Schlatter Family Site

The XT-8 Scope Cart:
Loaded and Ready to Roll

I live in an apartment.  The apartment complex has garages and storage units for rent.  Each garage unit has a 4 x 12 foot storage closet and the storage units are 8 x 12.  We rent both a garage and a storage unit.  The XT-8 lives in the storage unit along with its cart, eyepieces, and Denver Observing Chair. 

The apartment complex adjoins a 5-acre empty field that is surrounded by trees and brush and covered with grass and weeds.  Management mows a wide path into and around the field where those of us who live in the apartments can go to watch birds, and the like.

The field makes a good observing spot -- it's shielded from the security lights by the trees.  But, it's a good 200 yards from the storage unit to the observing spot.   At first, I made 3-4 trips between storage and observing spot -- hauling the XT-8, observing chair, eyepieces, and the like -- all at night.  For Father's Day 2003, my wife found a BIG cart with pneumatic tires.  And here it is:  the scope cart loaded up and ready to roll.

From the left:  (1) the XT-8 scope standing straight up; (2) big eyepiece case; (3) small eyepiece case; and, (4) Denver Observing chair.   The cart has a big pull handle on the left side of this photo -- you can barely make it out leaning against the door on the left edge of the photo.

Here's a look inside the cart.  XT-8 is on the left, too dark to see.  The shiny object at the left bottom is the headlight of a red LED light with an elastic band that fits around my head -- put it on, turn it on, and enjoy hands-free red light while observing.  Next is the big eyepice case, the small eyepiece case, and the adjustable chair.

Now, all I do is pull the cart out of the storage closet, into the parking lot, down the path, and there we are -- ready to observe.