[mic_m (Michael)]

Thanks for the link. I think that ultralight dobs are somewhat of an acquired taste; you are right they aren’t universally popular.

When I’m reading through astronomy forums I often encounter threads where people are trying to make a decision about upgrading to a larger dob, inevitably when the LB is thrown into the mix of ideas it comes up that they are heavy and bulky scopes, that are not easy to transport.

So while an ultralight might not be the answer, I would like to see something lighter from commercial companies, which they would hopefully be able to bring to the market for less than a premium dob. Perhaps something like the scope in this ATM project. It has a much smaller footprint (disassembled) when compared to current commercial dobs, which would mean easier transportability.

That being said if Orion (or Synta) offered something like the compact dob in the background of this photo for a reasonable price (more than a LB 16 but less than an Obsession 15), I would probably get it.