Another mount trolly idea

[doug mc]

With a length of pine framing timber, bolted to the trolley base, i drilled a couple of holes the right distance apart, so that the tripod tips would insert into it. Just pull back the mount against the trolley and go. Of course you could use a shorter length of timber with the tripod collapsed for narrower pathways.

[bojan]

Excellent ad-hoc solution.
I must try something similar on my dob, it is heavy...

[Tinderboxsky (Steve)]

Very clever in its simplicity.

[sil (Steve)]

I use "tripod dollies" for mine since my disability wont let me carry stuff like this safely. With a milk crate firmly strapped to the middle cross bars of the dolly i've got a place for battery unit and easy to wheel around. Also used the accessory tray as a "base" for a board now fixed to the legs to provide a ledge for my laptop. I have my imaging location out of the garage where one wheel of the tripod goes in a corner seam in the concrete and another wheel sits in another seam and its stable to not roll away. could probably be used for dob too, the design would allow for a board to be attached to the crossbeams securely and made level for a similar easy "wheel it out" setup. whatever you need to simplify things is worth a shot of outside box thinking.

hell if you have the money what about three roombas and a single remote? program to take your rig outide for cooldown and bring in after session?

[Wavytone]

... a scope on an electric wheelchair. All-terrain capable, full electric traction and power steering, 7 speed electric gearbox with top speed 25km/h, runs all night on a charge, electric slewing, with electric height adjustment and electric reclining chair. Equipped with red LED driving lights, navigation lights, seatbelts, headrest, accessory tray for iPods etc and optional eyepiece set. Scope is on an altaz mount cantilevered on the back of the chair, with a counterweight at the rear. At the time I figured it could comfortably carry an 8" SCT with no issues (that's a 4" SCT in the pic). Maybe an 11" SCT with the cantilever extended. Only downside is you will need a vehicle equipped with a loading ramp or hydraulic lift at the rear to take it to your observing field.

Won a prize at SPSP many years ago.

Courtesy of Think Different™

[sil (Steve)]

anyone know how stable the platform of a cherry picker is? for most of us its the neighbours trees and rooflines and security floodlights that get in our way. can we "rise" above it?

[Wavytone]

Cherry picker ... no.

Many decades ago a mate had built an elevated platform at roof level about 3m off the ground, basically a wooden deck 3m square with a strong handrail all round - like an elevated balcony, access from a ladder which was brought out when needed. In the centre was a 4" water pipe, maybe 5m tall, with the bottom set in cement - and an 8" newtonian sat on top. At the level of the deck a loose rubber sleeve stopped the top swaying sideways, yet didn't pass vibrations to the scope if you walked around on the deck.

It was good enough and the hight solved the tree problem.