[barx1963 (Malcolm)]

Well I've had the 12" dob for three weeks now and have started to make a few mods. Firstly I added a handle to the side to make moving it a bit more comfortable. I have added three bits of felt, just used those little floorsaver things that you can attach to the bottom of furniture legs, and attched these between the 2 parts of the az axis. These GSO mounts bearings have very little friction and need slowing down a bit.
I have added a laser finder that I purchased on a recent trip to Qld. Lastly I found as soon as I went to transport the scope by car the dustcap just wouldn't stay on, do I have used a couple of bits of velcro and webbing from an old back pack to rig up a system to keep it in place.
I have also made up a trolley to assist with transporting the OTA. Got the basic idea from Mikes article where he uses a trolley to transport the OTA and base as one unit. Found with te size of the base for the 12" that wasn't practicle, so I made up a little wooden jig that the OTA sits on, with more felt floorsavers to prevent stratches. I bolted the jig to the base of the trolley, and used double sided tape to attach the polystyrene bit that held the scope in the packing box. The end result is as per the photos. Works really well and as I have a couple of steps to negotiate when I move my scope from living room to backyard, I feel much safer with this rig.