What car do you drive ... or, how do you move your scope around?

[toryglen-boy]

i read alot of talk here about people moving thier scopes around, some of these instruments are pretty big, so i thought i would ask the question "what car do you drive", or "what do you use to move your scope around" as it suddenly dawned on me, i drive the most impractical car ever for Astronomy ..

http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i246/Toryglen-Boy/mx5-1.jpg

[Omaroo]

LOL! MX5s an astronomy aren't a great combination.

I drive two - a Land Rover Defender which has PLEEEEEEEEEEEENTY of room, and a SAAB 900 Turbo which has a hatch big enough to put a full-sized fridge in.

I guess most in our club drive either hatches or station wagons. There are a few sedans, and it's always fun seeing the struggle. :whistle:

[sheeny]

Oh, I don't know... you can carry binoculars quite comfortably in that!;):whistle:

I drive a Toyota Hilux dual cab 4WD diesel, but hopefully my days of moving my scope around are few and far between now I have a POD!:D

Al.

[toryglen-boy]

A station wagon, is a car from the police station, right ?

:ashamed:

[erick]

OK, translation for the Brit - an "Estate" car :D

[taminga16]

"what do you use to move your scope around"

I have a lightweight box trolley (slightly modifided) and just push my 10" dob 50metres from the house and wait until it all cools down. (All under very dark skies in Central Victoria).

Regards,

Greg.

[toryglen-boy]

ahhhh .... thank you.

and a sedan is the same as a saloon, right?

:D

[Omaroo]

Yes. Darn Brits! LOL! :whistle:

:D

[erick]

And the police car, try "Paddy Wagon" or "Divvy Van"! :eyepop:

[toryglen-boy]

ah yes, well call them "meat wagons"

i take it everyone here drives an auto? i couldnt believe it when i see the vast majority of cars here are auto, i can understand why, for easy travelling of vast distances, but i just found it crazy ...

:rofl:

[erick]

I have no trouble transporting my 12" solid tube dob with my Lancer............








..........as long as I pull a trailer. :sadeyes:

Here was my attempt without a trailer........
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showpost.php?p=288705&postcount=26 :screwy:

[leon]

Bugger, :whistle: mine can't move, it is stuck to its Perm Pier, in the Observatory, :lol: :lol: anyway that's OK, I quite like it that way.;)

Leon :thumbsup:

[Dog Star]

Trolley for me as well. Only have to move it about 25 meters.
One of these days though, I might take it down the local clay pans where there aren't quite the horizon obstructions that I have in my yard. In which case I'll be using the trusty XF ute or utility. (I call it "The Uterus.)
Dunno what they call 'em in other countries. Pick-up truck, I think.

[Nightshift]

I think probably I have the most impractical car for astronomy
http://users.tpg.com.au/denelf/vet.jpg

But I aint getting rid of it in any hurry, in the mean time I use my wifes Mitsubishi Magna wagon.

Cheers, Dennis.

[Hagar]

Easy enough to move Leon, just gotta get brave.

I use a Nissan SUV. and a Camper trailer and quite often if a couple of us go away the lot is full.

[sheeny]

Not me. I drive a manual.:thumbsup:

I think the autos are popular in the cities... all those traffic lights and stop start traffic:screwy:.

Al.

[Ric]

We have a Crewman which is a 4 door Ute. A fantastic beast.

Cheers

[Glenhuon]

Mitsubishi Starwagon here. Plenty room in it for all the astro gear and me and the cat too.
Shortly to be joined by a 15ft Viscount pop top caravan. Astro Gypsy, Wandering Wullie is heading for the road again :)

Bill

[BerrieK]

Well I usually carry my 8" Newt and mount about 15 metres from the house!!

But have driven it around in the boot and backseat (OTA removed from mount) in a little MANUAL Hyundai Lantra (yep it would be funny to watch it being inched into the boot).

Our other car is a dual cab Mitsubishi Triton 4WD ute...also a manual...but my Husband has dibs on that car most of the time.

I am looking at getting something bigger for myself that I can also tow a horse float with (for the horse not the scope), manual of course!! I hate automatics, they are a very dull drive.

[MrB]

We call them meat wagons too, but it's reserved for the canvas covered wire cage variety of cop car. A rarity these days.

Oh and I drive an old bunky, '85 AE82 Toyota Corolla Hatch-Back, plenty of space!
For a 6" dob.... :D

[Rodstar]

At a squeeze I can get my 20 inch scope into our Honda Odyssey. But to reduce stress, and fit some passengers in the car, I make use of a 7'x4' high sides trailer. Works a treat!

[astro_nutt]

I fit my 10" F 4.9 dob on the back seat in an insert made from the original carton..(cut down as much as possible with the foam inserts glued in)..a home-made mount sits behind the front passengers seat while the rest of the gear including tent, etc and the foodstuffs, stove reside in the boot...the vehicle is a 1991 falcon sedan..and I still have room to spare!!!
Cheers!

[astroron]

I usually move my 16" with attaching wheelbarrow handles to the base.
It can comfortably fit into my 1992 Mitsubishi Verada Station Waggon:thumbsup:

[ving]

astra 3 door. nice and big in the back for everything, but i put the ota in the front seat so it can see where its going :P

[Calibos]

If thats all available load area behind the drivers seat then I got ya beat. I can fit my new 16in Lightbridge in this. Trusses even oversized chinese ones, Ya gotta luv 'em :thumbsup:

[Stuart78]

I cart my 10"Dob around in my wifes Lx8 Holden Adventura,heaps of room
or when she needs it i pop it in the back of my Rodeo 4x4, my inlaws live on over 2000 really dark acres in Gippsland so i normaly cart it out there, only 20 mins up the road... :thumbsup:






Stu>>>

[Paul Hatchman]

Rod, if I can fit my 20", eq platform, a passenger, an esky, eyepieces, scope covers etc into a Holden Astra, you should have no trouble fitting your 20 into a Honda Odyssey.