EP Storage, and Carrying a Skywatcher 200P

[yangtze]

Hi all

First, at the risk of appearing sycophantic, can I just say that this forum has been, by a long way, the most useful of any single source of advice for me in my getting a scope and some EPs together. And that's without having posted a question here before, just finding answers to questions via Google! You're a very friendly bunch, and very tolerant of daft noobie questions. Thank you all for being there.

In the end, wanting a reasonable balance between DS and planetary capability, I decided on a SW 200P Dob with stock EPs, a Hyperion Aspheric 31mm, TMB Planetary II 6mm, Baader Classic Q x2.25 Barlow, Baader Neodymium filter, Baader variable Moon filter, Telrad, and a good quality Cheshire collimating EP. I figure that should keep a noobie happy for a while? Constructive comments welcome!

Here are a couple of my remaining/arising daft noobie questions:

1. What do we do with our EPs once we have finished a skywatching session? There's an EP holder screwed to the scope's mount, but I guess we don't just leave them there? I'm thinking they should be placed back in their plastic ziploc bags and back in their boxes with little silica gel packets?

2. How do you carry a SW200P Dob? Given that I'm going to leave it set up in a garden shed, I don't want to remove the tube every time I move it. There are two big tensioning handles on the side of the mount, but can they take the weight of the whole scope and mount together? There's a tough-looking handle on the front of the mount, but I'm guessing that's for carrying the mount when disassembled from the tube?

[stevend]

1. I keep my EPs in a hard plastic 'briefcase style' case that has foam inserts into which I have cut holes for each EP. It is similar to the type that photographers might use although they (and others on here) would use a much sturdier one, but mine does the job and was free. There is still room for 2 or 3 more EPs and filters if I require it later. I take it outside with me during sessions (although generally I end up with one EP in the scope and another EP in my pocket) as it helps protect them and eg keep dew at bay.

2. I leave to others as I do not own one.

[jonbarr87]

I know that the handles on my 250p will take the weight but I usually use one tension handle and the handle on the front of the mount if I'm moving it all in one piece. That way my arm is around the scope a bit more so IF something were to go wrong, it would be easier to catch. 

[Floater]

I use the handle on the front and, like Jon, have an arm round the back of the tube. Mine is the 150, though, so can only guess you'd be able to do the same.

As I've written before, I describe my Dob as only 'semi-portable' ...

[Floater]

Sorry, as for EPs, they're in a flight case. A ve-e-e-ry long-running thread titled 'show me your eyepiece case' will give you an idea how obsessive that area can become!

[RichM63]

Can't advise on the Dob.

I leave my EPs on the desk next to the air wash from the laptop when I go back inside (caps off), and only return them to an enclosed environment when they are nice and dry.

Although I do have a tendency to line them up and just 'look at' them during the day.

[Charic]

yanngtze.......great choice of scope, the 200P. Try and view from the darkest skies possible, you`ll be amazed.  I used to keep the eyepieces in their original boxes in a plastic biscuit tin, I've since purchased a "Starguider" branded case, although the case is very similar to other branded cases including Televue.

The telescope itself should be carried as a whole unit by the tensioner handles. Seperate the two items if this is too heavy.