12" Dobsonian solid tube to collapsible-style conversion, possible???

[big_dav_2001]

Hi all....

This is probably a pretty dumb question, but the only dumb question is the one that is never asked right??....

Ive currently got a 12" f/5 Solid-tube GSO dobsonian telescope, its a great scope and i have only one problem with it...its size... (Its 12"/30cm in diameter and almost 6 feet tall on its base)...

I live in a relatively highly light-polluted area and would like to take the scope to a darker sky site, but it doesn't fit into my car. As a result i feel im not using it to its full potential, and have to resort to taking my one of my smaller scopes instead.

I would like to know if it is possile to somehow (cheaply) modify the tube of my dob and convert it into a collapsible truss-style. Or would it be simpler to buy a collapsible set-up and transfer the optics over to it??

Any comments/hints/suggestions would be much appreciated

Dark nights, clear skies

Davin

[acey]

The highest-value part of any scope is the optics so your most economical route would be to build a truss-tube design around the optics you have. Maybe something like this:

12" Ultra-Light Dobsonian Reflector

Alternatively you could cut out the central part of your solid tube and try engineering a truss arrangment to fill the gap - there was a Sky and Telescope articel a few years ago by Gary Seronik describing such a venture with a 6-inch (sorry - can't find a link); a 12-inch would obviously be more of a feat but would still be possible.

[Macavity]

UltraPortable Truss Dobsonians | Orion Telescopes & Binoculars

To be frank, not TOO unlike some of my DIY plumbing efforts?

Actually, making things square-section, seems to suggest possibilities...