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I just went for it.

LukeSkywatcher

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

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I am off to Lanzarote on the 14th and instead of bringing my usual pair of 10X50 bins i have just ordered myself one of these:

Celestron travelscope 70

The scope is only 70mm apeture. Not GREAT but will do much better under the darker Lanzarote skies than a 70mm scope would do from my garden.

The tripod looks flimsy (i think i have a Hamma tripod the same as it).

But for 75 euro....................what the hell. It comes with its own backpack that will sit on the back of my wheelchair and i can take on the plane as hand luggage.

It weighs in at about 3 Lbs.

SURELY it has to be better then a pair of 10X50 bins.

I will also be bringing my collection of EP's and my TAL 2X.

It may keep me away from all those Irish bars in the resort.

I also will only be taking my Nikon 7.5 Mp digicam cuz it is less weight then the Canon 450D+Horizon 8115 tripod.

I'm just chuffed that i will be taking a scope away with me for the 1st time ever.

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

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I think it only has a f/l of 400mm (F5.7).

So what EP's do you think i should bring?

I only have about 8 EP' (ranging from 4mm-40mm) and a TAL 2X.

I suppose i can bring them all and give them a go.

Infact the more i look at the tripod the more i am sure it is EXACTLY like the Hamma tripod i bought in Lanzarote a few years ago for about 40 quid. Its solid enough when the legs are as short as can be but if you extend the legs it is very unstable.

Here's a picture of it. The guy in the photo is a big guy (as am i). It looks TINY.

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

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Oh HELL!!!!!!!. I didnt think to check if the scope takes 1.25" or 2" EP'S.

I'm gonna ASSUME it is 1.25".

Can you tell me either way from these specs of the scope what size EP's it takes:

I dont suppose it matters much as i mainly use EP's of 9mm,15mm,20mm and 30mm.

This scope comes with a 10mm and a 20mm........as do most scopes.............so really for the price i think i know what to expect.

It will just be lovely to have a scope with me.

I LOVE my Bresser 10x50 bins but the 70mm apeture on this scope should work very nicely indeed.

I'm excited. I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas day. Its been a while since i bought any astro gear but THIS purchase excites me cuz i can actually take it outside of my back garden. I also havent had a holiday in 3 yrs.

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

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My original plan was to be away for the Persied meteor shower but my dog needs to be vaccinated for kennel cough at least 14 days before i put her in kennels so i had to push back my holiday by a couple of days.

I may catch a few late late Persieds (NAKED EYE) but i am not banking on it. I just want my travelscope to try to observe ANYTHING for the week i am away.

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

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Thanks YM.

I have both a 10mm and 25mm EP that was supplied with my SW 130P.

Pretty good EP's compared to the 10mm and 20mm crud i got with my Celestron 90EQ. So i will be using my SW 10MM AND 25MM.

I will be just soooooooooo happy to see ANYTHING.

I dont think that the travelscope will show DSO's. I'll be happy with it if i see a single star or the moon.

Its been weeks since i have observed ANYTHING.

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

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Looks like a great little scope! :mad:

I just checked the latitude of Lanzarote, it's 29N.. that means you'll be able to see all the way down to Dec -61, so make sure you take plenty of notes so we can all get jealous. :D

Talk about putting me under pressure. Most of the time i dont know what the hell i am observing..........i just enjoy the beauty of.

I really am not one for keeping logs or reports.

The single reason i bought this scope was because i can take it on a plane as hand luggage.

It should be here by midweek (wed)

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beetlejuice

beetlejuice

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Looks like a great little scope! :mad:

I just checked the latitude of Lanzarote, it's 29N.. that means you'll be able to see all the way down to Dec -61, so make sure you take plenty of notes so we can all get jealous. :D

I was in Playa Blanca in Lanzarote in 2008. Our villa faced directly south so I could sit out on the bedroom balcony with the bins and get a great view of the Scorpius/Sagittarius region. This area is down and below the horizon at my latitude of 56N so it was really great to be able to see objects I hadn't seen before. For really dark skies, I drove a few miles out of town to a car park at one of the lava fields near Es Golfo. It was a novelty to be viewing at 1am in just shorts and a teashirt. Try that in Glasgow and you'd get hypothermia (assuming it wasn't cloudy of course!).

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

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I've just been reading MANY reviews of this scope and the overall impression is very good. It does exactly what it says on the tin. Its great for observing the moon and planets,clusters. It wont however show nebs, but that isn't surprising. The tripod is IDENTICAL to my little Hama tripod and is very unstable when the legs are fully extended but its pretty solid when the legs are fully retracted.

Basically it is a great little grab and go scope for astronomers from northern/western europe who are suffering from depression because of the clouds, to chuck in a suitcase and take on holiday (once that holiday doesnt involve staying in northern/western europe).

p.s.~~~i took the "no cloud" insurance policy that was offered with the scope (25 euro).

LOL.

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