Requirements for a travel setup & kit recommendations for dark sky location.

[duncanjameshill]

Hey,

I'm 6 weeks away from a family holiday to La Palma, which coincidentally happens to be a great place for stargazing.  We are flying and checking luggage.  None of my existing gear is suitable for travel, except eyepieces of course, so this looks like a good time to expand the collection 🙂.  I'm only looking at visual observation, wide field views and no astrophotography. I am still an absolute beginner, so please don't assume I know what I'm doing or what kit will be most suitable!!! 

I am looking at buying...

 

Sky-Watcher Evostar 72ED DS-Pro OTA

AZ GTi WiFi Alt-Az with the supplied mount from FLO.

 

I plan to also take...

 

2" diagonal from my Sky-Watcher Evostar 100ED DS-Pro

Baader Hyperion Zoom Eyepiece

 

My first question is - is there a bit of kit that you would recommend for this that I'm overlooking?  A particular eyepiece or filter maybe?

and second - would you be OK with packing your mount, eyepieces and diagonal in your checked luggage?

 

The 72ED comes in an aluminium case which I plan carry on with me.  I hope that there might be room in there for an eyepiece or two and maybe the diagonal, but, if the general consenus is that they are OK checked, then that's less to carry around.  Actually, that does pose a third question - would you be OK putting your OTA in a backpack as carry-on, well supported, instead of the hard case?

 

If there are any recommendations for a different scope or mount & tripod for travelling, they will also be appreciated 🙂. The kit from FLO comes in at just under £700. I could go another £200 maybe for something that would make a difference to the experience. 

 

Thanks,

[knobby]

Not sure if they are still around but used to rent scopes , worth a query maybe ?

Mobile phone / Whatsapp: 0034 - 650 719 231

Email: info@casa-rosabel.com

[Tony Acorn]

Hi Duncan, I too am something of a newbie. My suggestion would be that, in order to make greater use of the mount subsequently and maybe even later some AP work, you might want to have something that can be run through an auto-guider and with a handset. That would push you towards the Star Adventurer GTi which has the same paylod but is somewhat heavier.

I bought the Star Adventurer 2i wifi Pro and, whilst it works fine with my ZWO ASiAir Mini, it doesn't have the capability of connecting s SynScan or similar handset. The AZ GTi mount you mention has the handset port but no other guiding input.
If you won't be ever trying any AP over the life of this mount, it is probably fine.

[duncanjameshill]

1 hour ago, knobby said:

Not sure if they are still around but used to rent scopes , worth a query maybe ?

Mobile phone / Whatsapp: 0034 - 650 719 231

Email: info@casa-rosabel.com

That's a great idea actually - I have found their website and emailed them. 

Long term, I am still looking for a grab-and-go setup and might still go for the SW 72ED setup at a later date, if I do rent on holiday.

[duncanjameshill]

1 hour ago, Tony Acorn said:

Hi Duncan, I too am something of a newbie. My suggestion would be that, in order to make greater use of the mount subsequently and maybe even later some AP work, you might want to have something that can be run through an auto-guider and with a handset. That would push you towards the Star Adventurer GTi which has the same paylod but is somewhat heavier.

I bought the Star Adventurer 2i wifi Pro and, whilst it works fine with my ZWO ASiAir Mini, it doesn't have the capability of connecting s SynScan or similar handset. The AZ GTi mount you mention has the handset port but no other guiding input.
If you won't be ever trying any AP over the life of this mount, it is probably fine.

I did look also at this mount, but ultimately I won't be doing any AP with this setup. I have a SW 100ED and HEQ5 which I would use if I ever got into it.

[Elp]

I use the azgti, fully autoguided EQ mode. But, I'd err towards a manual alt az mount for this purpose. Less to think about, no batteries, no technical issues, less to pack.

[Louis D]

2 hours ago, duncanjameshill said:

would you be OK with packing your mount, eyepieces and diagonal in your checked luggage?

I don't know about Europe, but many US airports in larger cities have issues with organized gangs fleecing travelers of valuables from checked bags.  Typically laptops, tablets, jewelry, cameras, etc. are stolen.  I'm not sure they'd recognize astro accessories as valuable on their checked bag X-ray scans.  They typically have someone in security who is woefully underpaid designate bags for "further inspection" where an accomplice then opens the bag for inspection and confiscates "suspicious" items, closes the bag without a note explaining what was "confiscated", and sends it on to its destination.  Investigative reporters have put hidden Air Tags on such items in checked luggage and tracked them to their ultimate destinations.  The police just treat it as lost luggage, and thus a civil matter.

