At 01:00 PM 4/29/98 -0400, you wrote:
>Greetings,
> Any advice on purchasing/building a comfortable observing chair or
>stool? I have seen a few models in Astronomy Magazine and in Sky &
>telescope. Anything alse you might be able to offer?

The style observing chair that features a seat which moves up and down a set
of metal rails (trade name, Star-Bound Viewing Chair) is so superior to the
other chairs that, in spite of the stiff price (and bulky nature), it is
easily the best, and perhaps the only choice. I have found it even
substitutes nicely for a short ladder when small children want to view. The
cheapest price around is Pocono Mtn Optics (you save a few bucks on the
chair, and a few bucks on shipping).

There are now two versions, black and white. The black one is darn near
invisible in the dark, not necessarily an advantage. White tends to stand
out, but gets and shows dirt. I have the black one, but would probably
recommend white. White may even have a slightly lower tendency to dew-up!
Even dew on the chair can be a bit of an advantage - it lets me know right
away that dew is going to be a problem. If it weren't for the damp seat, I
probably wouldn't notice the wet until the corrector plate (or Telrad) began
to dew up, and papers already getting damp. But, any dark, vinyl-covered
seat has that "advantage."

This chair is an observing accessory more important than another big EP.
Even us older gents can now be comfortable viewing at the zenith (with an
SCT), and can find the support necessary to bend at very awkward angles to
use finders... Taking advantage of the movements of the chair will allow
you to relax, always be at just the right height, and get a lot more out of
what your current equipment is delivering. It also lets you take the time
to look at objects in detail, and with the concentration necessary to use
averted vision. This accessory gives the SCT user the freedom that Newt
users have, viewing without being bent into a pretzel. It also tends to
keep your knees out of the wet grass!

This chair is exceptionally sturdy, surprisingly stable, trivial and quick
to adjust to any height, and clearly built to last. The porcelain powder
coat is a real protectant (unlike chromed Meade tripod legs, acorn nuts, and
the like!!!). If only it were half the price (and maybe half the weight -
but better sturdy than light). It is nice enough, and comfortable enough,
that my girls use it as a computer chair, as it allows them to make minor
adjustments to get the height just right. It folds nicely, but to make
(only relatively) compact package, one has to take the seat off. There are
large knobs to facilitate this, but I rarely do. It is heavy, but can be
carried in one hand, even with a load like a big battery in the other. If I
had to carry it 100's of yards, though, it would probably need to be my only
burden. I would guess it weighs 25+ lbs.

As a sideline, the rails slant enough that they do not make a really
satisfactory back. However, if one "sits up" with good posture, the rails
support the back of your rear. I weigh over 200 lbs, and I am sure the
chair would carry two of me with out a problem (well, I'd have a problem
with a 205 # guy in my lap, but that's not the chair's fault)!

I firmly feel that I would not be nearly as regular an observer without this
accessory, which makes viewing comfortable at nearly all possible positions.

================

Is that positive enough for you?! Its all just opinion, and I have zero
involvement with the maker. I can just recognize a clever idea when I see
one, and this one was better in reality than I would have expected! I note
that I have seen homemade versions in wood. Anyone handy with wood could
probably easily make a reasonable copy. Just be aware that the forces
exerted by the seat on the rails is pretty substantial. A home-made copy
would need to be made strongly.

The chair does have one serious fault - It seems to have absolutely no
positive effect on sky clarity. Even with one of these marvelous gadgets,
the sky stubbornly remains cloudy more often than not, and can cloud up just
as you are bring it out to get to work. Dang.

Regards All David
< < < < < < < < > > > > > > > > > > >
301/975-5755 (Voice) Nat'l Inst. of Standards & Technology
301/975-5334 (FAX !NEW#!) 223/A215 (Div 852, MSEL)

Web site: http://www.ceramics.nist.gov/staff/bonnell.htm
& Gallery: http://www.ceramics.nist.gov/gallery/gallery.htm
PLD Workshop: http://amp.nrl.navy.mil/code6670/workshop.html 5/12-13/1998
Opinions expressed by the author may not represent official NIST Policy

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