Quote:
Originally Posted by Suzy
Great report Shell!
Enjoyed reading your experience right from the start of getting your dob set up  .
Looking forward to lots more reports. 
Agree with Paul, a Telrad or a red dot finder will help you locate objects in the sky. I could never work out lining up stars in my finder- too much magnification = too many stars confuse me senseless. So I bought myself both an RDF & Telrad which I had sitting alonside my scope with the finder- whoa heavy front end once you put heavy premium eyepieces on  . Then I opted to sell the Telrad in preference for the RDF- I find it easier measuring the sky with my hand than the Telrad  , and also found the circles obtrusive- just me I think . - everyone else loves 'em.
That zero magnification an RDF (or Telrad) gives is brilliant- it shows the sky as it is and then is easy to put the red dot on the sky as you see it. Also very helpful if you find an object- you measure the sky in degress with your hand after locating the closest bright star that object sits near (bit of rough sketching of star field thru telescope helps too).
Hold on a min...
The skies must love you- how come it wasn't cloudy on your first light?! Makes no sense... 
Unless... you did the clewwwds disappear chant |
I have always wanted to get a Telrad once I got my scope, so I think that will be the next purchase on the list, once I'm out of debt
I've always found them very helpful and easy to use
I have a LOT to learn and some of it isn't going to make sense when I'm staring up at the sky in frustration, trying to figure things out but I know I'll get it eventually.
It does seem the skies have a soft spot for me! Maybe they felt sorry for how long I had to wait for a scope so they thought they'd be kind!?
Either way, I was really happy I got to take Berenice out within a couple of hours of buying her.
I would like to get out tomorrow night as well, was going to go out tonight but it's really cold and I had a few too many champers