Got my first telescope! (Pictures added)

[-George-]

Hello,

Just wanted to say I bought a telescope today.

12" GSO Dob mounted reflector.

Came with:

Right-angle correct image 8x50 finder scope
2" Dual speed crayford style microfocuser with 10:1 fine focus
2"-1.25" Adapter
Pair of 1.25" Adjustable brightness polarizing filters
Fan
GSO 1.25" Multi coated eyepieces, 9mm, 15mm, 25mm
GSO 2" Superview 30mm eyepiece

With that I purchased

GSO laser collimator
Chesire Collimator
GSO 1.25" Multi Coated Eyepieces, 6mm and 4mm
Alluminium protective eyepiece case


Will get the photos when I unpack this!

Photos added:

[pw]

That's a nice lot of gear for your first scope, should be a good lot of observing to come for you.

[jenchris]

Darn it more cloudy weather......

[Renato1]

That's one comprehensive piece of kit. Though I think you are doubling up having both a Cheshire and a Laser collimator - still, fun to try both.

The only thing missing is a red dot 1X finder or Telrad. It'll be tough aiming the 8x50 correct image finder without one.
Regards,
Renato

[barx1963]

Actually, no! A laser is only part of a good collimation setup. A good cheshire should be part of every setup, especially with a solid tube newtonian as a laser cannot effectively align the secondary.

Malcolm

[Allan_L]

Nice ! :thumbsup:

[Renato1]

Hi Malcolm,
I was assuming the secondary was correctly placed, but point taken.

I used a sight tube for my secondary, and a Cheshire ever since. I did pick up a cheap laser collimator on Ebay, but have never gotten around to using it. The one thing that I never did fathom was the thing called an Autocollimator that used to be sold as a set with the Cheshire by one company. The guy who owned it couldn't make head nor tails of the instructions, he lent it to me, and I couldn't make any sense of it either.
Cheers,
Renato

[cometcatcher]

Great setup George!

[CJ]

Very nice!

[astro744]

This may help http://www.astrosystems.biz/coltlsm1.htm

Scroll down and download instructions for LightPipe/SightTube & Autocollimator. Page 6 describes theory behind autocollimator.

Also refer to table at top of above web page. The autocollimator is a highly sensitive device for precise collimation and used after collimation with a less sensitive device.

[-George-]

Thanks guys.

I spoke with Alex before getting collimation tools. He said he had both, Chesire was better for secondary, laser more convenient for primary, when batteries die (if that happens), which it happened to him, it was good to have the Chesire. Since they were both 'cheap' rather than the most expensive stuff, he said to get both, learn both, good education before going and spending who knows what $$$ on something I don't even understand how works.

Only thing I forgot is a star map. In fact, I don't even know how to read one.

[The_bluester]

Plenty of time for maps. At least you have something interesting to look at tonight if the weather is kind to you, the lunar eclipse could be a nice first light.

Aside from that, Jupiter is still pretty visible and easy to find (the very bright object more or less due north (I am assuming you are in Australia) and maybe 30 degrees up from the horizon just on dark. The moon is, well, the moon! And Mars is up in the east on dark and will be not too far above the moon and is reasonably easy to find.

A tip for finding planets if you are not aware of it, they scintilate (Twinkle) a lot less than the stars so look for the steadiest looking objects. And they will always be in the reigion around the celestial equator (The line from east to west that is above the horizon by the same angle as your latitude)

Venus is also well up the sky before sunrise if you happen to be up at a silly time in the morning. I have a morning jog as many mornings a week as I can manage and have to leave for work at 7AM so I am well and truly running in the dark, Venus tempts me to be late to work and get the scope out instead, I have usually observed it in the evenings when it is trailing the sun and after the heat of the day it is not much of a target. I keep meaning to have a look in the morning.

At least that gives you some fairly easy targets to pot to get used to the scope.

[Renato1]

Thanks, those instructions are a lot better than those we were looking at back in the 90s.

I had no idea that what was meant to be adjusted was the secondary mirror.
Regards,
Renato

[Jason D]

The autocollimator is a wonderful tool with the proper knowledge; however, it has to be of top quality. Not all autocollimators on the market (and there are only few choices) are equal.
Unfortunately, the autocollimator instructions provided in astrosystems documentation is incorrect. Even the theory behind the autocollimator described in the same documentation is incorrect.
The autocollimator is used for both secondary and primary axial alignment. You can refer to Vic Menard's CDP procedure for the proper method to use an autocollimator with a single central pupil
http://www.catseyecollimation.com/vicsCDP.html

I have written extensively about the autocollimator theory. Here is a link. Most of the info inside the link is academic and is not a required knowledge to use the autocollimator.

