I have the same dob and have just complained about the Dob comfort level in the beginners forum.......I spose that would be a little cheaper the EQ5.....lol
Hi Folks
For my part, I simply added 4 locking Heavy Duty castors to the base of my 10" GSO Dob, I get a lot more use this way !
Also, a couple of black draw handles to make the scope easier to move around & also a knob to move the OTA in Altitude.
More to come !
I just used a luggage strap around the tube on either side of the altitude hubs, and threaded through a short piece of conduit to make a carry handle for the OTA.
The attached picture show the additional handles I have fitted to my GSO Dob:
(OK, someone help me out here, the picture does not seem to want to attach, it is only 178kb ?)
No, that won't be it.. Although I'd prefer images around 60k in size, I haven't actually enforced the limit during attaching.. It's a gentlemen's rule at the moment
How are you attaching it Ian? You can either upload it to your webspace and provide a link, or you can use the "attach file" link when posting your reply..
Just hit "browse" and click on the file you want, and then "submit reply" at the end. Just make sure it's jpeg and you can reduce size/resolution in any image editing program.
the handles look great, I'd not thought of how easy that would be, the existing handle is in an awfull place if you're trying to lift without taking OTA off (which is when moving scope whilest out viewing). I may have to try to get handles like that, so simple I'm smacking my head off of screen cause I didn't think of it.
You are correct Mintsauce
Handles do at least make it possible to lift the Base & OTA as a unit, however it is still awkward to carry, I use this to lift it over something or out a doorway.
It is the Castors that have really made it a truely moble scope.
Good at a viewing night when a tree is in the way of something i want to see
Try doing that with an EQ mount !
I've got about a 1foot drop out of doorway onto ground that I observe on and that's not very even, so no good for casters, and I really would rather not just drive my scope off a 1foot drop off
Looks great Ian, though the castors wouldn't work too well on my grass, i'd have to get bigger chunkier (maybe air-filled) tyres, and those are like $50 each at bunnings, so for now I just use my trolley for transporting long distances (or in/out of storage) or up/down stairs, or I do the crab shuffle for short distances..
The handles look good for short distances, I might have to invest in a pair, though I'm a bit worried about the particle-board base and would have to keep an eye on it to make sure the handles don't rip right through the base and send the OTA crashing to the ground!
I can't make out the OTA knob very clearly.. can you take a close-up picture? Did you drill a hole into the OTA to mount the knob?
The telrad looks good on there too.. how do you find it? Do you use it much/prefer it over the normal finder?
Starkler, how do you find the RACI finder?
When doing some observing the other night using my observing chair, I found it annoying to have to get up to look through the finder.. An RACI finder would've been handy at that time, and i'm still tossing up whether I should invest in a telrad..
The Raci is great !
It puts the finder eyepiece fairly close to the scope eyepiece, so it saves the back and/or getting dirty knees kneeling to look through the standard finder.
Sighting along the finder to get an intial starting point is a lot more difficult, so its then you want a telrad or rigel.
The other difference is that being a "correct image" finder, the view is the "right way up" and not inverted as in the standard finder. The inverted view matches the scope eyepiece view.
This may or may not bother you. I think its a small price to pay for a big gain in comfort
Thats the great thing about dobsonians. They lend themselves to be customized endlessly to the needs of each user- and one need not have access to a machine shop or fancy tools. Not only making changes that improve performance or ease of use of your own scope, but sharing these ideas with others is a good way to maintain intrest.
The handles that I have attached next to the OTA pivot point, go right through the timber & into the handle itself & have shown no signs of weakening in 18mths of use.
The Altitude Knob on the OTA was fitted by drilling a hole in the OTA & putting a piece of self adhesive foam tape on the outside prior to screwing the knob on.
Starkler .. where did you get the finder scope with the Diagonal ?
That is the only thing i am missing for easy seated observing.
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GSO 10"Dob Mods
