Travel telescope

[paulbacca]

Hi All,

I'm going on holiday to Tenerife and thought I would take advantage the the dark skies by taking a small telescope with me. Any advice regarding what would be an good telescope for travelling that I could take with my hand luggage. I don't want binoculars as I hope to take some photos.

I do have the option of an additional 15kg case if needed but would prefer something under 5kg.

Thanks

Paul

[jabeoo1]

Hi All,

 I don't want binoculars as I hope to take some photos.

I do have the option of an additional 15kg case if needed but would prefer something under 5kg.

Thanks

Paul

Maybe a Vixen polarie, tripod, camera and binoculars ?

[DirkSteele]

What budget do you have in mind?

[paulbacca]

I don't mind spending £100 or so.

[bingevader]

Heritage 100p or 130p?

[AndyWB]

I think a 130p is too big for hand luggage. 

Edit: And probably not good for photography.

[happy-kat]

Is the £100 to include the mount as well?

[bingevader]

Oops, sorry, missed the photograph bit. But I think that a travel 'scope at around £100, under 5kg and also for photography might be a tall ask. 

[Fozzie]

I put a little travel kit together for Corfu earlier in the year... Worked a treat for carry on luggage and a suitcase... Link for the report below..

Essentially a achro 80mm and camera tripod... I got it second for under £100

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/218736-planets-globs-sun-and-moon

Good hunting, and a nice holiday to you!

[happy-kat]

Mine is also one of those Orion ST80 that I use too but I don't need to travel with the tripod that is left at destination.

If you are going to stick a camera on the end then it probably will need a counter weight added to the tripod unless you hold the OTA and camera steady by hand balanced on the tripod. I have made my own adjustable counter weight to add to my AZ3 tripod and the counter weight alone weighs about 1.2 kilo.

[Schorhr]

Moon imaging works with the 130p... Planets too, but  it's a bit tedious... DS only with short integration VA or mounted...

Perhaps  http://www.umich.edu/~lowbrows/reflections/2010/yinugi.4.html ? ;-)

Camera + lens + barndoor comes to mind. Or Star adventurer :-)

[Coastliner]

Schorhr - a barn door from a kitchen timer, brilliant!

[Schorhr]

Yeah, it's been on my to-do list (and there is an Australian and german site about kitchen timer barndoors as well). :-)

It allways amazes me how ingenious and resourcefull some people are.

[dick_dangerous]

I've just bought a new camera bag and it is big enough to house my Startravel ST80 for when I go to Northern Spain this year. I've then got a small tripod which will go in the check-in baggage. My ST80 is great for those wide-field views and under dark skies it's amazing just how much it'll pick up.

DD

[happy-kat]

I too have had that kitchen timer site bookmarked for a few years it looked such a great project. Maybe that might be my mark II if I ever build mark I lol.

The budget is £100 so that will only buy a new ST80 OTA not a tripod as well best chance is second hand.

right now FLO have a mercury 705 on an AZ3 for £89.00 in clearance. Though the 705 is longer and may not fit in hand luggage perhaps the dew shield comes off. I would want to budget for one better eyepiece for high power.

AZ3 only just fits in a suit case and then the head needs to be taken off the legs. I am very pleased with this tripod for my use which is with my ST80. The counter weight is so I can use my camera as well on the ST80. The views are better in the ST80 by a little bit but it is very slightly bigger apperature. CA is in both on bright objects.

What telescope doors the OP have currently?

[paulbacca]

Thanks for all your suggestions. It looks like Sky-Watcher and Orion have a number of viable options. I will let you know what I decide.

[happy-kat]

I take my comment back FLO our site sponsor has the ST80 on an EQ1 tripod for £123.

[paulbacca]

Okay. Although I like the look of the Orion OTA for £100 the mount is a bit pricey. So It looks like the Sky-watcher Startravel 80 is a possibility.

There are two options not to different in price. However I can't find the weight of either.

£123 with eq1 Aluminium tripod

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/startravel/skywatcher-startravel-80-eq1.html

£100 eq1 tabletop tripod
http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-sky-watcher-startravel-80-table-top-refractor-telescope/p10573

I know which I prefer but the tabletop one will be much better for travelling!

I've already got a couple of camera tripods but never used them for mounting and  OTA. Do I need an adaptor?

Thanks

Paul

[happy-kat]

The table top one has a 'Tripod Bush for Photo-Tripod Mounting' looking at the listing.

The one on the EQ1 standing tripod uses tube rings so you could send an email and ask what the mount options are as it might have a tipod thread on the tube ring dove tail bar, but I don't know.

And FO might be able to tell you the weight too.

The camera tripod would I guess rely on the OTA having the means to fit to the camera tripod thread (where the camera would otherwise go).

It is interesting how the two options are not the same, one has an RDF and the other a small finder scope.

The one on the tall tripod from my limited understanding has a star diagonal which means right way up images which is more natural for day time viewing of things (not the sun unless you have the correct sun filters).

[happy-kat]

I got that very wrong sorry.

I think and hope to be correced a 90 degree diagonal is the right way up and correct left to right image.

A star diagonal is right way up but wrong left to right image.

Eek can someone sort out please what these two mean as each scope comes with a different one.

[dick_dangerous]

I have the EQ1 and it's a terribly wobbly mount, but the equatorial mounting has its uses when tracking objects. With the counterweights etc. it is a lot heavier - a sturdy spotting scope tripod or camera tripod is sufficient for it though, so if you have one already you could just get the ota and save a few extra pennies. Not sure if the ST80 comes with a Dovetail - I just attach it with one tube ring to my video tripod, but I intend to invest in a dovetail soon.

DD

[Fozzie]

There's a couple of second hand 80mm anchors on eBay at the moment... I know not the best place but a necessary evil sometimes.. The link below shows the dove tail attachment..

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/301247950848

The camera tripod has a thread/screw that matches the thread on the underside of the tube.. Just screws straight on..

Well it does on mine anyway!

One thing I'd suggest is just use a red dot finder, don't take both because you can over load, and end up really having it tighten the camera tripod head to stop it slipping!

[Crebles]

I did the same research last sumer for a trip to deepest darkest southern Spain.

I ended up buying a SkyWatcher ST80, on the EQ1 mount, and a little battery clock drive. Perfect. Got some lovely images through it on my Canon 600D. 

Tripod and counterweight went in the big suitcase in the hold, and the scope packed down perfectly into Cabin-sized hand luggage.

I read that the table top mount isn't at all stable and you can't tilt scope to all positions safely and 'balanced-ly' (!)

Enjoy your hols.

[paulbacca]

I managed to get a secondhand Orion ST80 which will attach to my camera tripod. 

Thanks for all your advice!

[happy-kat]

Same as mine looks great in white.

Hope a dry run test when it arrives goes well.

I don't bother with the finder scope as the fov is great with a 25mm eyepeice