24 replies to this topic

[RazorbackWatcher]

I need to get the dob in the air some, like maybe 24” - 36” or so. I have to kneel on the ground to take a look.
Any advice on how?
Just build a box with wide base?

TIA,
Mike

[Jeff L]

Build your own

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[Jon Isaacs]

I need to get the dob in the air some, like maybe 24” - 36” or so. I have to kneel on the ground to take a look.
Any advice on how?
Just build a box with wide base?

TIA,
Mike

 

What kind of observing chair are you using?

 

With an adjustable chair, you can always be at the right height, comfortable and steady.

 

 

Jon

[Rustler46]

I need to get the dob in the air some, like maybe 24” - 36” or so. I have to kneel on the ground to take a look.
Any advice on how?
Just build a box with wide base?

TIA,
Mike

I made a plywood "tripod" for my 10-inch Dob.

 

[ShaulaB]

As you have seen with the previous posts, three legs is the way to go. Just a box will not be stable enough.

 

In the meantime, can you rotate your optical tube around so that the eyepiece sticks straight up?

[Jon Isaacs]

As you have seen with the previous posts, three legs is the way to go. Just a box will not be stable enough.

 

In the meantime, can you rotate your optical tube around so that the eyepiece sticks straight up?

 

Raising the scope only moves the problem up. With an adjustable chair and an angled focuser, the eyepiece can be at the exact right height from the horizon to the zenith because you are adjusting your position.. no need to raise the telescope..

 

Jon

[izar187]

My preference is to do all three at my newts.

   Raise the scope to be able to stand look comfortably into the focuser and observe for some targets. 

   Rotate the focuser angle to best position compromise from horizon to zenith for me.

   Plus sit at the focuser for any target, so adjustment in seat height.

[RazorbackWatcher]

What kind of observing chair are you using?
With an adjustable chair, you can always be at the right height, comfortable and steady.
Jon

@Jon Isaacs a Chair is already on my wish list. 
 

I made a plywood "tripod" for my 10-inch Dob.
10-inch Dob.jpg

@Rustler46 I've seen pictures of your base several times. I'm impressed. Not sure I have the skillset to put together something as elegant as that, but it does give me an idea or two.

[Rustler46]

Raising the scope only moves the problem up. With an adjustable chair and an angled focuser, the eyepiece can be at the exact right height from the horizon to the zenith because you are adjusting your position.. no need to raise the telescope..

 

Jon

Good point, Jon. Are you referring to a Dob with rotating secondary/eyepiece assembly? I wish my Dob had that feature. Without it the eyepiece is often at an uncomfortable angle. Years ago our school had some wonderful Cave Optics (Astrola) 8-inch Newtonians with rotating tubes. These were a joy to use. I wish they would make something like that on a Dob mount with DSCs.

 

I appreciate with a refractor or SCT on GEM the eyepiece position and angle can be adjusted for best comfort. I still need an adjustable height observing chair. Now I either stand or use a stool to sit on. Observing comfort is a big plus, that makes for extended periods of really observing without painful contortions. This is especially so with the added "aches & pains" of old age.  

 

Best Regards,

Russ

[Jon Isaacs]

Good point, Jon. Are you referring to a Dob with rotating secondary/eyepiece assembly? I wish my Dob had that feature. Without it the eyepiece is often at an uncomfortable angle. Years ago our school had some wonderful Cave Optics (Astrola) 8-inch Newtonians with rotating tubes. These were a joy to use. I wish they would make something like that on a Dob mount with DSCs.

 

I appreciate with a refractor or SCT on GEM the eyepiece position and angle can be adjusted for best comfort. I still need an adjustable height observing chair. Now I either stand or use a stool to sit on. Observing comfort is a big plus, that makes for extended periods of really observing without painful contortions. This is especially so with the added "aches & pains" of old age.  

 

Best Regards,

Russ

 

I am just referring to a Dob with a focuser that is at about 30-45 degree to the horizontal. My 10 inch Dob is identical to yours. I am 6 foot tall, I have a Starbound chair and I am able to position myself comfortably at all angles.  I have had my chair for about 20 years.

 

What chair are you using?  It seems maybe you don't have an adjustable observing chair.  

 

I actually have two Starbound chairs, one in San Diego, one in the high desert. It's the only astronomy accessory I use every time, it's something I use will all my scopes, even the 22 inch.  It's quick and easy to adjust, I adjust just be comfortable looking through the finder.  

 

I would part ways with the 21mm Ethos and 31mm Nagler before I would give up my Starbound chair.  

 

Jon

[MawkHawk]

I got myself one of these. I actually had to cut off a few inches. I'm short. But, yes, it's a back saver.

 

https://www.telescop...uts?keyword=pod

[MitchAlsup]

When faced with a similar problem I changed::

 

[MitchAlsup]

into:: 

 

 

{Note something about stupid file size limits..........}

Edited by MitchAlsup, 16 January 2021 - 09:29 PM.

[Jon Isaacs]

into:: 

 

13newbase02.JPG

 

{Note something about stupid file size limits..........}

 

Your scope has a 39 inch focal length with a large aperture which makes it even shorter. The scopes in question have 50 inch focal lengths.

 

 

This is a scope with a 30 inch focal length.  It needs to be raised so it can be used comfortably with a chair.

 

 

If you want to observe in comfort, sitting down is the way to go.  If the eyepiece changes height, (which they all do), then a chair which can be adjusted easily and quickly lets you observe with the optimal eyepiece position at all times because you are adjusting to it.  It's just common sense.  

