Posts Made By: david marion

Twice in the last several days I've responded to an ad, in both cases checking the box asking that a copy of my response be sent to me, and in both cases getting the message that I could now rate the advertiser. But I've had no response from either advertiser (not necessarily significant) and in neither case have I received the requested copy of my response.

Is there something wrong with the system? Am I doing something wrong?

It must be something I did, since I used to be able to come to focus while using a barlow in my 10-inch dob. Now, however, there’s not enough in-focus travel.

I assumed that it must have resulted from my having drawn the primary mirror too far down in the tube (away from the secondary mirror) during collimation, so I tried to fix the problem by pushing it up (back toward the secondary) and recollimating. But that seems to have made it worse. I can come to focus on objects up to several hundred feet away, but not on anything significantly more distant. This applies to my eyepieces of all focal lengths.

I can’t believe the solution is to draw the primary back down in the tube, because there wasn’t much, if any, more room in that direction on the collimating bolts when I first tried to fix the problem.

Can anyone tell me what's going on?

Steve, I will offer my experience for what it’s worth.

I am 63 years old, and have had what I call “very limited use” of my right arm and hand all my life, a result of what I think is called “brachioplexus palsy” (I was a breech birth, and my nerves were damaged in delivery). I can’t grasp with my right hand, and my right arm and right upper body are substantially underdeveloped. That being said, I am relatively strong and physically active for an “old guy,” and do substantially everything for myself.

The scope I use most is a 10-inch f/5.6 Discovery solid tube dob, but I also have and use an LX90. Floyd is right about the “plate” for the tripod top. I have a ScopeSaver, and that makes mounting the OTA, which I think weighs about 33 pounds, relatively simple. I lift it onto the tripod (and ScopeSaver) by circling my arms around it and grasping my right hand with my left hand. I admit that I was very nervous about the procedure when I first got the LX90, and would have my wife stand on the opposite side of the tripod to steady the OTA as I set it on the ScopeSaver. But I do it by myself now all the time, and it’s no big deal.

I think that the only issue for you, assuming your limitations are not substantially different than mine, will be the weight of the OTA.