A smaller secondary mirror allows more light to be collected by the primary mirror. A removable tube support. The tube support is attached to the telescope tube, and supports it in the mount. This will allow me to do some astro-photography, and planetary observing off of my back porch. I would like the process of switching mounts to be as painless as possible.
Portability is important for escaping light polluted Albany.
I will build a 16 inch extension to cut out side-lighting when observing off the back porch. I'll be modifying and combining these for the final design in the next couple of weeks. By Steve Scampini, a description of his personal experiences building a dobsonian telescope. Astromart ATM Page . Pointers to other ATM info.