The walk of doom…

[DavieH]

Hello Heids and welcome from another newbie with an evo 8.  If you don't get on with the strap another option would be a big-ish rucksack. I use one to move the ota and mount in one go and find it easier to go up and down steps with it on my back (better for balance and I can see where I'm going!). Plenty of used ones on gumtree/ebay.

Only problem is that it knocks the finder out of true so have to spend a few minutes re-aligning at the start of a session.

[iapa]

19 hours ago, Heids said:

Thanks all

Yes I have a dew shield, and will be deploying it. 

The size of the OTA and my stature is the issue. I am 5’6” in my garden crocs and if I am hugging the OTA it’s awkward and I won’t be able to see the steps which will add to anxiety about navigating the steps. Maybe I need to practice with the mount and the OTA together as the carry handles on the mount are useful, but still quite heavy (I am a strapping lass, but still). If the manufacturer says don’t split OTA and mount unless you have to then I don’t want to on a regular basis. I will fit the straps and see how I feel about that from the risk POV and then I may well invest in the handle. Transporting mount and OTA together would be optimum, from the sounds of things.

I have done a little reading through threads this morning and I understand the cool down process much more now. 

Hubby is an early to bed kinda guy so whilst I will have help getting it all in situ, at 3am I am on my own getting everything back in the house. 

At the moment it is all theoretical and I am possibly overthinking due to being worried about keeping everything as safe as possible. 

I appreciate you all giving me help, thank you. 

I appreciate that the 12lb 8oz OTA is a significant weight for a wee lass of 5’ 6”, so you might consider something like the Oklop carriers? Or the more expensive option from Celestron.

If you choose that route, I’d open the bag and dust cover once indoors to let it breathe and dissipate dew.

Personally, these days I put a Telegizmos cover over and take things in in the morning.

I doubt that Celestron recommend moving the complete rig, and having read their manual for the Evolution, I can’t see that recommendation.

With a EVO’s combined weight in the region of 3 stone, these days I’d balk at that (6’2” build like brick kludgie), 5 yrs ago carrying in the 60lb tripod/mount/OTA was easy - then.

After getting the tripod where I wanted it, I’d glued some 1p pieces on the patio where the tripods legs went - makes set up quicker. In the lawn, I dug in three bricks just below the grass level- so smallest edge was up, and again marked leg position.

Another thing I did was to add all attachments to the OTA when on a table, and balanced it on the dovetail on a round pencil, and marked pivot point with a fluorescent marked - only needs a dot. Then marked the middle of the mount plate - quick and easy initial balance which should be enough for observing.

 

[Heids]

9 hours ago, DavieH said:

Hello Heids and welcome from another newbie with an evo 8.  If you don't get on with the strap another option would be a big-ish rucksack. I use one to move the ota and mount in one go and find it easier to go up and down steps with it on my back (better for balance and I can see where I'm going!). Plenty of used ones on gumtree/ebay.

Only problem is that it knocks the finder out of true so have to spend a few minutes re-aligning at the start of a session.

Hi Davie, yeah the whole walking with it in front of me as I am short means I really can’t see where I am going, so it’s an accident waiting to happen. I have found a company in the states which makes “scope totes” which look to be covers which go around the OTA and then have carry handles, have emailed them to ask about shipping etc. I have the carry handle option someone posted last night on order - 7 quid on amazon! the rucksack option is also a good idea. 

We have gravel immediately off the steps to the garden, then we have a gravelled area and then law. I am going to suggest to Marital Unit that we get the immediate area by the steps paved and made very level as that will make things a lot easier. 

The way the cloud cover is looking for the next week, that may be a good option as it will probs be finished by the time this telescope gets stars in it’s viewfinder. 

 

[Heids]

10 minutes ago, iapa said:

I appreciate that the 12lb 8oz OTA is a significant weight for a wee lass of 5’ 6”, so you might consider something like the Oklop carriers? Or the more expensive option from Celestron.

If you choose that route, I’d open the bag and dust cover once indoors to let it breathe and dissipate dew.

Personally, these days I put a Telegizmos cover over and take things in in the morning.

I doubt that Celestron recommend moving the complete rig, and having read their manual for the Evolution, I can’t see that recommendation.

With a EVO’s combined weight in the region of 3 stone, these days I’d balk at that (6’2” build like brick kludgie), 5 yrs ago carrying in the 60lb tripod/mount/OTA was easy - then.

After getting the tripod where I wanted it, I’d glued some 1p pieces on the patio where the tripods legs went - makes set up quicker. In the lawn, I dug in three bricks just below the grass level- so smallest edge was up, and again marked leg position.

Another thing I did was to add all attachments to the OTA when on a table, and balanced it on the dovetail on a round pencil, and marked pivot point with a fluorescent marked - only needs a dot. Then marked the middle of the mount plate - quick and easy initial balance which should be enough for observing.

 

Those balancing tips are great thank you!

I invested in a rhino bag which arrived the other day it’s very nice and I think will do the job, if the handles I have speculatively ordered or enquired about don’t work out. 

