More portable telescope than 10" Dob?

[Alasdair]

On the excellent advice of people on this forum, a few years ago I bought a SkyWatcher 10" collapsible Dobsonian. The idea was to spend my money on good optics and large mirror over mounts and goto systems. A very sensible choice.

The trouble is that as a fairly large and bulky instrument I'm getting poor usage from it - and that has been exacerbated by moving recently into a first floor apartment, which means lugging up and down a flight of stairs.

So I'm wondering about a possible alternative... something lighter and more easily portable. Can anybody recommend such a scope?

Thank you very much.
-A.

[dannat]

can you get a trolley for it?

you could get a SCT or Mak, or a 5" heritage 130, maybe a refractor, how do you want to mount it

[Alasdair]

I could possible get a trolley, but the problem is getting it up and down stairs, and also across uneven ground - there's a large sports field near me which is unlit at night and I reckon would be perfect for observing.

Maybe a three-wheeled trolley...?

[dannat]

if you downsize telescope the views will be less than what your used to, something like a 5" mak will give good lunar/planet views, could put it on a basic tripod

[AEAJR]

So the objective is something that is smaller and lighter so you can more easily take it up and down a flight of stairs, preferably in one trip.

Here are some suggestions.* Note I am from the USA so the link are to USA sources.** You would need to look for local sources.

Can you store a table or box of some kind on the ground floor? Maybe a picnic table or something else you can use? Perhaps something you can keep in your car.

AWB 'ONESKY' REFLECTOR TELESCOPE – Tabletop - 130 mm - 14 pounds
Reviewed in Dec 2015 Sky and Telescope – gets many good reviews. Collapsing design makes it very compact for storage and for transport. Includes finder scope and 2 eyepieces
Frequent out of stock situations so plan your purchase.
http://store.astronomerswithoutborders.org/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=4&zenid=f6qh5ob9np9qmqj5tia3qer8s7
Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-muZ9KRMY40


Celestron Omni XLT 102mm AltAz refractor - all up around 14 pounds
https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-22150-Omni-102mm-Refractor/dp/B014EQ1LB2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479916061&sr=8-1&keywords=celestron+102+refractor+te lescope
Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oiPcZy2SQc


How about a 6" Dob? - Can you carry 35 pounds as a unit?

Orion XT6 Classic Dobsonian Telescope Starter kit including barlow, moon map, observers guide, planisphere, red flashlight, 25 mm eyepiece - about 35 pounds but can be moved in 2 pieces.
6”/150 mm
http://www.telescope.com/Telescopes/Dobsonian-Telescopes/Dobsonian-Telescopes-with-Free-Shipping/Orion-SkyQuest-XT6-Classic-Dobsonian-Telescope-Kit/pc/1/c/12/sc/398/p/116304.uts?refineByCategoryId=398
Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zonuiO7h4gs


Interested in GoTo?

Orion Starseeker IV 150 GoTo – 22 pounds
Computer assisted and motorized, will find the targets and then track them.
http://www.telescope.com/Orion-StarSeeker-IV-150mm-GoTo-Reflector-Telescope/p/113917.uts?keyword=starseeker%20IV
Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7goOnANFZQ
How to align and use
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0a4HKmEDGo

[Benjamin]

I've just been trying out a Skywatcher f9 ED100 on an AZ4 mount with aluminum legs. Can easily move it all in one go. The steel legged mount would be more stable but the Al is lighter and can go lower (which suits my daughter). Vibrations only lasted a second or two at 225x. It seems, at this early stage of trying it out, it's a very nice compliment to the 12" Dob. The views of Jupiter and Saturn were excellent and it picked up M8 well enough without a filter (I'm about 7km from Brisbane's city center). I wouldn't get rid of the bigger Dob but adding a nice ED refractor offers lovely crisp views of brighter objects, could be used for photography if you wanted to get a tracking mount later (although f9 is quite slow), isn't too heavy, doesn't need to cool down like the Dob or collimating, and with an AZ mount you're viewing in seconds. Might be better AZ mounts too but I'm happy with the AZ4 :-)

[glend]

Have you thought about one of the ultra portable dobs like the backpack dob, shown here:

www.cloudynights.com/topic/529412-10-lightweight-travel-telescope-by-the-dobson-factory/

Dobstuff in the US makes some ultra portables as well, talk to Dennis there.

http://www.dobstuff.com/

[AEAJR]

Alasdair,

Did you find a new, more portable telescope?

:question:

[dimithri86]

I am suffering from the a similar problem with a 10 inch dob.

My plan is to do a ultraportable conversion...somthing similar to this
http://www.dobstuff.com/scopes.htm


I really cant give up my 10" light bucket power.

I am a competent woodworker, so it can be made at home.

[Tropo-Bob]

I have several AZ mounts, but as always, I have been on a long quest for the perfect mount. I have had the same AZ4 with alum legs for about 10 days and am happy with it. It is amazingly light, but handles my Vixen 115mm without feeling like it is under strain. (Although, I have not pushed beyond 130x as the seeing here is not great). Strange really, because I really had my doubts about quality when I first assembled it.

I often use scopes under 100mm and gain much pleasure from doing so. However, this is a compromise as I normally will not bring out out my quality gear when humidity is high, which in this area is from the beginning of Jan to the end of April.

Having said that, I did agree that 100mm is the magic point where refractors start to give really great views.

So, I whole-heartily agree with the previous advise.