me and has had its own surgical modifications.  The grab handle was the first but the home made shroud, dew shroud, RACI finder, red dot finder, bike chain counterweight, fan battery mount,  eyepiece case holder and equatorial platform have followed as tinkering days outnumbered viewing nights!

John

[russ.will]

15 minutes ago, westmarch said:

My Lightbridge 250 Truss Dob has grown old with me and has had its own surgical modifications.  The grab handle was the first but the home made shroud, dew shroud, RACI finder, red dot finder, bike chain counterweight, fan battery mount,  eyepiece case holder and equatorial platform have followed as tinkering days outnumbered viewing nights!

John

You should sit in that chair and pretend you're Kate Bush Cloudbusting!

Russ

[johninderby]

7 hours ago, russ.will said:

@johninderbySome questions if I may?

Which length Bob's Knobs are they - 35mm?

I assume it's the tiny grub screws on the focuser base that allow the focuser to rotate?

Did you do anything to ease the action of the base?

Russ

Secondary screws are M5 x 30mm

Edited April 9, 2020 by johninderby

[Barry-W-Fenner]

6 hours ago, fiestazetecmk2 said:

You can make sw 200p so much better 

Indeed, But you have forgotten one thing. The wine coaster you was going to add! 🙂  🙂

[Barry-W-Fenner]

The 200p is out cooling. A little early admittedly. It didn't get dark here until almost 9pm last night!

Edited April 10, 2020 by Barry-W-Fenner

[fiestazetecmk2]

No wine or coaster ????

[mert]

My 18” Obsession. :0

Will get a better photo when I use it this evening. 

 

[Halcyon]

Explore scientific 16 inch Dob. Amazing views of DSOs - love galaxy hunting with it.

[Barry-W-Fenner]

The little fella has had some loving.

Now fully flocked, it's totally dark inside the tube.

3.2mm BST for a bit more power.

Mini right angle finder which I am chuffed to bits with, it looks the part and sits beautifully on the 76p tube with a couple of silicone blobs. It's given the scope some character. It is so much more comfortable to use than the standard finder and is much clearer.

 

Baz

Edited May 2, 2020 by Barry-W-Fenner

[Stardaze]

On 28/01/2020 at 22:44, johninderby said:

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

Over how long a period is that John? Surely subtle differences between some of those? See you’ve had an Orion bade before then, but on wheels 😱

[johninderby]

14 minutes ago, Stardaze said:

Over how long a period is that John? Surely subtle differences between some of those? See you’ve had an Orion bade before then, but on wheels 😱

Must be about 15 years. 

The Orion Optics 14” dob the Blue Whale was a great scope but didn’t get the use it deserved as it was a bit bigger than was convieient. In it’s first phase of developement before I simplied it a bit.

[John]

I always liked that scope John

I think Helen has it now ?

[johninderby]

Yes Helen bought it. Not sure if she still has it? 🤔

[Stu]

Here’s my 8” f8 after upgrading the az bearing today, ready for the Moon.

[John]

How does the 00 8" F/8 compare with the Mewlon 210 Stu ?

Or is the jury still out on that ?

[Stardaze]

54 minutes ago, Stu said:

Here’s my 8” f8 after upgrading the az bearing today, ready for the Moon.

That’s an interesting base, is that a ‘special?’

[John]

8 minutes ago, Stardaze said:

That’s an interesting base, is that a ‘special?’

The blue / grey part is an equatorial platform. A simple but effective way to drive a dob while observing.

 

[Stardaze]

5 minutes ago, John said:

The blue / grey part is an equatorial platform. A simple but effective way to drive a dob while observing.

 

Ah ha! I was looking for something like that the other night and couldn't find anything. Knew that there had to be something available. 

[John]

I used to use one (same make as Stu's) with my 12 inch dob. It worked well but I found it bulky to store and it raised the height of the eyepiece by just a bit too much. I'm back to being a "nudger" again now !.

[johninderby]

Telescope Express sells quite a variety of EQ platforms or you can  build your own. 

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/index.php/language/en/cat/c20_Mounts-----Equatorial.html

Edited May 2, 2020 by johninderby

[Stardaze]

13 hours ago, John said:

I used to use one (same make as Stu's) with my 12 inch dob. It worked well but I found it bulky to store and it raised the height of the eyepiece by just a bit too much. I'm back to being a "nudger" again now !.

What light shield is that John?

[John]

3 minutes ago, Stardaze said:

What light shield is that John?

Mine is branded Astro Engineering but I think this is more or less the same thing:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/dew-prevention/astrozap-light-shield-for-dobsonian.html

Where I mostly observe from, up until 11:00 pm or so, I do have lights going on and off and I found that shielding the upper end of the tube kept stray light off the secondary mirror and the end of the focuser tube - makes quite an improvement in contrast when deep sky observing. 

When I take the scope to to darker surroundings I don't use it.

Some folks use an all round light shield which are effective as well. My light issues tend to come from the same direction though hence the partial shield. I can slide it around the tube if needed and it pops on and off easily (velco strap).