A rocker box up-grade for Alex in Waterloo, South Carolina.
This will replace a Meade 16" Lightbridge rocker.
Here the rocker box sides are taking shape.

Making sure everything fits properly!!

Pictures of Jeff's 16" Dobstuff Rocker-Box Upgrade.
Jeff lives in Amelia, Ohio.

Dennis:
here are some images for your blog/website. I remounted the Lightbridge on your custom rocker box today and it fits perfectly. Motion is also effortless. One of the images shows a 2+ pound 2" 40mm Explore Scientific EP and one pound StellarVue Finder scope being held in altitude without effort by the brake you installed (plus 4 lbs. of counterweights at the rear cell). . . .

Jeff.

Jeff placed his telescope onto the bottom plate of the Meade
particle-board rocker box for his "wheely". Easy to move!

Detail of the alt-az "break" and the eyepiece trays
Jeff added. Nice job.

John, from Pomona, California, picks up his 16" kit.

A "V-E-R-Y cool ride, wouldn't you say???

Jeff, in Amelia, Ohio, receives his 16" Lightbridge rocker-box
upgrade -- and a couple of neat Explore Scientific eyepieces
at the same time!!

Paul B., in Naperville, Illinois, with his Dobstuff 16" F4.5 and solar filter. He and his students at North Central
College enjoy the sunny afternoon observing.

A 14" strut with strings made from a kit by Bryan
in Phoenix, AZ. Nice assembly job.

An 8" mirror cell for Juan in Boston, MA.

Juan needed a replacement cell for an Orion XT8i OTA.

The 10" Ultra "kit" is virtually complete for Dave in San Clemente, California.
(This telescope was "partially built" -- so it's a bit more than a kit!!)

Detail of the "mirror and rocker box" -- the mirror cover is in place.

The focuser is a low profile all metal helical 2" with 1.25" adapter
 (I carry these in stock).  The spider, just visible, is a single-vane Destiny.
A focuser baffle can be mounted opposite the focuser for increased contrast.

Continuing construction of Dave's 10" Ultra Telescope
The mirror cell is complete. You can just see the 9-points of contact.
(the mirror cell was optimized with Plop)

The mirror cover now in place. It's held in position by with small bolts/wing-nuts
for easy removal -- but stays in place during transport.

The "Mirror Box" and "Rocker Box"
The telescope azimuth motion is very smooth, rotating
on a ball-bearing lazy susan.

A 10" Ultra Telescope "kit"  being built for David P. in San Clemente, California.

Detail of the Alt Bearing and assembly.

The Ultra Telescope breaks down into a very small format.

Aluminum mirror cell for Dave's 10" Ultra Telescope.
It has 9-points of contact .

A nearly completed Ultra 10" Telescope

A rocker box upgrade for Jeff in Amelia, Ohio
is complete and ready for packaging.

The all Baltic birch construction makes for a sturdy and attractive
rocker box upgrade for the Lightbridge telescope.

The addition of a "lock" designed to apply "stickton" to the telescope.
The purpose is to apply pressure when different size eyepiece weights are used.
A simple solution using a bolt, Teflon/washer disk and knob.

All packed up and ready to go.

Rocker Box Upgrade  for Lightbridge 16" being built
for Jeff in Amelia, Ohio.

I like to check the "fit" before final assembly of the rocker box.
(I just happen to have the remnants of a LB16 to help out!)

Ben P's 10" 6-point flotation mirror cell installed on the mirror board.
Ben lives in Mansfield, Maine.

Rear with large ventilation hole in mirror board.

Rocker Box sides and Alt Bearings for Ben's 10" Kit.

The Rocker Box coming together and assembled with clamps
to confirm the "fit". The ruler gives you an idea about size.

The beginnings of a 10" strut kit for Ben in Mansfield, Maine.
Here, the OTA rings are complete.

Complete and ready for pickup is a 16" kit for John G. in Pomona, California.
 The kit also includes a Destiny 3-vane curved-vane  spider and Moonlite focuser.
John lives about an hour away.

Here's a pic of John's 16" F4.5 Hubble sandwich mirror on the 6-point
flotation mirror cell. The 3.5" secondary on its holder is to the left.

Rocker Box for John G's 16" kit.

Me and my 6" refractor as a "prop" at the McCallum
Performing Arts Center in Palm Desert, California.

A "luncheon" with a "Stars" theme -- neat..

Coming along nicely is a 16" strut kit for John G., in Pomona, California. At this stage, I'm about 1/2 way through the construction of the kit.

John C., from Andover, Kansas, sent along a couple of pictures and some comments about his 16" Lightbridge rocker-box upgrade. Here's what John has to say"

Note the Moon overhead.

I had a break in both winds and the spring grass burns in the Flint Hills of Kansas last Saturday morning and got some really good viewing in between the hours of 2 and 5 AM. The evening before I shot several pics. Here are two of them.

The new box works very well and is so much easier to move around since it only weights 25 pounds and has smaller dimensions as well.  It is nice to be able to reach the eyepiece when the scope is at zenith since the Dobstuff box is nearly three inches lower.  The motions are smooth and quiet. The box is a joy to use!

At first I thought the holes in the sides were a bit odd, but now I really like them.  Not only do they make good handles but they let me easily reach inside the box to store lens covers, glasses and other small items when I am viewing without a table. I will need to find a way to add some extra friction for the heaviest of my eyepieces. I have an idea or two for that, but I think I can use something like the device on the original which is nice since it is adjustable. A small felt furniture glide and some creativity with something from a good hardware store should do the trick.

Thanks for your excellent and quick work.

John

John, from Pomona, California, came by today with his 16" F4.5 Hubble Optics primary mirror.

Affixing the 6-point flotation mirror cell to the primary and
holder to the secondary.

A 6" sub-aperture mask for Robert's 16" telescope.
It converts his F4.5 to a 6" F12 unobstructed telescope
for Lunar and Planetary observing.

A new addition to my telescope "collection" -- a nice
Celestron C8 from the 80's. It's a near "mint" as it can get
for its age. Nice!!

A 10" 6-point cell for Bobby in Deerfield, Florida.
Here the back-plate is made to fit his square mirror box.

The rear of the 10" mirror cell.

Robert, front Los Angeles, dropped by with his 16" F4.5 to
add a Sky Commander and make some minor adjustments.