difference between portable and grab and go

[Schorhr]

As far as backpacking goes, I'd still love one of the 12"/16" litescopes, but I think I should be happy with my 10" travel dobson, espacially due to it being rigid and f/4.7...

[LukeSkywatcher]

Here I think is my ultimate portable setup for hiking up a mountain

http://www.firstligh...ting-scope.html

http://www.teleskop-...-bis-100mm.html

http://www.amazon.co...8/ref=de_a_smtd

http://www.firstligh...-24mm-zoom.html

That's a lot of expensive stuff to be taking up a mountain. I agree, it is portable though.

[rowan46]

That's a lot of expensive stuff to be taking up a mountain. I agree, it is portable though.

If you are going to be dragging it up a mountain or going on a big hike with it it really needs to be worth the bother

[Schorhr]

Neat, that's even lighter then the h130p, though on a mountain a >10" traveltelescope would be amazing...

[DirkSteele]

If you are going to be dragging it up a mountain or going on a big hike with it it really needs to be worth the bother

Agreed. If you have great skies, it is nice to have great equipment.

This is currently what I carry up a mountain / visit a desert etc....(and can be carried all by me at once using a thinktank wheel case for the optical equipment and shoulder carry tripod bag for the mount and tripod).

http://www.apm-apo.com/apo105_650-lw_e.htm

http://www.apm-telescopes.de/en/product.html?info=3454&x9cd12=skl2kvr65j18u8phne26blkit1

http://www.gitzo.com/systematic-series-5-carbon-tripod-long-3-section-eye-level-gt5532ls

http://www.widescreen-centre.co.uk/Products/Panoptic_35_mm_Eyepiece.html

http://www.widescreen-centre.co.uk/Products/Delos_10mm_Eyepiece.html

http://www.widescreen-centre.co.uk/Products/Nagler_Zoom_3mm%E2%80%946mm_Eyepiece.html

[rowan46]

Agreed. If you have great skies, it is nice to have great equipment.

This is currently what I carry up a mountain / visit a desert etc....(and can be carried all by me at once using a thinktank wheel case for the optical equipment and shoulder carry tripod bag for the mount and tripod).

http://www.apm-apo.c...05_650-lw_e.htm

http://www.apm-teles...8u8phne26blkit1

http://www.gitzo.com...-level-gt5532ls

http://www.widescree...m_Eyepiece.html

http://www.widescree...m_Eyepiece.html

http://www.widescree...m_Eyepiece.html

A lot of similaritys to my set up but I think the c5 has the edge when it comes to weight, size, apparture performance and its ability to take longer focal lengths means you can get by on a zoom. I have to get a c5 I love my 80 apo but miss the apparture of my nexstar5. i walk just under a mile to my viewing site so doubt i could carry much more than a c5 comfortably its not great arriving with an aching back

[cathalferris]

Grab'n'go: 70/80mm ED refractor, baader hyperion 8-24mm zoom with the hyperion 2.25 barlow on an AZ3. I have this setup ready to go for when I arrive back from work at 3am and it is clear.

Mountain hike: 70mm refractor with eyepiece as above, on Vixen mini-porta mount, with a decent set of kneepads for comfortable observing. A good but more expensive alternative would be a travelscope dobsonian such as Sumerian Optics made last year. I wonder when they will get back into the manufacture of those as they appeared to be fantastic.

Once you don't want to carry something for e.g. 500 metres in one go, it no longer is grab'n'go and is portable..

[badgerchap]

15 mile hike? WO 66 and cheap rubbishy alt/az mount, or some binos!

Posted via Tapatalk on an ageing iPhone so please excuse any erroneous spellings or accidental profanities!

[DirkSteele]

A lot of similaritys to my set up but I think the c5 has the edge when it comes to weight, size, apparture performance and its ability to take longer focal lengths means you can get by on a zoom.

Not that I want to start an argument over the merits of one optical design over another in this thread, but my 105mm Apo has a larger effective aperture due to higher transmission on each optical surface (plus no loss from a central obstruction) and also out performs on low contrast resolution when considering the modular transform function for a scope with an obstructed aperture (in the case of the C5, it is 38%). However, you have me beat on weight and size for sure, and I did have to spend over 7x as much for my OTA. The masses can decide who got the better deal

[Stargazer_00]

I think you are all missing the point here.

Main scope = your biggest, best scope

Grab and Go = your excuse for the wife to buy another scope

[DirkSteele]

I think you are all missing the point here.

Main scope = your biggest, best scope

Grab and Go = your excuse for the wife to buy another scope

I have 4 scopes currently (and crazily thinking about a 5th)....How many fast ones did I pull? Oh wait, I am not married yet!

[Luke]

For me it depends on your needs. My 16 inch flextube is portable in that I can get it in the car and take it to star parties. My 100mm refractor is grab and go because it is the sort of scope I might take out on non-star-party holidays. It doesn't take up too much room, is light and easy to use, and can be up an running in a few minutes.

[Naemeth]

Luke makes a good point.

If we're talking imaging, I think the only thing that is truly grab and go is an Astrotrac with a camera and some lenses.

[rowan46]

I have 4 scopes currently (and crazily thinking about a 5th)....How many fast ones did I pull? Oh wait, I am not married yet!

You have too many scopes get a wife

[Stargazer_00]

my wife doesnt care how many scopes I have. which is awesome. I limit myself to 2. I want 1 big one and 1 small one I can whip out when the skies arent perfect. the small one should fit the following critiera

- be easily moved while fully assessmbled

- can be used as a white light solar scope

- can show good images from 180x to 40x

- must show over 2.5 degrees TFOV

my main scope has the following criteria

- big

[JamesF]

I want 1 big one and 1 small one I can whip out when the skies arent perfect.

You owe me a new keyboard

James

[Stargazer_00]

My wife says I often speak in innuendo without realising it

[Moonshane]

my wife asked me for an innuendo the other day so I gave her one.

[allen g]

My televue np-101 on the DiscMount (by Tom Peters) is both a grab & go as it involves only placing scope on mount head and cools down in no time and it is very portable as it comes apart in moments for travel. It is rock solid, has no vibrations, requires no balancing regardless of EP weight and is perfectly smooth in motion in both alt and Az and has sky commander on it. A dream combination. see attached two photos.

[allen g]

Oh forgot to mention total weight approx 30 lbs.

[Rossco72]

If I was going up a mountain I'd use my carbon fibre tripod and ZS66 scope with 2 zoom eyepieces.

All could be carried on my back with a total weight of about 6kg.

Cheers

Stuart

[cs1cjc]

I take a 70mm refractor and Vixen Mini Porta with 1.25" diagonal where ever I go. Eyepieces depend on how much space/weight allowance I have. In the car I will take half a dozen in a separate case. For flying where it all has to fit in an overhead locker I take three, typically 30mm NPL (or 24mm ES 68*), 8.5mm XF and 4mm Planetary. Other than the ES these are all reasonably lightweight and have decent eye relief so others find them easy to use. I described the setup here:

However when at home and occasionally when travelling by car I use the 120mm Equinox which is almost as quick to set up and shows somewhat more. This also cools quickly so can conveniently be used before dawn for looking at objects rising late, or early depending on your point of view.