Thoughts from any 12" Lightbridge owners??

[ericc]

I am on the "cusp" of purchasing a 12" lightbridge,and would really appreciate any thoughts that anyone would care to share with me before the final decision to purchase is made!!
I do travel to a dark site on a regular basis(at the moment I have a Hilux ,but the "boss" tells me that may change with the price of fuel etc etc).
I currently use a Bintel GSO 250 dob that I am really very happy with(but maybe want that little bit more)?
Can anyone offer any other suggestions or ideas?
:thanx:
Cheers-Eric

[Mariner]

Hi Eric,
You will not be dissapointed with the 12" LB. I think that they are pretty hard to beat for the price to quality ratio. I can't really fault mine, still very portable and quick to set up. You already have a dob so you know about cooling times for mirrors and collimations etc. I use Televue (nagler, panoptic and plossl) EPs in mine and to my eye (I have very good eyesight but am not an optics expert) I can see no errors in it once the scope has been set up properly. The one thing that would be handy (which has been on my to get list for ages) would be a nice 9x50 right angle finder scope over the laser sight but, that is just a personal preference.

Good luck with it.
Regards, F.

[ericc]

Thanks for the reply Frank--
The biggy is:
How do you feel the 12"LB holds collimation(as the 10" solid tube is bloody fantastic)--bit of a tweek before obs --and thats all thats needed for the rest of the night!
I have not used a truss style dob before,so will I need to factor this in?

[spacezebra]

Hi there Eric

I love my LB12, is a great travel scope (quick set up and pack up), and only requires a small tweek to the collimation after a road trip. I have never washed the mirror (purchased in 2006) and views are still excellent.

I replaced the Focuser, and switch between Orion RA finder and the Red Dot that comes with the scope. I also replaced all knobs with Bobs Knobs.

You wont be sorry is a great scope. I also have a 20" but alway gravitate back to the 12" for those times that I just want to do a quick observing session.

Cheers Petra d.

[Filby]

Hi Eric.

Because of the trusses my 12inch lightbridge fits in the back seat of my old ford falcon sedan. I buckle them in like two people in the back seat. The mirror tube and base do not fit in the boot as they are too tall.

The push-to action is smooth, but I have added weights to the mirror tube so that the altitude brake is not required. I'm not 100% sure why it isn't better balanced out of the box?

The previous owner replaced the finder with a telrad, replaced the focuser with a 2 speed and added bobs knobs.
I collimate before each session, as it only takes a minute or two. Collimation is definitely required after re-assembly.

The 12'' shows the brighter galaxies from my light polluted back yard- e.g. Cent A and Sombrero. But I expect it would only be a slight improvement over your 10inch?

You have a good dilemma.
All the best.

[ericc]

Thanks people for your replies---this was the kind of stuff I was after.
Yes,I do have a nice dilemma--I have a scope that works well for me --shows all sorts of good things at a dark site--holds collimation really well--handles well and easy set up and take down--fits in car easy--I have done the normal mods--springs/secondary knobs/flocking etc etc--In a word its--"perfect" for me!
But maybe something a wee bit bigger would be nice--hmmmm???

Cheers-Eric

[barx1963]

The Bintel/GSO dobs and the LB are virtually identical. I have a GSO 12" Dob which uses the same mirror as the LB and it is brilliant.
I did replace the collimation bits with Bobs Knobs on both the primary and secondary and put their springs in also. Hold collimation like a beaut and very easy to adjust.
IMHO the GSO alt bearings are fantastic. Did use a LB once and would prefer the GSO one, but others may disagree. If portablilty is important definitely go the LB as the 12" solid tude is a big beast!

Malcolm

[Dave2042]

Eric I have the 12"LB, as an upgrade to the 4" Bintel GEM-mounted. I am hopelessly in love with it.

The aperture is big, giving amazing views even from my Newtown terrace. Assembly / disassembly / collimation are easy, and I can just get it into my Camry (with room for camping gear and child) to travel to dark skies.

By the way, to really get the full benefit, you really should budget for an Argo Navis at some point, so you can find all the objects it's capable of picking up.

[ericc]

Yes Malcolm,I know what you mean about your comments regarding the GSO solid tube dob(hence the hesitation buying another scope,I really do like my 10", its just fantastic).
Its just the size of the sucker in 12" ----
And all the positive comments about the LB12" speaks for itself------
I was ready to order a LB12 today from Bintel,but I may need to cool off for a couple of days and prioritise what I really want (or need) from a scope?
Bloody hell--is this apperture fever--arrgh--I dont like it!!
Thanks for all your comments--it has helped (I think).
Cheers-Eric



Thanks again for all the feedback,

[Mariner]

Hi Eric,
Sorry so late in getting back to you - I am at sea and don't get to check the mail as much. Anyway, collimation is no problem. I carry it up and down the stairs by using the truss as a handle - no issues. I have had my scope dismantled and packed up in it's soft cases for weeks - and even months when I have been at sea/busy with kids etc. - and found it to be still quite good without any collimation. However, some fine tuning has sometimes been required, but not too much all things considered. In short - you won't have to collimate that often. If you have it in the back of a car and find yourself driving down a bumpy bush track for an hour to get to a great viewing site then maybe you may have to re-collimate.

I bought mine from Bintel - it came with Bobs Knobs at the time (a must - as you would probably already know being a Dob owner already). I also think that the only type sold now is the Deluxe which has the duel speed focuser as standard (amongst a few other things).

The only thing as a standard fitting that could improve it would maybe be the springs on the primary mirror - they could be a little stiffer for my liking. Again, like the view finder that I mentioned previously these are wants not needs. I notice that someone has mentioned an Argo Navis - I think that one of these would be a very nice luxury too - again a want not a need but nice none the less.

Good Luck Mate.
Regards, F.

[Poita]

The only input I'd give is that I didn't find much of a difference visually between a 10" and 12" at all. At best it was very subtle, certainly not enough for me to warrant the extra cost and hassle. now 8" to 14" was a real Wow! 8 to 10 was noticeable but 10 to 12 just didn't phase me.

[naskies]

This isn't entirely on topic... but I thought you might find it entertaining. It's a Lightbridge on an equatorial mount - looks kind of neat!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MgdhLE6Yis

[astro_nutt]

Hi Eric.
A mate of mine has a 12" Lightbridge and is more than happy with is performance, however we did a bit of modification to it to make life easier.
We changed the standard mirror cell springs with something stronger available from Bunnings, ( you might have to cut the springs to suit )
The adjustment/locking screws were removed/cleaned then regreased before assembly.
Check the mirror clips holding the primary as they were too tight.
When collimating be sure not to tighten the locking screws once they touch the mirror cell as it will warp the mirror cell and thus the collimation.
After collimation, label each strut to it's position. A to A etc.
Cheers!

[ericc]

Hi there--thanks to all for the great feedback--theres some really good advice been put forward-- and its obvious that there are alot of very happy Lightbridge owners out there!

I have to admit that Im still undecided about upgrading to a 12" truss dob or bigger at the moment??
As I have mentioned in my previous posts -- I do find the Bintel 10" very nice--its just -------just----I would love more!!!
Maybe I should just buckle down and enjoy what I have at the moment ,and do a couple of extra mods to improve things--(thanks heaps J.B.)
Yep---I have had my first taste of the fever!
Cheers to all,
Eric