Alternative more portable setup required

[BRUN]

I currently have a Skywatcher 250px, the previous owner added the synscan system and apart from being massive, i love it

however, early this year I had back problems, 2 bulged discs (from the gym), and im still trying to get back to normal from that, worst of it all though, my neighbours have just installed what can only be described as floodlights in their garden, so im gonna struggle to use my current setup at all in my garden

i have a small field in front of my house, so i could go over and use a telescope on there, but i couldnt keep transporting the skyliner its too big for me and too risky on my back

if i sold what i have now but kept my EP's, what else could i get thats a lot lighter or more portable

i was wondering how portable and quick to setup the Celestron CPC ones are, or Nexstar, id probably have to be looking at something with star sense, or be able to add it, as id want to be up and running very quickly like i currently am with my 250px

i have money to add to whatever i sold the 250px for, but not a massive amount, i dont think id want to spend more than £1000/£1500 so would be looking at 2nd hand really

im still very new to this hobby and apart from winter ive struggled to get out and use it in the summer, im up early for work

any advice on what i should be looking at, i dont mind going down to 8" but probably not any less really, not interested in any photography, i just want something i can plonk down and look at planets and nebulae etc, thats it

[Paul73]

Could you add wheels / barrow handles to your Dob? and / or ditch the Sky scan to lighten the load? They are very portable if you do tube, then base rather than just grabbing the whole thing. Would an 8" Dob with great mirrors or a lighter 10" be an option (e.g. OOuk 10" Dob)?

The issue is that you are used to a big bright image!

Paul

[BRUN]

it already has wheels on it actually, but i feel that wheeling it along the road to the field would lose me collimation so ive never done it, ive only wheeled it about a foot to the door of my garage and then i lift it onto the lawn, i didnt want any vibrations affecting it

[onlyme]

If you have air tires fitted to your wheel barrow, or can replace the wheels you have with air tires, then all you got to do is reduce the air pressure a little in the tires to provide a more suspended journey (so to speak).

[SilverAstro]

1 hour ago, BRUN said:

how portable and quick to setup the Celestron CPC ones are, or Nexstar, 

star sense, or be able to add it,

 i dont mind going down to 8" but probably not any less really,

Hi, not sure if I can help much but I have the NexStar Evolution 9.25 GoTo (but with no starsense) and am also looking at quick grab&plonk options to doge my trees when objects of interest try to hide ! Anyway :-

the mount+tripod is all I can manage for a short distance out of the house to the main obs. location, any further and I have to carry them in two bits/trips. The OTA then has its own journey.

The 8" Evo OTA would be lighter but with a bad back I'd be wary of trying to assemble it in the dark in a field with uncertain footing, it can be a bit of a fiddle to align the V grove dovetail thingy slots, not so much the weight of the tube, just that it isnt a straight up/down move, it involves a fair bit of twist and lean (I can hear your back protesting already!ouch) and squinting whilst holding a torch in your third hand !!

The Evo 8" mount and tripod may be the same or similar to the 9.25, there was much debate about this on Cloudynights and I cant remember the outcome sorry ! So you may be faced with 2 or 3 trips.

So, I am looking at the SW 150p Discovery ( 6" newt) at about 10kg OTA+mount+tripod complete - in this topic = https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/298001-star-discovery-150p-weights/?do=findComment&comment=3263353

EDIT later: but of course that would be no comparison to your 250 As I am sure I dont need to say, just a bit of mutual tear shedding !

Lots of owners of 8" GoTo dobs here, so someone will be along soon, I know of one that is   transported   carried, in two trips, into a field to similarly dodge obstacles.

[ronin]

Depending on the back - and my comment there will be expect it to never quite get back to previous, you will have to keep thinking about how you use it hereafter - I wouild suggest you go find a 150 Skywatcher dobsonian.

A CPC, or Nexstar, is a chunk of telescope, they are not light and you have to either lift them up on to the mount (think of that back) or yoiu have to dcarry the scope and the tripod out as a unit. Also you will need a good power supply and assorted leads.

You are used to a dobsonian, although it appears to be a goto - how important is the goto aspect?

After that it will be smaller and even something like a Bresser 102 on a AZ5 mount comes out at around £350, simple, easy totally manual but I wouldn't like to go to one like that from a 250.

[michaelmorris]

The ideas of fitting pneumatic tyres to the Dob sound like a good, low hassle option.  If you then invest in a good laser collimator you could sort out any resulting collimation issues in the field.