[jjohnson3803]

I have an American-branded 72ED and I like it.  The dew shield retracts so it's only about 12 inches long for travel.  It is a chunky monkey, about 2.8kg, with the stock two-speed focuser.  The positive side of the weight is it's built like a tank.   I would not carry it in a backpack though, only a hardshell case of some kind.

Being an ED, it shows noticeably less CA than my 80mm achro and gives sharp views.

I use it on an carbon fiber tripod with a relatively light alt-az slo-mo mount (ScopeTech Zero).

Good luck and enjoy your trip!
 

 

 

[Elp]

The good thing about small refractors is that there's an assortment of camera bags which they'll fit perfectly into. If theyre good enough for hundreds/thousands value of camera equipment... It'd be down to the probability of the smoothness of the travel.

Edited June 3 by Elp

[duncanjameshill]

6 hours ago, Louis D said:

I don't know about Europe, but many US airports in larger cities have issues with organized gangs fleecing travelers of valuables from checked bags.  Typically laptops, tablets, jewelry, cameras, etc. are stolen.  I'm not sure they'd recognize astro accessories as valuable on their checked bag X-ray scans.  They typically have someone in security who is woefully underpaid designate bags for "further inspection" where an accomplice then opens the bag for inspection and confiscates "suspicious" items, closes the bag without a note explaining what was "confiscated", and sends it on to its destination.  Investigative reporters have put hidden Air Tags on such items in checked luggage and tracked them to their ultimate destinations.  The police just treat it as lost luggage, and thus a civil matter.

This is terrible. Not heard anything like it in the UK, but who knows?!?!

[Paz]

Here's some other bits of kit that would significantly broaden what your scope can do without much extra bulk/weight/cost...

A baader solar film filter so you can do white light solar in the day. 

A cheap UHC filter so you can have a good go at nebulae at night.

A 45 degree erecting prism to turn it into a spotting scope in the day.

A baader 2.25x barlow for the zoom eyepiece... ok this isn't so cheap but it is small and it means that zoom covers almost the whole use able spectrum that the scope can deliver.... or going back to being cheaper, any barlow would do.

Personally I'd also get a red dot finder and a 6x30 right angled finder as I always have those on any set up I use but with your zoom eyepiece you could get by ok with neither or just an rdf.

[duncanjameshill]

30 minutes ago, Elp said:

The good thing about small refractors is that there's an assortment of camera bags which they'll fit perfectly into. If theyre good enough for hundreds/thousands value of camera equipment... It'd be down to the probability of the smoothness of the travel.

I guess you're right. The case is obviously perfect for the scope, but a bag I can also use for other carry on essentials.

[Elp]

A lot of people wrap their otas in some of their clothes for padding utilising all the space. The limiting factor will be carry on luggage size by airline.

You could also consider binos for portability, I've found large aperture ones though by volume, are quite comparable to say a 50-60mm refractor.

Edited June 3 by Elp

[duncanjameshill]

2 minutes ago, Paz said:

Here's some other bits of kit that would significantly broaden what your scope can do without much extra bulk/weight/cost...

A baader solar film filter so you can do white light solar in the day. 

A cheap UHC filter so you can have a good go at nebulae at night.

A 45 degree erecting prism to turn it into a spotting scope in the day.

A baader 2.25x barlow for the zoom eyepiece... ok this isn't so cheap but it is small and it means that zoom covers almost the whole use able spectrum that the scope can deliver.... or going back to being cheaper, any barlow would do.

Personally I'd also get a red dot finder and a 6x30 right angled finder as I always have those on any set up I use but with your zoom eyepiece you could get by ok with neither or just an rdf.

I do have a Barlow, so that can go in 😁. I'll check out the other items tomorrow - FLO website is like a sweet shop to a kid 😂. 

[Louis D]

On 03/06/2024 at 10:40, Louis D said:

I don't know about Europe, but many US airports in larger cities have issues with organized gangs fleecing travelers of valuables from checked bags.  Typically laptops, tablets, jewelry, cameras, etc. are stolen.  I'm not sure they'd recognize astro accessories as valuable on their checked bag X-ray scans.  They typically have someone in security who is woefully underpaid designate bags for "further inspection" where an accomplice then opens the bag for inspection and confiscates "suspicious" items, closes the bag without a note explaining what was "confiscated", and sends it on to its destination.  Investigative reporters have put hidden Air Tags on such items in checked luggage and tracked them to their ultimate destinations.  The police just treat it as lost luggage, and thus a civil matter.

Here's an article about how a passenger was able to get criminal charges brought against someone who stole her luggage, but only after tracking down their items, peeping in windows, and calling the sheriff.

