Jump to content

SkySurveyBanner.jpg.21855908fce40597655603b6c9af720d.jpg

Travelscope which is the best?


Recommended Posts

As the title suggests I am soon going to start searching for a telescope I can carry with me ideally in a backpack with tripod and all the accessories I need to do purely visually observations.

Ive come across this item Celestron Travelscope 70 with backpack and accessories but it has received mixed reviews.

The tripod being the main issue of the setup.

At only £80 I’m not sure if the quality would be enough for me but if anyone has experience using this scope your opinion on it would be great.

I don’t like to set a budget but somewhere in between £500-£1000 for the entire setup would be ideal.

The main thing is being able to carry on my back.

Thanks for looking 

Richard

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would have a good look at the WO ZS61 if considering this sort of setup, seems a lovely little scope and would work well on a lightweight mount. Perhaps a mini giro or giro-WR type mount on a good photo tripod?

The alternative might be a star adventurer but I think they are probably better for AP than visual.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/william-optics/william-optics-zenithstar-61-apo.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm off to Namibia tonight. And this time I'm taking a Heritage 130P OTA which I'll be mounting on a Gitzo Carbon Tripod and a Castor mount... To date when we've been off to La Palma it's been our 70mm ED Refractor that's sat atop that setup. But on a side by side comparison in our back garden the other night the 130mm of aperture vs 70 mm and the 650 focal length vs 420 was noticeable enough for us to find a way to get it all in.

If I were backpacking, I'd be able to get OTA and mount in a larger rucksack than I'm taking on the plane, with the tripod strapped externally. For flights the OTA is in a small backpack and the mount and tripod are in checked...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have used a number of small scopes for travelling. I totally agree with Stargazer McCabe - the Heritage 130P is compact and lightweight and gives incredible views which is far better than a small frac. I use it on a photo tripod with a ball head and a vixen saddle. I am taking this setup to the United States next year. Heritage 130P as hand luggage and the tripod in the main suitcase. As regards EPs I use a TeleVue 8-24 zoom + a Baader 2.25X barlow. If I want a wider field I use my 24mm ES68 EP.

As a matter of interest there is currently a Heritage 130P OTA only on Astroboot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well Richard,

I'm a "frac man", and my travel setup is a TV-60 on a Sirui N-3203X carbon tripod with a Gitzo GH2720QR head. This is all easily carried on one's back with a few eyepieces and an RDF stuffed in alongside.

The WO ZS61 looks good as well. :happy11:

DSC_0894.thumb.JPG.82ba6ffba3d8f3c3ffe29f8e420e8b97.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was given a celestron travelscope 70 as a present from my wife a few years ago and in fact it’s what got me back in to astronomy after a considerable break. As you’ve mentioned the supplied tripod is pretty diabolical but the scope itself isn’t at all bad for the money. Obviously the eyepieces ideally need upgrading but it’s given me reasonable views of Jupiter as well as having a nice wide field of view. I have since acquired several other scopes that I now tend to use for visual observation in preference to the little celestron but I have recently started using it with a monochrome asi120mm for some basic imaging and as a beginner I’m reasonably happy with the results :)

 

C1D30C1B-3D1E-40DC-8DEE-EA5BE626C8F5.jpeg

723C82DA-7B80-4D35-A804-17CC0ED4C3BD.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hoping to travel to the Southern Hemisphere in a couple of years. So flying though a cruise would be nice!

I think my Genesis would be too heavy for the former but hoping a TV Pronto or small SC/M/T might be OK as hand luggage. Otherwise buy something over there - to leave, but take my own eps. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have you looked at the nexstar 5se? I have traveled with it fine in the past.

It can fit in a backpack easily and the tripod can go in the case.

Also it works without the tripod fine on any table top and doesn't need levelling. Goto is good with any star align and solar system align.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A lot to think about, almost like starting again ?

I will give it some thought, concerning the 5se I used to own a 6se and I have to be honest it’s tempting but the weight of the mount and size is to much for hiking with but I won’t dismiss it completely.

thank you everyone for replying ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some great advice there. My two grab and go scopes are a William Optics Megrez 72 and a Skywatcher Heritage 130P, both sitting on a Giro-WR on a heavy duty tripod. The 130P is really amazing for the price and gets used in the garden, but the 72mm is very portable and can fit in my back pack with eyepieces and accesories for travel.

