Scope transport case

[Rocketron]

Hi,

Having just become the proud owner of a nice used Celestron C9.25 I would like to transport it from my light polluted garden to a dark site.

Anyone know where I can get hold of a transport case that doesn't cost a fortune.

Thanks

Ron

[Astro_Baby]

Try these guys

Telescope-Service: Geoptik Carry Cases

I have their case for large newtonians. They got me the case fast and were pretty reasonable. The other place to try are SCS Astro but I found them a bit slow off the mark - I think they do cases by Orion which are similar but in a more restrained color

[Rocketron]

Thanks Astro_Baby,

See what you mean about the colour of the teleskop service scope covers, you would certainly stand out from the crowd with one of them:)

I might try SCS first as I am a restrained sort of guy really.

Once again thanks for your help.

Ron

[Astro_Baby]

The Teleskop Service cases arent actually as glaring as that pic makes them look. They are slightly more restrained but quite flashy.

I have one for the scope and one for the mount head. Makes life a bit simpler lugging it all about.

I wish I could find something that made carrying the counterweights a bit easier. 15kg of counterweights is no fun.

I have seen a few steel boxes but they are pricey - I;d prefer something like a gas mask case style thing.

[Macavity]

It's sometimes worthwhile checking out DIY stores. Some of these mobile (wheeled) plastic toolboxes are of potential use, for short, fat scopes. Most of their wheels are not really suitable for "off road", but maybe for shorter distances. FWIW, I bought a few of the non-wheeled variety (they're always useful) and made some MDF inserts to hold stuff. I stack them on a "Maplins Trolly" and hold them in place with velcro-type "safety belts". Of course, were I physically fitter...

Aside: It's AMAZING how heavy even the simplest "grab and go" setup becomes, when you include EVERYTHING though. On a trolly, "balance" is key, but you have been warned! Maybe one of these motorised golf trollies?

[Rocketron]

Hi there,

I tried SCS Astro but they want around £160 which seems a bit steep for just the OTA case, or maybe considering the value of the scope it's not too bad.

Astro_Baby

Telekop are based in Germany by the look of their website, did you order by phone or internet, what was the shipping cost like and delivery time?

Macavity,

I have been looking in the DIY stores but I just can't seem to find the right shape / size, also there is the problem of finding some foam.

I like idea of the golf trolley, might be more suited to moving my 14" dob around, now that is a back breaker:(.

[Astro_Baby]

Teleskop are in Germany - I did a quick check and I reckon you'd end up paying £130 from them what with Euro exchange rate.

I found them easy to deal with, the web purchase was easy enough, they kept me informed by email as to what was going on and got the cases here very fast - thing it was about 7-10 days which considering the trip was pretty quick going.

Based on that I'd order from them again if they had something I couldnt get locally.

Might be worth sending an email and asking - they might do a deal I suppose if they have stock. I bought when the exchange rate was a bit more favourable.

[wingman]

I use a Gunn & Moore cricket bag for my newt. I knew it would come in handy again one day, it hasn't had any cricket related use for years

[Rocketron]

Thanks Astro_Baby,

I might just give Teleskop a try, Don't suppose the colour is too bad

Failing that it may be a trip down to Gunn & Moore for a look at their cricket bags:undecided: (Thanks Wingman)

Cheers

Ron

[Vulpecula]

Think CHEAP...

For this sort of thing a trip to your local "Pound Shop", LIDL or Netto supermarket can yield the most exciting results.

It doesn't have to say "Telescope Accessory" on the packaging to be superb for that purpose.

I saw a "Lazy Susan" in IKEA over the weekend and thought to myself: One day, I'll build a Dobsonian Scope entirely out of IKEA parts...

[Rocketron]

Think CHEAP...

"For this sort of thing a trip to your local "Pound Shop", LIDL or Netto supermarket can yield the most exciting results".

Thanks Vulpecula, I appreciate your suggestion but the thought of trusting Nearly £1K worth of Scope to a box from Pound Shop would bother me slightly

[Vulpecula]

I've always done pretty well for camera bags, sports bags etc. and found them no less robust than ones (probably from the same factory) that someone's sewn a brand-name logo on to.

