Advice on a bit of gear

[BenM]

I've been interested in astronomy for the better part of my life, I'd say maybe 28 years now. Stargazing has been a part of that. However, I've never been a gear junkie. In fact, I don't have anything at the moment other than a field guide.

I've looked through other people's scopes at some events, like the popular 8" SC type and I've spent a little time in modest observatories with much larger scopes than I would ever own. Most of it seems like a lot of bother for an individual observer such as me. Still, I have a good opportunity to do some more observing since I moved to Nevada and I would like to take advantage of it as best as practical.

The yard of my little house is poor because of two blumming sodium vapor street lights front and back. However, I can walk half a mile to a field just outside the neighborhood. It's a dark site where the milky way is clearly visible. If I drove a few miles, there are very dark sites indeed but mostly I observe from the field a half mile down the road.

Ideally, I would like some gear that I could put in a backpack or a Pelican case on a hand truck with some pneumatic rollers. Actually, I have a jogging stroller with bicycle wheels that I use quite a lot. Then I don't have to bother driving the truck which the dog hates.

I don’t really need advice on my “first scope” so to speak because I may very well just buy a 10x50 or a 15x70 binocular. Rather I would like to hear what direction you would lean toward for a 2nd or 3rd scope or binocular if you were to backpack it or at least keep it small enough to fit on a bicycle or a little pram.

I was thinking a 70mm binocular should be quite good, or a scope perhaps not more than a lightweight 3.5" Mak or a short 90mm refractor. A Questar or a Tak 90 would sort of be the ultimate I suppose but I would probably go for similar designs from Celestron, Orion, Meade etc. $1500 with mount and tripod is reasonable for me but I think I could do quite well for less than that.

For a binocular I have a Manfrotto tripod that is rated for 12 lbs that I think would be fine with a parallelogram mount like the Orion Paragon-Plus. I would also carry a tripod stool. Of course for shorter sessions I could just handhold the binocular which gives them an advantage.

So I would be looking for something in the 20 pound range including the mount and tripod. A small Dob could work but it’s a bit bulky. I’d like it to be backpackable.

If you know of anything like this that is truly worthy of coveting, I would appreciate the tip.

Thanks

[Dave S]

Have a look a this

Meade ETX 80 AT Backpack Package GOTO Telescope | Telescopes | Rother Valley Optics

Dave...

[nicnac]

skywatcher 102 mak and it will sit nicely on a horizon 8115 tripod.

prob the best luggable set up in my view

[Dave S]

I actually use the skywatcher skymax 102 goto. That plus power tank plus stool all fits in my 65 litre rucksack.

Dave...

[rowan46]

I carry a nexstar 5 on my back admittedly in a large backpack but regularly do a 1/2 mile walk with it for longer journeys I use one of those bike trailers that convert to a stroller

[Moonshane]

These are great suggestions. On the binocular front I use this set up http://stargazerslounge.com/equipment-reviews/110130-manfrotto-682b-monopod-triton-ballhead-action-grip.html as my 'holiday scope' and for a quick look around either when I don't set up the scope of as the scope is cooling. I bought this actual kit of the OP. The bins are quite heavy (about 2.5 kilos) but superb for the money.

I think total cost new for the scope and monopod and pistol grip would be £270-300 for the bins and £150 for the mount. So you could get both with the budget you have and have something spare for eyepieces etc. It also gives you a choice as to what you take.