Hello

[Troy.k]

Hello everyone

I have been reading this forum for a while researching, finally joined to ask a question about which 8" dob to buy ( in another thread) so decided on the bintel (gso) 8" , ordered late Monday , checked and sent Tuesday received today (Thursday) so very happy with that staff were very helpful.

Quickly put together couldn't resist getting outside and having a look at the daytime moon during a nice sunny break in the clouds WOW can't wait for a nice clear night..

[Atmos]

You're going to love it! It won't be long until aperture fever sets in :P

[Kunama]

Congratulations on getting your first scope, an 8" Dob is a great way to view the universe..... Look forward to your observing reports. These days I prepare a list for each evening using SkySafari5 Pro and Stellarium then try to view all objects on my list. :thumbsup:

[FlashDrive]

:gday: ... good place to start with an 8" Dob ... your gonna get hooked ;)

Flash :D

[Troy.k]

I had to keep telling myself you don't need a 12" for your first scope, was so hard not to buy bigger but an uncharacteristic bout of self control took over and I bought the 8"....... But the voice in the back of my head says next one will be much bigger, all this without even looking through an eyepiece. So yes Collin the fever might get me but I will try to be content and learn a bit first:)

[Atmos]

You have definitely taken the better route starting with the 8" over the 12". It all comes down to portability and easy of setup. In the early days an 8" is more likely to get setup than a 12" because it is easier to move around. For your first scope you don't want to have that feeling of "I want to set up but cannot be bothered" :)

[Troy.k]

Thanks Col and Matt after reading your post downloaded stellarium, seems like a great app..
Had the best first night it was totally clouded over had dinner stuck my head outside and clear skies couldn't believe it, grab the scope quick setup than look straight at the moon couldn't believe how bright it was through the e/p. Took a few minutes to regain my eyesight put moon filter on much better.
Moon looked incredible, than tried to find Saturn, bit of a fuzzy blob was a bit let down went inside to get iPad to make sure I was looking in the right spot came out had to centre the blob again and BANG SATURN Perfect rings daughter and I were amazed....
Thought I would try Jupiter, first go ,focus in and I could make out the bands couldn't believe it,l can't wait to try for one of its moons maybe casting a shadow on to the planet..
Anyway sorry long post but really pumped, it was a great first night especially to peak my daughters interest..

[Ryderscope]

I'm glad to hear your observing report Troy. The buzz from the observing experience is infectious and you are in the right place to share your stories.

[Troy.k]

Great views tonight sky's are so clear, Saturns rings and the detail in Jupiter blew me away, even spotted Jupiters 4 moons they were so bright l didn't expect that. Had a good look at Mars, made me wish I had the scope when Mars was at its closest just recently.
I was using the 9mm plossl that came with my scope, how much more magnification could I use??

[Scorpius51]

This is so true. Aperture fever is something to be very wary of. A 12" Dob is a big 'scope and can't be as easily & quickly set up as an 8", particularly if you want to take it to a dark sky site in the car. I have a 10" and an 8" and there's still a big difference.

[Atmos]

I know! I had my 12" our earlier and the views from Eltham were awesome!
Later on I took my 4" Tak refractor up in Whittlesea and the views were terrible. At first I thought that it was that the telescope needed to cool longer than 10 minutes but the views degraded dramatically 20 minutes later. Packed up by 11:45 as Mars has turned from boiling with large surface details visible to it being nothing more than a fuzzy red blob.

Staggering how poor the seeing became over a few hours.

[gaseous]

Hi Troy, I've heard a general rule about magnification is 2x the aperture of your scope (in mm). So your 8" (200mm) dob would have an effective magnification of around 400x, and your 9mm EP is giving you about 133x. (assuming a 1200mm focal length). This can be affected by the seeing conditions and EP quality though, and the higher the magnification can greatly reduce the "clarity" if the conditions aren't great. I've got an 8" dob and you could certainly go to a reasonable quality 6mm (or even higher mag) EP without any dramas for planetary viewing. Or you could introduce a 2x Barlow with your 9mm EP, which would get you up to 266x magnification. Bear in mind that a bog-standard cheap 6mm plossl will be a pretty craptacular view - a better quality EP will make a world of difference at higher mags.

