Another One Bites The Dust- Aperture Fever Won.

[Suzy]

Woah! ....and blow me down too (stand back Liz), Michael! Thanks so very much for that very informative post.

Yes, at the end of the day it has to come down to being able to lug it around for the person using it, at the risk of losing aperture. I realised putting it on a trolley will be no benefit to me as I would still have to lift it up on the trolley. The scope wouldn't get transported that often, so lifting it into the car wouldn't be an issue, as I will easily get help with that.

I have been planning strategies to adapt the 10" with really good wheels mounted onto a square base. I spoke with Ron from Sirius Optics and he said this is the norm. This has now inspired a bit more confidence within me to go for the 10". I want to be able to drag it around by the tension handles. I have a 6" dob on wheels that does this now, though the 10" will be a bit more complex.

Any help and ideas on this will be very welcome, though Ron from Sirius Optics tells me pneumatic wheels mounted on a square base is the way to go, these wheels will be very expensive... I wonder what the alternatives are... Anyone else done the same thing?

So looks like I'm going for the 10" solid tube everyone!

When I posted this thread, it was certainly not the track I had planned on heading. I knew the 8" would only be a marginal improvement (but improvement nevertheless. But you were all against it, (was so unanimous wasn't it?!) and I'm glad you'll made me question my decision and made myself look harder into how I could handle this bigger scope.

Thankyou all!

[mic_m (Michael)]

Liz, you’re welcome for the information.

Suzy, I am glad that you found my post useful and congratulations on your decision!

This is probably similar to what Ron is talking about, its form JMI.

This picture shows another possibility; it is a modified 10” Sky-Watcher where the owner has attached wheels directly to the ground board. You can read about the attachment of the wheels in this thread.

Michael.

[Suzy]

Thank you again Michael, gosh you've gone to some trouble for me, I appreciate it. Well.. looking at the pics and the wheels, looks very similar to the mods I've got now on my 6". The wheels will need to be substantially larger to hold the weight and drag properly for a 10". I don't see those wheels performing so well with the pics you supplied. And I would probably need 4, hence a square platform.
But thank you, I do appreciate your input and certainly welcome it.

[marki]

I am not quite sure how a truss dob pulled apart into it's seperate components would weigh more then a solid tube dob which cannot be broken down easily. As a whole unit yes but not as individual parts.

Mark

[Suzy]

Originally Posted by marki

I am not quite sure how a truss dob pulled apart into it's seperate components would weigh more then a solid tube dob which cannot be broken down easily. As a whole unit yes but not as individual parts.

Mark

Hi Mark,
I was surprised when I saw the specs. on Ozscopes site of both the Saxon 10" & 10" collapsible, the tubes both weighed 12.42Kg. Saxon range anyway. I was a bit unsure of the truss's to begin with, but if they were much lighter I would have given them more consideration. I'm not worried about the size, more the weight issue to lug around. I don't think I'd have the patience to set it up everytime. After consideration of the truss's on the pros and cons, I've decided to stick with a sold tube anyway.

[Paddy (Patrick)]

Hi Suzy,

Sounds like a tube is the go if weight is more a concern than space and makes most things simpler. I did just want to point out that the collapsible dobs are easier to set up than ordinary truss dobs like mine or a lightbridge. My friend's saxon is just a matter of pulling the OTA to full extent and then tighten some knobs. very simple. But, again, a tube sounds the go.

[marki]

Originally Posted by Suzy

Hi Mark,
I was surprised when I saw the specs. on Ozscopes site of both the Saxon 10" & 10" collapsible, the tubes both weighed 12.42Kg. Saxon range anyway. I was a bit unsure of the truss's to begin with, but if they were much lighter I would have given them more consideration. I'm not worried about the size, more the weight issue to lug around. I don't think I'd have the patience to set it up everytime. After consideration of the truss's on the pros and cons, I've decided to stick with a sold tube anyway.

Fair enough. I understand your choice if you are not confident in breaking down and re-assembling a truss dob the solid tube would certainly be a better choice. Collimation is easy to do once you have done it a few times and know what you are looking for. I always check collimation before viewing as it makes a big difference and can be corrected in a minute or two. My initial question was how could a mirror box (the heaviest component of a truss dob) weigh more then an entire solid tube. Good to see you went for the larger aperture as well, you will keep the scope for a little longer before the next upgrade (in about 6 months ).

Mark