Telescope Buggy for a Dobsonian

As described in one of my earlier reviews, I recently purchased an Orion 12 inch XT dobsonian telescope. It did not take long for me to realize that moving such a large scope across my backyard, even just 15 feet, could be a real undertaking. Flipping through my issues of Sky and Telescope, a couple of options jumped out. These scope buggies (one of them is even called the Scope Buggy) have similar features: large tires, adjustable width, and a way to pull it. Unfortunately, I was looking for something a little cheaper and, being taller than average, I also wanted something to lift the telescope up about a foot. The commercial versions all rested low to the ground, to improve stability and prevent rocking. Most of the commercial versions ran between $250 and $300, but I had less than $100 available.

Living in an old house, I spend a lot of time at home repair stores. Browsing through the Garden section, I found a solution. Lowe's had a 24" x 48" garden buggy with 10 inch tires for about $90. Measuring the distance between the 3 feet of the dobsonian, I realized that the Scope would just fit on the buggy. Plus, this would raise the telescope to a comfortable position for me.

Now that I have had a couple of chances to test this out in observing sessions a couple of points become obvious:

n because the telescope is raised up about a foot off the ground, I placed a couple of cinder blocks on the front axle to add a little weight and stability.

n The Scope itself is placed on the very back, and when you position the Scope for observing, you point the front in the direction you are least likely observe. This allows you to stand beside the eyepiece in about 280° range.

n Pay careful attention when you lay the guide bar down. Speaking from experience, this thing can be a deathtrap in the dark!

Overall, this has been an awesome accessory for observing. Parked in a shed, the Scope is already mostly cool down, and I just wheel it out and check collimation, and I'm observing. Obviously this solution is good for dobsonian owners, but not tripod users. Also, if you are short one of the commercial options would probably be better suited for you. But for me, I keep the garden buggy.