Intro post - joele

[joele]

Hi all...

On the weekend I bought a second hand (but mint) BinTel 10" Dobsonian. It was a good balance of aperture/size/cost I think, about the limit size wise that I would be comfortable carting around in the car..

I did have a question regarding case/bag, any decent suggestions available here in Australia? or build your own box?

I found this one but the shipping cost is HUGE..

http://www.optcorp.com/orion-soft-padded-case-for-10-dobsonian-otas.html

I would just feel more comfortable transporting it in the care with some type of casing..

[Pinwheel]

Welcome to IIS, Good sized dobsonian 10". Just consider that once you construct a transport container it will be bigger & heavier to load & unload. I have a 12" dob and it's a challenge just rolling it to the door..lol

[Wombat68]

How much was the shipping cost for this item ?

[raymo]

I have carted my 10" Dob around for years without damaging it.
Sits across the back seat, held in place by the seat belts.
raymo

[Pinwheel]

I wouln't be buying from the USA at the moment as the Aussie dollar to the greenback conversion is a killer right now. Wait a while.

[joele]

I think it was US$68 so another $87 Australian so all up looking around $220 or so Australian for the bag, too much, I would like it but not at that price..

[barx1963]

Joel
With none of my scopes have I bothered with cases for transport, more trouble than it is worth.
I see you are in Melbourne, if you are looking for a dark sky, would you be interested in the Snake Valley Astro Camp in March. It is just outside Ballarat and info can be found here http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=130984

Cheers

Malcolm

[joele]

Yeah that is how I got it home, may have to be the long term solution unless I build my own box/case..

[geolindon]

a few of us use inexpensive sleeping bags. if you have access to a sewing machine or needle n patience :) they can be improved with webbing reinforcing and carry handles.

for 4wd ute transport on rough tracks, i bought a large masters/geelong metal toolbox ($114) and used the original Styrofoam packing plus some foam for the OTA - similar would work in a trailer e.g.

cheers, Lindon

[joele]

Geolindon - Nice suggestions will look into it..

barx1963 - will have to talk to my partner about the camping, the kids would probably enjoy camping out.

[madwayne]

Hi Joel

Good choice of telescope. I have a 12" solid tube and it is huge, picture a hot water tank. I transport mine in the front seat of my Aurion with the seat laid flat. Pillow against the side , I don't even worry about the seatbelt as it sits against the glove box with another pillow between the base and the glove box. The mount sits on the back seat, camping gear in the boot with the Esky and batteries and away we go.

I've never attended the Snake Valley camp (one day) but if it is anything like the other camps I've attended, go for it. Particularly if you have any questions as there are always willing minds more than willing to answer you.

Enjoy and I hope your skies are clear. We're fogged in here at the moment and doubt there will be much going on till the weekend.

Wayne

[joele]

So clear sky and decided to drag the scope out in the backyard and couldn't find much interesting, was rather disapointed but in suburban Melbourne I thought I couldn't expect much more. Lots of light pollution and I am sure plenty of pollution in general..

then at 11pm...

I fired up SkEye and used it to find jupiter, wow, impressive a bit blurry I could make out the reddish colour and definitely see bands/striations and four bright moons... Took a photo with my RX100 through the viewfinder, not great but enough to give an idea of what I could see, was very hard to hold the camera still and focus, need a mount of some kind.. Was very impressed and after I dragged my partner out she admitted it was pertty cool, and then wanted me to point it at the moon so I had to carry it out the front of the house.

I have two eyepieces at the moment both just possles (15mm and 9mm).. Jupiter was bigger with the 9mm but I could actully see more detail (I thought) with the 15mm? same when looking at the moon I just couldn't ever seem to get the 9mm to be crisp, like it was always slightly out of focus, or just cheap soft glass?

[barx1963]

Joel
Well done on getting some observing done. Jupiter is quite a sight!
The softness of the view at higher powers is mostly the atmosphere. If Melbourne is anything like Colac tonight the seeing is rubbish, very unstable.
And bright objects like the moon and planets really suffer the most.
Anyway you have discovered an important lesson, magnification is not always the best way to get detail.

Malcolm

[byronpaul]

Hey Joel,

well done on finding a few targets :thumbsup:

If you've got Skeye, depending on you horizon, try for NGC104, NGC5139 NGC2070, M42. You should find these big 4 and they'll blow you away.

Whilst seeing isn't too good tonight (despite the seemingly clear sky), these targets are big and bright enough to get a descent look, even in light polution.

The conditions of the sky are likely one reason you can't make the star pinpoint, but have you collimated the scope?

Collimation, at 1st is daunting, but it's actually a doodle. Its simply a process to align the optical path.

If you haven't done this, I suspect that's part of the reason for your lack if crispness. Do a google or ask questions here on this separate topic if you need some assistance in this area.

Enjoy.

Paul

[erick]

Hi Joel

Just throw a travel blanket around the tube unit after you put it on the back seat. They are very robust. I bounced an 8" Bintel and then a 12" Bintel around in cars and trailers for some years - they seldom even went out of collimation!

Head for Snake Valley camp - that's where I did my early learning.

You actually have room for the wife and kids after you have the telescope and all the necessary accessories packed in the car? :confused2:

Enjoy the sky
Eric

[joele]

7 seat outlander with roof pod, and only 2 kids.. :rofl:



will try next up, thanks



I have just ordered a Cheshire Collimating Eyepiece, so will get back to you on that one, instructions seem straightforward enough..