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Slippers on a metal-rung ladder would be a really bad idea. There's a reason they're called slippers, you know!

Bare feet always give the best grip, except on ice and snow.

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However any kind of foot wear that gives support is generally a good idea for lengthy use of ladders no matter the weather and also as often advertised in here, a comfy observing environment calls for better views.

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a 12.5" Newtonian was considered a giant telescope but by today's standards, thanks to Mr. Dobson, it's not very large at all.

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To you and me, a 12.5 inch Dobsonian may seem relatively small and certainly in comparison to an equatorially mounted 12.5 inch of days of yore, the Dob is much more compact and manageable but it is still a large telescope that requires planning and effort...

Jon

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Relative is the operative word here. I'm looking at the spectrum of apertures that are available to today's amateurs, not ease of use or other factors. At most any major star party, an 18" truss-tube Dob hardly draws any attention any more and with the new ultra-fast mirrors, a 20" doesn't even seem all that big.

http://www.starmastertelescopes.com/MX20.htm

Dave Mitsky

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I'm looking at the spectrum of apertures that are available to today's amateurs, not ease of use or other factors. At most any major star party, an 18" truss-tube Dob hardly draws any attention any more ...

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I'm looking at the spectrum of apertures that are available to today's amateurs, not ease of use or other factors. At most any major star party, an 18" truss-tube Dob hardly draws any attention any more ...

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True. However, star-party attendees aren't necessarily typical of amateur astronomers in general. When writing an observing article for the broader public, I feel safe in calling a 16-inch scope big.

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I am comfortable calling a 12.5 inch scope big/large. With dark skies, with a skilled observer, a 12 inch class scope can take you a long ways.

At a star party an 20 inch or 25 inch might be common place but that star party might be the only time during the year that the scope actually sees the night sky. People show their equipment at star parties but it is likely they do not have the opportunity to use a such a large scope at home. If I am like most other owners of larger telescopes, and a informal internet survey several years ago agreed with me, most have scopes that are more manageable that get more use. I am fortunate in that regard because I have a place to keep my larger scopes where the skies are reasonably dark but I still use the 12.5 inch and the 16 inch more than the 25 inch.

The purpose of this thread is help novices understand the ranking system used by authors when they discuss what is possible with small, medium and large scopes.. In that context, Tony is the one with the most experience. When I read such lists, generally it seems to me, the objects reserved for large scopes can be observed with a 12.5 inch if the conditions are favorable.

Jon

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At a star party an 20 inch or 25 inch might be common place but that star party might be the only time during the year that the scope actually sees the night sky. People show their equipment at star parties but it is likely they do not have the opportunity to use a such a large scope at home.

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At a star party an 20 inch or 25 inch might be common place but that star party might be the only time during the year that the scope actually sees the night sky. People show their equipment at star parties but it is likely they do not have the opportunity to use a such a large scope at home.

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I'm inclined to agree with David Mitsky on this one. I know a fair number of people with scopes in this size range, and all of them use them regularly. I find it hard to imagine anybody splashing out that kind of money for a scope that's only used at star parties.

But just as people who attend star parties aren't necessarily typical, the people that I know aren't necessarily typical.

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Indeed. I can speak best of my experience as an owner of some larger telescopes. In my situation, I typically get out to dark skies for 6 nights, maybe 8 in a good month, in a bad month, it may only be 2 or 3 times, I will almost always be observing with either the 16 inch or the 25 inch.

But home is where I do most of my observing, at least by nights if not by hours, and here I use something smaller.

Jon

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