have you ever dropped your OTA?

doogal · #1 26-04-2007, 11:08 AM

2 nights ago i had a bit of a scare with my new scope,was comin in from out the back lawn and the tube was just moist with some dew and i was almost at the door on the pebbled cement out the back and all of a sudden .... slip!, damn i gripped the tube tight and managed to stop it touching the ground but geez it was close to bangin full force on that hard ground

. the problem is that big mirror in the bottom of the tube,when your grip gives way a bit it just drops like lead.

anyone else got any horror stories of such things? im sure someone out there has done worse than my close call.

EDIT: doh! the title is meant to be OTA!

John Saunders · #2 26-04-2007, 11:30 AM

No...but I have often thought about it as I cradle my baby back into the garage...ahhhhmmmm...that's the scope I mean...

Ric · #3 26-04-2007, 11:42 AM

Hi Doogal, my telescope insurance covers against any disaster like that but I still wouldn't want to put it to the test.
I think it must be every astronomers worst nightmare to drop their scope.

Cheers

ving (David) · #4 26-04-2007, 11:47 AM

not yet, touch wood

StarKers · #5 26-04-2007, 12:24 PM

Makes me wonder how colleagues in a nuclear factory respond when a fellow worker suddenly says: Oops!

DobDobDob (Ron) · #6 26-04-2007, 12:25 PM

....or your heart surgeon during a bypass....

ving (David) · #7 26-04-2007, 12:42 PM

or the spare parts bin in any surgury... it scares me

casstony · #8 26-04-2007, 01:18 PM

I wheel my dob around so it's not likely to be damaged, but I just know I'm going to trip over with the LX90 one night - what a mess that would be. The most expensive thing I've dropped onto concrete was a Tak LE eyepiece - it produced a sickening thud by was unscathed fortunately.

DobDobDob (Ron) · #9 26-04-2007, 01:25 PM

....and what of astro insurance? I suppose it comes under household insurance

pvelez (Pete) · #10 26-04-2007, 01:57 PM

OK -I'll be the first to fess up.

My 8 inch OTA slipped from the mount one night (I hadn't tightened it up).

Luckily the grass in the back yard was long so it bounced. The only damage was my heart (which must have stopped for an instant) and the colimation on the secondary.

Can't bear to think what would have happened over concrete.

Pete

Ric · #11 26-04-2007, 03:24 PM

Hi Ron, my insurance is with NRMA. It does come under my content insurance but everything is listed separately and individually insured for the price that I paid, just had to show all receipts.
It is also insured against accidental dropping and travel anywhere in Australia and N.Z as well which surprised me.

Cheers

DobDobDob (Ron) · #12 26-04-2007, 04:36 PM

Thanks Ric, I'm also with that mob, and I might give them a bell and see what they suggest

Rob_K · #13 26-04-2007, 05:01 PM

Oops! Haven’t dropped just the OTA, but have dropped the whole lot, tripod & all, 3 times - once on carpet-covered concrete slab & twice on hard earth. Light, flimsy set-up - good thing it’s what it is and not an expensive scope/OTA!

The first time, I brought it inside and plonked tripod on floor. Didn’t realise one leg was up on base of bookshelf. Couple of hours later heard an almighty crash – rushed out & there it was on the floor, with the red dot finder snapped off, electric focuser mount twisted, etc!

Must have been right on point of balance and legs gradually sank into carpet. Checked collimation – slightly better than before!!!

2nd time forgot to pull out USB cable from laptop after imaging. Blithely headed off inside, and…..CRASH!!!

3rd time at Snake Valley in March this year. Left scope set up after viewing all night, with a doona cover as dew protection. Wind picked up in morning & blew the whole thing over….. CRASH!!!

4th time? There is no fourth time!

Cheers -

duncan · #14 26-04-2007, 05:18 PM

Geez Rob you know how to make a bloke cringe!!!!

Rob_K · #15 26-04-2007, 05:24 PM

Could that possibly be why no one will lend me their scope?

duncan · #16 26-04-2007, 05:29 PM

Could have a very valid point there. Mine wont get here until next week by the sound of it.

doogal · #17 26-04-2007, 05:32 PM

did you get a tracking number duncan?

duncan · #18 26-04-2007, 05:38 PM

NO mate i didn't bother. If it's not here by Tuesday i'll start to worry! Amate at work said about 5 working days so we'll just have to wait.
How are you enjoying yours. I'll bet it blew ya socks off compared to the old one,LOL

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #19 26-04-2007, 05:43 PM

I tripped into a ditch while carrying my old wobbletronic. Whole thing didn't just fall, it was flung as hard as possible into the dirt. The only damage was to a couple of teeth of the r&p focuser. It was still quite usable afterwards.

I had to get hubby to move the big girl a few times after I had another trip and fall incident ( I was too busy looking at the stars and not the ground and tripped over a hose ). I don't let him do it anymore because he finds it hard to get it through doorways without wacking the finder or focuser on the jamb.

doogal · #20 26-04-2007, 05:49 PM

hehe im having a bit of a giggle at these stories of misfortune

i knew there had to be some funny tales out there.

Duncan yea its a beauty,last night i could see 4 moons around saturn,very cool. just ring bintel tommorrow and get your tracking number,then ya can type it in and see exactly where it is,the wait is painful huh?