Getting a Little Heavy

My current scope is a 10” LX200 Classic. I normally view from my light polluted neighborhood and do occasionally attend star parties. The LX200 is a great performer, but the fork mounted OTA is quite heavy and somewhat difficult to move around (it’s stored in our upstairs bedroom). Anyhow, I was thinking about moving to a GEM setup, as I would be able to separate the OTA from the mount. I have not done much research on the mounts, but was thinking about a C-9.25 or C-11 OTA. Am I moving in the right direction? Any comments and / or suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance, Paul

C's are generally lighter than LX's.....although I think that may be mostly in the fork systems, etc., and may not matter on a separate GEM.

If the only reason you are changing is weight, well, then it might make sense. However, this may be a good time to try a completely different option. Maybe keep the SCT for around the house (in a more convenient part of the house, of possible), and get a portable dob for the away games.

Alex

Paul, I feel your pain, as I also have a 10" SCT, which I just mounted permanently in the observatory... but I've had to lug around many times, before it found its final place.

The benefit of a GEM mounted scope is the portability, as you'll be able to break it down into 3 pieces instead of 2, making the parts easier to handle...

IMHO, you should definitely move to a lighter setup, as for what you say you store it on the second floor of your house, and carrying that scope around is NO JOKE...


Clear skies, and good luck!

Thanks for all your great comments! I actually found some room in my enclosed garage for the scope, but was wondering if condensation would be a problem. Whenever we park our automobiles in the garage after heavy rain, the heat from the engines creates a sauna like effect (not as hot though). If we kept the garage door open, I suppose it would help, but would prefer not too. Also, I tired leaving the garage door slightly open (about 6 inches), but that didn’t help much. Aside from having to install a window or a venting system, is there anyway for me to store the scope in the garage? Again, any comments and / or suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Paul

Thanks for all the great comments and suggestions. Since I’ve never used a GEM, is the set-up similar to a fork mount? Can I simple mount the OTA on the GEM, level, enter time / location (assuming there’s no GPS) and do a two or three star alignment? I also noticed that GEMs have polar alignment scopes. How does that work? And finally, would there be much difference going from my 10” to a 9.25” or 11”. Thanks in advance. Paul

Thanks for all the great comments and suggestions. I currently have a potential buyer for my 10” LX200 Classic and need to decide soon if I should make to move to a GEM setup. Here’s the problem, finding used astronomy gear in Hawaii is next to impossible, not to mention a GEM setup. From what I’ve seen, it appears that the cost of a new C-9.25 with CG-5 mount is running around $2,000 with shipping to Hawaii. Maybe I’ll get lucky and find a used one here on AM. Anyhow, aside from being more portable, would I see any difference in performance from my 10” LX200 to a C-9.25 / CG-5 setup? Any comments and suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance, Paul