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Board/reflectors/Number/3532750/page/0/view/collapsed/sb/7/o/all/fpart/1

Jason

[-George-]

Added photos in first post.

[Renato1]

Thanks very much Jason,
Very interesting. I'd been thinking of ordering one till I read what you just wrote.

Here is my question for you. I have a truss dobsonian which I have to assemble every time I use it. And every time, I have to use a Cheshire to make adjustments to get the little dark spot dead centre into the middle of the annulus in the middle of my primary. The more concentric the spot is in the annulus, the better the image.

Is it worth getting an autocollimator - other than for checking that something isn't slightly out with the secondary mirror (I was never that confident using the cross-haired sighting tube that I initially used)? Is it something I could get collimation right with in a minute or two after assembling and using the Cheshire? Or is it going to take another half hour of fiddling around?

Thanks for any assistance you can give me on this intriguing issue.
Regards,
Renato

[Peter.M]

I use my cats eye cheshire and autocollimator every night i setup, I also have the sight tube but I only use that when I take the secondary out of the scope. I have found them to be accurate and easy to use, and when I have all the reflections lined up I know that the collimation is perfect!

[mr bruess]

good deal
now you can look at nebulas,galaxies and maybe if your lucky you might catch a supernova exploding.you've got apeture,a lot more than some people who like refractors who have to put up with small light gathering power.

[Renato1]

Much appreciated, thanks.

To George - sorry about this digression in your thread about your marvellous looking new telescope.

Regards,
Renato

[-George-]

It is ok. I tend to do it as well on other peoples posts because something there was relevant to what I was thinking and rather than start a new thread, since it was mentioned, i get it sorted in the thread I read it in. All good :)

I saw saturn tonight between the clouds and 5 (might of been 4?) moons. WOW!

It is 'very' small looking compare to the monitor screen, like not even 1 inch in size. More like 5-10mm, but it was nice!

[Renato1]

Is there a better starting object for any telescope?

Wait till you show your friends.

Cheers,
Renato

[-George-]

Don't know. Saturn is visible pretty easily, I never used it before and I found that straight forward, so...

[Renato1]

Learning the night sky is pretty easy. If you have a planisphere and a flashlight with several strips of red insulation tape over it, you just go outside, hold the planisphere over your head facing north or south, and you learn the major stars and bigger constellations. (But if you can find Saturn by yourself, you probably don't need the planisphere)

Then get a small atlas like Tirion's Bright Star Atlas. Locate those bright stars and constellations in its pages, point your telescope there, and then move the telescope to the brighter Deep Sky Objects plotted near the point you've identified. You'll soon get the hang of it. Later on, get a bigger atlas and do the same thing.

Though I'm still not sure how you are pointing your telescope easily without a red dot finder.

I don't use the planisphere much anymore, except to find planets by reading their rise time in the paper of internet, and seeing roughly where they are along the equatorial belt on the planisphere. Bright Star Atlas I still use a lot, despite having much bigger atlases.
Regards,
Renato

[madwayne]

Congratulations George, I have not long taken delivery of an Orion 12" GoTo so basically the same thing. I have been enjoying the extra aperture not to mention the quick setup and pull down of the Dob. The GoTos are fairly accurate.

If you want something different to observe, track down Mimosa (beta Crux) and fairly close to it is a little deep red star. It's a carbon star called DY Crucis. I'm fascinated by these and they will be my main objects of interest in my observing.

Good luck with your new light bucket and clear skies.

Wayne

[ourkind]

Congratulations!! :thumbsup:

[-George-]

The cross-hair on the 8x50 finder scope I find pretty easy to use. I adjusted it that when the planet is in middle of the eyepiece that it is on the center or the cross-hair (more or less). Not perfect but, close enough that when I had a 250x eyepiece on, it was in view (off to side) as long as I had the cross-hair on the 8x50 in middle.

When it got all fogged up I was using the 30mm eyepiece (50x) to find Saturn, up, down, left right, up down, left, right, up, down, left, right, up, down, left, right, stop, stretch back as its sore from being in that bent position, up, down, left, right, up, down, left, right, comeon!!!!, up, down, left, right, up, down, yawn, left, right, up, down, left, right, look at the moon, ok, Saturn is kinda down right from there, point scope at moon first, then, down, right, up, down, left, right, back sore again, up, down, left, right, up and, left (stretch again back sore), up, down, left... THERE YOU ARE! (20min later).

