New 20" Dob, I'm now officially obsessed !

Lucky git (this is a family friendly website). Serious aperture envy here. So does this mean you'll be moving away from imaging for the near future?

Nice scope. Sounds like you've discovered astronomy all over again.

Best of luck with it!

Dave P

Dave, that is just amazing.

Philip, we never doubted you and your endevours, this just brings it all back home again :!:

Moving away from astrophotography?, to be honest I never really got into it, I just dabble in it. Aperture is everything as far as I'm concerned as long as the optics are good.


Peter, all reasonable questions.

1, if you have a bad ladder, you're gonna end up in hospital, if you have a good ladder, you're laughing all the way
2, This scope is very easy to move, the moving surfaces are well done and very smooth and light. no force is needed for this.
3, Wind will catch this scope with the shroud on, and high gusts will catch it without one, as it would any scope you might have. I hope I would not be out in windy weather.

Using a F4 or F5 scope of this aperture has its trade offs, I personally don't mind the ladder, I knew what I was getting into when I got it. There are certain limitations in using a scope like this, you are not going to be able to store it under the stairs. :lol:

Tomorrow I'm going to clean the primary mirror and strap on a 7x50 finder, using a telrad or laser do an alright job but I'd prefer the powered finder. I even considered using the celestron F5 4" refractor as a finder, put I think this would require alot of counter weights on the bottom of the scope, not a problem for the scope, but a problem for me as it all adds to the weight of the system.
I have to say its nice not to have to think about, periodic error, tracking ability, motor load, power, image shift, backlash, polar alignment, temperature compensation, delicate balance, auto guiding and so on, they all had taken on an importance which was getting in the way of simply looking at the sky.

Tomorrow I'm going to clean the primary mirror

Paper towels and a bit of Mr. Muscle should be grand.

I've a few spare brillo pads and a yard brush if you're stuck Dave...