I recently watched Arthur lug his 16" Skywatcher dob components to the trailer up at Bretti (I was up on the hill at the time or I would have offered to help). Arthur's is a truss design, and even with his bad back he seemed to be able to move it around.
So what are the opinions: At what size do they get unmanageable?
I am assuming a open truss design, so that they can be broken down to move.
I'd like to find the biggest aperature (dob) that I can reasonable manage to move to astro camps - looking to upgrade from my 12" GSO solid tube to 16" or larger.
I'd love a 20" Telekit but I believe the cost of shipping and the optics would scare me off, but the 16" Lightbridge and GSO truss models are very close in price and seem to be more in my price range. Views on these?
I recently watched Arthur lug his 16" Lightbridge dob components to the trailer up at Bretti (I was up on the hill at the time or I would have offered to help). Arthur's is a truss design, and even with his bad back he seemed to be able to move it around.
Hi Glen,
to clarify, Arthur has the
Quote:
Skywatcher Black Diamond 16" Flexi-tube GoTo.
So the lightbridge (which comes with no navigation hardware) should definitely be a deal lighter.
One of the B.A.S. members is selling his 14" Sky Watcher GoTo Dob. I have helped him move it a few times. It can be managed by one person when broken down, but it is a heavy beast compared to the 12" model. Initially I was tempted to sell mine and buy his but my Dob is about as much as I can handle weight wise.
Thanks Stu, but I am trying to avoid GOTO systems because they bring much extra weight (and power requirements) and I firmly believe that they are mainly obsolete technology compared to the advantages offered by 'more open' pushto solutions like astronomy apps runing on Android platforms (whether phones, tablets, etc) that interface via wifi to a DSC encoder controller on the scope - not to mention much lower in cost. The beauty of an app like Sky Safari Plus is the screen visualisation of the scope tracking right to your target, yes you have to push it to get there but the direction, co-ordinates, and target are clearly shown on the tablet screen. It can also interface to drive systems like Servocat if I ever did decide to go in that direction, but I prefer the lighter weight of a pushto system.
I have a friend who observes with a non motorized 18" classic obsession, he handles setup and teardown on his own with ease. For that matter, I don't consider my 25" to be unmanageable either. Setup is about 30 mins, also with no help, and I'd argue having it stored in a trailer saves me time when heading to a dark sky. If you're dead set against motorising, you probably want a fast 18 or 20" so you can avoid ladders.
I have a 16" Truss Dob, I am coming on for 71 YO and I have no trouble moving my scope around in my 4x4.
I just put a wheel barrow type configuration on it and push it up two small ramps into the back.
Set up in 10 minutes from stopping the vehicle.
Cheers
The base of a 16" Lightbridge is difficult to get through a standard door. It can be done but you can't just walk through. I would think an 18" is getting very difficult to move through standard doors. I find the lower tube of the Lightbridge to be weighty but manageable. I would think that wheels would be mandatory for anything larger.
I'd say without a trailer, 12" is as big as you want go. I have a meade truss 12" and it's not the weight that's a problem it's just that they are awkward to get in and out of a car. A ute or a4x4 would be ok but if you have a car, go the 12.
I dropped my base walking down a flight of stairs and scratched the bejesus out of it.
What kind of vehicle will you be using.
My present 12" GSO is not that hard to move around, the tube fits in a transport case I made for it that slides into my campertrailer; the base box goes in the 4WD. At home, where it's always assembled, it gets moved around with a handtruck.
I want to understand how people cope with the larger scopes and the weight that comes with them.
Not the cheapest but they do seem to have spent a lot of time looking at the assembly and movement aspects. Great idea having the base strip down. I would be interested to know how good the optics are if any one knows.
It is a matter of what you are prepared to do in assembly and disassembly.
I had no bother with a 16" lightbridge in a medium/small hatchback Ford Fiesta or a Camry Station Wagon. (No room for back seat drivers in the Fiesta)
Moving the base assembly is the easiest. You just turn it on its side and roll it on the rim. It then fits easily through doors. the biggest problem then is assembling the truss rods on site and doing a collimation. Both these become relatively easy with a routine developed by practice.
The extra light gathering of a 16" over a 12" is actually quite noticeable in a dark area.
My 18 is the easiest of my scopes to move and transport. Fits through a standard doorway even with wheelbarrow handles on. Like Andrew said the bigger Dob's are surprisingly quick and easy to assemble and to strip down. A dedicated trailer is ideal.
Wow that's a great collection of scopes. That one on the left looks like a Telekit strut scope, did you put that together yourself? Inspiring.
The one on the left is my new 18" F4.2 Plettstone with Zambuto mirror. I bought it a few months ago off Astromart. This scope I'm told is the last one Michelle Stone built and it has a fantastic Zambuto mirror. The closest scope kit I know of would be a Dobstuff which are great value for money. I'm toying with the idea of a 32 plus SDM at some stage