 

 

image.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, gtis said:

Hi Richard 

i am thinking about getting one of these will fit on a decent tripod 

http://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/altair-starwave-70-ed-f6-travel-refractor-telescope-with-dual-speed-crayford.html

neil

Wow that is a lovely scope, what tripod could I get that would fit in a backpack though? I like that it comes with everything you need and my plan would be to get a 8-24 zoom.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Richard if you are looking towards a Refractor this one from Altair Astro is a better quality frac for the same money. I appreciate you don't get the RDF and Diagonal etc - http://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/altair-lightwave-72mm-f6-ed-r-refractor-with-dual-speed-focuser-case.html

I had this Refractor and it was very good and sharp. I also used it with a Herschel Wedge to view the Sun.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, RobertI said:

Some great advice there. My two grab and go scopes are a William Optics Megrez 72 and a Skywatcher Heritage 130P, both sitting on a Giro-WR on a heavy duty tripod. The 130P is really amazing for the price and gets used in the garden, but the 72mm is very portable and can fit in my back pack with eyepieces and accesories for travel.

 

 

image.jpeg

Very neat. Watched a YT video by a guy on a houseboat on the 130P. Can you get shrouds for those?

Orion 4.2 inch Skyblaster and table top scopes seem portable size too. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, Richard Hather said:

A lot to think about, almost like starting again ?

I will give it some thought, concerning the 5se I used to own a 6se and I have to be honest it’s tempting but the weight of the mount and size is to much for hiking with but I won’t dismiss it completely.

thank you everyone for replying ?

What type and volume of rucksack, type of hiking are you planning on doing Richard?

If planning on walking, perhaps a tripod could be shouldered in a suitable shoulder bag in additional to carrying the pack, or if just a compact camera type, it might fit into a side, wand pocket perhaps. The mount, accessories and perhaps the scope inside the pack. I am planning to use my refractor on an overnight hiking trip this winter, but will require to use my current not the lightest  / compact option mount, tripod, eyepieces, but still feasible. 16x70 binoculars and a monopod will be much more accommodating.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Mark at Beaufort said:

Richard if you are looking towards a Refractor this one from Altair Astro is a better quality frac for the same money. I appreciate you don't get the RDF and Diagonal etc - http://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/altair-lightwave-72mm-f6-ed-r-refractor-with-dual-speed-focuser-case.html

I had this Refractor and it was very good and sharp. I also used it with a Herschel Wedge to view the Sun.

Yes, nice scope, I believe that is basically the same as my WO72 but with a better R&P focusser. 

2 hours ago, 25585 said:

Very neat. Watched a YT video by a guy on a houseboat on the 130P. Can you get shrouds for those?

I dont think you can buy shrouds, but they are easy to make, and can retract with the scope, there are example pics on SGL (need to make one myself, stray light in the eyepiece tube is a pain if you are at a light poluuted site).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With regard to the Heritage 130P I made a shroud out of neoprene and secured it with velcro. Used the Heritage scope tonight (didn't fancy getting the big Dob out) and had an excellent view of the Helix Neb using the 24mm ES68  and an Astronomik O-III filter. I also viewed a number of Globs, Clusters and the odd Galaxy with the TeleVue 8-24mm zoom.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/10/2017 at 17:11, Mark at Beaufort said:

Richard if you are looking towards a Refractor this one from Altair Astro is a better quality frac for the same money. I appreciate you don't get the RDF and Diagonal etc - http://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/altair-lightwave-72mm-f6-ed-r-refractor-with-dual-speed-focuser-case.html

I had this Refractor and it was very good and sharp. I also used it with a Herschel Wedge to view the Sun.

I also have looked at that one as well

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/10/2017 at 10:09, gtis said:

Hi Richard 

i am thinking about getting one of these will fit on a decent tripod 

http://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/altair-starwave-70-ed-f6-travel-refractor-telescope-with-dual-speed-crayford.html

neil

Hi Neil,

I use this scope regularly, it is great for taking out in the car away from the local street lights.   It is light enough for using with a decent tripod especially when coupled with the star wave mini az mount and a zoom eyepiece.  Which should sit comfortably within your £500 to £1000 budget.   

I can fit the above into a rucksack with ease. 

Downsides:

1.  Squeaky screw on lens cap.

2.  Minor CA, but I only do visual so this is not a big deal for me.

All in all I enjoy using this scope especially trying to hunt targets with the limited 70mm aperture.

Good luck with the choices

John

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cheers everyone, I appreciate everyone forwarding there opinions.

But I think I will go with this-

https://www.harrisontelescopes.co.uk/acatalog/meade-etx80-observer-telescope-205002.html#tab-2

For a few reasons I do enjoy using goto and I think when I’m either on holiday or I’ve trekked somewhere I think I will just want to observe the targets and there’s an option for purely manual operation so win win.

Clear skies ?✨???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.