Also looked into paradors options for making handle units, there is possibly a market for these, albeit not so many short amateur astronomers as me about

[iapa]

10 minutes ago, Heids said:

Those balancing tips are great thank you!

I invested in a rhino bag which arrived the other day it’s very nice and I think will do the job, if the handles I have speculatively ordered or enquired about don’t work out. 

Also looked into paradors options for making handle units, there is possibly a market for these, albeit not so many short amateur astronomers as me about

If you are looking at handles, then, I believe that @JeremyS is the god of handles.

[Cosmic Geoff]

1 hour ago, Heids said:

Those balancing tips are great thank you!

Actually, I do not think that balance is important with a powered alt-azimuth mount. I have my C8 pushed as far forward in the clamp as it will go, to minimise the potential for bulky accessories to hit the mount when aiming near the zenith.  The worst that can happen is that the azimuth clutch will slip and ruin the GoTo alignment. (You can test the resistance of the clutch, if you dare, by pushing down on the OTA tube end.) The Evolution has a high-quality gear train so there should be no need to worry about overloading it.

I recall reading an discussion on the US Cloudynghts forums about Celestron alt-azimuth GoTo mounts being loaded with heavy cameras and other accessories - and no problems reported.

[SthBohemia]

Off the main topic, but still! Lucky you Heids living within the US of A. Gary Russell will post you eyepieces (he no longer likes anyone who is unfortunate enough not to live within USA). He has a range of 2" eyepieces in the range of 52-85mm. Maybe consider purchasing one?  The good news being IF you detest your purchase you can sell it to ME 🙂 at whatever price you paid 🙂

I purchased a 2" 16.8mm from him some 20 years ago and it is still a great performer (even after being used by the cats as a toy) at a small FRACTION of the price of the high profile advertisers!

[iapa]

1 hour ago, Cosmic Geoff said:

Actually, I do not think that balance is important with a powered alt-azimuth mount. I have my C8 pushed as far forward in the clamp as it will go, to minimise the potential for bulky accessories to hit the mount when aiming near the zenith.  The worst that can happen is that the azimuth clutch will slip and ruin the GoTo alignment. (You can test the resistance of the clutch, if you dare, by pushing down on the OTA tube end.) The Evolution has a high-quality gear train so there should be no need to worry about overloading it.

I recall reading a discussion on the US Cloudynghts forums about Celestron alt-azimuth GoTo mounts being loaded with heavy cameras and other accessories - and no problems reported.

I just like to minimise strain where possible, especially where motors and gearing is involved. Part of my OCD.

The worst that can happen surely, is the clutch slipping and the OTA colliding with other metal work? Not currently an Alt-At user so unsure of clearances these days - but in the past I certainly did have my Alt-Az clutch slip and the OTA hit the tripod, that was an Newtonian tho’ and longer that the SCTs under discussion here.

 

[Heids]

47 minutes ago, SthBohemia said:

Off the main topic, but still! Lucky you Heids living within the US of A. Gary Russell will post you eyepieces (he no longer likes anyone who is unfortunate enough not to live within USA). He has a range of 2" eyepieces in the range of 52-85mm. Maybe consider purchasing one?  The good news being IF you detest your purchase you can sell it to ME 🙂 at whatever price you paid 🙂

I purchased a 2" 16.8mm from him some 20 years ago and it is still a great performer (even after being used by the cats as a toy) at a small FRACTION of the price of the high profile advertisers!

I live in Oxfordshire, not in the US, it’s nice, but a pain for getting stuff sent over here from the US

[SthBohemia]

4 minutes ago, Heids said:

I live in Oxfordshire,

Sighs, just another example of the continual state of confusion that plagues me...

[Elp]

I've found having a short tripod helps a lot too. Not so much when you've got a long refractor and looking near the zenith though, gladly I don't.

 

[Heids]

2 hours ago, Elp said:

I've found having a short tripod helps a lot too. Not so much when you've got a long refractor and looking near the zenith though, gladly I don't.

 

Yes, this is something I need to look at when (newscopecloudcoveritis not withstanding) I get it out in the garden and actually in use. I did a level terrestrial focus yesterday (scope passed that test very nicely) and the eyepiece height was perfect, but that might need to change when I am perched on my stool outside. 

[Heids]

Amazon Prime saves the day again. I am awaiting the scope tote chap to get back to me but in the meantime this will help me loads. As you can see Padre Pio is blessing the scope and helping me in my quest for no clouds (this household enjoyed the Gomorrah TV series and enjoyed the sub quest of finding the Pio’s in the background).

It’s been pigging cloudy since I got this beautiful bit of kit, so tomorrow I practice dismantling and setting it up, til it is finely tuned like a pit stop. 

[Spile]

I have the same straps and they work well as you can see https://astro.catshill.com/carrying-the-skywatcher/

[Heids]

12 hours ago, Spile said:

I have the same straps and they work well as you can see https://astro.catshill.com/carrying-the-skywatcher/

The only modification I have made is to glue a chunk of thick polystyrene under the connector as it is metal and I don’t want scratches on the OTA, but its good to hear it works so well for you. As soon as I anstalled it I knew it would be good!

It has eased my mind a lot - now to get rid of the clouds!