[pmrid (Peter)]

I have a large 16" Dob on a mount that is steel and solid - i.e. a pain in the nadir to move anywhere - so I am confronted by the dilemma of ageing - either I give this thing a permanent home or I sell it and make way for something I can manage better than a small centurion tank.

I've been reading the recent threads on cubbyhouse obs and lovely roll-offs but didn't find the answer to the dilemma of the big Dob. By their nature, they tend to be low to the ground. When horizontal or pointing to near-horizon objects, these observatories become unsuitable because of the high walls. In any design I have attempted on my own, this tends to be the coup-de-grace every time. You need decent walls to give yourself and your scope at zenith sufficient headroom in any observatory. And wind buffeting makes the same demands. So what's the solution.

Peter