Good idea Olroy, hope you don't mind that I included other non-automotive hobbys.

And Susan, I ain't no potted plant here. How could I turn a blind eye to two single? Barth loving stargazers..

Rusty, I am in NW PA. I go to starparties at Cherry Springs State Park in north central PA - a bit south of Coudersport. I have also been to Huntsville, Ontario to see Ken Hewitt-White (articles in Sky & Telescope) and Terence Dickinson (NightWatch). They were both very interesting to talk to.

I have one telescope - a 6" home-made dob. The fellow who is the head of the PA Stars-n-Parks made it a few years ago using a Mark Harry mirror (very high quality). I have gotten a few good quality eyepieces - Tele Vue and Pentax - for it. We changed the spider and secondary mirror in it last year and moved the primary mirror forward 1/2" as the focuser wouldn't always focus down. It amazes me what I can see even on a bad night. A fellow in my club has a 6" Meade Refractor (stands 7' tall on it's tripod) and he says the views in my telescope are almost as good as his at the same magnification. So I am very well pleased with it. It's easy to seatbelt it in the back seat to go somewhere to stargaze. My club has public night every month and I sometimes take it for others to look through.

I also have to pay a portion of the National Budget this year so I understand your disappointment on having to pass on those purchases. I would like to get a 10" or 12" Port-a-Ball made by Peter Smitka. There is at least a years waiting list for new ones and you don't find too many used ones for sale.

Well, to get this thread back on track, I spoke to Frank today and I may go see the 1988 Barth Regal 33' whenever I like. He said to call and let them know. I will see if I can make it later this week.

Susan

Hi olroy,

I don't have a generator but that doesn't stop me from drycamping. As a stargazer, I don't use lights at night. And if it gets cold, I have a sleeping rated to 20 below.

I do like my gas oven though and use it for pot roasts and baking bread, biscuits, muffins and cookies while drycamping. Stargazers have to eat too!!

So far that is my only disappointment in the Barths, I haven't seen any gas ovens. Do any Barths have propane gas ovens? I expect I could install one?

Dave - thanks for the hobbies area (PS - you, sir, are a rascal!)

"I haven't seen any gas ovens. Do any Barths have propane gas ovens? I expect I could install one?"

You can BUT: It will probably have to be installed under the counter(not overhead) which means giving up some -if not all- your kitchen drawer space; the overhead oven will be replaced by overhead cabinets which is not easy or cheap. If you haven't checked them out, current Microwave/convection ovens do all that a gas oven does -brown, etc- and will perhaps fit in place of the existing microwave. Any cook will agree that an 18-year old mwave won't be satisfactory but the new stuff is fantastic. Check out the GE state-of-the-art unit.
Not only does she Stargaze, she COOKS!

I don't know of any gas ovens available separately - and installing a stove with an oven, as Gunner mentioned, would require major cabinet surgery.

My Breakaway has a microwave/convection oven which cooks pretty fast, and they should be (almost) a drop in (or is it "drop-up") replacement. Stupidly, the exhaust fan doesn't "exhaust" it recirculates, and runs only on 120V . My SOB's exhausts to the outside and runs on 12V, so I can cook on gas and run the blower...without 120V.

I really like the Portaballs, but were I getting a ~14" Dob, I'd go for the StarStructures 14.5 (their smallest, although he may have a couple of exquisite 10"s for sale): http://www.starstructuretelescopes.com/new_web_site_sst_014.htm - all aluminum, sets up quicker than a Portaball...Stevens mirrors (he worked with Carl Zambuto for years).

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
installing a stove with an oven, as Gunner mentioned, would require major cabinet surgery.

Our Barth doesn't have an oven, either, but we have a new one waiting to go in. Every Barth is different, but it looks like a pretty simple drop-in operation for us. First gotta do a little door removing and cutting. So far, we have been limping along with our microwave/convection and a toaster oven. This is fine, but requires running the genset. So no late-night frozen Costco appetizers if folks are nearby.

Gensets a little under a gallon an hour, depending on model and load.

We have found our Microwave Convection so handy that we actually considered chucking the house oven and replacing it with a big Microwave Convection. Decided not to however.

You can do a pot roast or bread in the convection just as well and the cooking is much more even than a small rv oven I would think.

I had a van conversion once, with a 4 burner gas range with gas oven overhead. I don't know if they are still available, but it would be an easier conversion than a drop in unit in the typical Barth which already has an overhead micro/convection oven.

I think most Barths (as mine did) came with a 4 burner gas countertop, and an overhead micro/convection combo. My combo had been replaced with a clunky full-size micro, which I replaced with a smaller, more svelte micro. We make do with a toaster oven for any other baking needs.

My Barth Does have a gas oven. It is a wedgewood four burner/oven. It is mounted in the counter. Has a glass window in door also. It works fantastic. I have baked a 13lb turkey in it. There was not a whole lot of room left around it though. I will take a picture of it if anyone would be interested in seeing it.