Quote:
Originally Posted by glend
Define your goals first before deciding on an optical design.
Personally, I am not a fan of "artwork" dobsonians, because up to 16-20" the commercial products are a much more cost effective investment, and you will generally be able to re-sell it down the track. It depends on what your buying it for obviously.
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Hi Glen,
My own Very Highly Specialized personal goals have long been extremely well defined after 5 decades in the Astro game, so this thread Rather has the goal of prompting some creative thinking about solving some common problems that people have with the usability of larger apertures.
As I see it, I started this thread to gather together information and insight and knowledge and creativity...... about the way people are trying to solve the problems of huge mass and size, focus much too high up, etc., etc., in apertures of 16 inches or more, as most of us would like to own gigantic telescopes; but these problems are obstacles in the way of our practical usage and ownership of truly huge instruments.
In other words, how to build or get a REALLY BIG scope without enduring this sort of problem.......
So this thread, at least in My Own View of it, is about optical design and fabrication, rather than about "what telescope I want and need Right Now". Neither did I intend this thread to be about finding alternatives to carting about huge telescopes ......such as building an observatory.
cheers, Robert