Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2014 10:29:30 GMT
Going by the Aperture is King mantra and the fact that where I live that my old small Newtonian scope has unimpeded views of the Northern and Eastern horizons with only the Western horizon with an impeded view up to about 15 degrees along with similar southern horizon, I need to take advantage of the great night sky canopy I have at my disposal. The dimensions of the elevated uncovered sundeck shown in the photos is 11 metres x 7 metres (36 feet x 23 feet) along with a neighbouring partly covered bigger timber deck around the corner.
Added to this the possible occasional trip to a Deep Sky site without too much trouble is my plan.
I know astrophotography isn't the forte of dob alt/az mounts but due to the short exposure timesrequirements of good Video Astronomy cameras such as the Mallincam these dobs could be ok with brighter DSOs with Video Astromy work as well as visually.
After a lot of research and seeing the Orion model in the flesh I have decided I will be eventually getting one of these 14" scopes or the 12" variety if the 14" is too cumbersome when the dollars are available if ever.
The optics and goto systems I think are the same Synta and Synscan systems so it all gets down now to the OTA and mount differences.
The first big question is the OTA of each make.... How heavy and awkward to carry is the Orion OTA minus the trusses and Secondary Upper tube assembly compared to the Skywatcher Flextube in its collapsed state. My first impression would be that the Skywatcher would be heavier due to no loss of weight from full extension position but maybe someone can shed light on the actual state of affairs.
Secondly after seeing the Orion xx14g at a dealer in Sydney and how gobsmacked I was at how big a solid tube 12" actually was and then the 14" trussed unit next to it seemed believe it or not, visually a more manageable OTA with detachable upper assembly I now turn my attention to the base of both the Orion and Skywatcher.
What is the diameter and weight of the base of each unit and how awkward are they to carry when broken down
I intend to build an outdoor enclosure on the timber deck just for storage so I can transport the telescope fully assembled on some sort of dolly or wheelbarrow handle setup or whatever to the viewing platform 15 metres away which is quite a dark sky site in is own right not affected too much by artificial light.
The only times I intend to break the telescope down into separate pieces is so it can be taken downstairs from the outdoor timber deck a matter of 10 stairs on the odd occasion it might be taken to a Dark Sky Site or maybe outreach event in the future.
If anybody has had experience with either or both of the Orion or Skywatcher systems, input and opinions from anyone would be much appreciated.
Thanks skull
Added to this the possible occasional trip to a Deep Sky site without too much trouble is my plan.
I know astrophotography isn't the forte of dob alt/az mounts but due to the short exposure timesrequirements of good Video Astronomy cameras such as the Mallincam these dobs could be ok with brighter DSOs with Video Astromy work as well as visually.
After a lot of research and seeing the Orion model in the flesh I have decided I will be eventually getting one of these 14" scopes or the 12" variety if the 14" is too cumbersome when the dollars are available if ever.
The optics and goto systems I think are the same Synta and Synscan systems so it all gets down now to the OTA and mount differences.
The first big question is the OTA of each make.... How heavy and awkward to carry is the Orion OTA minus the trusses and Secondary Upper tube assembly compared to the Skywatcher Flextube in its collapsed state. My first impression would be that the Skywatcher would be heavier due to no loss of weight from full extension position but maybe someone can shed light on the actual state of affairs.
Secondly after seeing the Orion xx14g at a dealer in Sydney and how gobsmacked I was at how big a solid tube 12" actually was and then the 14" trussed unit next to it seemed believe it or not, visually a more manageable OTA with detachable upper assembly I now turn my attention to the base of both the Orion and Skywatcher.
What is the diameter and weight of the base of each unit and how awkward are they to carry when broken down
I intend to build an outdoor enclosure on the timber deck just for storage so I can transport the telescope fully assembled on some sort of dolly or wheelbarrow handle setup or whatever to the viewing platform 15 metres away which is quite a dark sky site in is own right not affected too much by artificial light.
The only times I intend to break the telescope down into separate pieces is so it can be taken downstairs from the outdoor timber deck a matter of 10 stairs on the odd occasion it might be taken to a Dark Sky Site or maybe outreach event in the future.
If anybody has had experience with either or both of the Orion or Skywatcher systems, input and opinions from anyone would be much appreciated.
Thanks skull