[Troy.k]

Thanks Patrick, I might try a 6mm than, any suggestions on brand without
going over the top on $$$$, something in that magical good quality reasonable price range..if it exsist

[gaseous]

My 6mm is just a Skywatcher UWA (Ultra Wide Angle) that I got for $79, which is well and truly at the lowest end of the $$$ spectrum, but is still miles better than an entry-level 6mm plossl which has a viewing aperture like a pinprick. I haven't tried any of the super expensive EP's available as I'm unable to justify the expense (to my wife), but I'm sure a more pricey EP should deliver even better results. Skywatcher do a 2.5mm, 4mm and 5mm in the same range, which I haven't tried out. The 2.5mm might be stretching the friendship in terms of magnification, but if the 4mm and 5mm are anything like the 6mm, they would be a more than adequate initial step-up in quality from the EP's you normally receive with a telescope. As others will hopefully attest to, even the priciest EP isn't going to deliver stunning views unless you're at a dark site.

[keepthebeercold]

Unfair :) I got the exact same telescope a few days ago, but I haven't been able to make out Saturn's rings yet. Even in the 9mm ploesl it just appears like a fast moving very bright star.
I could get great views of the moon, though.

Edit: Oh my - went out for another session and there it was. Bright, clear, with rings and three or five moons.

By the way - how do you find the finderscope? For my taste it's extremely fiddly to set up (but I'm a bit clunky one may say) and focusing was a very random "lets twist and turn until the vision changes" thing. But that's my only nitpick, love the dob.

[Troy.k]

Hi Sven, I was very suprised how quick the conditions can change I had a great view of Saturn one moment went in to get my wife she had a look and it was all blurry again half hour later clear again.
Couldn't be happier with the dob but yeah the finder is abit fiddly if I'm out early enough before it's totally dark I find focusing on the moon a bit easier and than i don't touch it for the rest of the night.
The biggest problem I had the last night I had it out was dew on the finder and secondary but it was a cold night.
Can't wait to get a 6mm e/p to see those planets.:)

[geolindon]

g day Troy, thanks for sharing the fun you are having :thumbsup:

re finderscope; just check that the little OTA is properly placed in the mount, i had a friend with a problem like that. to prevent dewing use a soft foam stubbie holder: the cut down base as a removeable lense cap or the cylinder with the base removed as a semi-fixed shield.

re secondary dew; similar foam to form a dew shield over the front of the OTA works.

re eps; i use the below eps (except the ES100 20 mm) in my 8" and often 2x barlow the 6.7. higher magnification = smaller FOV and the target "moving" through quite fast. wider FOV eps help but smooooooth dob movement helps even more. i placed textured laminex (off-cut from local cabinet business) on the upper base and replaced nylon pads with teflon on the lower base. the 'laminex made the bigger improvement. i find the GSO altitude system is smooth but balance the tube rather than torquing the adjusters as i find that increases back-lash.

clear skies (eventually), L

[Shano592]

Fear not! In 2018, Mars will be at magnitude -2.75! That is even brighter than Jupiter currently is. The wonderful thing about space... everything is in motion, so every night is a new experience.

Oh, and welcome. If the opportunity arises, you are more than welcome to attend the Pony Club meetings at Mangrove Mountain. Keep an eye out in the Star Parties section of the forum. There is also a sticky with details on how to get there.

[Troy.k]

Hi Lindon, I like that stubby holder idea sounds like a simple solution will give that a try, and I do need to balance my tube just sort of guessed when setting up put it sort of half way will have a play with it while I wait for a clear night, never really notice how many cloudy nights we have till now..

Thanks for the welcome Shane will set my alarm for 2018 :)