First scope but long wait

[NTgazer (Chris)]

I've taken the plunge and nabbed a good secondhand deal on a scope + mount - details and pics to follow once its been picked up and paid for on sunday, but its in the UK. Not quite as daft an idea as it first sounds as my parents live there and will be coming to Darwin in probably august or september, and my brother who lives in Sydney will be going over there and back in April. I'm thinking of posting some parts like tripod legs and top adapter and the empty telescope tube after having removed focuser and mirrors. Mirrors + probably focuser will travel in a carry-on pelican case with them on the plane and I'll get them to crate up the eq head and take that as hold baggage.
Its going to be a long wait so I'll be reading up as much as I can and keep exploring with my bins in the meantime. May start getting some accessories to spread the cost till it arrives like an EP here, coma corrector there, software etc

[BeanerSA (Paul)]

Wow, that's both cool that you were able to pick up a scope for a good price, but it sucks you have to wait so long.

I'm a fairly frequent visitor to Darwin, and my sister-in-law and grown family all live up there. Whereabouts are you? Good skies?

[NTgazer (Chris)]

We're renting in Leanyer at the moment where skies are good to the north and east, slightly less so looking south especially early evening if there's a footy match on and the floodlights are blaring. Were hopefully moving out to Virginia (about 30km down the track) in about 12 months where its super dark!

[BeanerSA (Paul)]

My niece lives over the road in Wulagi. We'll be up for a couple of weeks next Christmas and she has a small scope, so I might get some time on that!

Virginia! Out in the sticks! I hope you don't have far to drive to work!

[NTgazer (Chris)]

Mine might just have arrived my then you can have a gander through that! I work in Winnellie and believe it or not it will only take me 5 minutes more from Virginia than it does now! (lot more fuel though) Darwin "traffic" haha, remember the old Malibu ad 'total gridlock?' its a bit like that, any more than 6 cars queuing and its a Darwin traffic jam

[NTgazer (Chris)]

So my dad kindly picked up my scope and mount, now the fun begins getting it to me! Got a G-11 digital drive + hd tripod, Orion optics 200mm f6 with 1/4 pv mirror and upgraded focuser, telrad, finder scope, 2 EPs and focus mask for $1570 aud pretty good deal I reckon?

[rustigsmed (Russell)]

Originally Posted by NTgazer

So my dad kindly picked up my scope and mount, now the fun begins getting it to me! Got a G-11 digital drive + hd tripod, Orion optics 200mm f6 with 1/4 pv mirror and upgraded focuser, telrad, finder scope, 2 EPs and focus mask for $1570 aud pretty good deal I reckon?

Sounds like super deal they're gonna have fun lugging all that over! so you better show the parentals a good time

[NTgazer (Chris)]

Sooooo, a year later than expected (had another baby, moved twice, bought a house, chocka at work etc) I finally have my gear! Well most of it anyway haha. Took the new baby over to the UK to show her off to the family and took the opportunity to bring stuff back. I managed one clear night there with my parents and they had their first looks through a scope, I'd almost forgotten how short the nights are in summer there! Literally got gasps and wows at their first sights of jupiter and saturn, it was a really special night that we will all remember forever. Managed to bring all of the G11 (its a solid, heavy b*gger) and all the components of the scope except the bare tube which was a decent effort I thought (it all survived intact). It was an epic struggle at times with a frowning missus, a 4 year old, a baby and 105kg of luggage travelling for 39 hours door to door.

I now just need to source a bare tube to mount the components, any ideas guys? its a 200mm f6 newt, wondering whether to just get a local sheet metal place to roll me one up?

[Ghen (Ed)]

If you are feeling flash how about carbon fibre?

try someone like CST, http://www.cstcomposites.com/product...nd-components/

They do 203, 206 and 220mm id as a standard size, may have an offcut sat on a shelf they would part with for sensible money

[AEAJR (Ed)]

I am in the USA so I can't advise on local sources but people here have built scopes using concrete forms.
http://www.homedepot.com/b/Building-...tialmax&NCNI-5

video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f27s0_S6E0E



You can always built a square wood tube from plywood. That works too. Doesn't have to be round.