Another newbie to the hobby

northman · #1 20-08-2010, 09:14 AM

After lurking for some months I have decided to introduce myself. I have had an interest in Astronomy for many years, but all I would afford is a pair of binoculars which have served me well.

I may jump into a telescope purchased in the next few months. I have been eagerly reading several threads from beginners on which type of telescopes and accessories to buy, buy to save time asking the same questions, I have decided to get a GSO 10" Dob, which seems to be well regarded and recommended on these forums. I will also buy a laser collimator, a sealed 12v battery and cable, and maybe two eyepieces.

My only question is, what type/size of eyepieces to buy with th telescope?

Liz · #2 20-08-2010, 09:59 AM

Welcome Northman to our wonderful hobby.

Yes, a 10" Dob is a great start, whether it be a solid tube, or a collapsible number. They give very good views of the night sky.
The Dob will come with 3 EPs, maybe a 10mm and a 25mm. Play with these for awhile, they are OK and not terrible, then down the track you can head down the EP addiction road.
Lots of threads re the best EPs, and check out peoples signatures Below their name, where they list the telescopes and EPs they own.
Enjoy browsing.

erick (Eric) · #3 20-08-2010, 10:14 AM

And you cannot go wrong with this one in Liz's signature:-

Fav EP now Televue Panoptic 19mm!!

But, yes, be patient and use the supplied eyepieces initially. Get to a star camp or observing night and see if you can borrow some eyepieces to try in your scope. Many people will be happy to carry across an eyepiece and try it in your scope.

Robh (Rob) · #4 20-08-2010, 06:48 PM

A 10 inch Dob is a good size scope at any level. Large enough for many of the DSOs but still reasonably portable.
I'd recommend a range of magnifications. Say 60x for wider views, 120x and perhaps 200x for closer views (splitting close double stars). This would equate to about 20mm, 10mm and 6mm. So the Panoptic 19mm would fit in nicely. If you get any EPs near this configuration, I would stick with them for a while. You can compare them to the Panoptic. A barlow would give you more flexibility.
What are you going to use the sealed 12V battery for?

Regards, Rob.

northman · #5 22-08-2010, 02:20 PM

Thanks to you all for your prompt replies. Yes I've now noticed that Andrews and BinTel 10" dobsonians come with a couple of eyepieces. I'm sure these will do the job for the first year or two, until I become more proficient.

Rob, I assume I need the battery for the fan at the back? I don't have a power outlet close by to where I plan to set up the telescope, and I thought I could run it off a 12v battery? Does the fan run constantly?

Robh (Rob) · #6 22-08-2010, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by northman

Rob, I assume I need the battery for the fan at the back? I don't have a power outlet close by to where I plan to set up the telescope, and I thought I could run it off a 12v battery? Does the fan run constantly?

I have a fan on my Meade Dob. I've found it draws very little power and will run on 6V or even 3V for hours on end. I purchased a Tevion portable battery pack (3.3V to 16V) from Aldi and run the fan at 3.3V.
You probably only need to run the fan for a few hours until the mirror cools down but I tend to forget about it and it runs all the time.

Regards, Rob.

barx1963 (Malcolm) · #7 29-08-2010, 11:51 PM

I think most of the dobs (GSO or Bintel ones) come with a battery pack to run the fans. Mine takes 8 AA batteries. I only use the fan when in cool down, once I start observing a disconnect it as it does no good - once the mirror is cool, it ain't getting any cooler - and all you want is a mirror that is close to the ambient temp. Logically iof a warm mirror sets up air currents that can affect the view, a fan running at the bottom of the tube will also create air currents, so to me just run it for 30 mins before observing then switch it off!
On the EP question, the 25mm plossl that will probably come with your scope is the one you will use the most, mine came with a 32, 25, 15, 9 and 6mm EPs. I used the 25 about 95% the 32 about 4% and the remaining 1% consisted of me saying "I think I should stick to the 25mm!"
One word of advice, premium EPs are expensive but very much worth it, do your research, learn about FOV (fields of view) and ER (eye relief) and try out a few before handing over the cash. That said, a Panoptic 19mm is a fine EP, I have a 24mm pan which IMHO is the Beez Neez!

northman · #8 27-09-2010, 07:51 AM

Sorry it has taken to long to reply and update my first thread. I just wanted to let you know I had a good look at a 12-inch Dobsonian and I was impressed. So much that I'm ready to purchase. To keep the forum topics flowing correctly, I'll start a new topic in the Beginners Section. Thanks to you all for the warm welcome.