 

[BRUN]

the goto element is essential to me

how much does a Nexstar 8 etc weigh put together ? I can probably carry the weight its just the shear bulk of the skyliner makes it harder and shifts the centre of gravity outwards, ive just started squatting again at the gym and im starting out with 40kg which so far hasnt been a problem and feels easy, im just testing the water (pre injury i was on 110kg for a few reps)

i need something physically a lot less bulky so i can keep it close to my body when carrying

the plan would be to leave any alternative scope built up and carry it all in one, then unfold the legs on the field

[BRUN]

56 minutes ago, onlyme said:

If you have air tires fitted to your wheel barrow, or can replace the wheels you have with air tires, then all you got to do is reduce the air pressure a little in the tires to provide a more suspended journey (so to speak).

an air tyre barrow/trolley of some sort is an interesting idea, but i still think id prefer a less bulky scope in all honesty, ill look into it though

[BRUN]

i could probably make a trolley i reckon, hmmmmmmmmmm

or something like this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Panana-Heavy-Duty-Metal-Garden-Wheelbarrow-Garden-Cart-Barrow-Trolley-Wheels-/322449914960?epid=1358179427&hash=item4b13833c50:g:9ywAAOSwWxNYt-hL

[SilverAstro]

10 minutes ago, BRUN said:

 im starting out with 40kg which so far

Ummm, "so far" are worrying words !

For comparison I am a feek&weeble 5ft7 well past rtirement that has trouble picking up a 25kg ! sack of chicken feed off the ground,(I once had a back problem too and it is not amusing and I dont want it again)  but after that I can carry it. Considering that I can carry the mount+tripod a short distance and I can lift the mount+tripod+ota a few inches off the ground - on the basis of what you say you do in the gym I'd think you could run with the full kit 9.25Evo a good 1/2 a mile !

It does have the advantage of a built in battery to power it for one or two sessions, but you would also have to run with a power tank in your other hand for the dew heater , not so much of a prob with dobs.

Another anti-light pollution ploy is EAA.

Good luck.

 

[BRUN]

whats EAA ? @SilverAstro

[SilverAstro]

Electronically Assisted Astronomy, aka Video Astronomy on this forum

[BRUN]

3 minutes ago, SilverAstro said:

Electronically Assisted Astronomy, aka Video Astronomy on this forum

never heard of that before, what does that involve ?

[SilverAstro]

There is at least one member here that lives in the most horrendous London light bubble, that captures amazing things like supernovae in far flung galaxies and quasars billions of light years away, all from his back garden.

If local lights are your only problem ( vs. pink glow all over ) then might be worth taking a trip through the postings in that section.

[SilverAstro]

A camera in place of your eyepiece, a computer and loadsa software !

https://stargazerslounge.com/forum/208-video-astronomy/

[BRUN]

cheers ill have a look

[SilverAstro]

I know  you said not photography, but this is a particular types of 'camera' acting as a surrogate eyepiece + eyeball

 

[JG777]

The Evo 8 might be a good choice, approx 18 kilos weight and that includes the built in battery. Starsense won't add in a whole lot more and dew control can be powered by a small tracer battery. I should think the whole setup topping out about 20 kilos. That gives you good portability , decent aperture and fast set up. 

Mounting the scope to the Evo is made a lot easier if you set the clamp to the vertical position and lower the scope in from the top. This way you keep the scope close to you almost hugging it ( yes I know all scopes need a hug from time to time! ) but essentially you and the scope stay reasonably centrally balanced. The 9.25 is much more of a heft and the tripod is heavier so the 8 seems a more  sensible solution. 

I'm not exactly Arnie but found our group members Evo 8 was so much easier to pick up and move when set up than my 9.25. 

[SilverAstro]

2 minutes ago, JG777 said:

set the clamp to the vertical position and lower the scope in from the top.

The 9.25 is much more of a heft

Interesting ! Yep, could make all the difference with an 8, the 9.25ota is quite a lump !

Re Vertical : I tried that and my  first thought to respond was - not if,  as they say in the movies  you are low down bum I have trouble lifting the 9.25 that high. So I hug it horizontal give it a kiss and slide it in sideways , then lift it all up one leg at a time. ( one Evo leg at a time !! stop giggling in the back row )

Maybe I need an 8Evo

 

[BRUN]

20kg that i can hold close to me, of something a lot smaller, would be very easy for me, i was pressing that over my head this morning at 6:30am no trouble lol

how much are they likely to go for 2nd hand, or new for that mattr

[JG777]

41 minutes ago, SilverAstro said:

Interesting ! Yep, could make all the difference with an 8, the 9.25ota is quite a lump !

Re Vertical : I tried that and my  first thought to respond was - not if,  as they say in the movies  you are low down bum I have trouble lifting the 9.25 that high. So I hug it horizontal give it a kiss and slide it in sideways , then lift it all up one leg at a time. ( one Evo leg at a time !! stop giggling in the back row )

Maybe I need an 8Evo

 

It's not about size but technique! Apparently.....??

[JG777]

FLO are a good barometer of prices https://www.firstlightoptics.com/nexstar-evolution-telescopes/celestron-nexstar-evolution-8-telescope.html

Not sure what they fetch second  hand ,you could stick an ad in the wanted area. 

[Paul73]

Don't be afraid of collimating a Dob. Once practiced, It takes moments. I do mine every outing. If you get a decent laser collimator, you only have to bend down once! My arms aren't quite long enough to do a 10" 1200mm, let alone a 16", without multiple bobbing up and down from Cheshire to mirror.?. So a pricier Hotech laser Jobbie has appeared.?

Paul

[BRUN]

ive got one, but ive never collimated my scope ever, i looked up how to do it and it sounded incredibly time consuming and difficult