[stellarquest]

Just a couple of additional comments. Ace, I have taken my 8 in my car a few times, and a solid tube Dob, even an 8, takes up a lot of room. One other thing, getting people in will mean that you place the tube lenghtwise with the car, with one half of the seat folded down. Putting the scope in and out of the car will result in dings. It just will. I have seen others do this.This is one of the major advantages of the Lightbridge. This type of portability will greatly reduce the chance of damage.Truss Dobs just make sense for anyone taking a scope for a drive. Also, for cleaning etc, the Lightbridge breaks down into manageable sections (stating the obvious here), but that means you can put a towel on the dining room table and work on each unit comfortably and safely. Just try doing that with a solid 12. Whatever you decide Ace, do buy yourself a quality laser collimater.