How to transport safely ... ????

[Christinea]

Hi,

We (my husband and I ...) have just looked online at carrying cases for our Celestron Nexstar 127 SLT and 6SE + tripods that we are hoping to pick up tomorrow. Yeahhh!!

WOW, what a price !!!

What do others do about transporting their equipment around?

Would padded soft bags be OK or would that be risking damage to the instruments?

It seems silly to have paid (what to us) is quite a lot of money for the scopes and then put them at risk, but the carrying cases are somewhat more than I imagined they were going to be.

All comments and advice welcome please.

Christine

[Gazabone]

I use a wheely trolley (the luggage type) for my 6se. I keep it in the trolley in its original cardboard box and foam insert. It wouldn't say it would survive a nuclear bomb but it is bound to survive any handling as rough as it could have got in between the process of leaving the factory to getting to the shop. I managed to find a trolley that the box fits in just nicely and I'm very confident of it withstanding as much rough treatment as I'm likely to give it!

[Christinea]

Thank you for that Gazabone. Do you mean one of those square, usually metal mesh framed shopping trolleys, and do you remember where you bought it please?

We shall be in Truro in September. Is there a club that we can pop along to while we are there?

We shall be attending a Prom night at the Minack Theatre where I hope we shall be able to do some sky watching from the car park at the end of the performance. I am sure that light pollution will be minimal there ??!!

Many thanks

Christine

[Gazabone]

Hi Christine,

Not a shopping trolly, sorry I described it very poorly, is a luggage case on wheels. I got mine in a shop called Malletts in Truro but they are available all over the place, I've even seen them for sale in Sainsbury. What I really like about it is that it's a good secure case that's very easy to transport and as the mount and scope stay in their original preformed foam packing, it's as close to custom made as possible without spending a fortune on a bespoke case from Celestron.

As far as the Minnack is concerned, despite my neice working there when she was at school, I've never been there despite living in Cornwall for the last 46 years (shame on me, I know) but, apart from the headlights of other cars down there, not much light pollution.

I belong to Cornwall Astronomy Society and we meet on the 2nd Tues and 4th Thursday each month, although over the summer we only have 1 meeting a month. We will be very pleased for you to join us if you're able, it's a lovely friendly society and we enjoy welcoming visiting astronomers as well as new members.

I've also recently joined Roseland Observatory and I sure Brian Sheen who runs it would love you to join us any time - the web site for there is http://roselandobservatory.com

In the meantime, Cornwall Astronomy has just started publishing my monthly observing plans and if you're short of something to do anytime...

http://www.cornwallas.org.uk/2015-03.pdf

Look forward to seeing you in September.

All the best

Gareth

[ronin]

Wilkinsons do a trolley holdall.

Saw them a few weeks back, they are 73cm long and 33x33 for the cross section (actually think one of the 33's is 35).

Add a bit of board to the base and some foam or wrap it well in something.

Depends if 73cm is long enough.

They were £20

[Coastliner]

I have a 4se, I bought one of the smaller wheeled solid-body cases they were offering in Tesco's recently.  I used the original foam packing that came with the scope, cutting it to fit the case with a breadknife! It works very well, with enough extra room down the sides for accessories.

[Christinea]

Thank you Ronin and Coastliner.

All ideas are very welcome.

We have a motorhome and I am hoping that we shall be combining motorhoming with sky-watching, so a substantial / sturdy, safe means of transporting the scope(s) will be necessary me thinks.

My husband is of the opinion that there is no mileage in taking scopes with us ' ..... as the sky is the same throughout Britain' !!!!

I disagree. (Wife's prerogative!!) I think that we shall find differences throughout the UK, if only in the light pollution levels and open vistas.

What do others think? 

Christine

[Astro Imp]

Have to agree, there is a huge difference in observing from a light polluted town centre to a truly rural site.

Good luck.

[djpaul]

Still looking for a dark area in northamptonshire

Anyone know of anywhere?

Paul