Building a taller dob base

Hi. Hopefully someone will see this amongst the spam

I have a Discovery 10" DHQ. Nice scope and all, however, the problem
is that I am 6'4". At full height the scope EP comes about mid-chest.
It can get semi-painful trying to get into a comfortable observing
position, and then get up to get something and get back into the
Denver chair.

What I wanted to do was raise the height of the eyepeice so that
pointing straight up would be right around eye level, and that way I
would be closer to a standing position for most observing.

One method I had looked at was to build a taller base, probably a
collapsable design, but my main concern was stability. My worry is
that it would then be too topheavy and a good wind or accident ould
send it toppling.

The other option would be to take the current mount (or a rebuilt,
albiet not as pier like one) and place it ontop of a support, sort of
like http://home.comcast.net/~astrohammer/buildbase.htm

My main concern about that is stability, though I guess a little over
engineering would take care of that.

Comments, opinions, ideas?

thanks,
-Dan

On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:26:22 -0400, Dan
wrote:

The other option would be to take the current mount (or a rebuilt,
albiet not as pier like one) and place it ontop of a support, sort of
like http://home.comcast.net/~astrohammer/buildbase.htm

I like that choice. It's more modular, easier to transport, and leaves
the option of using the scope without the extension if you have children
viewing. It should be at least as stable as a taller base, maybe more so
if you allow for a bit wider base.
_________________________________________________

Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com

On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:02:33 -0600, Chris L Peterson
wrote:

On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:26:22 -0400, Dan
wrote:

The other option would be to take the current mount (or a rebuilt,
albiet not as pier like one) and place it ontop of a support, sort of
like http://home.comcast.net/~astrohammer/buildbase.htm

I like that choice. It's more modular, easier to transport, and leaves
the option of using the scope without the extension if you have children
viewing. It should be at least as stable as a taller base, maybe more so
if you allow for a bit wider base.

You know...the "children viewing" just cinched it. My daughters and
their girl scout troop are regular "customers" so that is a real good
reason to make it a two parter. Thanks for pointing out the obvious


-Dan

Dan wrote:

On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:02:33 -0600, Chris L Peterson
wrote:

On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:26:22 -0400, Dan
wrote:

The other option would be to take the current mount (or a rebuilt,
albiet not as pier like one) and place it ontop of a support, sort of
like http://home.comcast.net/~astrohammer/buildbase.htm

I like that choice. It's more modular, easier to transport, and leaves
the option of using the scope without the extension if you have children
viewing. It should be at least as stable as a taller base, maybe more so
if you allow for a bit wider base.

You know...the "children viewing" just cinched it. My daughters and
their girl scout troop are regular "customers" so that is a real good
reason to make it a two parter. Thanks for pointing out the obvious


-Dan

http://bi-staff.beckman.uiuc.edu/~me...12in_cass.html

This web article on Mike Lockwood's "Dob"-mounted Cassegrain
scope includes images showing a nice folding wooden base that
he built to raise the instrument to a convenient viewing height.

-dave w

Look at the height problem from a completely different angle and you
end up with an adjustable height chair.

I use one with my refractors and find I can see far more detail when
perched than when standing up or crouching.

Have a look at Yahoo Groups: Telescope Observing Chairs. It's a small
group with relatively low activity but full of good ideas.

Their gallery will save you reinventing the wheel. (or the observing
chair).

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/telesc...guid=100228709

On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:35:52 -0700 (PDT), "Chris.B"
wrote:

Look at the height problem from a completely different angle and you
end up with an adjustable height chair.

I actually have made one. However, even with the chair, it is usually
pretty low down while doing normal observing, and being tall it is a
pain to get in and out.

I wanted to be able to use my chair one some of the higher settings

Chris L Peterson wrote:

On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:26:22 -0400, Dan
wrote:

The other option would be to take the current mount (or a rebuilt,
albiet not as pier like one) and place it ontop of a support, sort of
like http://home.comcast.net/~astrohammer/buildbase.htm

I like that choice. It's more modular, easier to transport, and leaves
the option of using the scope without the extension if you have children
viewing.

I agree. It doesn't have to be fancy, either. The one I built is just
a cube made of 2x4s.

It should be at least as stable as a taller base, maybe more so
if you allow for a bit wider base.

My cube is slightly smaller than the base--anything larger would force
me to stand farther away from the OTA--but it's quite stable on solid,
level ground.

- Ernie http://home.comcast.net/~erniew