View Single Post
  #12  
Old 09-05-2014, 08:28 AM
Wavytone
Registered User

Wavytone is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Killara, Sydney
Posts: 4,147
Hi Martin,

I have had some experience travelling by air with maks and cassegrains.

Long ago I flew to Tasmania to see a solar eclipse, with a Celestron 8 dismantled so that the OTA went in a sleeping bag cover as cabin luggage and the fork went in the luggage along with a very squat compact base I had made instead of the usual wedge and tripod which are far too big to take. At that time the domestic airlines limit was dimensions, not weight; from memory the bag weighed in at 45 kg. while it is only just feasible, stripping the mount isn't a good idea to do regularly.

I've also tried flying with a 4" SCT and 6" Mak. For the 4" SCT I used a solid camera tripod for the mount, very easy to fly with. While it is perfect for solar eclipses, too small for deep sky. The 6" skywatcher Mak with an EQ mount likewise is equally suitable to fly with, though you have to leave the legs out and make yourself a smaller base that can fit in the luggage.

Consequently I'd have to say that a 6" Mak or SCT - either a skywatcher Mak, or the Meade lightswitch 6" - will be the practical upper limit, however in both cases you'll have to think carefully about how to mount it, and possibly make a compact base of some sort.

An alternative could be to leave a tripod base at home, and another at the mine and just carry the scope.
Reply With Quote