Advice on Telescopes and weight/portability

[Adhyskonydh]

Hi all,

I have been interested in getting a Newtonian to improve my experience but obviously the larger the scope you get the increase in weight because of counterweights etc. This doesn't help where in the first instance I have a back problem, and second, at what point does it become impractical to bag it up and take it out on the moors for a few hours.

So I am really hoping to get some advice and draw on peoples experiences on telescopes balancing the issues of weight, portability and experience.

Thanks

[MikeP]

You mention counterweights, so I assume you are thinking of an equatorial mount.  Why not consider a Dobsonian?  There are some nice ones available at good prices.

My back isn't best and I found that with a Newtonian on an equatorial mount, I was constantly having to rotate the tube so that I could get the focuser in a position that I could look through.  Being vertically challenged I also found I needed steps for a 10" scope when it was pointing toward the zenith.

Good luck.

Mike

[astrofox]

What about an Ioptron MTII? Its a breeze to align (level it, point it south and scope vertical) Plus doen't need weights if scope is less than 10lb. Yup its an Alt-Az and not  a GEM.

[LukeSkywatcher]

What sort of budget do you have in mind?. Without knowing this, its hard to advise. 

[Adhyskonydh]

Hi Luke,

I am looking at about £250 max.

Thanks for your interest.

[Adhyskonydh]

and i'm not sniffy about 2nd hand stuff either.

[LittleSkink]

A 150 Dob? Well inside your budget and more portable than a 200P. Or what about the little Skywatcher Heritage gotos?

[Mad astro girl]

I am also looking to buy a small dumpy scope and need it to be light weight due to my disability. I was looking at the skywatcher sky max 180 pro as it has got great reviews, but it seems to be 20lbs in weight, or 9 kg, which is far to heavy for me to lift. I have a celestron first scope, and although it is a good scope, it takes up a lot of space in my room and want to get a smaller maksutov one, but have a limited budget. The skywatcher one is £743 from rother valley optics, and I would need to get a eq mount on top of that as well. Any advice on this is most welcome. :-)

[Hootsitabernacle]

Adhyskonydh...you can get a 2nd hand 200p skyliner for the money you want to spend, it breaks down into two manageable parts and not heavy..okay for a bad back

Mad astro girl...if its a Mak you are looking for then you can get a Celestron 6se for £749 from FLO and cheaper 2nd hand and that is with the Alt/Alz mount..same price in RVO

[Adhyskonydh]

the skyliner 200p is nearly 40kg according to amazon.

[happy-kat]

@Adhyskonydh

The thing with weight is not just how heavy something but how akward it is to carry can make the weight feel twice as much.

Does the solution need to be carried in one go, that is your telescope, your mount and your eyepeice/buitz bag?

What do you currently have (mobile view does not show signatures) and what do you think your target carry weight limit is?

[ronin]

the skyliner 200p is nearly 40kg according to amazon.

Everyone gets told to get a 200P,   Even people who say they do not want one.

What is "heavy"?

Do you want a scope and mount?

How big/small a scope do you want?

An 80mm refractor, ED if possible, will show a lot from a reasonably dark site, it will show a lot from a not too dark site as well.

Do you want a goto or will fully manual be OK. Will say goto/tracking is useful.

I have an ED90 and a SkyTee type mount.

Have to be honest although simple not overly light and never looks stable.

You could look at an 80mm refractor and put it on a Vixen Porta mount.

That is likely about as light and simple as makes sense.

The Mini-Porta does not carry much weight.

Any clubs in your bit of Devon?

Looking at equipment helps.

The idea of an 80mm+Vixen Porta comes from a visit to a club around me that I visited - someone had one.

On the 80-90mm achro side Rother Valley do a selection, but the ED's will(should) produce a better image.

[Mad astro girl]

Adhyskonydh...you can get a 2nd hand 200p skyliner for the money you want to spend, it breaks down into two manageable parts and not heavy..okay for a bad back

Mad astro girl...if its a Mak you are looking for then you can get a Celestron 6se for £749 from FLO and cheaper 2nd hand and that is with the Alt/Alz mount..same price in RVO

Looks a good wee scope. Might need to rethink a maksutov as I was planning on using it from my studyroom window which faces west. I can't go anywhere without help due to mobility problems and use sticks in doors and a wheelchair outdoors. So I can't face the scope to true North from inside my home, and there is no one to help me use it outside at night. Is there other dumpy scopes that would suit me better?

[Mad astro girl]

Looks a good wee scope. Might need to rethink a maksutov as I was planning on using it from my studyroom window which faces west. I can't go anywhere without help due to mobility problems and use sticks in doors and a wheelchair outdoors. So I can't face the scope to true North from inside my home, and there is no one to help me use it outside at night. Is there other dumpy scopes that would suit me better?

I see you live in Hamilton, Scotland, did you know that there is an astronomy society in Clydesdale, called Clydesdale AS, that meet in Forth on the second Monday of the month, except July and August. We have some good speakers coming up, and had one last night that is from Hamilton as well.

