--- "Dillon, Dillon, & Kuh" <mavericks@redshift.com> wrote:
> d) No way I would want to lug an 18 around. Maybe someday a 15, but
> I've watched buddies haul and set up and break down 18" Dobbses
> plenty. Nuh-uh. I put my tube on the mount, slap my hands and say,
> 'There, all set up'. Maybe 45 seconds total.
Bzzzzzzztttttt!
I've been luck enough to own two fine sub-45cm scopes. One was a 36cm dob
that set up in a minute or two (sold it). The other, which I stil have, is an
exquisite 28cm dob that takes maybe 10 minutes to setup. Both had, or have,
exquisite CZ optics. However I can honestly say that even though I throughly
enjoy (or enjoyed) using those two dobs, never, never ever, never not in a
million years, have they given me the views my 45cm dob gives me. The 45cm
dob is IMO the perfect large aperture dob. It's large enough to really set
you back on your heels with views of eye-candy and 'nearly eye-candy', large
enough to allow you to go to the edge of your visual ability, and small
enough to still be able to be setup by one little-ole-me alone.
I could care less if it takes me 30 minutes to put it together, or 30 to take
it down. My ability to observe is limited by much much more than how long it
takes me to get rady. The 45cm is _ALWAYS_ worth the extra effort. ALWAYS. No
if's and or but(t)s. ALWAYS. PERIOD. END OF STORY. Unless I am going to hang
out with someone whose has a 45cm or larger dob, there has never been a dark
sky starparty where I did not take the 45cm dob and not wound up regretting
it (can you say SSP 2003?). Sure sure. Love the one you're with. But aspire
to the 45cm dob. You'll not regret it. Get one from Plettstone.
Obviously, YMMV
Jeff
=====
---------------------------------------
Jeffrey D. Gortatowsky
La Habra Heights, California
"Madam, there's no such thing as a tough child -- if you parboil them first for seven hours, they always come out tender. " - W.C. Fields
"What wretched scoundrel stole the cork from my lunch?" - W.C. Fields
Received on Sat May 15 23:06:35 2004