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AlienFirstClass
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/13/09
Posts: 736
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I have a Coulter 10" Dob that I would like to make a folding collapsible base for.
Has anyone done anything like this before?
If so, could you provide a link or pictures of the final product?
I have looked in the archives but have not found anything.
Thanks
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Jim Romanski
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 01/02/05
Posts: 842
Loc: Guilford, Connecticut
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There is a commercially available collapsible base from 1st Base:
http://astronomy-mall.com/FirstBase/
You can get some ideas from there.
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Jim
17.5" Dob "Project"
13.1" Coulter
8” Cave
NP 101 on a CG-5
25x100 binos
Naglers, Ethos, etc.
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Jim Romanski
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 01/02/05
Posts: 842
Loc: Guilford, Connecticut
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I've also made my own collapsible base but it doesn't fold up. It just comes apart for easier transport in the trunk of my car.
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Jim
17.5" Dob "Project"
13.1" Coulter
8” Cave
NP 101 on a CG-5
25x100 binos
Naglers, Ethos, etc.
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timo4352
super member
Reged: 04/16/07
Posts: 160
Loc: Northeast Ohio
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Check out these: http://astronomy-mall.com/FirstBase/
You could buy one - or copy thier idea.
Thanks for posting this - I'm building a base now and you've reminded me that collaspable would be a good idea.
I'm kinda rushing now so I can get to use the new scope, maybe I should slow down a bit and think about the portabilty of the base 
Thanks
Tim
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Orion 3.6CA Reflector
and 2 homebrew scopes --
8" Hubble Bubble ballscope
8" F/8 CHief - nearing completion 
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Luigi
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/03/07
Posts: 4933
Loc: MA
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Not only has it been done before, it's now commercially available on a mass-produced Dob. Look here. 
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17.5" f/5 Dob. IM-715 MCT. 120ED. Lunt 60mm Ha.
Zeiss, Leica, Fujinon, Nikon, Pentax, Bushnell bins
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jayscheuerle
Post Laureate
Reged: 01/16/06
Posts: 4065
Loc: S. Philadelphia, PA
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I don't think the Orion is foldable. It just comes apart. - j
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Fight indignorance!
The Green Goblin - 12" of dobsonian excellence!
The PortaBowl-a $100 4.5" f/8 ball-scope YOU can build!
Eero2-a 6" f/5 ball-scope you probably can't. 
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AlienFirstClass
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/13/09
Posts: 736
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Quote:
I have a Coulter 10" Dob that I would like to make a folding collapsible base for.
Has anyone done anything like this before?
If so, could you provide a link or pictures of the final product?
I have looked in the archives but have not found anything.
Thanks
I find it interesting that there is no review of the folding type of base design, commercial or homemade.
Is this approach that unpopular and if so why?
Complexity?
Cost?
Stability?
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Jim Romanski
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 01/02/05
Posts: 842
Loc: Guilford, Connecticut
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I've always thought that a folding or collapsible base is a nifty thing.
I wonder if the more recent trend not to use tall rocker boxes but rather shorter ridgid ones like the Kriege/Obsession type and shorter make it less worth the complexity. 
--------------------
Jim
17.5" Dob "Project"
13.1" Coulter
8” Cave
NP 101 on a CG-5
25x100 binos
Naglers, Ethos, etc.
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AlienFirstClass
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/13/09
Posts: 736
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Quote:
I've always thought that a folding or collapsible base is a nifty thing.
I wonder if the more recent trend not to use tall rocker boxes but rather shorter ridgid ones like the Kriege/Obsession type and shorter make it less worth the complexity.
That might be a good reason.
It does surprise me that I see NO discussions or reviews on a folding design.
The first time I saw a Dob I thought to myself.."Hmm...that stand could be folded."
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Sarkikos
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/18/07
Posts: 1042
Loc: Suburban Maryland
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AlienFirstClass,
I have a 1stBase collapsible Dob base that I had Mark Warner make for my 10" Newt OTA. It does come in handy when my family and I go to dark sites. When I use the scope at my house, I just take it outside fully set up. The base collapses down to only a few inches in height. I carry it in an airline bag. 1stBase also made wooden rings for the OTA to fit the base. I did have a problem initially with the OTA slipping down the rings, especially in dewy conditions, but I was able to fix that by using thicker felt. Since I bought the mount, I've added a removeable eyepiece holder, a binocular holder, and a "Vacuum Detent" to provide adjustable tension with an optional "hold/release" feature. Wooden mounts are easy and fun to mod!