But obviously you need to buy the one that makes you feel happiest :-)

[steve_bham]

i always try and buy a good case for cameras etc, you would only kick yourself if anything went wrong!

[Vulpecula]

i always try and buy a good case for cameras etc, you would only kick yourself if anything went wrong!

Sure - but my point is that cost doesn't equal quality when it comes to accessories. You want quality and robustness sure - but don't assume that's where your money is going when you purchase branded accessories.

In designing and manufacturing a mainline product, we might demand improved specifications from one of our far-east suppliers in order to fit our brand's international reputation, but for things like carry-cases and connecting cables etc. they're often just standard components rebranded - perhaps in a custom colour.

The profit margin on branded accessories is completely arbitrary.

One of the best examples of this, is Denon's infamous ethernet cable (worth just a few dollars and cents) which (being Denon branded) they sell for five hundred dollars (yes - that's a five hundred dollar ethernet cable) - as shown here:

Denon USA | AK-DL1

- and so it is with equipment bags and cases too.

It's amazing how people think that an accessory is imbued with mystical properties and priceless value simply because we've got a 3rd party manufacturer to print our logo on one of their standard, off-the-shelf products.

But anyway, people must obviously buy whatever makes them happy (as I've said) but for those who aren't aware of it, I think that it's worth mentioning the way that this market works - just for the benefit of those who don't want to be ripped off by accessory purchases... ;-)

[Astro_Baby]

DOnt disagree but for a scope its tough to find a bag that will fit something like an 8" Newt and give it protection. I looked all over the place and could find non-astro gear that might do the job but it was always almost as expensive and/or not really up to the job.

Trying to find a flight case that would take the Nexstar 4SE was a good example - JMI do one for about £130 - if you shop around you can get other cases that with some mods would do the job but they are nearly always pretty expensive and by the time you have costed in getting foam inserts, driving hither and yon to find the parts etc its hardly worth the bother.

[steve_bham]

I wasnt saying that buying "named" goods is the way to go but buying good "quality" regardless of make. Its the good old saying "you pay for what you get"

I do a lot of hiking and climbing and to get good gear you have to pay the price. cheap super market rucksack £20 proper mountain rucksack £150+ but it will last many many more years than the cheap one.

[PhillyDee]

I have 2 geoptik bags, one for my Skywatcher 200p and one for my EQ5 head. I can also fit 2 counterweight in the EQ5. They are good quality, and give you a bit of confidence when travelling with them. I got mine from Bern at Modern Astronomy (Modern Astronomy - For visual, video and CCD Astronomy) Give them a ring as they are not listed on the website, but can be ordered. If you want some pics etc, then let me know.

[Vulpecula]

Its the good old saying "you pay for what you get"

Unfortunately (or should that be fortunately? ) that's no longer true - assuming that it ever was. The global market economy actually relies on it being untrue.

cheap super market rucksack £20 proper mountain rucksack £150

Indeed - as I said in my last post: "In designing and manufacturing a mainline product, we might demand improved specifications from one of our far-east suppliers to fit our brand's international reputation"

I agree with you: If we specifically made our reputation by making premium rucksacks - well, that's a main line product, and so whilst we may still use the same factory as a leading supermarket brand, we might specify triple-stitching on all seams, fabric treated with some specific coating that we like, and colours that are consistent with other products that we are releasing that year. Clearly that deserves a premium price. But this is the specialist case; not the case of a company whose range merely happens to include some rucksacks for completeness.

We see this same thing going on with eyepieces. I've noted in the past that posters in Stargazers Lounge and other forums can have a particularly good nose for sniffing out which far-east factory certain eyepieces come from, and what minor variances differing brands have (coatings etc.) on eyepieces that have come from the same tooling, in the same factory. That helps you find cost savings without compromising on the features that matter most to you.

Anyway - sorry - I'm getting dreadfully off topic . The original poster said:

"Anyone know where I can get hold of a transport case that doesn't cost a fortune?"

- and I just meant to point out that if you don't want to pay the premium for a brand who specialize in the design and manufacture of high-durability cases, then (within obvious limits) there's significant cost savings to be had by being flexible and inventive with products sourced from elsewhere, without sacrificing quality or robustness.

But sorry - I did end up rambling a bit!