SingAstro

Hello guys

I'm new here and have been reading about types of telescope with their pros n cons.

With so many models of telescope to process and generally mix reviews about them,

I wish to know which telescope models has the biggest aperture good enough for portability and could fit in my car boot.

So far I know mct or sct is best for portability but I want to find out from you guys which particular models I should zoom in and read more about them before I decide to make purchase.

Currently I wish to learn more about the celestial skies and would transition slowly to astrophotography in due future.

thanks!

Hi KushTROID,

Welcome, I transported a 16" DOB and someone a 18" DOB with car. I did it with back seat for the mirror and boot for the other items. Because DOB can collapse to small. SCT, up to 14" shouldn't be a problem for empty boot.

Also know someone transported 2 sets of big tak with tripod etc in the boot and back seat + driver and a passenger in a sedan.

So, as long as you have a car, unless it is a 20+" telescope, it shouldn't be an issue.

For the 16" and 18" DOB, are you refering to the truss tube type? Could you share what is the model of your dobsonian?

Thanks!

KushTROID wrote:For the 16" and 18" DOB, are you refering to the truss tube type? Could you share what is the model of your dobsonian?

Thanks!

Both the 16" and 18" DOB are Obsession.

KushTROID wrote:Hello guys

I'm new here and have been reading about types of telescope with their pros n cons.

With so many models of telescope to process and generally mix reviews about them,

I wish to know which telescope models has the biggest aperture good enough for portability and could fit in my car boot.

So far I know mct or sct is best for portability but I want to find out from you guys which particular models I should zoom in and read more about them before I decide to make purchase.

Currently I wish to learn more about the celestial skies and would transition slowly to astrophotography in due future.

thanks!

Hi KushTROID. Welcome to the forum. For non-dobsonian telescopes, do factor in the need for car space for the telescope mount and tripod, i.e. the total bulk of the whole setup and not just the telescope itself. And if you prefer EQ tracking mounts, add counterweights and power tank to that list. And to do astrophotography outdoors, perhaps the need for a foldable table (for a laptop) and chair too.

As for "transition slowly to astrophotography", it depends on your definition and expectation of slowly. If it's only a few months, you may consider getting your first telescope setup that is good for the kind of astrophotography you wish to do most. This may save you the hassle and money to sell off whatever first telescope you bought and buy a totally different type of system again in a relatively short period of time (e.g. a few months).

Thanks Clifford and Gary for the reply.

As for now, I'm deciding on getting the biggest aperture that could fit in the (suv) boot itself without using any passenger space or at least minimal usage of it. Due to budget and commitment, serious astrophotography would be possible in 2 to 3 years time. I'm interested in dso such as nebulae, star clusters etc. Would a mct or sct be more practical in my situation? Or should I go for dobsonian(truss tube?) instead since I'm going fully visual for the coming years? Any recommendation?

KushTROID wrote:Thanks Clifford and Gary for the reply.

As for now, I'm deciding on getting the biggest aperture that could fit in the (suv) boot itself without using any passenger space or at least minimal usage of it. Due to budget and commitment, serious astrophotography would be possible in 2 to 3 years time. I'm interested in dso such as nebulae, star clusters etc. Would a mct or sct be more practical in my situation? Or should I go for dobsonian(truss tube?) instead since I'm going fully visual for the coming years? Any recommendation?

I am mainly a visual person. With that bias, for your case (serious AP in 2 to 3 years and visual preference for DSO), I would say go fully visual with a dob/newt/MCT/SCT for at least 1 year while learning more about AP - e.g. push the limits of your visual system to do whatever AP it is capable of, attend stargazing sessions to learn more about AP while enjoying visual. Without a non-serious AP setup budget, you may have enough leftover funds to get a budget binocular to enhance your visual astronomy experience.

No doubt you want to make use of your car space. But do that note if the telescope is too big/heavy, even the thought bringing it to your car from your house may discourage from observing on most clear enough nights. That's why I am adding MCT/SCT to the list instead of just the biggest dob that can fit into your car. Having said that, if you have the motivation, passion, commitment and energy, then by all means enjoy the wow factor a big aperture dob.

When the time comes to purchase serious AP gear, you will most probably enjoy your visual system so much that you will keep that system too without the need to sell it off. The advantage of going visual first before diving straight into AP is that you can find time to discover what you like to observe and then get the best value for money out of your future AP systems that is most capable of photographing those objects within your budget.

If you can state a rough budget, it will be easier for forum members to give you more specific recommendations.

Telescopes tend to look small in pictures and websites, do try to join in public observing sessions to have a look around first and have a gauge of the size n weight.

Hope this helps.

This greatly depends on the model of the car
I can fit my 14" into my rear seat of a standard 1.6L Sedan car and leave the boot space for an AP setup, plus have a front seat passenger.
However, an Obsession 18" would be just too big to fit into the doorway.
An MPV, however, would be able to accommodate a 24" with space to spare.

Hi and welcome!

If you go purely visual, 11"-15" truss dob can go into the back seat or boot of a standard car, and be handled by one person. The 18" UC is not easily handled by one person, two person is best. And the 18" UC's poles are long, may have difficulty to fit some cars. For 24" dob...you may have to consider wheels, ramps and a ladder, and you may not be able to wheel through standard doorways.

If you intend to go AP later, you need not be looking for the biggest aperture scope. Instead you should first be considering the capacity, quality & cost of your German Equatorial Mount (GEM), then consider the scope - Apo, SCT/RC or Newtonians etc.

If you want the best of both visual (big aperture) and AP use, then maybe you could consider a C11 SCT on a GEM. The C14 on a bigger GEM is really tough to handle, but some people did manage. My 15" dob is easier to handle and setup than the C14 on a GEM.