Clear Skies,
Mike
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Celestron 10" f5 Newt on 1stBase (DSO)
Zhumell 8" f6 Newt, Bosma 6" f12 MCT (NSO)
6" f5 Newt, 130ST, 4.5" f4.4 Ball w/GLP, ST80 w/Crayford (RFTs)
C4-R (NSO/DS)
90mm f13 MCT (Luna/DS)
SkyMaster 25x100, 15x70
Zhumell 20x80
Barska XWA 10x50, 8x40
OptiView LPR 10x50
Const View 2.3x40
BV-125C
CG5, 2 drv / CG4, 2 drv, wood legs, ScopeStuff saddle / CG3, 1 drv
SV AZ / 501HDV on Bogen 055XB / P+ on Oberwerk
QuikFinder, Telrad
Orion Dynamo Pro 12, Dew-Not
Have GLP and not afraid to use it!
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AlienFirstClass
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/13/09
Posts: 736
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Quote:
AlienFirstClass,
I have a 1stBase collapsible Dob base that I had Mark Warner make for my 10" Newt OTA. It does come in handy when my family and I go to dark sites. When I use the scope at my house, I just take it outside fully set up. The base collapses down to only a few inches in height. I carry it in an airline bag. 1stBase also made wooden rings for the OTA to fit the base. I did have a problem initially with the OTA slipping down the rings, especially in dewy conditions, but I was able to fix that by using thicker felt. Since I bought the mount, I've added a removeable eyepiece holder, a binocular holder, and a "Vacuum Detent" to provide adjustable tension with an optional "hold/release" feature. Wooden mounts are easy and fun to mod!
Clear Skies,
Mike
Thanks for the review Mike.
As I said before, I have reviewed the archives and had not found any reviews of the 1st Base product.
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Gregory Rohde
Vendor (Superior Optical Supply)
Reged: 05/02/07
Posts: 53
Loc: Portland Oregon
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I maintain a telescope library for our local club in which we have a 13.1" scope with a folding base of this type. The only problem I have encountered with it is there is a natural tendency to pick it up when folded by the cut-outs on the side panels. If you do this however, the ground board will tear its hinge fasteners out before you realize your mistake. I had to replace the piano hinge on the front edge of the rocker box twice before I found a simple solution.
I do not have photos of this, but what I did to stop this from happening again was, to take two short pieces of 1/4-20 all tread, screw them into the t-nuts which are used to tie the side panel to the bottom of the rocker box, and coated the ends with black marker.
I then folded the rocker box down flat, transferring the black marks to the rocker side panel.
I then drilled two 5/16 holes through both side panels as they were folded together. Two 1/4-20 x 1-1/2" bolts with plastic knurled knobs were then used to hold the base tight to the side panels when transporting, preventing the bottom hinge from opening in a self destructive manner.
There have been no maintenance problems with this folding rocker in the last two years of library checkouts.
http://www.rosecityastronomers.org/scopelibrary/index.htm#17
Greg
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Sarkikos
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/18/07
Posts: 1042
Loc: Suburban Maryland
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Greg,
I'm not sure I follow every detail in your description of the problem with your base and the solution, but I've never had anything like that occur with my 1stBase mount. If it is fully assembled, I move it around by griping the top of the cut-outs on each side, using both my hands. If it is fully collapsed, I place it in the airline bag and move it around by a strap on the bag. If I need to move the collapsed mount a short distance outside the bag, I just hold it securely with a hand on each side of the base, the bottom-most piece of wood on the mount. No problem. It is pretty light, but a bit awkward to move. I've never had any of the hinges or other parts come loose.
Clear Skies,
Mike
--------------------
Celestron 10" f5 Newt on 1stBase (DSO)
Zhumell 8" f6 Newt, Bosma 6" f12 MCT (NSO)
6" f5 Newt, 130ST, 4.5" f4.4 Ball w/GLP, ST80 w/Crayford (RFTs)
C4-R (NSO/DS)
90mm f13 MCT (Luna/DS)
SkyMaster 25x100, 15x70
Zhumell 20x80
Barska XWA 10x50, 8x40
OptiView LPR 10x50
Const View 2.3x40
BV-125C
CG5, 2 drv / CG4, 2 drv, wood legs, ScopeStuff saddle / CG3, 1 drv
SV AZ / 501HDV on Bogen 055XB / P+ on Oberwerk
QuikFinder, Telrad
Orion Dynamo Pro 12, Dew-Not
Have GLP and not afraid to use it!
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