What's stopping me getting a larger scope?

[Mr Spock]

Well, having tried a 10" Dob, I find myself wanting a 12". So what's stopping me?

The 10" FlexTube is so easy to pick up, I can pick it up with one hand. I have to manoeuvre it on to the mount with both because of its size.

I would like to replace it with a 12" FlexTube. I reckon I could lift it with two hands without compromising my dodgy back. So what stopping me?
I don't think there's room in the shed. I've been in and measured the space and it just won't fit. The contents are already packed neatly to give me plenty of room for the 10". So, unless I can move some contents elsewhere, I'm stuck. In bulk terms the 12" is so much bigger than the 10"

I'll have a ponder over the weekend. Suggestions welcome though!

[johninderby]

A 12.” dob is a nice size. Big but still not too big. Had a 14” but just got very little use so sold it on.  The OO 12” dob would be a good choice if you can find a used one.

Edited January 13, 2022 by johninderby

[scotty38]

1. Buy another shed

2. Be ruthless and get rid of some of the stuff in the shed

Glad I could help.....

[Captain Scarlet]

12 doesn’t sound like so much more than 10, but there’s no escaping that (12/10)^3 is 1.73 which I nonetheless still find surprising when seeing them side by side…

Edited January 13, 2022 by Captain Scarlet

[Mr Spock]

I went in with a tape measure this lunch time. The base goes through the door easily enough, but then there isn't room for the base and the tube - unless I do a clear out.

I can move some tool boxes elsewhere but there's an aluminium ladder in there - no clue where to put that other than outside 

[Zermelo]

17 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

I went in with a tape measure this lunch time. The base goes through the door easily enough, but then there isn't room for the base and the tube - unless I do a clear out.

I can move some tool boxes elsewhere but there's an aluminium ladder in there - no clue where to put that other than outside 

Yes, a new shed is what you need

[Peter Drew]

54 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

I went in with a tape measure this lunch time. The base goes through the door easily enough, but then there isn't room for the base and the tube - unless I do a clear out.

I can move some tool boxes elsewhere but there's an aluminium ladder in there - no clue where to put that other than outside 

Is there enough height to place the OTA on to its base, the base is the largest footprint.    🙂

[cajen2]

The key words there are "unless I do a clear out"....😉

[cajen2]

Oh, and tie the ladder to the shed roof. Where there's a will....

[Mr Spock]

4 minutes ago, Peter Drew said:

Is there enough height to place the OTA on to its base, the base is the largest footprint.   

In the roof, plenty of room. I could put the base in the middle of the space, then lift the tube through the door and onto the mount. Good thinking that man!

[Mr Spock]

This is the 10" Goto version in situ. 

[Franklin]

How about a shed that splits in two, like PM's.

 

[Mark at Beaufort]

Michael the 12" Dob is going to be heavier than the 10" so you really need to check out the dead weight lifting the OTA onto the base. I had the 10" Flextube and when I bought the 12" Dob I had to install handles to make it easier to lift. I also installed lockable wheels on the base to make it easier to push the base into my shed.

I don't believe there is a huge difference between the 10" and 12" so most would recommend going to 14" or 16" from a 10". I appreciate you have limited space in the shed. For my situation the base stays in the shed and the OTA in the utility room.

[Mr Spock]

A 14" base won't fit through the door. I can lift the 10" one handed so I'm not worried by the weight, only the bulk.

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

1 hour ago, Mr Spock said:

A 14" base won't fit through the door. I can lift the 10" one handed so I'm not worried by the weight, only the bulk.

Install a ramp and add locking wheels to the 12" base or find a trolley?

[bomberbaz]

2 hours ago, Zermelo said:

Yes, a new shed is what you need

I want me one of those 🤩

[bomberbaz]

3 hours ago, Mr Spock said:

Well, having tried a 10" Dob, I find myself wanting a 12". So what's stopping me?

The 10" FlexTube is so easy to pick up, I can pick it up with one hand. I have to manoeuvre it on to the mount with both because of its size.

I would like to replace it with a 12" FlexTube. I reckon I could lift it with two hands without compromising my dodgy back. So what stopping me?
I don't think there's room in the shed. I've been in and measured the space and it just won't fit. The contents are already packed neatly to give me plenty of room for the 10". So, unless I can move some contents elsewhere, I'm stuck. In bulk terms the 12" is so much bigger than the 10"

I'll have a ponder over the weekend. Suggestions welcome though!

what size do you have, I can measure my 14" truss, seriously lightwieght and packs away to nothing. My guess is the 12 would be 2" smaller funnily enough. 

Not cheap but quality way above the SW flextube.

Taurus T300 F/5 Classic | (taurustelescopes.com)

[Mr Spock]

I should add it has to be lifted on to an EQ platform. The largest size that can have is 12" / 50kg.

[bomberbaz]

17 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

I should add it has to be lifted on to an EQ platform. The largest size that can have is 12" / 50kg.

The one I linked to is just 15KG, HTH

[Rusted]

Turn that spade around on the back wall and you're good to go.

I made a 16" F/5 mirror once.
Brought the PVC tube home to build The Big Dob.
It wouldn't stand upright in the shed!

More seriously:
Aperture envy raises serious manual and psychological hurdles to more frequent use.
Will the larger instrument be as much fun once the novelty wears off?
Will it still seem quite so attractive when it is freezing cold out there and Netflix beckons?

 

Edited January 14, 2022 by Rusted
typo

[Dave scutt]

11 hours ago, Zermelo said:

Yes, a new shed is what you need

Have you got the inside measurements for that.🤣

[Alkaid]

Looking at your shed pic, the tube is separate to the base for ease of lugging out?  If you got the 12” couldn’t  you store the tube on the base to make a smaller footprint? Just needs a think about the sequence of “lugging”.....tube off, gently put to one side on the slabs...base out.....tube back on...  Could that work?

[Mr Spock]

1 hour ago, Alkaid said:

Looking at your shed pic, the tube is separate to the base for ease of lugging out?  If you got the 12” couldn’t  you store the tube on the base to make a smaller footprint? Just needs a think about the sequence of “lugging”.....tube off, gently put to one side on the slabs...base out.....tube back on...  Could that work?

Yes, that's my new plan. I do like to have them separate, it's almost 'grab'n'go'. I suppose one extra step isn't going to make much difference. 

[Mr Spock]

I suppose one distraction I've had with storing the tube on the mount is the goto version more or less has to be attached to the base when horizontal. I assume this isn't the case with the normal Dob? From the images I see the tube just drops onto a couple of lugs like the left side of my image above. You can see on the goto the right side has to slot in and be bolted down.

[Mr Spock]

The other option I need to consider is moving away from Skywatcher to something better. For the same price as a Skywatcher 12" I could get an OO 10" with the option of better optics, and the choice of an f6.3 version (better for planets).

That sort of plain tube would need a handle on it for me to pick it up, but I suppose that's do-able.

I need to think about all this and carefully consider the choices.