Perkil8r Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Of the mirrored variety, not the amphibians. After a bit of thinking and time to reflect, shooting the neighbours seems a little excessive. With that in mind I suspect I shall be joining the Dark Site part of this fabulous community. I am however a little concerned about transporting the scope. Would it be better to transport it in an upright position (secured of course) or laid down? I can collimate, I have collimated, but I would rather not have to spend an hour of each visit collimating and polar aligning. I realise it is likely to need a bit of tweeking, but if I can minimise it that would bring so much more enjoyment to my life than the thought of fumbling about like a three thumbed orangutang trying to collimate too much, although I dare say the other members present may find my antics amusing So, that's it really.... stand it up, or lay it down? Which is best? (I have a van so space is not an issue) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kheldar Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 You can't get away from collimation, sorry but that's the way it is Collimate at 6pm in the warm and by 8pm in the cold it will be out of collimation! Let alone a trip in the car ... with practice (and a good initial collimation at home) you should have to spend no more than 5 minutes in the field checking it. However to your question of transport, every newt I have owned has laid down across the back seat of the car with the seatbelts around it and fastened. (Add duvet to taste.) Works fine for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perkil8r Posted March 12, 2012 Author Share Posted March 12, 2012 Which moves most during transport do you find, Primary or Secondary? I feel Bob's Knobs coming on (ooooer Mrs) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kheldar Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Hard to say for a stock scope. I "Bob" both my primary and secondary, however my primary also has rigid replacement springs. As such, my primary moves barely each time it's transported. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perkil8r Posted March 12, 2012 Author Share Posted March 12, 2012 I'm thinking I'll stand it up. I can soon knock something up to hold it secure, could even use the old puck off of the eq5, infact that's it! I'm going to use the old puck off the eq5. Should be safe as houses then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz Type-R Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 I lay mine down on the back seat of the car with a few pillows under it and then put all 3 seatbelts on it. Dob base, 2x flight cases etc etc go in the boot. Transported mine around quite a bit, never had any issues and for visual (the only kind of observing I do) I have found I never needed to collimate in the field. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Smaller dobs hold collimation pretty well, it might be knocked out slightly going over pot holes and road humps but it will be very slight. The worst types of scopes are truss tube dobs, they always need collimation, everytime they are moved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perkil8r Posted March 12, 2012 Author Share Posted March 12, 2012 I'll knock up a scope transportation system and give it a whirl, suck it and see Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty Strings Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 My 200p goes across the back seat too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catman161 Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Pillows,backseat (layed across) and seat belts. Does the trick for my 200p also Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perkil8r Posted March 12, 2012 Author Share Posted March 12, 2012 The van doen't have enough seats for that, so I'm going to attatch the unused puck off the eq5 so that it holds the scope vertically in the back. The floor is cusioned anyway with foam, but I think it should work a treat. I'll have to try it I guess, but easier than trying to find some way of securing it laid down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAZ Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 I made a bloody big box in a fit of loving madness for my dob, the problem was I couldn't get anything else in the car........DOH. If you have a nice big van this could be the very thing, it's lined with five inch foam throughout, has castors for ease of movement and handles. I can move it with the dob in, so you should be ok. It's in the attic at the moment, and with my back the way it is, it's staying there for a while. PM me if you are interested. Just the cost of materials would do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perkil8r Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 I did a quick mock up and it should work a treat. The old man's getting me a bit of steel so I can make the securing plate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz Type-R Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Nice one, be sure to stick some pictures up when fitted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DavidValentine Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 (edited) A few years back I used to regularly carry an 8" newt on a 30 minute journey between houses. I left it laid on the back seat, wearing belts of course. There were no issues with collimation from the journey. If the car has good upholstery, then you won't transmit shock and vibration to the scope. It is shock and vibration that moves things. Really the biggest risk involved shifting in/out of the back of a 2 door car, so in the end I looked for another 2nd hand newt. Money well spent to avoid moving a big scope and EQ mount between houses. Not the same consideration for a dark site though. Edited March 18, 2012 by DavidValentine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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