Esprit 100 - Storing your scope

[souls33k3r]

Hi All,

Been thinking of upgrading to this bad boy and one of the things that has me concerned (because i have to setup and tear down at the end of each session and it could be days in between sessions) is storing the scope away.

I understand that that when you put the tube rings and dovetail on, the dew shield has to be extended which means this bad boy won't go back in the case it came in (not my scope or image)

The above picture doesn't show the FF or the camera attached but that's ok, as long as FF is attached i'm happy.

But how do you guys store away your scope? 

[Aidan]

I have it’s bigger brother the 120.  The cases as good as they are are impractical for storage when not in use...especially if you are imaging as you don’t want to upset the image train too much.  Like you I have to setup, tear down each time.

I ended up building a cabinet in my garage to put my scopes in.  Nothing fancy, just a wooden box with MDF panels.  Scope(s) sit on the shelf and other bits in containers underneath.   If you store it inside, perhaps find a nice sideboard?

( lovely scope btw... very tempted to get one to fill the gap between my 70mm and 120mm!)

 

[souls33k3r]

Cheers mate, i'm no good with DIY unfortunately so will have to find and figure out a way to store it away. That's why i am reaching out to you good folks to find out.

What a waste of good scope case really.

[Dbswales]

Totally agree. It's a total pain but I've also built a cupboard in my workshop to store it. Just wish it didn't weigh so much!! :-) 

[souls33k3r]

Eeek! you all DIY wizards are embarrassing me right now ... the most i've built is a tower out of Lego and that's it

 

[daz]

So, mine is in an observatory so I don't have that issue - however....

My case was recently stolen by some thieving scumbag so I found it fitted into one the large Duratool type cases - just! It's a lot smaller and easier to store than the proper case and made it easy to transport when I went to Kelling.

 

P.S. the link may not be the exact case, so check the size!

[souls33k3r]

6 minutes ago, daz said:

So, mine is in an observatory so I don't have that issue - however....

My case was recently stolen by some thieving scumbag so I found it fitted into one the large Duratool type cases - just! It's a lot smaller and easier to store than the proper case and made it easy to transport when I went to Kelling.

 

P.S. the link may not be the exact case, so check the size!

Nice one @daz and sorry to heart about the theft mate. I know how to feels.

Would you mind checking the length of the case you bought? The link one is 47cm/18" and I know this scope is 47 cm long but I suspect (please do correct me if I'm wrong) the stated 47 cm length is when the dew shield is not extended and the tube rings are not attached? 

[PhotoGav]

That case looks ideal, especially if travelling with the scope - nice one Daz!

I store my Esprit 100 in my observatory on a modified shoe rack! Thank you Mrs. PhotoGav for the kind donation and finished with a bit of pipe lagging from local DIY store! I use a series of tea towels to cover the scopes when not in use on the rack.

[souls33k3r]

2 minutes ago, PhotoGav said:

That case looks ideal, especially if travelling with the scope - nice one Daz!

I store my Esprit 100 in my observatory on a modified shoe rack! Thank you Mrs. PhotoGav for the kind donation and finished with a bit of pipe lagging from local DIY store! I use a series of tea towels to cover the scopes when not in use on the rack.

Mate, that's very neat. 

I think I should change the title of the thread to "How do you store your scope", might give people ideas too

I have the same case as Daz mentioned in the above post which I used for my Star 71, but for my EdgeHD, I kept the original box and bought a large suitcase and the box was a perfect fit. It stays in a nice cool place. 

Since my Star 71 is now gone, I was hoping to reuse that case for potential Esprit 100 which might be a very very tight fit but I need to know the actual length of the scope when the dew shield is fully out and the rings and dovetail are attached. 

I'm also thinking, maybe a cricket / hockey bag would do the job? 

[RayD]

Geoptek do a great range of padded soft bags which are ideal for storage.  The case the OTA comes in is really a travel case, and of course you need to strip it all down to fit it back in, but worth it if you are shipping it around.

For me any OTA's not in use or on a mount are in scope specific bags with a couple of desiccant pouches.

[newbie alert]

I can look after it when you're not using it!

The offers there..seems a waste to put it in a box

[souls33k3r]

42 minutes ago, RayD said:

Geoptek do a great range of padded soft bags which are ideal for storage.  The case the OTA comes in is really a travel case, and of course you need to strip it all down to fit it back in, but worth it if you are shipping it around.

For me any OTA's not in use or on a mount are in scope specific bags with a couple of desiccant pouches.

That's exactly what i've been doing by putting a couple of (dozen) desiccant pouches (that my Networks colleague from work seems to leave a couple every few days because he knows what i use them for  ) 

The Geoptek is a good shout mate. Nice one. 

While i was travelling back from work, i noticed that on FleaBay there are a couple of Aluminium cases (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-X-LARGE-Aluminium-Flight-Case-Tool-Box-With-Foam-Block-680x300x190mm/312224183735?hash=item48b202f5b7:g:Zh4AAOSw7PBTobUg)

The reviews aren't so great but then again i just want a box to put it and then store it under the bed rather than someone (pesky kids ... i love them really, promise ) accidentally kicks it.

27 minutes ago, newbie alert said:

I can look after it when you're not using it!

The offers there..seems a waste to put it in a box

I have used my wide FOV scope in the last year and a half more than my EdgeHD so no you can't have it ... unless you say pretty please ?

