Transporting 8 inch Dob in a panel van

[greenery]

Hi guys. I have a Transit panel van, ie a very large space in back with a few attachment points, and a 3 at a squeeze bench style seat up front. Suspension isn't great when lightly loaded.  It doesn't seem ideal for transporting my scope. The one journey I've been on it was in original packaging and wedged securely in the back with lots of other luggage. Any good ideas for journeys with much less luggage? Do folk routinely remove finder scopes and realign each time?

[John]

Removing the finder, racking in the focuser and separating the tube from the mount are the usual steps for transporting a solid tube dobsonian by vehicle. It is also the one time that I used the collimation locking screws as well.

The collimation will almost certainly need re-adjustment before use at the other end of the journey though. Hopefully it will not be too far off if the locking screws have done their job. No need to over-tighten these screws though - Orion Optics used to have a sticker on theirs that said "finger tight only".

 

[Neil H]

Hi I saw a guy once had a cargo net hanging in the back of the van about half way up the sides , the dob went on top with 2 bungee straps holding it in place he said it helps due to the cargo net letting the dob float over the bumps in the road 

[Carbon Brush]

Yes the cargo net sounds good. What you arer tying to do is keep shock and acceleration low. no sudden jolts.
If the scope is swinging about the back of the van (not hitting roof or sides) that is a good environment.

[Neil H]

You get an elasticated cargo net then hang it up pop some long bungee cords to the bottom of net to floor this will stop up travel of the net 

[apaulo]

treat the mrs to a new duvet now you have a spare 1. nice padding for a newt to lay on, jd, and dont drive like a clampet lol

[maw lod qan]

Like others have said, plan on realigning the finder scope and doing a collimation!

 

[greenery]

Thanks guys. I've been googling cargo nets.

[Mr H in Yorkshire]

Way back I helped unpack a very expensive and delicate piece of x-ray equipment. It had been packed in a crate inside a larger crate, from each of the eight corners an elastic was attached so the gear was effectively suspended in isolation from the outer container. The cargo net sounds to do the same thing or you make a bespoke 3 dimensional 'octopus' of bungees.

[Louis D]

I just wrap a heavy duty shipping blanket around my upright Dob and then bungee it to the side near the back of my Chevy Astro van when transporting it.  Collimation doesn't shift all that much.  Of course, I remove all attachments, so they don't get snapped off by something else being transported as it's being loaded or unloaded.  You can put one of those foam cushion squares for long term standing under it if you want to take out some of the shocks to the scope from rough roads.  You can then use it to stand on wherever you end up observing from.