Last time I got it in very easy, this time it took ages. what a view though! at 50x, it is very small, but all the detail still there, at 100x, it is more pleasing size, and, comfortable because I can sit there watching it without it flying through my view. At 250x it is gorgeous, but I have to set it up to be at the top of the view (or just out) and then just wait for it to pass through, giving me more time to observe before having to move it again.

Spent 3 hours out last night. Was gorgeous. Jupiter also looked amazing! It did have ripples on the edges of the planet at 250x, Saturn did not, so I put the 15mm eyepiece in at 100x and the ripple effect disappeared, the planet was in view much longer (which was nice), but I must say I preferred the planet being larger. Mars was a white ball pretty much, not much visible on it.

So when the view finder was fogged up, I basically used the 30mm, to help me find the planet, then, when in center, I pulled the 30mm out and attached the 15mm 100x, fine adjustment to get it back in middle, then i pulled it out and stuck the 6mm in at 250x, fine adjustment again but was pretty much in view. I used that as a way to aid in getting more magnification without trying to find it at higher magnifications as that was near impossible.

These 2 horrid drawings are basically how it looked at 100x and 250x (size wise) I tried to make it look on your screen the way it 'really' looks through eyepiece.

(there may be a section on forum where perhaps my first experience could be cut/pasted as a new thread for other beginners etc that wonder what you see, don't, usage struggles etc? if it is worth it... don't know - admins/moderators, let me know)

[AG Hybrid]

That star is fantastic. In a 10" + scope its color is so pronounced. A very rich bright red color.

[madwayne]

It sure is Adrian, in my 12" it is simply amazing. And the other beautiful thing is the Jewel Box is just outside my field of view so always worth popping in to view that.

Just got to love our southern skies.

Wayne

[Renato1]

Hi George,
I think you need to make a little dew shield for your finder. Just get soem black plastic from the back of a cheap folder, roll it up and tape it, so that you can slip it on and off. If your optics are clean, well, you can wipe the eyepiece with some tissue paper.

I still don't know how you aim the 8X50 at a not so bright star, especially if there are other similar stars around. I like the cheap rifle scope red dot finders because, while not as cool looking as other ones, it's usually pretty easy to find a plastic or card board roll, and with a scissors and tape make a dewshield that easily covers them.

My last resort for very dewy nights, is a 12 Volt hairdryer I bought years ago, which I plug into a battery pack.

As for Mars, if you can't see features on it - stare hard. Then try a pair of sunglasses, preferably with some red or yellow in them, rather than bluish ones.
Cheers,
Renato

[barx1963]

Or the other solution for a finder is an old stubby holde. Just rip the bottom out of it and it fits over the finder. If a bit loose a big rubber band holds it in place.

Malcolm

[mental4astro]

:)

Yep, that's what I do too :D :thumbsup:

[Allan_L]

Great Idea!
I haven't seen that before, but it sounds brilliant.
Can't wait to try it myself :thanx:

[Renato1]

Kills two birds with one stone - it could be handy with a cool drink on a hot night of viewing.
Cheers,
Renato

[Steffen]

What this tells me is that Mike needs to start selling IceInSpace emblazoned stubby holders ;)

Cheers
Steffen.

[Allan_L]

Another great idea! :thumbsup:
I'll have four please Mike ;)

[noeyedeer]

had a chance tonight to observe that star. I never even noticed it until madwayne pointed it out. now it stands out like dogs bollocks. I think the longer you look the redder it gets, spectacular!

thanks for the tip!
matt

[madwayne]

Hi Matt

Glad you liked it. I found it in an old thread on here that I stumbled on in a search on Google. Now has me fascinated to see how many of these little treasurers are out there. Was actually googling just now to see if a catalogue exists. If I find it I'll post it on here.

Apologies for hijacking the original thread.

Wayne

[noeyedeer]

thanks thou Wayne, it's there but if you don't look for it you don't notice it. now I do. apparently it's the reddest star there is.

there is a catalogue or list .. I found it last night while googling about this star .. I'll see if I can find it. I think it's on the Canadian astronomy website.

wait for an edit...

http://calgary.rasc.ca/redstars.htm
http://www.astrosurf.com/buil/us/peculiar2/carbon.htm 5987 apparently if you get the dat files from the link up the top.

matt