New 12" DOB for me.

[Tandum]

Picked up a 12" GS DOB from Stevenc77 this morning. I drive a statesman and the box would not fit in the car but after making the passenger seat flat we got the tube in through the rear drivers side door and across the passenger seat. This thing is huge.

Got it home, set it up, got new batteries for the badder laser collminator from dick smiths and between the cheshire and the laser, alligned the beast.

I only got to point it at Jupiter before it clouded over but the view was stunning. The disk was large and in your face and the bands and moons were clearly visable. This is my first scope larger than 8" and the difference is astounding. I had the 8" Vixen out there at the same time, looking at the same target and the detail coming out of the dob is truely on another level.

The only problem is, this thing is a lot bigger than I thought it would be and storing and moving it is going to be a real problem. Not to mention that I now need enormous tube rings, a new mount to handle the load etc etc etc :D :P

[batema]

Hi Robin,
Congrats on your new scope. Does GS stand for Guan Shen as the brand of scope. On Monday we are going to buy one for our school and it will probably be a Guan Shen 12 " from Andrews for $999. This comes with 5 eyepiece. Enjoy those stunning views I read about for people who own one.
Mark

[Gargoyle_Steve]

Nice one Robin - the 12's are a great scope in terms of picking up details, catching light, etc. I know you'll enjoy using it.

Oh, and welcome to the 12" club.
;)

[Kevnool]

Congrats on the new scope , I see the wow factor has already kicked in.
Larger aperature,s seem to do this.
Enjoy your new scope.....cheers Kev.

[erick]

Even for visual only, it can be a long expensive path ahead! What I've spend in $ and time getting my 12" transportable and dew proof etc. etc.

[Davekyn]

Hi Robin,
Glad to hear you got a 12" scope. Although I have no trouble when I really want to get so my 12" Tube dob out the back yard or to a dark site, there are times that I do shrug and grab my smaller scope. Some people say a trolly is easy to use, but I find it difficult to trolly the base and tube at the same time. I think they must mean trolly the tube seprately?

Anyways...I love my 12" Dob to death...It really has opened up the sky in an otherwise useless suburban situation with so much light pollution. I am yet to see what it can really do at a Dark site.

Good luck with it & I am sure you will work at a routine for moving the thing:)
Dave

[AlexN]

Nice one Robin...

Now get it mounted on the EQ6, get a DMK/DBK and a 5x powermate and go for gold on Saturn in a few months time :D

[Tandum]

Yes mark, GS stand for Guan Shen, you won't be disapointed but I think a trailer is my next expense :)