***visual*** Skywatcher Skyliner200 (Dob) vs Explore Scientific 80ed

[dannybgoode]

I don't particularly like walking 5km never mind with a telescope and mount!  Binoculars are a good shout though - get some 20x mag ones and a nice light monopod and you'll actually use them I think and seeing, particularly if you're at a good dark site will be excellent too.

[estwing]

A bag of sugar will be a pain after 5km...try binoculars first 

[Kronos831]

Thanks for the support guys! I found a new spot tonight only 1.5 km away from my house with even less light pollution than thr other place! With plenty of floor for my telescope without grass and mud!  Will take about 20 mins on foot! Me and my friend should be able to carry it that far right? I ll say its worth it 

Maybe some time my friend s dad can drive us too.

What do you think?

[david_taurus83]

Sorry to burst your bubble but I agree with the others. There's no way your going to carry an 8 inch dob everytime on a 10km round trip. Have you seen one up close? I have an 8 inch tube without the base and it takes a bit of wrestling to get it on my EQ6 mount. It's not so much the weight but the bulk of the thing. I wouldn't be happy either putting it all in some sort of trailer behind a bike as there is the risk of damage.  I would go with the refractor and a good alt az mount. Portability should be your priority here until you start driving. Have you got an astronomy club you could visit to get an idea of what you want or need?

 

Edit: Just seen your reply above. Even 1.5km is a trek. Get a bag of cement (25kg) and see how far you can carry that before getting fed up!

[Louis D]

I'd probably go the route I usually recommend for hiking/camping.  A 127mm Mak on an alt-az mount.  Something like this:

You get well over 4 inches of usable aperture, very sharp and nearly color free optics, ruggedness (seemingly no one has ever had to touch the collimation on these including the two examples I own), compactness, light weight, and it is easily broken down into parts for transport.

[Kronos831]

Good to know. i want the best value for money telescope for dsos (planets come in second) (that is portable) so me and my friend can carry it at 1.5 km. Thanks 

 

Kronos

[Nyctimene]

For DSOs:  Skywatcher Heritage 130 P Flextube. Total weight of about 7 kgs,  can be easily separated into two parts. Excellent optics, decent mount, versatile, holds collimation well. Many pleased owners here on. Best bang for the buck. Huge thread on Cloudy Nights forum (One Sky Newtonian = same scope) in the Beginners section.

Stephan

[vlaiv]

Whatever you choose for observing, unless very small scope or binoculars, is going to be problematic transport wise. There is weight involved but more importantly bulk - scopes and tripods tend to be large, so you simply can't put them in backpack and head out (unless very small / portable models).

Can you observe from you home, near by? Is it at all feasible? Might not be the best place for observing due to light pollution, but some observing is better than none. My back yard is very light polluted, but I observe from it more than going to dark place even with car available.

Is cab/taxi service available at your location? Would it be to expensive to use it from time to time?

How about neighbors / relatives? Maybe you can ask for a lift to dark place from time to time, or ask if your parents or parents of your friend can sometimes borrow car from someone to give you guys a lift?

If you have relatively ok place to observe near by and can arrange lift one way or another, one to two times a month, it might be worth considering such arrangement.

[Kronos831]

Oh gosh you are correct! I ruled out taxis because of the cost to get to dark areas was like 20€(to get there and back. But k might just be able to go to closer areas still.Choosing a telescope is no easy task ... I ll take the heritage into consideration but can you guys suggest some more if you d like?(mostly good for deep sky objects Like more visible than just a faint  barely visible blob) thanks!

 

Kronos

[knobby]

Maybe a 6 inch Dob and a McClaren baby buggy ... Silly but might work !

[david_taurus83]

11 minutes ago, Kronos831 said:

(mostly good for deep sky objects Like more visible than just a faint  barely visible blob)

 

Most DSO's are just faint barely visible blobs in a telescope...

[jock1958]

4 minutes ago, knobby said:

Maybe a 6 inch Dob and a McClaren baby buggy ... Silly but might work !

Great idea, smaller more practical scope and those baby buggies are light with off road tyres and suspension which takes care of any bumps on your trek to the dark site!  Job done ?

[knobby]

13 minutes ago, jock1958 said:

Great idea, smaller more practical scope and those baby buggies are light with off road tyres and suspension which takes care of any bumps on your trek to the dark site!  Job done ?

And they fold away nicely, could even double as an observing chair !