I second everything that Alexander has mentioned. Great advice.
It can be frustrating at the start and indeed getting someone else to assist would help starting off. I have done a few sessions with people getting started and I think it helps to show the basics on how to use the scope and find objects. People also can ask questions and I can demonstrate to help out.
I think most would not want people to be frustrated and give up when this hobby is so rewarding.
All the best Adam
Quote:
Originally Posted by mental4astro
Adam, you may find it very helpful if you look for an astronomy club near to where you live. There you will be able to take your scope along and the good folk will be only too happy to show you how to use it and get it humming. Sometimes having someone actually show you what to do is better than all the ranting we can write down - it can get overwhelming and confusing.
From your last post I see that you need to familiarize yourself with the most basic of telescope functions, such as how eyepieces relate to the scope, what all the different eyepieces do, and how to use them. I fear that you might be feeling overwhelmed and what we are posting here might be too technical for where you are at in your astro experience - we can sometimes forget that we also started out not knowing anything too, and came only armed with enthusiasm and curiosity. Sometimes having someone patiently show us and talk to us is the best key to get us sorted out  And the very last thing I want to do is throw a whole heap of tech talk that will only bamboozle you even more. This scope thing is not difficult at all, and it just sometime needs a little tweak for it to all click. If you are not used to the metric system of measurements it can get even more confusing. At the same time, I can also see that you are most keen and excited on using your scope, and your enthusiasm is half the battle won!
The planets are all so very far away that no matter how much magnification we throw at them, their image in the scope will never be very big. However, for despite the small image size, if your scope is set up well your eyes can pick up a fabulous amount of detail in those small images in the eyepiece.
Don't feel discouraged. We all want you to have a great experience with your much prized scope. It is a fine unit and it will do a great job. You may just need a bit of a hand to show you how to get it humming at its very best for you! And an astro club close to you is the best place to find some hands-on help |