 

When you simply raise the scope, the range of motion is unchanged, it's just higher.  You will still be bending over, stooping down... 

 

Jon

 

[Rustler46]

I am just referring to a Dob with a focuser that is at about 30-45 degree to the horizontal. My 10 inch Dob is identical to yours. I am 6 foot tall, I have a Starbound chair and I am able to position myself comfortably at all angles.  I have had my chair for about 20 years.

 

What chair are you using?  It seems maybe you don't have an adjustable observing chair.  

At the 10-inch Dob I am either standing, seated at a lawn chair or a tall stool. I don't use the plywood "tripod" any more. The telescope is too heavy for me to lift up there. But when I did use it, standing was most comfortable. With what I have, the stool is best. I can place it what ever distance from the eyepiece allows for comfortable viewing. If the eyepiece is very low, sometimes the lawn chair is OK. At higher elevations I can stand or sit on the stool. 

 

Even at the GEM-mounted SCT or refractor, standing or the stool works best. No doubt the Starbound chair would be even better.  

 

Russ 

[Jon Isaacs]

Russ:

 

Like I said, I use the Starbound chair every night, it's the only piece of astronomy gear/junk that I use each and every time I observe.  There are a number of other chairs and one can build a chair like the Denver chair for less than $50.. If you are going to build something, build an adjustable chair. 

 

http://davetrott.com...bserving-chair/

 

The reason I make such an effort to promote the use of a dedicated observing chair is because many are not aware of them and how effective they are with any scope but in particular with a Dob.  With a chair and a 10 inch F/5, you can observe in comfort while seated no matter what part of the sky you are looking at.  

 

And being seated, steadies your upper body so it's easier to observe at higher magnifications.  

 

Jon

[RazorbackWatcher]

Had a really good 'seeing' night last night. Stars were bright and clear with no sky junk. The temp was cold as crap. Moon was low in horizon in early phase. I feel like the scope was working well for us. AAANNNNDDDDD there I was looking at moon with the eye piece 24" off the ground. Do they make a chair that low?????  

 

Is a 24" lift out of the question?

 

I feel like I'm doing something wrong here.

I know, I know, "get the chair!!!"......I will, eventually

[stargazer193857]

An advantage to raising the scope is you get it out of the ground thermals. Old eq scopes have that advantage over dobs.

[MitchAlsup]

An advantage to raising the scope is you get it out of the ground thermals. Old eq scopes have that advantage over dobs.

There is also the advantage that the ground layer is considerably more humid than the layers above hip level.

[stargazer193857]

There is also the advantage that the ground layer is considerably more humid than the layers above hip level.

I wonder if it is worth making 2 platforms: one for an 8" dob, and one for a chair to be placed on, to get the best planetary views.

[MitchAlsup]

I wonder if it is worth making 2 platforms: one for an 8" dob, and one for a chair to be placed on, to get the best planetary views.

This is going to depend on where (topologically) your observing site happens to be.

 

A long time ago, our astro-group would drie up the hill to the Prudonald (the small dome on top of the hill behind the socker field at the Prude Ranch Ft Davis Texas. At the top of the hill we (essentially) never had problem with a soupy atmosphere.

 

Then (as we got old, and unwilling to expend "that much" effort) we are now observing behind the newer buildings at Prude Ranch (rooms 6-7-and 8) and we see a lot of soupy skies. 

 

I blame both the telescope height off the ground and (AND) the lack of vertical height to the ground.

[Don H]

I need to get the dob in the air some, like maybe 24” - 36” or so. I have to kneel on the ground to take a look.
Any advice on how?
Just build a box with wide base?

TIA,
Mike

I made a "ground table" originally to replace a shaky plant stand for my 4.5" AstroBlast. It worked well, but soon after I got rings and put it up on a Versago II mount. The eyepiece height on that set up only changes by 5.5" between the zenith and the horizon. It is quite comfortable to use standing, especially at objects near the zenith. The eyepiece and rdf location eliminate neck contortions. I could shorten the tripod legs to view seated, but I like to move around and not mess with a chair most nights. The majority of my viewing with that scope is relatively low power and wide field anyway.

 

The ground table ended up serving me nicely under my 8" f/5.7 travel Dob. Maybe it would work for your 10". It makes seated observing less of a bend over ordeal and I can use the patio chairs already outside. It is also not bad for standing as long as an object is not too low, in which case I just walk over and grab a chair. To make the ground table, I just purchased an 18" pre-cut disk at Home Depot and three 6" legs. I drilled 3 holes just a bit smaller than the leg screws and screwed them in freehand with a good amount of glue. A little bit of sanding and I used some finish I had on hand. The total height is 7", and while it does not sound like much, it made quite a difference. One added benefit is that when I go to pick up the 8" now, I can look underneath it and be sure no scorpions or other critters crawled down under there when I wasn't looking. B^)

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[Mitchell M.]

I've got this leveled off area that I do most of my viewing from with a small concrete pad to set my dob on. Thought about arranging 4 12" masonry blocks raising the dob either 12 or 16 inches and seeing how I like it.

The pad also has scribbed on it TrueNorth for equatorial set ups.

[stargazer193857]

A dob pod is good for seeing over nearby fences.

[Burgher]

I have 2 Starbound chairs that I purchased from OPT when I lived in San Diego a while back. One of the best investments I ever made. They are easy to use with my 10" dob., especially for an old timer like myself, who needs all the comfort I can get.