[ollypenrice]

If the lens cap is on and the back end sealed with a cap it can happily live on a shelf anywhere in your house. I live in a somewhat rambling old house which means that I can't always remember where all the telescopes are at any one moment so I ask my wife. She says, 'Is it the white one?' That's an easy question because they are all white, so I say, 'Yes.' And we go from there...

lly

[Davey-T]

4 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

She says, 'Is it the white one?' That's an easy question because they are all white,

And thank the lord they are all white except one which means Mrs T can't tell one from tother, it'd be a different story if I had multicoloured ones 

Dave

[souls33k3r]

4 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

If the lens cap is on and the back end sealed with a cap it can happily live on a shelf anywhere in your house. I live in a somewhat rambling old house which means that I can't always remember where all the telescopes are at any one moment so I ask my wife. She says, 'Is it the white one?' That's an easy question because they are all white, so I say, 'Yes.' And we go from there...

lly

Cheers Olly.

That made me chuckle

Unfortunately i can't leave my kit lying around the house like that. It has to be tucked away somewhere and would be best if it is in some kind of a storage case because then it doesn't look untidy. Also i've got two young kids in the house, even though they know not to touch daddy's stuff but kids are kids, accidents happen and i would very much like to avoid any of that to happen to my kit

 

 

[ollypenrice]

6 minutes ago, souls33k3r said:

Cheers Olly.

That made me chuckle

Unfortunately i can't leave my kit lying around the house like that. It has to be tucked away somewhere and would be best if it is in some kind of a storage case because then it doesn't look untidy. Also i've got two young kids in the house, even though they know not to touch daddy's stuff but kids are kids, accidents happen and i would very much like to avoid any of that to happen to my kit

 

 

Well, you know, DIY isn't difficult. It's a product of necessity. If you need to make it you will make it. If you live in rural France you have to make it, so you do. The key insight is this: for anything you want to make, the bits to make it are readily available. You want to make a box? You can buy corner brackets. This is just an example. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078MLWJ6K/ref=sspa_dk_hqp_detail_aax_0?psc=1

Whatever you want to make, someone has wanted to make it before you and someone else has designed generic bits to make it easy for you. This is true, honestly.

Olly

[gorann]

What!

I have an Esprit 100 on its way here and I now know it will not fit in the box (I do not fancy removing the dovetail every night). I like to keep my scopes out of the dust so hanging them on a shelf does not sound like a good option. Then a plastic box from something like IKEA sounds better. Have to go shopping for a platic box tomorrow and later find a long term solution.

[souls33k3r]

27 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

Well, you know, DIY isn't difficult. It's a product of necessity. If you need to make it you will make it. If you live in rural France you have to make it, so you do. The key insight is this: for anything you want to make, the bits to make it are readily available. You want to make a box? You can buy corner brackets. This is just an example. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078MLWJ6K/ref=sspa_dk_hqp_detail_aax_0?psc=1

Whatever you want to make, someone has wanted to make it before you and someone else has designed generic bits to make it easy for you. This is true, honestly.

Olly

Good God man, you're very inspiring  

As much as I'd love to make things, I do not have the space to carry out such tasks unfortunately so I have to little bit rely on what's readily available or better yet, an alternative to what I think I might need or can work. 

I'm just a guy who's reaching out to clever cogs to find out how people are storing their scopes or at least this scope which might inspire me or others

[souls33k3r]

1 minute ago, gorann said:

What!

I have an Esprit 100 on its way here and I now know it will not fit in the box (I do not fancy removing the dovetail every night). I like to keep my scopes out of the dust so hanging them on a shelf does not sound like a good option. Then a plastic box from something like IKEA sounds better. Have to go shopping tomorrow and later find a long term solution.

Ouch! Sorry mate but at least a timely post. Please do let me know what you end up buying and what worked for you. I'd be very much interested in knowing that.

What camera and FW are you using? Will you leave everything attached?

[gorann]

I will remove the cameras each night. This is no problem since from night to night it may be everything from a DSLR to my ASI or ATIK. But I have no intention of removing the rings and dovetail. Yes, I will tell what I find and see what you find and trust that everyone else will tell us if they have good solutions. The ideal could be a dust proof scope cabinet. It may be that a scope like the Esprit 100 is a special case since you cannot retract the hood with the rings attached - it is just too short. But this is the whole idea with a relatively large aperture but short FL scope, so SW, why did you not make the box big enough? My Esprit 150 came with the rings and dovetail on so it still fits in its box,

[mikeDnight]

Buy an AZ4 and leave the scope set up on it in the corner of a room. No need to box it away!

[gorann]

8 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

Buy an AZ4 and leave the scope set up on it in the corner of a room. No need to box it away!

Does not work if you do not have a mansion but have half a dozen scopes.... (and do not like dust on the scopes)

[ollypenrice]

https://www.plasticboxshop.co.uk/box-finder-t781

These people invite you to plug in your measurements to find what you're looking for.

Olly

[Peter Drew]

Try 38"-24"-36" and see what they come up with.    ?

[ollypenrice]

30 minutes ago, Peter Drew said:

Try 38"-24"-36" and see what they come up with.    ?

Peter, behave!

lly

PS . Anyway you're showing your age: these days it's 15"-"15"-15."