ED80 hard case?

[MahlerMoonMan]

Hello

I have an Orion Sky View Pro 80mm ED EQ telescope and i would like to buy a hard case for it. I have been searching on-line but with very little success so far. Can anyone point me in a favourable direction please? I've had my scope a few years now, it has mostly been bagged-up in a cuboard as i have really struggled to get to grips with the German EQ mount .... But i have ventured out with it a couple of times lately to a friend who's attached it to his motorised mount so i really feel i should acquire a high quality travel case if i can?

As i am starting to get some confidence with using my ED80, what do folks generally think of this scope? Have i got a decent ED80? Any advice on how i could enhance my scope, improving it's 'usability' and/or performance? I would consider a 'Go to' mount if there was an affordable option that someone might know of .... Any recommended eye-pieces with this telescope? I only have the ones that came with it when bought. If i were to get in to astro-photography (i have a Canon 40D Dslr with adaptors) what could i buy to aid superior image quality?

Any general advice to help me get more out of using my ED80, and for transporting it, will be very gratefully received!

Thank you,

Donaldo

[daz]

Have a look at this case from FLO http://www.firstlightoptics.com/telescope-cases-storage/aluminium-case-for-evostar-80ed.html - it should fit your ED80 OK

Plenty of people struggle with an EQ mount, so feel free to search the boards, or ask your questions - we'll get you up and running!

Mounts - You could start with the small EQ3 Pro (http://www.firstlightoptics.com/skywatcher-mounts/skywatcher-eq3-pro-synscan-goto.html) mount, this would take the ED80 easily, but if you are considering astro-imaging, you need to think about what you will imaging.

Will you want to guide - most probably 'yes' would be the answer - so there will be additional weight from a guide arrangement, in which case you will need a bigger mount!

Attaching your camera to the scope is easy as buying the right t-thread adapter for it.

As for eyepieces, take a look on the Astro Buy Sell (http://astrobuysell.com/uk/) boards - and again, do some searching on the equipment boards here - plenty of questions and answers on eyepieces

Hope this helps a bit

[majapala]

I recently bought an aluminium flight case for my scope here. It has a decent quality foam block in it and cutting a scope sized hole just required a ruler and a sharp kitchen knife. I'm really pleased with it, (they deliver really quick too).

[MahlerMoonMan]

Many thanks for the advice guys. I have gone for the First Light product, just for convenience, many thanks again.

I can certainly see me going down the Go To road some day but in the meantime i feel i should learn how to handle the sturdy beast of a German EQ that my scope came with ..... I have a RA drive that i think i have got working ok but to improve accuracy of tracking i would like to buy a polar alignment scope, i think! Would this be a sensible item to acquire? Can someone recommend the correct one i would need for my Orion SkyView Pro German EQ mount?

Many thanks again,

Donaldo

[Herbig]

I'afraid I'm not that familiar with your scope but it should be good. Get a Canon T adaptor and nose piece for it and point it at something nice and bright like Jupiter or the moon, put it on 'live view' and focus it. Them take some short exposures, play about with the exposure until you get some detail. You may need to do a bit of trial end error but your mount should be ok for short exposures, you won't need to track until you need to do longer exposures of less bright objects but you have to start somewhere!

Later you might like to think about getting an HEQ5 or similar.

[daz]

Many thanks for the advice guys. I have gone for the First Light product, just for convenience, many thanks again.

I can certainly see me going down the Go To road some day but in the meantime i feel i should learn how to handle the sturdy beast of a German EQ that my scope came with ..... I have a RA drive that i think i have got working ok but to improve accuracy of tracking i would like to buy a polar alignment scope, i think! Would this be a sensible item to acquire? Can someone recommend the correct one i would need for my Orion SkyView Pro German EQ mount?

Many thanks again,

Donaldo

The mount looks like very similar to the CG4. Give the guys at FLO a call, but I would think one of http://www.firstlightoptics.com/celestron-mounts/celestron-polar-axis-scope.html would be the one.

HTH