76 replies to this topic

[Stellar1]

My limit for grab and go, any larger than 130-ish and it becomes work, im a scarwny nerd! 

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[Sacred Heart]

  Do you even need a counterweight? i mean, look that the size of that mount! wow, Beautiful scope btw.

Stellart,

 

Thank you.  The scope pictured is a 130mm refractor, I'm not top heavy because of the scope, mount yes.  I go slow, never come close to a spill.  As of this writing.

 

I'm going to stick with the 130 for now until I get a permanent building.

 

Joe

[Sacred Heart]

My limit for grab and go, any larger than 130-ish and it becomes work, im a scarwny nerd! 

Hey,  I take my hat off to all who set up piece by piece.  I remember those days, minimum 45 minutes to set up. That was with a concrete pier.  Carry the mount, 65lbs, bolt it down, then the CW shaft and weights, then the scope. Back in those days it was a C14. 

 

Joe

[Sacred Heart]

with this one I am mobile, it's a TS-CF-180

Nice scope and set up.  You put that on the mount everytime??  Wow.

 

Joe

[Sacred Heart]

I find my TEC 140 on an Atlas AZ/EQ-G or T-Rex Apex to be quite manageable...

 

IMG_6410sc_crop.jpg

 

TRex w TEC 140_002_IMG_6566 copy_sc.jpg

 

Clear Skies,

Brian 

Brian,

 

The TEC 140 is similar in size to my 130, yes very manageable.  The TEC 140 is a very nice scope, I got to look through one in Flagstaff AZ, Lowell Observatory.

 

Joe

[Sacred Heart]

So many variables; age, scope in a garage or house, rolled out or assembled, alt-az mount or GEM, etc.

 

I'm sure in my younger days I could have assembled and handled a TEC 180 or Astro-Physics 178 on a Losmandy GM100. I had a GM100 and that mount could have easily held those two scopes.

 

If you are in good health, a 180mm refractor like the TEC 180 on a AP Mach Two could work quite well.

 

For 22-years, I assembled and used an Astro-Physics 152 F9 on a Losmandy GM100 and later an AP 155 F7 on a G11 or AP Mach One. The AP 155 was remarkably compact for a 6.1" apo refractor.

 

Nowadays, due to my age, my Takahashi TSA 120 on an alt-az mount or CG5 is as large as I go.

 

The image is of my old AP 155 F7 on the Mach One. I could take that scope and mount outside and assemble it in under ten-minutes.

 

Bob

Bob,

 

Those are very nice set ups, and you're right, a 180 on my Paramount will do good..in a permanent setting.  For now I'm sticking with my 130.

 

Joe

[Sacred Heart]

I used to have a CFF160 f6.5 and it was portable with either an AZ100 mount or a DM-6.  However, it was a bit larger than what I wanted to travel with on a regular basis, so I sold it and plan on replacing it with a 120mm APO.  

 

I could conceivably travel with a 180mm refractor, but I tend to believe that a scope of that size should be permanently mounted.

A 160 is getting up there too. You are right, a 180 belongs in a permanent setting, staying with my 130.  I wish you well with your 120, I think you will like it.

 

Joe

[scooke]

My largest refractor was a CFF 185 on an AP900 mount and portable pier attached to a scopebuggy.  I left it setup at all times and just rolled it out of the garage to the driveway.  Three marks for the leveling screws on the driveway and I would only have to fine tune the polar alignment.

[scooke]

Roll and go instead of grab and go.  You could do this with a larger scope but with the 48" portable pier on a scope buggy with 10" tires, I was nearing the height on my garage door opening.

[Sacred Heart]

My largest refractor was a CFF 185 on an AP900 mount and portable pier attached to a scopebuggy.  I left it setup at all times and just rolled it out of the garage to the driveway.  Three marks for the leveling screws on the driveway and I would only have to fine tune the polar alignment.

scooke,

 

Do you have a picture of this??  How big was the scope buggy??   How big of a triangle were the wheels??  This is what I was thinking, but I have to roll over grass and the scope is 63" long, 180 f9.

 

Joe

[Wildetelescope]

First,  a big thank you to everyone who responded.

 

I guess I will have to build two 10" boxes and bolt them to a 2 x 4 as long as the telescope, 63" end to end.  That gives me an idea of the girth, not weight.  Also it  will tell me how to roll in and out of garage. My thinking is I may not be top heavy, but that 63 inch length may sway me one way or another.  Rolling out of garage, concrete floor, to driveway, blacktop, across grass, 30 feet, on to a level with grass concrete pad.  I never traveled with a balance beam before.

