Well, that was optimistic!

[ChrisEdu]

Saw a few little holes in the cloud, so I thought I'd try to use the C11. Rather than taking it all apart, I picked up the entire set-up (OTA, mount, tripod and counter weights) all-in-one and took it outside. Well, no surprise, the holes filled in and even the moon played shy. So back in I lugged the entire set-up. This could be a game a tire of very quickly.

[ollypenrice]

Sorry about that!

When living in the UK and observing with a 10 inch SCT I followed up on an idea in Star Ware, Phil Harrington's classic volume on equipment.

I followed plans for a simple triangular wooden sled on which the tripod stands and to which it is fastened. This is so contrived that a proprietory hand truck will slide underneath it. The hand truck has a wooden adapter fitted to stabilize the top of the tripod when you tip the whole thing backwards for wheeling. Very easy to make, very quick to use, and the whole lot lived in a closed cupboard in the garage. The hand truck had a 'seat belt' for peace of mind.

I wheeled it onto a circular concrete slab on which there was a system for setting the sled down for a satisfactory visual (non imaging) polar alignment.

In fact I left a succession of these circular slabs behind me in successive Derbyshire house moves. I can imagine archaeologists of the future wondering what they were for...

The hand truck is still going strong and sees regular service helping guests move their voluminous boxes up to the observing sites. I never spent a better fifty quid in my life. Pneumatic tyres are a must.

Olly

[ChrisEdu]

Sounds like an interesting idea - I'll have to see if I can find the plans. Ultimately,an observatory would be the most convenient option, although I'm not sure my wife would agree. The most tricky part of getting it outside was squeezing it through the doorway. Actually lifting the set-up wasn't too bad as I found it to be well balanced when lifting.

I had already thought of put pads in various locations in the garden to allow for a quick, rough and ready, alignment process.

[Daniel-K]

pick it up?? that must have been heavy

[ChrisEdu]

pick it up?? that must have been heavy

It didn't feel too bad. As I said previously, the weight seemed quite well balanced when lifting, which made it easier. I wouldn't want to try carrying it if it was unbalanced.

[Pingster]

Great advice Olly, building even small scopes into your life, wife permitting is always a good idea. You may be in some luck today Chris.

[ChrisEdu]

You may be in some luck today Chris.

Bad luck, probably!

Actually, I have just thoughtof one positive outcome from last night, I did find that the OTA was nice and easy to move manually on the mount, when trying to point it towards the very small and brief holes in the cloud - it all felt very smooth and effortless.

[JamesM]

Chris, as I started to read your account I thought it was going to end by you announcing that you tripped up with the whole lot going over - thankfully not! Go steady with that lifting, don't want it looking like a scene from "It's A Knock Out" especially if you haven't played your joker!!:D I can hear Stewart Hall's laughter as I type.

I'm sure there are trolleys for equatorial mounts out there although I can imagine it would be complicated to make one yourself.

James

[ChrisEdu]

Worry not, James - I'm a professional! (not quite professional what though!)

[AztecastroMcJ]

Something else for shopping list

http://www.harrisontelescopes.co.uk/acatalog/ScopeBuggy.html

James

[John]

The C11 is just not a "grab and go" scope unfortunately. Apart from getting it out and setting it up, there is cool down to consider, unless you are able to keep it at / near outside temp of course.

The observing conditions for the last month , at least where I am, have been pretty awful. If I didn't have some large binocs and a 4" refractor my observing time would have been virtually nil I reckon

I'm sure it will get better in due course though - trying to be optimistic there

[ChrisEdu]

Whey! My little grab and go C11 has been grabbed and gone outside again this evening! Finally, it's been put to use! Not properly aligned or anything, so it's beena bit hit and very much miss, but seen Ring Neb, Jupiter, Moon, and M31. Only problem, apart from lack of alignment, the blindness caused by looking at the moon, even with a lunar filter!

[Space Bat]

He he Chris....

The moon should be the last thing you should look at unless you like waiting 10 - 15 mins to get your night vision back

[jonathan]

Thought about going out tonight, got as far as walking outside with the tripod, saw how light it was with the moon up, walked straight back inside again! Absolutely no chance of seeing M101 from what I've been reading about it, that's what I want to see right now. Maybe after next week...

I've come to the conclusion that lugging my entire 8SE on tripod and mount is just too risky, so now I carry the tripod out first and then the OTA attached to the mount (it is always attached). When my EQ6 arrives next week I'll have a whole new experience with it though!

Incidentally, here is what I have laid out by the greenhouse...

I know roughly by the tree line where South is (this photo is looking East) so a rough and ready alignment is easy to do for EQ mounts. I think the Goto just confuses me with so many things I need to input before alignment even begins.

[JamesM]

Jonathan, I thought the view of your setup looked like you were attempting to replicate a scene from War of the Worlds! :D

Yes the NEQ6 is somewhat of a different beast to move around, I shall say no more and await your first light report and to also read details of how your hernia operation went. I have this mount and I have the pillar extension too and the whole combo with the tripod (...minus the scope thank goodness!) is something only ever worth trying if you want to bid for a place at the highland games. In fact, they ought to make it an olympic field event.

Hope it arrives soon and clear skies.

James

[ChrisEdu]

Honestly, you guys make it sound like these things are heavy! I shifted the whole set-up several times tonight to avoid various trees from blocking the view. I think the most precarious activity was altering the height of the tripod with everything attached.

As for viewing the moon, I know it's not really the best of things to look at, but after being so frustrated since getting the new scope, I wanted something that would be quick and easy to find! It completely filled the FOV with a 40mm EP!