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NHRob
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/27/04
Posts: 3159
Loc: New Hampshire
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I have a CGEM and TEC-140 and decided that something like a scopebuggy is what I need to really get a lot of use out of my rig. The more I can have things assembled, and ready to go, the better. My viewing opportunities are irregular and often brief. I usually view from my yard.
I really need something with larger tires than what I see with commercial units. I have a gravel driveway, and often have to move across the yard. Small wheels would not work well.
So, I may build my own. Anyone have pics of theirs they can post? I'd love to see ideas.
One thought ... just have a wood beam across two tripod legs (under the feet) with two tires attached. I can then tilt the mount/tripod back and wheel it around. The third tripod leg sits directly on the ground.
Thanks,
Rob
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Rob
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Canon 12x36 IS binos
TEC-140: #433 on CGEM
Faworski orthos (7,10,16.7mm)
stuff ...
no free time ... lots of clouds !
" Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans" !!
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LLEEGE
Running out of Oxygen
Reged: 03/03/05
Posts: 9082
Loc: Cloud-chester,NY
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As long as you have a good sized pneumatic tire, you should be fine on rough terrain. I think you are better off with three tires. Two fixed and one that pivots. Something like the Scope Buggy. The question is: to build or buy?
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"Okay! You draw the straws. I'm-a taking the parachute."
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mclewis1
Thread Killer
Reged: 02/25/06
Posts: 3961
Loc: New Brunswick, Canada
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Rob,
Larger tires than on the Scopebuggy? They are already something like 10" in diameter and wide with a heavy tread, larger than that and I think you're into much heavier ATV or small car wheels. I know the standard JMI wheelies use small hard wheels which would have a difficult time on a gravel driveway (JMI does have an option for the larger wheels) but the Scopebuggies wheels are considered large and soft. If you really need more than the Scopebuggies wheels then you are into some serious "off roading" ... lol.
There isn't a lot of ground clearance at the front wheel with a Scopebuggy so abrupt changes (sidewalk edges, potholes, etc.) would be a problem but I have no problem taking a Scopebuggy over what is considered a rough driveway or lawn. Stones up to about 2" are not a problem.
I've seen a few homemade configurations pictured here on CN, including a few really creative dolly type setups for alt az mounted scopes. I like the idea of two wheels and lifting the third leg for shorter runs with only the mount. I already do something like that (lift the front wheel off the ground) when I'm going over edges and such with my Scopebuggy.
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Mark
C11, C6, APM/TMB115, and AT80ED - Tandem mount CGE and CG-5A, WO EZ-Touch and AT Voyager
25x100s and 8x56s, T-Mount Light, Mark 1 eyeballs - Modded 350D, DSI-P, SPC900, Mallincam
Just because you can doesn't necessarily mean that you should
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mclewis1
Thread Killer
Reged: 02/25/06
Posts: 3961
Loc: New Brunswick, Canada
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There's a pic of just about the simplest tripod wheel setup I've seen over on the "other" site. link
Also note the nice turnbuckle connection holding the scope/tripod down ... a very good idea.
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Mark
C11, C6, APM/TMB115, and AT80ED - Tandem mount CGE and CG-5A, WO EZ-Touch and AT Voyager
25x100s and 8x56s, T-Mount Light, Mark 1 eyeballs - Modded 350D, DSI-P, SPC900, Mallincam
Just because you can doesn't necessarily mean that you should
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NHRob
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/27/04
Posts: 3159
Loc: New Hampshire
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I didn't realize the Scopebuggy wheels were that large. Perhaps I was thinking of the JMI version.
Yes, I will need some type of pneumatic tires to get across rough gravel, stones, and driveway edging, etc.
Curious .... how is it it, vibrationwise, viewing through a scope when it's resting on those pneumatic tires? Do you have to take the tripod off the buggy?
Rob
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Rob
**********************
Canon 12x36 IS binos
TEC-140: #433 on CGEM
Faworski orthos (7,10,16.7mm)
stuff ...
no free time ... lots of clouds !
" Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans" !!
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LLEEGE
Running out of Oxygen
Reged: 03/03/05
Posts: 9082
Loc: Cloud-chester,NY
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There are leveling feet that raise the tires off the ground. These can be used to accurately reposition the mount each time. Just tape a few vegetable cans together to they are about 2' long, set them in the ground under each leg so they are flush to the ground, fill them with concrete and you have a fixed location that won't interfere with mowing, and they will be barely visible.
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"Okay! You draw the straws. I'm-a taking the parachute."
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mclewis1
Thread Killer
Reged: 02/25/06
Posts: 3961
Loc: New Brunswick, Canada
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For some other comments on the Scopebuggy and suggested upgrades have a look at this thread
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Mark
C11, C6, APM/TMB115, and AT80ED - Tandem mount CGE and CG-5A, WO EZ-Touch and AT Voyager
25x100s and 8x56s, T-Mount Light, Mark 1 eyeballs - Modded 350D, DSI-P, SPC900, Mallincam
Just because you can doesn't necessarily mean that you should
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SteveC
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 06/15/06
Posts: 1775
Loc: The Garden State
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Hi Rob,
Viewing with everything resting on the tires is not a problem. I haven't had any vibration or goto realignment issues. I have one level spot where I don't need the levelers and I've accidently kicked the tires a few times while observing. The scopebuggy w/G-11 doesn't move.
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SteveC
TEC 140
Intes Micro 715 deluxe
TEC 110 (on order)
SolarMax 40
Losmandy G-11 w/Gemini, DM-6 w/Sky Commander on SV wood tripod, Vixen Skypod
TEC EP Turret, TMB Supermonos, ZAO II, Naglers, 32mm Konig, 24mm Panoptics, 14mm Meade UWA
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NHRob
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/27/04
Posts: 3159
Loc: New Hampshire
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sounds like the scopebuggy is perfect for me. Now .... buy or make?
It will prob. be faster if I save up a few months and just buy one.
Many thanks all.
Rob
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Rob
**********************
Canon 12x36 IS binos
TEC-140: #433 on CGEM
Faworski orthos (7,10,16.7mm)
stuff ...
no free time ... lots of clouds !
" Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans" !!
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tim53
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/17/04
Posts: 1459
Loc: Highland Park, CA
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I need to look at the thread on the scopebuggy, but I make my own. The biggest cost is in the wheels. The rest is screws and old 2x4's.
I prefer all 3 wheels pivot. My scopes are stored in my basement shop, which has only a 27" wide doorway, so I need the space between tripod legs to worm my way around the doorjamb.
I have my 8" f/6 Springfield on one of these, an EM-10 on another (that holds either a C-8 or a 6" f/10 Newt, though the 6" has to be moved separate from the mount), and a Super Polaris on a Quickset Hercules tripod (pictured here).
This dolly was made with some 1x4's I had laying around. Subsequent dollies I use 2x4's arranged in a "T", like the first link above.
But I prefer all three wheels pivot for maneuverability. I also prefer to move them by pushing on the legs about midway up and/or putting my foot on the dolly to help the scope over bumps and cracks in our brick patio between my shop and my observing site on the grass. That way I have a firm grip on it if it ever wants to get tippy (or is that tipsy?)
All my dollies have different wheels, depending on what I had laying around at the time. The one pictured here has small wheels, but it does okay. The one that works best has 4" narrow wheels from Harbor Freight. These go right across the lawn and bricks without a care. I would think 6" wheels would do fine on most surfaces, possibly even gravel.
I don't like the way the scope buggy is used. I would be very nervous with me at the end of that long handle and the scope at the other, on the dolly. Back before affordable laptops for field use, I used to move my desktop computer around on an old dresser that I put wheels under, and a handle on the end. Once, a wheel caught in a rut when I was moving it around to the other side of the house (for morning planets) and it was like watching a train wreck in slow motion as the computer gently toppled off the back of the dresser on the side away from me. It still worked after that, but that cracked and skewed case always looked rather sad to me.
