Equipment Dilemma

[qwertified]

If purchasing through OPT, is it advisable to get them to ship directly to SG or via comGateway?

[Gary]

I believe Weixing is selling a astro-tech AZ mount for a reasonable price. You may consider getting that first while it is still available and while you are considering what scope to mount on that az mount.

I just realised I made a mistake in my post as quoted above. The az mount Weixing is selling is a *Microtech*, NOT *astro-tech*:

WTS: MICROTECH INSTRUMENT Alt-Az Mount:
viewtopic.php?f=12&t=10374

I apologise for any potential inconvenience or confusion caused.

[cloud_cover]

I have had no issues with OPT shipping via Comgateway and I find its cheaper that way.
On the other hand, if you want fuss-free shipping and an exact cost estimate, then direct from OPT is the way to go

[qwertified]

All - Sorry to dig up this thread again.. a few questions after months of pondering over the investment.

Assuming most of the observing would be done in SG (with occasional trips to johor) and with the expectation that the scope has to be transportable by air for overseas trips, i came down to 2 Options.

1. Nexstar 8SE
* OTA as carry-on; Tripod + Others in Luggage
* 8" Aperture
* Go-To features + tracking BUT (-ve) as its Alt+Az

2. TMB92SS/SV90/SW120ED --> any 3-4" air transportable apo
* OTA as carry on
* Mount + Tripod.. MMM.. Hard to lug around a iEQ30 which is probably where i would head.

Initially I would want to go strictly visual, but at some point of time *test* out on Astrophotography.. Not so much on the faintest DSOs but u know.. gd enuf for a thrill...

From the above, what would you suggest and why?

a. Get the Nexstar 8SE and enjoy the aperture + constant use; air transportable, cant do decent astro
b. get 8" SCT and iEQ30 for local/johor use; get an alt+az setup and bring 8" SCT for overseas trips
c. Go for APO refractor (3-4" max)

in SG, will i get much use off an APO due to high LP and low aperture (visual)? I'm aware that costs for AP would skyrocket with requirements of OAG, decent mount and what not..

I do intend to get 1 APO & 1 SCT over the long run <-- one of these minimally should be air transportable.

[cloud_cover]

Generally if you want to air-transport your scope, you'll want to hand-carry it. Would you really trust your scope to a luggage handler who hurls your suitcases into the truck? Also, note that travel insurance usually limits liability to $200-$500 per item, excluding laptops. For these reasons, checking in a scope is generally not a good idea.
Hence a C8 may be a bit hefty for air transportation.
Personally I use a 5" Mak as my travel scope together with a Vixen Skypod as the mount, being easily broken down and fits in between clothing.
As a confluence of photography and refractor observing, the TMB92SS is a good choice as its small, short and produces good images. Other scopes you might want to consider include the Takahashi Sky 90, Televue 85, Astro-Tech 66 EDQ (strictly for photography: 66mm is a bit limited for visual) or if you have the money to spend, Astrophysics EDF 130 Gran Turismo
With regards to Singapore observing, naturally its not as thrilling as overseas but again it depends on what you are interested in. Planets and the brighter clusters will be good and the C8 will outperform, generally, on these targets compared to a smaller APO but personally I find the picture more pleasant through an APO as the central obstruction of the C8 does make the stars appear, to me, a little more defocussed (due to the bigger distribution of energy into the airy rings). Here, truly YMMV.

[orly_andico]

The UTI-8 weighs 14.7 lb (about 7kg) so barely fits into carry-on category.

http://www.infinityscopes.com/

Looky looky, they even have a hottie model.. the black box fits the entire scope and legs, and is sized to exactly meet carry-on dimension requirements.


The downside - $3825 USD

Then again, people spend more than that on mounts. The best scope is the one that gets used, right? I have lots of scope stuff - none of them is worth even close to $3825 USD, but in total all my stuff exceeds that figure. And most of it is barely used.

So which is the better deal?

[qwertified]

definitely this one.. minus the time it takes for collimate
But its a pretty fast newtonian..

i'm bent towards refractors though

The UTI-8 weighs 14.7 lb (about 7kg) so barely fits into carry-on category.

http://www.infinityscopes.com/

Looky looky, they even have a hottie model.. the black box fits the entire scope and legs, and is sized to exactly meet carry-on dimension requirements.


The downside - $3825 USD

Then again, people spend more than that on mounts. The best scope is the one that gets used, right? I have lots of scope stuff - none of them is worth even close to $3825 USD, but in total all my stuff exceeds that figure. And most of it is barely used.

So which is the better deal?

[orly_andico]

Well if a refractor is what you want then the TMB92 is a pretty solid choice.

It won't be useful for much more than planets in SG though.

Notice that the UTI has a Royce mirror. TMB uses China lenses these days (not from Germany or Russian LZOS any more).

[cloud_cover]

I beg to disagree.
The TMB92SS will be useful for brighter open clusters such as M6/7, bright nebulae such as M8/M42, surfing the various clusters and star fields of saggitarius, carina and centarus regions. The Moon!
And looking at your neighbours (oops!)
Its also useful for daytime terrestrial views of animals and nature scenes.
Anyway Desaru/Punggai/Sedili is a short drive away (literally) and the petrol almost pays for itself if you leave Sg with 3/4 tank full, plus food is cheap and good

[orly_andico]

Well yes. I had forgotten about that old warhorse M42.

Personally I find open clusters ZZZZZ. To each their own..

And while Sedili is "close by" do not underestimate the effort of packing up stuff.

I am ashamed to admit this, but ever since my Sedili trip, the CGEM in its suitcase has sat in the trunk of the car. That's like 3 months now. I simply didn't have the energy to haul it back up the stairs to the elevator lobby. It's like having one extra kid in the car all the time. Doesn't do much for gas mileage.

Forgot to mention this (Kevin might have) - Vixen VC200L. Very light for an 8". Pair with a Vixen SXD or iOptron iEQ30 for a lightweight setup. And of course the refractor.