What do you cart your mount about in?

[JG777]

Currently I have my HEQ5 pro in a fishing bag which is OK but not ideal. Would ideally like something better suited, ie stronger and better padded and something readily available ( read cheap!) Been looking at the tool bags in the DIY stores as a possibility so just wondering what others use to cart a precious £750 item over to dark sites?

TIA

[VigdisVZ]

I am also interested in this. The NEQ-6 is heavy and a bit cumbersome.

[laser_jock99]

I have seen people use a Troutfishermans trolley.

[Stephen]

Geoptik and Astrodevelopments do bags designed to put them in, but I'd worry about the handles giving way if used to "carry" the mount.

My NEQ6 goes in the boot, and that's that

[whooshbang]

Swan flight case. I seem to have a weakness for these.

[RikM]

I just chuck my NEQ6 in the boot. It's a heavy enough lump as it is without encasing it in marine ply. I have Maplins cases for eyepieces and camera kit, a folding crate for carrying small boxes of bits and loose items (doubles as a lappy shield with a blanket thrown over). OTA's also just go in the car 'au naturel'. I pack blankets and coats round things to stop them sliding about, but that's about it.

[ArmyAirForce]

My tripod goes in the car loose. The scope in a wooden coffin I made with the eyepiece case inside, and the NEQ6 in this flight case.

[VigdisVZ]

Stephen, that flightcase and OTA case are really nice. You've given me inspiration.

[ArmyAirForce]

The flight case with the mount and weights in is very heavy, but it is just managable, and if I'm going away for a weekend with the scope, I can pack luggage on top of both without worries of damaging anything.

[jnc71106]

i use two of these one for my HEQ5 and one for the scope. you can fit an NEQ6 inside with a little room to spare

http://www.maplin.co.uk/high-impact-case-large-228650

[JG777]

My tripod goes in the car loose. The scope in a wooden coffin I made with the eyepiece case inside, and the NEQ6 in this flight case.

Yes that case for the mount looks interesting. Thanks for all the replies. I am a bit surprised that some people do not put their mount into anything, I know they are heavy but cant imagine what damage you might do if you tripped and dropped it. Each to their own though!

[Ajohn]

There are a number of sources of flight cases. Try ebay and http://allendale-group.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=714343afadfc1e9ae44cb5197&id=a1a0047255&e=22d2bc8050

or

Curious links as they have just emailed me with a 20% discount offer on certain cases. I'm after one to take a Skywarcher alt az synscan head plus the goto controller and another to take a Skywatcher 127 mac tube with the finder and diagonal on. I found a suitable case complete with the foam block but looks like the finder will have to go in separately.

Don't know how other people find mounts but one of my problems is a Meade German equatorial that came with a Meade F8 127mm apo refractor. The refractor is bad enough but the mount is absolutely enormous and very heavy. It's also sold by Astro Physics There lighter model. I'm hoping to use the scope with an older Vixen goto DX mount on a pier- much lighter and a much better goto set up as well. No chance of me buying the newer Vixen mount,

John

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[ArmyAirForce]

.......Try ebay and http://allendale-gro...55&e=22d2bc8050

or http://allendale-gro...a0&e=22d2bc8050

Curious links as they have just emailed me with a 20% discount offer on certain cases. ........

They emailed me too, but don't know where they got my email address from.

[Ajohn]

They emailed me too, but don't know where they got my email address from.

Me too. I have a feeling this has something to do with ebay or ip address sniffing while browsing their site. If email is on and being checked I believe it's possible to obtain email addresses this way. My odd spam from strange countries has dropped off amazingly since I stopped leaving it running all night.

John

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PS How does one edit a post - I often find typo's after posting. eg Their as against there.

[ArmyAirForce]

I haven't even visited the site offering the boxes ( 99.9% sure anyway ), so wondered if they had lifted my email from the forum somehow?

[Ajohn]

After further thought I'm pretty sure they obtained mine via an ebay seller that offers some of their range of flight cases - I asked about sizes that they don't stock. Anyway the boxes look to be good, come with foam blocks and the shipping charges are fairly reasonable. I ordered 2 the same size and am sure the scope will fit but the odd shaped mount might be more difficult. Fingers crossed. They should be with me on Tuesday or Wednesday and will comment if they look to be poor quality.

John

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[brantuk]

I cart my kit around in a Volvo Estate - either boxed or padded and strapped with webbing to the anchor points so they don't fly around in a smash or hard breaking. Some of the boxed stuff goes in the caravan.

[Ajohn]

The cases arrived and unusually I feel they really are worth what I paid for them. Very neatly finished and fairly stiff, more so than I expected. The lids physically locate on the lower part of the case when closed as well. When I removed the large foam block I found that the interior is also lined so I am going to make some supports to locate the scope rather than carve up the foam. I may use some of the foam block to take the finder.

The synscan alt az head also fits in the same sized case just compressing the egg shell foam in the lid by a sensible amount. About 10mm With that one it looks like I can add a couple of partitions, head in the middle, power supply, leads and battery box at one end and controller at the other and a bit of the foam block to make really sure that the head doesn't move about. Maybe a thin layer of foam on the bottom too but that may make the case hard to close without messing with the egg shell foam in the lid.

I think that they also do a case could take both the mac 127 scope and the head and a lot more due to it's size but I prefer to have them in separate cases.

John

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[Ajohn]

This the SW 127mm Mac in one of their cases. Plenty of foam left over in case I get unhappy with the optics on the mac and want to try something else. There is room for a finder in the larger foam area at one end. Not sure which finder yet,

John

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[starnut]

I use this case, telescope in in a padded cradle, the mount on on a rubber mat and held in place with Velcro webbing straps.

[JG777]

That certainly looks ideal for the scope, my Evostar came in a similar case. The flight case may be a good option for a mount but none of them seem to come with a weight rating, could be something like 15 or 20 KG including counterweight and my fear is the handle coming off! The ones in Maplin look quite good, but again no rating

[JG777]

I use this case, telescope in in a padded cradle, the mount on on a rubber mat and held in place with Velcro webbing straps.

Starnut where did you find that case?

[starnut]

Starnut where did you find that case?

From here

http://solentplastics.co.uk/

Second one down on the left “big boxes, trunks

It's the Gorilla Box on wheels

[JG777]

Thank you!

[Ajohn]

I didn't want the head and scope in the same box as I may use the head with another scope so bought 2 of the same cases. Not carved the foam for the head yet. That will take the head, controller and leads - or should do. I intend to put the head in the middle and have 2 "compartments" one at each end. This is an alt az head though. I am thinking of getting another for my gp-dex head plus medium counter weight but haven't looked at sizes.

On strength I just loaded the handle with scales to 10kg and the handle didn't budge or the case flex at all really. It's 54cm long and 18cm deep. It's 22cm wide. There may be wider ones suitable for a german type head. There are also other makes of flight case that are made of thicker materials but costs rocket. I have used those at work at times and these particular units impress me for the price. Going on Maplins profit margins I suspect that the source I used supply better cases. Plastic - Not sure I would want to add 15kg box weight to the scope gear in it.

John

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