 

Below is a picture of my mount / pier and cart, the 180 will be the only scope on the mount.

 

Am I thinking this through correctly??  How I described rolling it out is how I do my current set up.  It is the 45 pounds spread over the 5 feet in length that got me worried  about the moving it on the cart.  Cart is between 30" and 36" wide, OD tire to tire.  I may have to design another cart, wheels at least 60 inches apart.

 

Joe

At 63 inches(1600 mm ish) you will need a taller pier.    Here is my AP 152 F9 which is shorter than the scope that you are considering.  My parallax pier is either 50 or 55(forget exactly) inches tall, before I put ont he G11T.  The middle of the saddle sits about 72 inches off the ground.   I am 6,3’  and this allows me to sit comfortably and look through the eyepiece at zenith in a folding chair.   You might not need to go to that extreme, but you will probably want to go a bit higher than what you currently have.   Never, had an issue with balance or instability.   Parallax piers rock!

JMD

[Sacred Heart]

 

At 63 inches(1600 mm ish) you will need a taller pier.    Here is my AP 152 F9 which is shorter than the scope that you are considering.  My parallax pier is either 50 or 55(forget exactly) inches tall, before I put ont he G11T.  The middle of the saddle sits about 72 inches off the ground.   I am 6,3’  and this allows me to sit comfortably and look through the eyepiece at zenith in a folding chair.   You might not need to go to that extreme, but you will probably want to go a bit higher than what you currently have.   Never, had an issue with balance or instability.   Parallax piers rock!

 

JMD

 

JMD,

 

A taller pier equates to a taller door opening. I'm 6'.  My pier is standard height, 35", plus rat cage 38", to the top of the ME over 65". To the saddle plate.  I come in the garage door scope pointing North and at the 3 o'clock position.  I have a 130 f8 side by side with a TV76 now.     Permanent building for a 180 f9 for sure.  Enjoying the 130 even more now.

 

Thanks,  Joe

[Esso2112]

I travel with my TMB 175 and an AP1200 mount.   But, only for star parties where it will be set up for multiple nights.   Rarely, it gets set up in the backyard if it’s going to be a night of excellent seeing.   Otherwise, local travel and backyard are relegated to smaller scopes.   For visual, Tak FS-152 on DM6 for quick viewing and jumping around the sky looking at objects.   For imaging, any number of smaller scopes in the backyard.   

[Sacred Heart]

I travel with my TMB 175 and an AP1200 mount.   But, only for star parties where it will be set up for multiple nights.   Rarely, it gets set up in the backyard if it’s going to be a night of excellent seeing.   Otherwise, local travel and backyard are relegated to smaller scopes.   For visual, Tak FS-152 on DM6 for quick viewing and jumping around the sky looking at objects.   For imaging, any number of smaller scopes in the backyard.   

Esso2112,

 

I don't blame you, that 1200 mount is about the same size and weight as my ME..it's a beast and then you put a 175 on top. Wow.  If I do that it is one and done.  Roll it on wheels at the minimum..for me.

 

Joe

[Esso2112]

Esso2112,

 

I don't blame you, that 1200 mount is about the same size and weight as my ME..it's a beast and then you put a 175 on top. Wow.  If I do that it is one and done.  Roll it on wheels at the minimum..for me.

 

Joe

The 1200 breaks into 2 pieces that individually weigh less than the TMB.  Easy to manage.  Only issue is that everything takes up a lot of space in the truck.  

 

Here it is set up in the backyard.  
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[Jon Isaacs]

ABQJeff,

 

The cart,  that is why I was thinking something like a material lift, wheels wide apart, open center. Also bigger wheels, like 20" bicycle wheels, at least in the front. Possibly four of them, two for each side.  Then it's the height getting into the garage.

 

I'm thinking, yes it can be done, but there is a lot of modifications to be done.   It would be best to wait for permanent set up.  Roll off roof shed or something.

 

Joe

 

Joe:

 

I think it could be done. Large diameter wheels widely spaced mounted to a frame would provide stability. 3"-4" of ground clearance would probably be enough so it would only need to raise the scope 3-4 inches 

 

One tidbit: I had a Meade 12.5 F/6 "Research Grade" for about 10 years. The OTA weighed around 100 lbs, the counterweights about 85 lbs. It was mounted on a pier and was very top heavy. Fortunately I only had to roll it about 25 feet on concrete on its small casters.

