Calling all Large Dobsonian Owners

[Moonshane]

Hi Shane

To answer your original questions:

~I have a 16" lightbridge

~i would not buy another big dob. I would build my own and will when finances allow.

~It filled my expectations (knew it would need tweeking) but the views are awesome.

~ I have a van so no probs there. Plus I am currently converting an army truck to transport and house it

~I only regret I bought one rather than built my own.

~ I live in moderately LP area so i always transport my scope. up and down stairs, through doors, then 45 mins in the van, you name it, it don't bother me. i would carry it all the way to the observing sight if i had to for the views. Personally i think it defeats the object to have a big dob then use it under street lights but thats just me.

~My only advice would be, it aint hard to build your own. I built my 10" after i bought the 16 and didn't reallise it would be so easy and so rewarding.

Hope this is of some help.

Regards Steve

ps. I am new to computers so don't understand the smilie face etiquette so please don't be offended that i haven't used one.

Me too. For an 18" anything slower than f4 (and higher than an "ultra-portable" profile) would require steps when looking near the zenith. For a long-tube scope that didn't need to be transported my preference would be something like James Nasmyth's design.

Apparently the Custer Institute in U.S. have modifed their 25" Obsession using the Nasmyth design (or something like it) to make it easier to use.

Obsession 25

Nasmyth telescope - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

cheers guys

this is all great stuff and really useful comments. I agree that it's not great standing on a ladder but I am hoping at 6'3" and as someone who prefers not to observe at Zenith unless I cannot avoid it, I can get away with a small platform. I am really keen to do this myself and all this will be fed into my design brain before I start.