A good telescope for a "one armed man"

I have a second home in the Rockies and am looking for a telescope to use up there but my concern lies in the subject line. I have very limited use of my left arm and unfortunately I will have to assemble/dissamble the tripod and OTA each viewing cycle for storage. I am looking to spend $1500 to $2500 and am seeking opinions. Having a home with such clear skies is perfect, but I'm interested in viewing and photographing deep sky objects so a smaller scope such as the ETX 90 or 125 just doesn't seem to work. I was thinking about a Nexstar GPS 8" but didn't know if others had some different suggestions. I stink at polar alignment so the GOTO capabilities interest me along with brain dead alignment!

Thanks,

"Lefty" !

The Nexstar 8i SE SA ( Special Additon) would be a good one. The one armed fork is very lightweight (24 lb), the tripod is solid enough for the scope and the Go-To works well.
You can get a plate for the top of the tripod that will make alignment of the scope to the bolt holes much easier when hanging the scope too.
Cost $1399.00.
I did not find it listed at Anacortes however, so i will list another place to look at the scope for specs.
http://www.opticsplanet.net/celestron-nexstar-8i-special-edition-telescope.html

One option might be an 8 inch DOB on an EQ platform. It should be a reasonably easy setup with just one arm.

jon

Steve, I will offer my experience for what it’s worth.

I am 63 years old, and have had what I call “very limited use” of my right arm and hand all my life, a result of what I think is called “brachioplexus palsy” (I was a breech birth, and my nerves were damaged in delivery). I can’t grasp with my right hand, and my right arm and right upper body are substantially underdeveloped. That being said, I am relatively strong and physically active for an “old guy,” and do substantially everything for myself.

The scope I use most is a 10-inch f/5.6 Discovery solid tube dob, but I also have and use an LX90. Floyd is right about the “plate” for the tripod top. I have a ScopeSaver, and that makes mounting the OTA, which I think weighs about 33 pounds, relatively simple. I lift it onto the tripod (and ScopeSaver) by circling my arms around it and grasping my right hand with my left hand. I admit that I was very nervous about the procedure when I first got the LX90, and would have my wife stand on the opposite side of the tripod to steady the OTA as I set it on the ScopeSaver. But I do it by myself now all the time, and it’s no big deal.

I think that the only issue for you, assuming your limitations are not substantially different than mine, will be the weight of the OTA.

Thank you all for the input. Dave, I was able to test attaching the scope per your technique and it worked wonderfully. The deep grip of the Celestron fork allowed a secure feel while I used the bad arm to wrap around the scope. I also heeded Floyd's advice and bought a landing pad which also assisted and makes it very easy to place and lock. As soon as the clouds are gone I will begin using my new Nexstar 8" GPS. Anything bigger would not be feasible for me so I guess the next scope needs to be a 16" on a pier covered with a dome - will let you all know when I build it! Thanks again! Steve