Let's see your grab n go lightweight setups.

[stephec]

It was a Celestron Firstscope that got me into observing, but once it was replaced with a Skywatcher 150 I shamefully cast it aside and neglected to take it out. 

Recently though I've realised how easy it is to just take it outside and point it upwards, and when I'm working away it comes in really handy. 

[garryblueboy]

9 hours ago, Mr Spock said:

Judging by the size of some of these scopes we have a different definition of 'lightweight'!

To me lightweight would be something where you could pick up scope and mount with one hand.

Both of mine I can pick up with one hand scope or binoculars in one mount in the other 

[garryblueboy]

Ok how about this then nice and portable 

[Marvin Jenkins]

Takahashi Crocs to go with the rig. 

[garryblueboy]

7 minutes ago, Marvin Jenkins said:

Takahashi Crocs to go with the rig. 

Lol 😂 

[Marvin Jenkins]

You might be laughing but there are loads of Tak owners that would pay four X the going the rate for those. A small niche opening in the market that Tak could exploit.🤣

[Ratlet]

45 minutes ago, Marvin Jenkins said:

You might be laughing but there are loads of Tak owners that would pay four X the going the rate for those. A small niche opening in the market that Tak could exploit.🤣

With regular crocs the holes are so your dignity can escape.  With Tak crocs it's so money can get out.

(I say that as a dedicated croc wearer)

Edited March 23, 2023 by Ratlet

[Elara]

I’ve recently acquired a 100/800 APO (weight, less eyepieces <5kg) and I’m thinking of a Vamo Traveler mount  

Is a Gitso Systematic tripod too high a spec?
I saw this setup on the Baader website under reviews of their 95/580 Travel Companion and the green eyed monster came calling!

Cheers for anyone’s thoughts…

 

[Stu]

1 minute ago, Elara said:

I’ve recently acquired a 100/800 APO (weight, less eyepieces <5kg) and I’m thinking of a Vamo Traveler mount  

Is a Gitso Systematic tripod too high a spec?
I saw this setup on the Baader website under reviews of their 95/580 Travel Companion and the green eyed monster came calling!

Cheers for anyone’s thoughts…

 

I have a Gitzo GT5542LS which I use with a ScopeTech Zero and mainly with a similar spec 4” scope. I don’t think the tripod is over specced for that setup, it is a great combination of stability vs lightness. I can carry the whole rig outside with one hand quite easily.

[Elara]

56 minutes ago, Stu said:

I have a Gitzo GT5542LS which I use with a ScopeTech Zero and mainly with a similar spec 4” scope. I don’t think the tripod is over specced for that setup, it is a great combination of stability vs lightness. I can carry the whole rig outside with one hand quite easily.

Lovely setup and thank you for your thoughts 

[Highburymark]

5 hours ago, Elara said:

I’ve recently acquired a 100/800 APO (weight, less eyepieces <5kg) and I’m thinking of a Vamo Traveler mount  

Is a Gitso Systematic tripod too high a spec?
I saw this setup on the Baader website under reviews of their 95/580 Travel Companion and the green eyed monster came calling!

Cheers for anyone’s thoughts…

 

As you’ll probably be aware, there are lots of Gitzo Systematics to choose from. They’re wonderful - among the best camera tripods on the market, but still for high powered astronomy, it’s advisable to take the advertised payloads with a certain pinch of salt. I’ve always stuck to the assumption that if your kit doesn’t exceed half the marketed payload, then you should be fine. 

[JeremyS]

6 hours ago, Stu said:

I have a Gitzo GT5542LS which I use with a ScopeTech Zero and mainly with a similar spec 4” scope. I don’t think the tripod is over specced for that setup, it is a great combination of stability vs lightness. I can carry the whole rig outside with one hand quite easily.

Lovely. Worth putting the bunting out for, Stu 👍🏻

[Stu]

44 minutes ago, Highburymark said:

As you’ll probably be aware, there are lots of Gitzo Systematics to choose from. They’re wonderful - among the best camera tripods on the market, but still for high powered astronomy, it’s advisable to take the advertised payloads with a certain pinch of salt. I’ve always stuck to the assumption that if your kit doesn’t exceed half the marketed payload, then you should be fine. 

Very true Mark. I think mine is rated to 40kg but I wouldn’t put anything like that on it. I think a 4” and a C925 has been the most I’ve put on it and that was towards the limit for stability.

 

[Stu]

17 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Lovely. Worth putting the bunting out for, Stu 👍🏻

Tee hee, was my daughter’s birthday party 😊

[Elara]

1 hour ago, Highburymark said:

As you’ll probably be aware, there are lots of Gitzo Systematics to choose from. They’re wonderful - among the best camera tripods on the market, but still for high powered astronomy, it’s advisable to take the advertised payloads with a certain pinch of salt. I’ve always stuck to the assumption that if your kit doesn’t exceed half the marketed payload, then you should be fine. 

Thank you for that … very useful …

The choices of suitable mounts/tripods,  both grab n go and ‘backyard’, are myriad, so thank goodness for SGL and other ‘cloudy’ places!

 

[Nik271]

For grab and go white light solar my current favourite is ...the Celestron Astromaster 80 (!!) and a wedge.

Seriously it works well,the OTA is just a 1.2kg, I can lift the whole set up one hand . There is a bit of CA at higher powers but who cares, the sun can do with a bit of colour anyway 🙂

[LDW1]

2 hours ago, Nik271 said:

For grab and go white light solar my current favourite is ...the Celestron Astromaster 80 (!!) and a wedge.

Seriously it works well,the OTA is just a 1.2kg, I can lift the whole set up one hand . There is a bit of CA at higher powers but who cares, the sun can do with a bit of colour anyway 🙂

CA on the sun ?

[Nik271]

It's a fast achromat, F5 and naturally suffers from chromatic aberration (CA). The Sun in white light at high power does have purple fringing, unless you use some colour filter.

[Roy Challen]

1 hour ago, LDW1 said:

CA on the sun ?

Yup, the brighter the object, the more likely it is to occur. My f/16 achro shows CA on the sun, using a solar continuum filter removes this at the expense of a green sun.

[LDW1]

53 minutes ago, Roy Challen said:

Yup, the brighter the object, the more likely it is to occur. My f/16 achro shows CA on the sun, using a solar continuum filter removes this at the expense of a green sun.

I never noticed with my f5, f5.4, f5.5, f8.4 refractors, I will have to check that next time out. Unless it is just barely noticeable.