Quote:
Originally Posted by Hypnotist
Hey guys,
yeah I'm 15, so what? Aren't 15 yr olds allowed to be interested in astronomy? What makes me incapable of lifting a 14" OTA? I'm 6 ft! That's probably taller than a number of you!
Enough of that! How would y'all transport a 1400 HD and the rest of the mount?
Bart
|
No one is saying a 15 yo can't be interested in astronomy. However, you are being offered a lot of sound advice,
Your upgrade path is not the norm (70mm - 350mm aperture)
The scope is not really portable - it is possible to transport it, but most would say this scope needs a home and a permanent pier.
You imply you are a beginner in astrophotography - such a scope is definitely not for a beginner at astrophotography - extremely high magnification requires impeccable guiding and atmospheric conditions.
To say that what you are wanting to do is impossible is wrong, but NASA didn't fire their first Rocket at the moon, they launched a few into orbit first.
I speak from experience. I bought an LX-90 8 inch when I got back into Astronomy. I thought I knew what I was doing, and that autoguiding would make it easy to image at long focal lengths (2000mm) on a low quality mount - I WAS WRONG! I have since bought a high quality mount and have started imaging at 600mm focal length (your scope is 3500mm) - much more successful. If I hadn't taken a major step back in focal length, I am sure I would have been frustrated to the point of giving the hobby away.
You seem to have enthuasium and the funds to buy good gear. You need to work out what your goals are - visual or astrophotography. I think a lot of us have assumed you want to get into astrophotography from your comments in this and other threads. Visually, you would have an awesome setup. It would not be awesome for a beginner at astrophotography. If you want to do imaging, why not use your money to buy something more appropriate. Friends and family are often not impressed by faint fuzzies seen visually, but they do go wow at impressive colour photos. Join a club and see what others are using.
On the transport of a large scope - search the web for some images of a fellow who transports a similarly sized Meade scope in a custom built trailer. I think he also uses a small crane to manoeuvre it onto a tripod.
DT