[rowan46]

I am also looking to buy a small dumpy scope and need it to be light weight due to my disability. I was looking at the skywatcher sky max 180 pro as it has got great reviews, but it seems to be 20lbs in weight, or 9 kg, which is far to heavy for me to lift. I have a celestron first scope, and although it is a good scope, it takes up a lot of space in my room and want to get a smaller maksutov one, but have a limited budget. The skywatcher one is £743 from rother valley optics, and I would need to get a eq mount on top of that as well. Any advice on this is most welcome. :-)

the celestron  nexstar 127 slt http://www.firstlightoptics.com/slt-series/celestron-nexstar-127-slt.html  or skymax 127 synscan  http://www.firstlightoptics.com/az-goto/skywatcher-skymax-127-synscan-az-goto.html   may be good for you or this from astrobuy sell   http://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/propview.php?view=92160   or if you must have an eq mount  http://www.firstlightoptics.com/omni-xlt-series/celestron-omni-xlt-127.html

[happy-kat]

How deep is your window ledge, or is there a table you can sit a mount in in front of it?

I think because you are going to be behind it a refractor or a maksutuv would be easier to use as both have the focuser unit at the base.

But from my own experience a refractor was happier looking through a window then my small mak, which being inside never got cold enough to stop shimmering.

A celestron first scope is tiny the size it is I think.

[rowan46]

Looks a good wee scope. Might need to rethink a maksutov as I was planning on using it from my studyroom window which faces west. I can't go anywhere without help due to mobility problems and use sticks in doors and a wheelchair outdoors. So I can't face the scope to true North from inside my home, and there is no one to help me use it outside at night. Is there other dumpy scopes that would suit me better?

i am so sorry I missed reading this until after i had posted the altaz goto mounts will not be very usable for you as they will be difficult to align from indoors. the c5+ on astrobuy/sell can be used as a manual alt az so that could be used and have you considered the heritage 100p or 130p or virtuoso range http://www.firstlightoptics.com/heritage.html

[Hootsitabernacle]

Ah the Forth..not been up there for a wee while..covered in fog last time I was there. I will check it out though

[ollypenrice]

If you read the forums regularly you find that there is no concensus on what counts as portable. Folks see this in all sorts of different ways. I think of a 200 Dob as highly portable but others think it's a monster. As far as I can see the only way for an individual to decide is to see the scopes in the flesh, which means either going to a shop or to an astronomical society. The shops advertise and here's a list of astronomical societies. 

http://fedastro.org.uk/fas/members/

Members on here might be delighted to show you their scopes as well if they were near.

Olly

[Mad astro girl]

Ah the Forth..not been up there for a wee while..covered in fog last time I was there. I will check it out though

Ah the Forth..not been up there for a wee while..covered in fog last time I was there. I will check it out though

Ah the Forth..not been up there for a wee while..covered in fog last time I was there. I will check it out though

Ah the Forth..not been up there for a wee while..covered in fog last time I was there. I will check it out though

Ah the Forth..not been up there for a wee while..covered in fog last time I was there. I will check it out though

Our next meeting is on the 9th March, in the Bank Hall, Climpy Road, Forth, ML118BX, at 7:30-9:30pm. Our speaker is Dr Giles Hammond, who's presentation is on "The International Year of Light". It is £2 for non-members, and tea/coffee and cake is included in the price. You would be made most welcome :-)

I have had a look at a nice light weight 2 kg scope on AltairAstro at £329 and it looks perfect for the price, as it is an OTA and can also be used as a solar scope with the addition of a filter. I am going to see if it will be ok with the skywatcher star adventurer, as well as checking if I require a different mount. I only need my camera tripod for the star adventurer.

[Hootsitabernacle]

Most scopes if not all can be used for solar viewing, you can make your own filter or buy them. Refractors are quite light, lighter than a Mak anyway. I have a Celestron 6se, the actual OTA itself and the legs are light, the mount is a wee bit heavy. The heritage range might be best suited to you tho, table top scope with or without goto/tracking. Have you not had a wee look at some of the other members scopes? Does the mount matter? does it have to be EQ or are Alt/Az dob ok?

[Mad astro girl]

Ah the Forth..not been up there for a wee while..covered in fog last time I was there. I will check it out though

I have decided to go with the Starwave 70ED F6 travel refractor from Altair Astro as it got a good review from Paul Money in the bbc s@n mag Jan 2014. I also chatted to Paul on Face book and he said it was a nice wee scope, and along with the star adventurer would be a nice piece of kit that I would have. :-) it is £399, and weighs 2 kg so ok for me to handle as well. It can double as a solar scope, and so I will save more money and buy a solar filter later on.

[happy-kat]

Nice :-) there is a great unboxing thread on one of those on here.

[Hootsitabernacle]

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/234152-altair-astro-starwave-70ed-unboxing-and-weigh-in/?hl=%2Bstarwave+%2B70ed#entry2539044

enjoy you lucky thing!

[Mad astro girl]

I posted in another forum that I have bought the Starwave 70ED F6, from Altair Astro, along with a solar filter, 15 mm wide field 70 degree eyepiece, Altair 1.25" dielectric star diagonal and a lightwave 1.0x Field flattener for f/5.5-f/6.25. Paul Money reviewed this wee scope in the Jan 2014 edition of the S@N mag, and gave it 4/5 stars. I also chatted to him on Face book and he still recommended it, and gave me other advice as well. My wee scope comes tomorrow, so I apologise in advance if it is cloudy for the next how ever many days lol. 

I need to find a soft case to house my 6 eyepieces, barlow lens, solar filter, light pollution filters etc. I saw a post when googling that was on here somewhere that mentioned Maplin had a good one, but when I checked there wasn't one, only a large hard case which I don't want due to weight.