Dob owners, do you prefer having your focuser on the left or right of your scope (when looking from the front), and are you predominantly left or right handed?
I prefer it on the [edit] right and I'm right handed (so my right hand is on the focuser, left hand dragging the scope).
I have my focuser on the right (front looking), I am Left Handed. I use my left hand either on the left focus knob or holding the front of the tube while using my other hand to steady the scope or do other things....
Hard to say which I prefer, cause i've only ever used it one way.
But it seems natural to me to drive the scope with my left hand inside the top rim, and my right hand on the focuser. Plus, the moonlite fine focuser is on the RHS of the focuser, which suits perfectly.
If you where dragging the scope with your left hand and focusing with your right, the focuser would be on the right side of the scope from the front, not the left (see pic below).
I agree with Mike, I have only ever known one way.
I'm right handed(right eyed). I use my left hand to move the scope via the top rim and my right hand lays flat on the OT to steady the movement. Normally I wouldn't touch the focuser while viewing but I found while using the gs last week the steel tube gets unbearably cold, compared to the fibreglass,and I kept moving my hand up to the focuser.
As Mike posted its probably not preference but what your used to.
But it does seem comfortable with the focuser on the normally positioned side.
Slice
BTW, why dont you use the knob you fitted for moving the scope Ice?
Last edited by slice of heaven; 09-05-2005 at 09:30 PM.
BTW, why dont you use the knob you fitted for moving the scope Ice?
I do Geoff, sometimes.. Especially when I've got a hartman mask or solar filter on.
But I still prefer my hand in the rim, it just feels more comfortable. I think perhaps a handle rather than a knob would feel more comfortable, if positioned at the right angle.
Mike,It is comfortable isnt it. I still have to fit a light shield to the gs and then I wont be able to move it that way and was going to fit a knob but now youve mentioned you'd prefer a handle, I'll look into that.Thanks
Pfft, thanks Ken. It was just a visualisation problem, even though I was standing in front of the scope I named the side as if I were behind/beside it still.
My current primary scope has the focuser on the Left (just to go against the flow). I am ambidextrous (sp?), but dominantly right handed and I use my right eye for viewing. I focus with my right hand and move the dob with my right hand which isn't a problem as I'm never focusing and tracking at the same time (ahh, there was that ISS flyover tha...urr....nevermind ).
I don't think it really matters what side the focuser is on. My dob looks strange to others that are used to seeing focusers on the right hand side and I have had comments before about it. However, it is the only dob I have ever owned and although I have used other GS dobs, I don't have any issue operating my current dob.
I'm not sure, but I think Meade set-up all their DOBs with the focuser on the left. (Looking from front to rear, as the photons travel). I am right handed & have tried other DOBs, but prefer mine. Just what you get used to, I suppose. I have an electric focuser, (hi, Mike & ving), so it doesn't matter which hand you use to move the t'scope! L.
Originally posted by Astroman I have my focuser on the right (front looking), I am Left Handed. I use my left hand either on the left focus knob or holding the front of the tube while using my other hand to steady the scope or do other things....
ditto.... I also let my other hand do er... other things.
L.