[Carbon Brush]

A few tips for holiday viewing....
You won't have a lot of time, so take items that are 'place and view' with no setup time.
Your tripod (to be part of your 20Kg or similar luggage allowance) will be a size/weight/rigidity compromised model, so take some string. Really?
Use water bottles filled with sand slung under the tripod to keep things more stable.
Even doing the above, think in terms of a wide field scope.
50mm binos are great and work in daylight.
At 28deg N the sky won't be too unfamiliar.
A DSLR and wide lens on a undriven mount can provde memorable images.
Finally - enjoy!

[PeterStudz]

29 minutes ago, Carbon Brush said:

A few tips for holiday viewing....
You won't have a lot of time, so take items that are 'place and view' with no setup time.

This is very true and one that surprised me when I went on holiday with a small telescope. You think that you’ll have all the time in the world, but family, dinning/drinking in the evening, can get in the way. And where we went (it required a short walk) it was so dark that after a while my daughter got scared being alone with nothing but me and goats. Well, the sound of goats in the dark didn’t help! Again, something I hadn’t anticipated.

Be familiar with your equipment and practice using it before you go. I didn’t do this. And it’s the little things. Eg at home I have on “observation hoody” with big pockets for most eyepieces & accessories. I’m  also next to a table. And it’s light enough that I can make out which eyepiece I have. However, on holiday I had none of that (too hot for a hoodie so just shorts & t-shirt). And it was so dark I had trouble finding stuff, or where I’d put it down. So the red light torch was in far too often. 

But as said above… enjoy!

[Elp]

The time depends on your sleeping arrangements. If you have a yard or a favourable balcony and decently low LP you can setup and use without going far at all.

[Carbon Brush]

My experience of holidays in hotel/village/resort is that there is usually a bright light (well lots) in your vicinity. You have to move to view.
However, once you walk a short distance the situation can improve considerably.
For example in clear dry air, devoid of european particulate pollutants, it gets very dark only a few metres from the light.
I saw this particularly in Egypt (Red Sea). A bright light polluting hotel vanished after sheltering behind a wall.
Also be ready for the unexpected. Goats are OK. Dark is OK.
In the Maldives, an island security man thought it a good idea to shine a toch at me. I invited him to take a look through the kit.
Despite living and working under little light pollution and presumably looking out to sea, he had never used a telescope, or binoculars.

Dewing can be a problem. In the Maldives, we had air con running in the room to keep us at a pleasant 22C.
Take the kit outside to the night 30C very humid air and suddenly the condensation you normally associate with bringing kit indoors becomes an outdoor problem!
There are two solutions.
The first is to leave kit outside to warm up before use.
The second is to put kit in the fridge where it is colder than outside and there is little moisture.

Edited June 7 by Carbon Brush

[PeterStudz]

1 hour ago, Elp said:

The time depends on your sleeping arrangements. If you have a yard or a favourable balcony and decently low LP you can setup and use without going far at all.

I could and did do that. Where we were there were no roads and more importantly no cars which is usual and made a huge difference. Car headlights are a pain in the… And only a small number of buildings plus a few small hotels. But there was always a balcony light(s) of some kind in the way. I’d even get up for 2-3am but there was still light. I find that in Bortle 1-2 any little white light is a spoiler.

However, walk about 10mins and it was totally dark. 10mins was hardly any effort but made a massive difference. So there was a big temptation to go for that.

[Louis D]

13 hours ago, Carbon Brush said:

Dewing can be a problem. In the Maldives, we had air con running in the room to keep us at a pleasant 22C.
Take the kit outside to the night 30C very humid air and suddenly the condensation you normally associate with bringing kit indoors becomes an outdoor problem!

Sounds like Texas in the summer.  It often doesn't drop below 90 F until 9pm.  The dewpoint is up around 80 F, so dewing becomes an issue early in the early morning.  I just brought my equipment in from outside tonight and left everything uncapped in the A/C with ceiling fans running to dry out everything.  I took a 45 minute power nap and then capped and put away everything.

[Stephenstargazer]

One solution for transport is to put the mechanical parts in checked in and optical in carry on. This lot went through 5 long haul flights to NZ and back. 60mm refractor, manual mount sith DSC, regular tripod. Being able to locate fuzzies in unfamiliar skies is a challenge, though I have star hopped on previous visits.However - I still rate binoculars and star atlas as simple, portable, totally reliable, fast and effective. So best bet for first attempt? Oh and dont forget the rest of the luggage that has to be carried into and out of taxis, airports and accommodation!

Edited June 9 by Stephenstargazer