Is there a such thing as a 61 key portable keyboard with weighted keys? I would like something to use when I travel that mimics a piano fairly realistically but is not too large. I currently have an acoustic piano and a decent DP from about 10 years ago, but the DP is large and a hassle to move. Any suggestions? If weighted key 61-note keyboards aren't available, then is there an alternative that you would recommend. Preferably not too pricey since it would mostly be used to practice while traveling. Thanks.

There have been lots of threads on this subject. Try the search function.

I tried searching through the older posts but didn't find exactly what I was looking for. For some reason I often have problems finding what I need using the search function on this site. I'll see a topic posted one day, and then a month may pass and I decide to search for it but can't find it. Not sure why this is so difficult for me. I can google anything and find a result in seconds.

Go to the advanced search page. Specify the digital and the piano forums and make sure you change the range of dates to go back 2 years. There were good posts before 2 years ago but these are not longer accessible via search.

I agree that search is terrible on this site, among other things.

Speaking of google, I googled "61 weighted keys" and came up with

http://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1180375/Number%20of%20keys?%2061,%2076,%2088.html

Good luck!

The Casio PX130 is cheapest and lightest 88-key DP on the market. And you will be surprised too because today's $450 digital piano just might be better then your (then) more expensive 10 year old digital piano. The weight is 26 pounds. Any Guitar Center of Sam Ash music store will have the PX130 and will price match so you will get the $450 price.

You are going to need a sturdy and expensive transport case, not mater which piano you buy. Without a case no piano will survive automated baggage handing. Even if you are driving your own car a soft case means the piano will have to always be packed on top and as only one item can be on top it limits what else you can take. So you will need at least a "road case" for car travel and for flying an "ATA flight case". Some of these cases have wheels.
You'd also need a stand or you'd have to improvise one. But at 26 pounds the PX130 can use one of the lighter and cheaper stands. You would need a padded bag for the stand as well.

For those of you who need to search but the site's search function wont help, try this in google. Use this syntax without the quotes.

"WhatYouAreSearchingFor site:www.website.com"

you might be better off by traveling with a harmonica, or a melodica or a flute or some other more compact instrument that you might also enjoy.

Have you seen the overage fees? a common number is 62 inches, that's width + length + height and if you go over, a typical fee is $100 both ways. Good luck finding a 5 octave keyboard with a hard case that is less than the overage number, and what is more you can also get charged on top of the $100 fee, an additional $50 because it's your second bag, so you could be spending $300 each flight.

At that price it's cheaper to call ahead and rent an actual piano for a month.

If you travel a lot you must have noticed how expensive baggage is.

I find a soft case is fine for car travel. I put it in length-wise on its side (i.e. carrying handle up).

Yes, if you are the only one to move the equipment a light bag works well. I use those for my guitar. But as soon as you hand over the gear to someone else, they are not going to be as careful as you.

But to be "travel" implies airplanes, buses and so on and keyboards are to large to carry on and don't fit under a seat.

You're correct that the OP was vague about what kind of travel he was referring to, but since he said he was looking for something to use instead of his current DP which is "large and a hassle to move", it sounded to me like he'd be moving it around himself.

To get back to the original question, I don't know of any 61-key weighted DPs, the 73/76 key weighted keyboards (Korg, Nord) are pricey and still on the heavy side. Best bet for an inexpensive travel knock-around piano, if you want something smaller/lighter/cheaper than a Privia, would be the Yamaha NP30, which is not weighted, but supposedly not too bad a keyboard for piano playing, and it can run on battery which might be convenient for traveling.

I myself am looking into the studiologic vmk-161 plus, with a ata case from nycase. The keyboard looks to have good hammer-action keys, but it needs to be hooked up to a computer as it is only a controller. Good luck in your travels, piano-wise or otherwise.
Craig