wrote in message roups.com...
I built a 20" DOB about 6 years ago as my first ever A) large project,
B) telescope project, C) wood working project. I suggest picking up
"The Dobsonian Telescope" Berry and Kriege and read it about a donzen
times.

I was lucky with my project, I was looking between a 20" and a 25" set
of optics, and the 20" optics set came into my hands first. After 6
years with this scope, I have come to the conclusion (for a varitey of
reasons) that a 20" scope is the largest scope a single person can
manipulate alone.

Budget about 10 times as many hours as your first plans call for.

Mitch

Thanks very much guys. This is definitely the way to go from what I'm
hearing.

Building my own observatory may take me 6 months or more.. but it'll
be worth it. I'd also like to mount my digital camera into the unit
and grab some photos eventually too.

Daniel J