 

The lesson I learned early on is to push or pull it as close to the ground as possible. It was easier to push on the scope but if I met an obstacle like the garage door sill, the tendency is to push the scope over. Pushing close to the ground eliminates that issue.

 

Slow and easy is the ticket to move your beautiful rig but I think waiting for a permanent situation is probably the wise course of action.

 

Jon

[Sacred Heart]

Joe:

 

I think it could be done. Large diameter wheels widely spaced mounted to a frame would provide stability. 3"-4" of ground clearance would probably be enough so it would only need to raise the scope 3-4 inches 

 

One tidbit: I had a Meade 12.5 F/6 "Research Grade" for about 10 years. The OTA weighed around 100 lbs, the counterweights about 85 lbs. It was mounted on a pier and was very top heavy. Fortunately I only had to roll it about 25 feet on concrete on its small casters.

 

The lesson I learned early on is to push or pull it as close to the ground as possible. It was easier to push on the scope but if I met an obstacle like the garage door sill, the tendency is to push the scope over. Pushing close to the ground eliminates that issue.

 

Slow and easy is the ticket to move your beautiful rig but I think waiting for a permanent situation is probably the wise course of action.

 

Jon

Jon,

 

The lesson you learned with a telescope I learned with a wheelchair.  You would think with a 200 pound person in a wheelchair that little front wheel could go over little dividers on the floors, go into elevators easy.  Best to turn around and let the big wheel do it.

 

Permanent is the way to go, lots of variables that get amplified when going portable.  I am now a one telescope on the mount guy. SD130 on my ME and Parallax portable pier.    Simple is best, for me anyway.

 

Joe

[Ojaigsguy]

My TSA 120 & guide rig works perfectly!

[Ojaigsguy]

My TSA 120 , AM5 & guide rig works perfectly!

[OAJoe]

One night, I helped Marty Cohen of Company 7 take out his 8 inch Astro-Physics refractor for a night of observing -- probably 1994 or 1995. We may have used an AP 1200 mount with it.

 

That is not a scope I would take out by myself, but I would want a helper with me. 

 

Any bigger than 8 inches? Nah, that needs a permanent observatory.

Edited by jokrausdu, 20 October 2024 - 06:05 PM.

[Stewc14]

The AP 6” refractor is easy to go with……I may try to bring the 9” apo this year if I have help(84 lbs)

[gitane71]

   This is a 6" f/21 that I used to haul around in a Chevy Monza hatchback.  It had a plate bearing mount and I attached the tube to the mount and then attached the lens.  I lost the lens in a fire.

   The scope I use probably 90 percent of the time now is a 6" f/10 achromat that I haul around in a Saturn Ion, which also has back seats that fold down.  It takes about 10 minutes to set up or tear down the f/10.  The f/10 uses an old fashioned alt-az plumbing pipe.

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[Martinbruce]

Wow, those are some larege scopes. The best I can do is my puny StellaMaria 125ED f/7.8 on a AVX mount. Thanks for the thread.

 

[hfjacinto]

I set up my 152 at the local astronomy club a few times. The scope itself isn't terrible but you do need a robust mount, you put both together and its a beast. 

 

 

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[Jay_Reynolds_Freeman]

I have car-transported a 1987 Astro-Physics six-inch f/8 triplet and a Losmandy G-11 mounting to various observing locations regularly, for visual work. When I use this telescope, I add a 10-pound lead weight that is affixed to a tube ring, to the eyepiece end of the tube, to reduce the range through which the eyepiece height varies while observing. I have occasionally also piggy-backed a 90 mm f/9 doublet on it. Thus the telescope is quite heavy.

 

I have friends who have regularly brought AstroPhysics 180 mm f/9s to observing sites by vehicle, again always for visual work.

 

I have encountered the eleven-inch car-top refractor that Jeff Schroeder used to bring to the Riverside Telescope Makers' Convention regularly. At a non-RTMC star party, it dwarfed my Astro-Physics six-inch, which was set up next to it, but the 24-inch Dobson nearby put us both to shame. I recall that the setup of the 11-inch refractor was altazimuth: A variable-height pier that was part of the car set the general altitude range, and the direction the parked car was facing set the general azimuth range. There were slow motions for fine adjustment and tracking in both axes. The location of this particular event was a parking lot at Mount Wilson Observatory, so all the stuff we amateurs brought actually felt pretty small.

 

 

Clear sky ...