Rich,
My 6 ft. ladder is a 300 lb. load capacity fiberglass Werner. Itıs worked
very well for me with my past 20 in. Starmaster Dob supporting me and
public night guests safely. The eyepiece height of the 20² Starmaster was
85 in. This fiberglass Werner ladder feels as heavy as a wooden ladder but
has less flexure than wood.
Peter Natscher in Monterey
From: Rich N <rnapo@No-Spam>
Reply-To: The Astronomy Connection <sf-bay-tac@No-Spam>
Date: Sat, 8 Mar 2008 11:22:22 -0800
To: The Astronomy Connection <sf-bay-tac@No-Spam>
Subject: Re: [TAC] Astronomy Ladders?
Peter,
It would be good if you could make a seat that could be used on the
ladder. One that could be moved from rung to rung as needed.
I've been using a heavy duty 4 food wooden ladder for years. It's held
up well. It's a little heavy but the weight is an advantage on a windy
night. I don't have to worry about the ladder getting blown over when
I'm not on it. The problem is finding a heavy duty wood ladder.
Those fiberglass and aluminum ladders are nice. If you were going to add
extra rungs, maybe a piece of wood either on the outside or the inside of
the
fiberglass would help with a more solid attachment point for the rungs.
If you plan to share views other folks, you might select a ladder that can
handle someone pretty beefy. Not that any of us are "beefy".
Rich
-----------------------
Jim,
I think I will keep my 6 ft. ladder and add a rung between the fist and
second rungs for using with my future 24² Dob. The 24² f/3.7 Dob eyepiece
height will be 88 in. straight up and between 80 and 84 in. when angled 15
degrees from the zenith. My 6 ft. ladderıs rung centers are 12 in. apart
and I need one placed in between the lower two rungs to get my eye
comfortably at the 84 in. eyepiece height. I thinking of using a piece of
2x4 screwed in. That should support my weight. Do you have any thoughts?
I like using ladders it offers a good way of resting as you lean on them
and observe. I get tired of standing up to the eyepiece for hours while
observing.
Peter Natscher in Monterey
From: Jim Bartolini <nytgems@No-Spam>
Reply-To: The Astronomy Connection <sf-bay-tac@No-Spam>
Date: Sat, 8 Mar 2008 10:13:15 -0800
To: The Astronomy Connection <sf-bay-tac@No-Spam>
Subject: Re: [TAC] Astronomy Ladders?
Peter:
I use a 5' ladder with three wide/deep steps on it (more comfortable on the
feet than the narrow wooden type).
It also has a tray, into which I inserted an eyepiece and accessory rack.
Weight around 25lbs. Got it at Ace
Hardware for around $40 or so.
Jim ..... :-)
======================================
Jim Bartolini nytgems@No-Spam
======================================
----- Original Message -----
From: Peter Natscher
To: [TAC]
Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2008 2:58 PM
Subject: [TAC] Astronomy Ladders?
Hi TACıos,
Iım wondering if anyone has experience with and/or currently uses a
astronomy ladder in observing? This type of ladder has less space between
the rungs, around 8 inches spacing for a more comfortable observing
position. They are also designed similarly to orchard ladders by using a
single pole opposite the steps for placement on uneven terrain.
Peter Natscher
Monterey
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Received on Sat Mar 08 11:42:11 2008