-Tim.
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"We`re just waiting looking skyward as the days come down.
Someone promised there`d be answers, if we stayed around."
-Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, "The Romance of the Telescope"
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tim53
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/17/04
Posts: 1459
Loc: Highland Park, CA
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I've never had a problem with observing or even imaging with the scope's weight entirely on the wheels. None of my dollies have screws or any other means of lifting them off the wheels.
When observing from my driveway (the east side of the house), I simply put 2 of the wheels in a seam between concrete slabs and I'm good to go. If I set up in the same place, and roll into the crack from the same direction, I'm automatically polar aligned. But most of my mounts have good polar alignment scopes anyway, so getting aligned only takes a couple minutes each time.
-Tim.
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"We`re just waiting looking skyward as the days come down.
Someone promised there`d be answers, if we stayed around."
-Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, "The Romance of the Telescope"
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Rcade
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 09/04/04
Posts: 758
Loc: GA
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Neat practical buggyTim53!!! How is the tripod secured to the buggy? Just gravity or something mechanical?
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Clear Skies,
Rob Cade
Cave Astrola Deluxe 8" f8 (Achilles)
Stellarvue NH-II in Stardust Blue (Cleopatra)
Celestron C9.25 (Maltese Falcon)
Celestron C6R-GT (Criminal Intent)
Oberwerk 15x70
Vixen Polaris Mount
Clear Sky Chart == Macon, GA
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tim53
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/17/04
Posts: 1459
Loc: Highland Park, CA
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The feetpads of the Hercules tripod have a single hole through them for mounting them onto... something!
So, I just ran a wood screw through each.
On my other ones, the tripod tips fit into holes in the 2x4, and the Springfield is sitting on a "tray" (first one I built has a floor for putting the drive corrector and stuff on. Gravity is hold those scopes down. When I push them around, I have a firm grip on the tripod, so they haven't fallen off (yet).
-Tim.
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"We`re just waiting looking skyward as the days come down.
Someone promised there`d be answers, if we stayed around."
-Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, "The Romance of the Telescope"
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tim53
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/17/04
Posts: 1459
Loc: Highland Park, CA
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Just remembered. I have this old pic of the Springfield on it's dolly. I think this only had one steerable wheel, because all I had to do was roll it about 10 feet outside the garage. I changed it to all three steerable wheels when we moved to our current house.
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"We`re just waiting looking skyward as the days come down.
Someone promised there`d be answers, if we stayed around."
-Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, "The Romance of the Telescope"
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Rcade
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 09/04/04
Posts: 758
Loc: GA
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Very cool and best of all simple. I tried a similar but not as well thought out approach but my set up seemed tppsy, and no I had not been drinking so it was not me that was tippsy .... LOL
Thanks for posting the pics.
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Clear Skies,
Rob Cade
Cave Astrola Deluxe 8" f8 (Achilles)
Stellarvue NH-II in Stardust Blue (Cleopatra)
Celestron C9.25 (Maltese Falcon)
Celestron C6R-GT (Criminal Intent)
Oberwerk 15x70
Vixen Polaris Mount
Clear Sky Chart == Macon, GA
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helpwanted
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/04/07
Posts: 2659
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
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working on wheelie bars for my scope this weekend... will post pics when done
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luismartinez
member
Reged: 09/17/08
Posts: 10
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Just got a Scope Buggy, after pondering the price for quite a while. In a nutshell, I love it. At 56 I am getting quite sore hauling everything ( 8"SCT, wedge and tripod) out then back every night. The buggy is rock solid and I would recommend it for anyone who's getting on in years and back problems plague you. If I had the time and the skills I'd built one, it is really a pretty simple device. Now I don't hesitate to roll the scope out from under my back porch anytime the mood strikes.
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Luis Martinez, Casa Grande, AZ
CPC800 w/ Mitty Wedge
Hyperstar
Watec 902H2
PC164EX
Orion StarShooter II
ADVC 55 Canopus video converter
KIWI OSD time inserter
ScopeBuggy
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