Re: Recomendations on a BIG dob

Exactly what Jane said. It's easy enough to say one can schlep a big
scope around, but honestly at one or two o' clock in the morning and you
have to break the scope down into smaller pieces when you are a little
bleary eyed, tired, and cold that's tough. Some people can do it, I
honestly say I cannot which is another reason why I don't get out as
much with my scope at the various observing sites short of the star
parties.

As others have noticed check out the various local telescope makers.

Eileen

Jane Smith wrote:
> Vincent,
>
> I gotta add my 2 cents here.
>
> I'm well acquainted with aperture fever. I started with a 12.5"
> Starmaster, sold it, bought an 18" Starmaster, then sold that to build
> a 16" ultralight. I learned a valuable lesson: Portability is a
> critical point to consider when buying a telescope.
>
> Starmaster and Obsession both make wonderful scopes, but they are NOT
> lightweight, nor are they compact. Plettstone is both lightweight and
> highly compact. but don't take anybody's word for it. A lot of
> TACos own Plettstones. Get out, have a look at one, give it a feel,
> take a gander through the eyepiece. Better yet, drive to Plettstone
> and have Michelle give you the tour. Jeez... just getting a look at
> her woodshop is worth the 3 hours drive. She does beautiful work.
>
> As for aperture.... I went from 18" down to 10". Don't let anyone
> tell you aperture doesn't count. It counts a LOT, every single inch.
> If you can afford the 18", if you can lift it comfortably, and if it
> will fit it in your vehicle, I highly recommend the larger aperture.
> It does make a difference when you start going after the fainter
> fuzzies. Of course, there's something to be said for buying a 15"...
> if the dreaded fever hits again, at least you'll be able to pacify it
> with an 18", rather than having to go up to a 20" or 24". :)
>
> Good Luck!
>
> Jane
>
>
>
> On 11/27/06, Vincent Huang <vhuang168@No-Spam> wrote:
>> Ok... so aperture fever has hit me pretty hard. Went from a TV76 to a
>> NP127is and from the 8" VC200L to a C14 but I want BIGGER!!!! Another
>> reason I want a dob is because of the session @ Coe 2 weeks ago. My
>> Gemini
>> decided to fry itself halfway thru the night so I ended up with a fully
>> manual GEM for the rest of the night. Turns out I found having a manual
>> scope to be loads of fun. I didn't even have DSC so it was all up to
>> me, my
>> starmaps and the starbeam!! I nailed everything I went in search of
>> (nothing infinitely small and faint, just some Messiers I haven't gotten
>> around to and I was showing a friend who is just starting out where
>> in the
>> sky the Ms were) and it was quite a satisfying feeling.
>>
>> So, I'm looking for recommendations on biggish dobs. While size is
>> relative.. big for me is 15 - 18". I don't have transportation for
>> anything
>> bigger and would rather not have to lug a ladder around as well.
>> Plus, I'm
>> only 5'6". I don't mind a step stool or maybe a starchair so 18"
>> seems to
>> be my limit. On the transportation side, all I have is an midsize
>> sedan
>> (Audi S4). I don't know if the 18" rocker box will even fit.
>>
>> Right now, I'm looking at Obsession and Plettstone, possibly
>> Starmaster. I
>> like Obsession because of its track record and the overall quality.
>> Plettstone has me intriqued with its smipler and lighter designs but I'm
>> worried about rigidity and if I might be giving something up going
>> from the
>> Obsession to the Plettstone (even though the Plettstone is more $$$).
>>
>> Feel free to contact me off list if you'd rather keep it under wraps.
>>
>> TIA
>> Vincent
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