Telescope 8" 200p Sky-Watcher Dobson on Wheels ... with Soap
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- Опубликовано: 21 сен 2024
- Since I have been storing my Sky-Watcher 8" Dobsonian telescope in our cellar and have about 50 meters of flat surface to cover to reach my observation spot, I have looked into adding some kind of mobility to it.
For an 8" , adding some furniture wheels at the base seemed like the most sensible thing to do. I had a look on this forum, had a look on some videos on RUclips and honestly, I was not entirely sold on the idea. The main problem being, while the wheels add really nice mobility, that same mobility can be an issue when the scope needs to be fixed for observing. Some people have addressed this by adding wooden blocks under the scope (not an elegant solution and means more weight to lug around) .. or simply not addressing the issue at all.
I gave it some more thought and I think I have managed to find a really nice solution, which I feel can benefit others thinking of the same idea:
a) Add 2 fixed wheels and only 1 rotating one with a brake allowing to change directions
b) Use a cell phone mount to easily fix the rotation of the rotating wheel.
Works surprisingly well!
Check it out here as I documented my thinking and process. I also did a test whether lubricating with soap helps.
Great video. It occurred to me that you still have the three original feet. If those feet were to rest on pieces of wood, stone or those anti-vibration pads for a washing machine, then the castors wouldn't be touching the ground and you needn't worry about the base of the Dob. moving. I'm pretty certain, I would never have thought of this if I hadn't watched your video.
Yeah you could do that.. But it is not a big deal at all. For my new 12" GSO.. I went with the wheels as I assembled the base out of the box.I didn't even screw the feet. It has a lazy susan, much easier to move and the wheels are not an issue at all. To be more exact the only issue can be the rotating wheel.. and with the 12" and the lazy susan it is firm in place after locking it.. even when put on an EQ platform.
May be have all wheels with brakes rather than one!!
I couldn't find fixed wheels with a brake on it. The ones that come with a break are usually 360 degree rotating. But yes, ideally you would want breaks on all the wheels... even though I have observed now 10 times with it and it is very stable.