Astronomy App

[Nick0014]

Hi everyone, I'm new to these forums so sorry if I have put this in the wrong spot.
So, I have come up with this idea to create an app that will help new astronomers choose their very first telescope and perhaps even people who are thinking about purchasing there second or third telescope. I was just wondering what the community thought about this as I don't want to create the app if no one will use it or think its a good idea.

I have made a small survey, only 4, short questions long and would very much appreciate it if you took a minute or so to take the survey. I know how hard it was to purchase my first telescope so I was thinking that maybe this could help others. Again your time is very much appreciated.

Survey : http://freeonlinesurveys.com/s/2HCqA5dy

Kindest Regards,

Nick

[rally]

Nick,

The biggest problem for someone picking their first telescope is they actually have a pretty limited idea of their own needs just as much as they a limited idea of what scopes and options are out there and what is "best" or at least better for them.

Thus education from a wide range of sources that is localised to them becomes more important in the early stages.

Some real life experiences to see what interests them, how hard or easy they want to make it, what skills and knowledge they already have that help and guide them, whether they see themselves setting a complex ASCOM controlled GoTo system on a GEM requiring polar alignment or just a push to DOB as just one example of 1000's

Who can help them, what their local astronomy environment can offer, not just the site and seeing conditions but the people, clubs, observing sites, transportation etc

Whilst it may be a good idea in principle, actually trying to provide something useful in the way of program that somephow decodes their preferences, abilities, storage and the 999 other parameters that might be required might be much harder.

Good luck with it, but you might be better off posting a new thread that asks for all the things that a Beginner might need to know, ask themselves or think about first, so you have all of this to start with in decoding the complex matrix that is the choice of a first telescope

Amateur astronomy is very much a journey of exploration and the acquisition of knowledge and development of specialised interests.
This is unlikely to come out of a canned software solution.

Just my thoughts and not meant to be negative - just highlighting the difficulties I see.

Rally

[Nick0014]

Hi rally,

Thanks for the feedback, I do understand what you mean. i guess what I want to do is more provide a guideline to what they may be looking at. Of course its not possible to give someone an exact answer but possibly a guideline might be useful. Like you mentioned though I guess that may be difficult if there not to sure in the first place. I might do what you said, open up a new thread and ask what they need to know.

Perhaps another idea might be to combine a app which may point them in the correct direction and have the basics of what they might want to know as well. Again thanks, I'm not sure if I'll do this as like you pointed out it may not be any use but I really do appreciate your comment

[ZeroID (Brent)]

The answer is an 8" or 10" DOB ...

Sees everything, easy to use. The hard part is getting newbies to understand that that is the best bang for buck with the least risk of any option. Once they have started on that path then all options are open afterwards. It can always be sold for little loss when a prefered system has been chosen although most people (like myself) keep one hanging around just for the heck of it.

[julianh72 (Julian)]

Originally Posted by ZeroID

The answer is an 8" or 10" DOB ...

That shouldn't be too hard to code as an app - ask as many questions as you be bothered to write, pause for a second or two for effect (as if doing some serious thinking and / or downloading some data from the inter-webs), then display the answer:

"An 8" Dob"



(You could even approach some telescope shops and offer to provide a hot-link to 8" Dobs on their web-store, for a small fee for each click-through.)

[kabuki777 (Yusuf)]

The app can help but there is abit to cover. Like the weight and size of each type then like a small vid or something about setting up and your posture in using one. What the capabilities are of each type (refractor etc.). What you can expe expect to actually see, prices and I could go on and on. I think itvwould have helped me alot.

There are some good guides out there which i have been through and through until I learned what I know, if you could make something like those guides out the there into a different style or format into an app then you could have something. I say go for it but cover it all dont make me buy a short scope to look at the moon. First ask me what i want to see and if I dont know then tell me what there is to see, I am a DSO hunter, and I have this amount of cash and time. Take me to few choices of scopes.

[Rick Parrott]

Originally Posted by ZeroID

The answer is an 8" or 10" DOB ...

Sees everything, easy to use. The hard part is getting newbies to understand that that is the best bang for buck with the least risk of any option. Once they have started on that path then all options are open afterwards. It can always be sold for little loss when a prefered system has been chosen although most people (like myself) keep one hanging around just for the heck of it.

I have to agree that a nice sized Dob wins for me! My first scope was a little 4" equatorial mount, but it was hard to use and so didn't get used very much. We have since gifted this to some friends and now they find it hard to use!
Our 12" Dob (on dolly board) and 6" table-top Dob come out to play regularly as they perform fantastic and are quick and easy to set up / point at whatever is up!