I'm planning to come to Australia next year and I am thinking of either bringing a small telescope, around 9 or 10cm aperture, with me, or buying one in Sydney when I arrive.
It'll be for looking at bright DSOs and the Milky Way, as well as the Magellanic Clouds.
What are your recommendations? Budget will be up to $300.
Faith
Lovely to hear you are heading our way. Where and when will you be?
As to a scope, I am not much help with anything smaller than an 8" dob. I am sure there will be observers all over happy to help you out with loaners or sharing some gear.
If your budget is $300, it might be worth buying a 6" dob from Bintel. They are offering a 6" Skywatcher dob for $329, and Andrews has an 8" for $399. A lot more light gathering power than a 9-10cm scope for a lot less hassle than transporting such a scope to the other side of the world would be. AFIAK the Bintel 6" also includes a 10 and 25mm plossl eyepieces, while the Andrews 8" comes with 9, 15, 25mm plossl eypieces, a 10:1 2" focuser with 1.25" adapter, 8x50 finder and primary mirror fan. Excellent value worth considering.
As a wacky alternative you might check out any Astro Clubs in the area that you are planning to visit. Some offer "loaner scopes" for members at a reasonable fee. Membership is generally cheap and the loaned scope would be way under your budget (assuming they offer the program). The other benefit is that it will connect you to some local folks who might be able to recommend good locations etc.
Not sure how you are fixed for transport but that might dictate your choice of scopes...and of course you could check out the used items here and maybe score a bargain for your temporary use.
I'm planning to come to Australia next year and I am thinking of either bringing a small telescope, around 9 or 10cm aperture, with me, or buying one in Sydney when I arrive.
It'll be for looking at bright DSOs and the Milky Way, as well as the Magellanic Clouds.
What are your recommendations? Budget will be up to $300.
Cheers
Faith
Hi Faith. The answer depends on where you're going and how you plan on getting around. If you're heading into one of the large cities and will not have a car (or access to one), you will have to contend with city lights. This means that the DSOs you will see will be more limited.
On the other hand, if you will have access to a car and can get out to some rural or semi-rural locations, your options open up considerably. You haven't mentioned any camera equipment so I assume you are interested in visual observing - which places less emphasis on a sturdy mount and more emphasis on aperture. Your camera tripod will be of some use but unless it is fairly strong, won't hold much of a scope. That becomes more pronounced as the weight and length of the scope increases.
Have you considered a good pair of binoculars? Many have a mounting point which can allow you to attach them to a tripod. A pair of 10x50s would give you access to many good southern objects and have the added attraction of being easily transported.
If you make contact with an astronomy club or group in the locations to which you propose to travel, I have no doubt at all that you will be made welcome and have plenty of options offered to you for loaned equipment and viewing locations. Most amateur astronomers are going to have a spare scope lurking in the back of their cupboard or shed they will happily lend to you. I think that is the place I would start.
Smallish, highly transportable, easily carried on aplane or public transport, no collimation issues to contend with, useful for other things and relatively cheap.
Fay is a very experienced observer,and her normal scope is an 18" dob.
It all depends as Peter said in how she is going to travel
If she was coming to Queensland and had a car she could borrow my 8" SCT
If in Sydney she could buy one through Bintel then maybe sell it before returning to the UK .
Cheers
Actually I was being serious. Seeing as I don't know how OP is traveling? Does OP have their own car? Taking Public transport? etc etc? Does the OP have eyepieces with them?
A table top dob comes with some plossl's if the OP isn't bringing any. With a small folding table and folding chair it would work out well with the mentioned targets.
Someone mentioned a 6" Dob. That's within budget. But, I was thinking about how OP would be getting around is all.
I have a 4" triplet you could borrow whilst you are here. I am tied up with solar observing these days (newborn baby plays havok with nights).
Drop me a PM if you would like to borrow it.
See from your blog that you have been here twice before and observed through large scopes from dark sites, so a little refractor on a tripod may not quite be satisfying.
But comes down to whether you plan to rent a car or not. If you have wheels, there seem to be plenty of people willing to loan you a scope.
But if you are not going to rent a car, then a little second hand "go to" may be an option. Have seen people pack these into luggage when chasing eclipses for example. Hard to see how that would really match up to your 1997 experience though.
Many thanks everyone, there are some great suggestions there. And thank you to those who have offered to loan me scopes. My plans are a bit nebulous beyond the OzSky star party at Coonabarabran, but I think I'll be staying in NSW.
I'm not sure if I'll be renting a car yet. I might but that depends on costs. If I don't, then I'll look at binoculars or a smaller scopes but if I do, then a small dob.
Actually I was being serious. Seeing as I don't know how OP is traveling? Does OP have their own car? Taking Public transport? etc etc? Does the OP have eyepieces with them?
A table top dob comes with some plossl's if the OP isn't bringing any. With a small folding table and folding chair it would work out well with the mentioned targets.
Someone mentioned a 6" Dob. That's within budget. But, I was thinking about how OP would be getting around is all.
Sorry Adrian, I must admit I thought you were taking the p1$$, too! If I hire a car then that's not such a bad suggestion.
