[AZ-Observing] Re: Sentinel Zip
- From: "Neville Cole" <nevillecole@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 01 Dec 2005 12:22:23 -0700
Hi All,
I also have a 12" LX200GPS, but mine is portable. It took a few accessories
and modifications to get it that way though. Warning: it isn't cheap to do
this.
1) Pete Peterson's Get-A-Grip handles are a must. They make a huge
difference.
2) Get a mounting assistant type tray to park on top of the Meade Giant
Field Tripod. Mine is rectangular and is approx 12" x 18". It has some
nylon bumpers to help with aligning to scope base on top of the tripod, a
pair of bubble levels, and holes for various eyepieces. Got it from OPT in
Oceanside, CA.
3) The mounting table has thickness to it, making the long bolt you thread
up from underneath a tad short on some scopes. I got a longer one from
http://www.scopestuff.com
4) Get a JMI carrying case to store it and transport it. JMI = Jim's Mobile
Inc.
Although it's pricey, the JMI case helps immensely because it has big ballon
tires and folding wheelbarrow style handles. I've got my techniques worked
out so I can completely move everything and setup by myself. I can load up
my equipment at home, unload it at the star party, set everything up, and do
it all in reverse. When lifting the scope's OTA, there's the "clean-jerk"
from the JMI case, a 180 degree turn, two steps, and then I place it on top
of the mounting table between the pegs, and then I can safely let go. Takes
less than 10 seconds. The Get-A-Grip handles and the mounting table are
essential for this part.
The hardest thing is that damn tripod. It's big, heavy, and awkward. The
mounting table on top of it makes it even worse, but it's a necessary evil.
I'm considering getting the kit from Peterson Engineering and chopping it
down. That, and making a cradle of some sort to help schlep it around.
It was interesting getting the handles and the case to work together,
because they were not compatible. The lid wouldn't fit with the handles
installed. After much bugging, I talked JMI into modifying their case and
eventually got one of their new ones that is now compatible with Pete's
handles.
Couple more notes. I don't setup my scope if my back is feeling tweaked, or
something else is bothering me. Even with my techniques, it would be too
much to do and I wouldn't want to drop it. And finally, it still depends on
the individual whether or not they can handle this scope, even with all
these tricks.
Neville
----Original Message Follows----
From: Jeff Hopkins <phxjeff@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Reply-To: az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [AZ-Observing] Re: Sentinel Zip
Date: Thu, 1 Dec 2005 09:12:20 -0700
Hello Stan,
I have a 12" LX200GPS and I would never consider using it as a
portable scope. Even the tripod is a monster and I am not a little
guy. One reason the scope is so heavy is that the OTA is not just the
OTA but the whole scope, forks, base, mechanical gears and
electronics. Joe Goss usually brings a 14" Celestron CGE telescope to
star parties and I was always amazed he could set that up quickly by
himself. But he has a German equatorial mount for it and the OTA is
indeed a single and separate item. Just as with your telescope that
would break down into pieces. Imagine trying to move you whole
telescope, OTA and drive assembly as one unit. The LX200 does not
break down.
When I put my LX200 on the permanent mount it was all I could do to
lift and set it on the wedge. I would not want to do that more than
once. The biggest problem is not the weight, but how to grip and
carry the unit. Despite coming with a tripod, I would not classify
the 12" LX200 as a portable telescope. Certainly there are people
who do use it and large fork mounted SCT telescopes in a portable
mode, but not recommended for mere mortals. My 13.1" DOB is very each
to move, setup and take down because it all comes apart.
BTW, there are some special handles available to replace those on the
forks that make handling the scope easier, still not easy, however.
Those handles are not cheap but do seem to help. They are $130 for 2
at Peterson Engineering, http://www.petersonengineering.com
Jeff
At 09:22 -0700 12/1/05, Stan Gorodenski wrote:
>George Barber wrote:
>
>>Yes, thanks Andrew! The 12" classic is specified to weigh in at 75
pounds.
>>
>>
>
>All I can say is - Wow! I would never have guessed they weighed that
>much because my Dall-Kirkham has a heavy full thickness 2" mirror, a
>mirror mount make of steel tubing, a heavy 2"+ diameter focus tube, and
>a 3/16" thick telescope tube made of rolled fiberglass cloth. Since the
>LX200 doesn't have all these heavy features, and the tube is shorter
>than my telescope, I wonder why it is so heavy? Just a rhetorical
>question. Next time I see an LX200 I'll have to look into it some more
>(if I remember by then - it is not a high priority thought).
>Stan
>
>--
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>send personal replies to the author, not the list.
--
Jeff Hopkins
HPO SOFT
http://www.hposoft.com/Astro/astro.html
Hopkins Phoenix Observatory
7812 West Clayton Drive
Phoenix, Arizona 85033-2439 U.S.A.
www.hposoft.com
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See message header for info on list archives or unsubscribing, and please
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