help!

[m37]

I'm in a bit of an odd situation. I have no transport except my bike, buses and trains so I have built my dream imaging setup in my garden but have found over the last year that my location near a river in a little valley is frankly rubbish for imaging as there is a constant thin mist in the air.

I have made the decision to switch to a smaller portable setup so I can travel. Obviously this means that imaging is going to be a problem as my HEQ5 is not portable and I can't be taking laptops with me so I have been thinking about going right back to basics and switching to observing and logging rather than imaging.

I'm not really sure how well my kit is suited to visual observing or if I would just have to take the loss and sell up everything in favour of something more suited to observing.

I would appreciate any ideas or suggestions, I'm kind of floundering a bit. I would like a super-portable setup with manual controls on the mount. I'm hoping my refractor will be suitable and that I can just get a manual mount and some eyepieces.

I have a small fast WO apo triplet refractor, an astro modded DSLR, a guide cam, guide scope and a whopping great GOTO HEQ5.

argh.

thanks guys

[Cornelius Varley]

What about an AZ 4 or Vixen Porta mount ? 

[todd8137]

Convert a kids pull trailer the ones that tach to the back of adults bikes some thing like this am sure this could be made a bit stronger to carry your stuff

http://www.bitiba.co.uk/shop/dogs_accessories/dog_carriers_cages/biking_accessories/370647?gclid=CJPA6N-r570CFabLtAodcQwA7g

Pat

[Robny]

I'm in a bit of an odd situation. I have no transport except my bike, buses and trains so I have built my dream imaging setup in my garden but have found over the last year that my location near a river in a little valley is frankly rubbish for imaging as there is a constant thin mist in the air.

I have made the decision to switch to a smaller portable setup so I can travel. Obviously this means that imaging is going to be a problem as my HEQ5 is not portable and I can't be taking laptops with me so I have been thinking about going right back to basics and switching to observing and logging rather than imaging.

I'm not really sure how well my kit is suited to visual observing or if I would just have to take the loss and sell up everything in favour of something more suited to observing.

I would appreciate any ideas or suggestions, I'm kind of floundering a bit. I would like a super-portable setup with manual controls on the mount. I'm hoping my refractor will be suitable and that I can just get a manual mount and some eyepieces.

I have a small fast WO apo triplet refractor, an astro modded DSLR, a guide cam, guide scope and a whopping great GOTO HEQ5.

argh.

thanks guys

I'm almostthe same situation, except for the transport but new bby forced me to slim down on imaging and convert to mainly visual with a light weight portablt setup.

I'm between mounts at the moment but have a look at the ioptron smartEQ. Might just be what you're after.

http://www.ioptron.com/index.cfm?select=productdetails&phid=03c86716-b870-417b-8beb-0c0ba49ddf1d

Rob

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[Peter Drew]

An Astrotrak would hold your refractor and be portable enough to take to a dark site for wide field imaging. 

[m37]

What on Earth is an Astrotrac? I shall investigate...

thanks for all your replies, I was 'on one' slightly when I posted it. Very frustrated and my wife is strangely reluctant to move to the North Norfolk coast...

thanks

Chris

[ronin]

Go look at the bike trailer option, there are a few of them and it would allow you to get out with everything in one "lump".

I have found that I can get everything I need in a small trolly bag - except the scope and mount. But then I know that all bits I need are in one place.

Everything is on a tripod so the difference i an HEQ5 tripod or another, not a lot of difference.

Look at one of the Sky-Tee type mounts, these use the HEQ5 tripod and a GT-81 will fit well, occasionally they come up used in one form or another - WO used to have one under their name.

If you don't have them then 3 eyepieces are enough (just), suggest the same I have on the G&G set, 5mm, 8mm and 25mm BST's.

Still suggest the trailer option, go visit a Halfords and see what they have, then look on-line.

[m37]

Now this is my idea of portable. Sorted.