#1721  
Old 11-07-2016, 03:09 PM
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Ric
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Hi Alice

Cute kitty for your avatar.
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  #1722  
Old 25-07-2016, 07:46 PM
iasuka (Dmitry)
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Hi everybody.

This is my first post on this forum. Hope this thread is the right place for it.

TBH I'm writing mainly because I need to nail down 5 post criteria before I'm able to create ads of my own... Hope that won't offence anybody.


Regards.
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  #1723  
Old 26-07-2016, 02:18 PM
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Allan_L (Allan)
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Hi Dmitry,
Welcome to IceInSpace

If you are going to list some item(s) for sale, it would help to introduce yourself with some further details.
Your profile is fairly scant.
And people are a little wary of possible scammers these days.

What equipment do you currently use, and how long have you been into Astronomical pursuits?
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  #1724  
Old 30-07-2016, 08:16 PM
iasuka (Dmitry)
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Hi Allan,

Quote:
Originally Posted by Allan_L View Post
If you are going to list some item(s) for sale, it would help to introduce yourself with some further details.
Your profile is fairly scant.
And people are a little wary of possible scammers these days.
Thank you for pointing this out for me. Frankly I hesitate to put personal info into my profile. Maybe sometime later.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Allan_L View Post
What equipment do you currently use, and how long have you been into Astronomical pursuits?

For the current equipment, I use cheapo second-hand 1/10 102mm Celestron achromatic scope. BTW great advantage of having a cheapo scope is I'm not afraid to experiment with it. Like disassembling doublet lens for cleaning and adjustment. Same would be unimaginable for multi $1000 APO.

I also got a great Nagler eyepiece. I hoped to build a collection, but my budget never allowed me to get more of those beauties. Few weeks ago I resolved to sell all my stuff towards a proper 10-12" Newtonian in pursuit of deep space views.

I also have a few binos, up to 20x80. The moon looks terrific through those.


Regards,
Dmitry.
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  #1725  
Old 06-08-2016, 11:59 AM
Mayhem (Corey)
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Rookie

Hey guys,

New here so will ask the standard rookie qu's.

I have read and ingested much of the advice here and I have quite a distance between the first scope I would love to own and the scope I can actually afford.

Plan A: 8' dobsonian. Problem is I can't afford it.

Plan B: I found a good price on this scope: Skywatcher | 130/1000 Reflector Telescope. This is on a few sites as a good beginner. I will press the button on the this shortly if people on here think it will work okay.

Plan c: 10x50 binoculars till the dust settles.

I understand the considerations but as I am a rookie i actually don't know what I will enjoy the most.

Advice welcome. Please!!!
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  #1726  
Old 06-08-2016, 01:35 PM
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Allan_L (Allan)
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Hi Mayhem,
Welcome to IceInSpace

The best advice I can give anyone starting out is to get themselves along to a local observing night, where you can get to look through other peoples scopes and listen to their stories, and get a feel for what you will get for your investment.
Some star parties are listed in the Star Parties Forum, and there are others, so where abouts are you located?

Yes the 8" Dob would be a good telescope.

And the 130mm x 1000 sounds like a reasonable stepping stone.
But two things worry me. (If it is the model I have seen on line)
Firstly it appears to be on an EQ2 mount.
EQ mounts are a pain in the neck for visual observing.
And they are not simple to properly set up (polar align).
And they add to the price compared to a dob mount.

Secondly,and I may be wrong here, but this makes me cautious:
Quote:
Has integrated Barlow lens!
From what I can see, they sell for around $399.

For the same $399 you could get a 6" GSO Dob.
If you want to wait to save the extra $200 for the 8" even better.

Just my opinion.
Your decision.
If you are in my area, I can help.
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  #1727  
Old 09-08-2016, 05:42 PM
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barx1963 (Malcolm)
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Corey
Having had the SW 130mm scope that you mention, my advice is DO NOT PRESS THE BUTTON!! IMHO these scopes are the worst things to be sold to beginners. Hard to use, hard to setup, often with very poor mounts (EQ2 mounts should be consigned to the dustbin of history)

In most cases an 8" is usually the best bet. Enough aperture to see lots, easy to use and setup, can easily be sold on if you decide the hobby is not for you or you want to upgrade. And if it takes a few weeks to save up a couple of 100 extra $$$, you can spend that time researching what to look at when it arrives.

Malcolm

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mayhem View Post
Hey guys,

New here so will ask the standard rookie qu's.

I have read and ingested much of the advice here and I have quite a distance between the first scope I would love to own and the scope I can actually afford.

Plan A: 8' dobsonian. Problem is I can't afford it.

Plan B: I found a good price on this scope: Skywatcher | 130/1000 Reflector Telescope. This is on a few sites as a good beginner. I will press the button on the this shortly if people on here think it will work okay.

Plan c: 10x50 binoculars till the dust settles.

I understand the considerations but as I am a rookie i actually don't know what I will enjoy the most.

Advice welcome. Please!!!
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  #1728  
Old 09-08-2016, 09:58 PM
ab1963 (Andrew)
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Agree with Malcolm here don't go for that scope,you want something nice and easy to set up that will be a pleasure not a chore , the best thing to do IMO is go to a meet and not just to view through them but to ask important stuff like how long it takes to set up etc ,but if you're not the patient type get yourself a pair of Binos 7x40 or 8x50, the reason being they will be a manageable weight and will be able to hold them reasonably steady on what you're viewing without a tripod then keep saving for when you know what will suit ,when buying a scope patience is the key ,hope that helps Corey





Quote:
Originally Posted by barx1963 View Post
Corey
Having had the SW 130mm scope that you mention, my advice is DO NOT PRESS THE BUTTON!! IMHO these scopes are the worst things to be sold to beginners. Hard to use, hard to setup, often with very poor mounts (EQ2 mounts should be consigned to the dustbin of history)

In most cases an 8" is usually the best bet. Enough aperture to see lots, easy to use and setup, can easily be sold on if you decide the hobby is not for you or you want to upgrade. And if it takes a few weeks to save up a couple of 100 extra $$$, you can spend that time researching what to look at when it arrives.

Malcolm
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  #1729  
Old 10-08-2016, 10:00 PM
swr (Scott)
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Newbie to the site/astronomy

Hello my name is Scott and I found this site after researching astronomy in Australia. Always had an interest but never the time (a familiar tale I'm sure) but our family holiday the next school holidays is we're off to Dubbo for four nights and the Warrumbungles for three nights and I am told it is one of the best spots to look at the things above our heads!

Looked at a lot of Telescopes and read a lot about telescopes but until I read an interesting article http://www.ebay.com.au/gds/Choosing-...3136783/g.html I was at a loss as to which way to go. It is nothing that you folks haven't told beginners before but it was a very handy article and stopped me from buying a 76mm reflector....

I am sure that if you really embrace Astronomy the first telescope you buy is not your last.

To start with I took the advice of many forums and picked up some binoculars (a set for each child!) and looked to the heavens. They were good and it only spurred me on to "go bigger!" It was then I remembered I had an old spotting scope from my big bore target rifle days...20X power!!! Better again!!!

Was looking around for "something" when I came across a telescope that seemed to fit the mark. It is a refractor but as a starting scope and something for the kids to look at I think it's pretty good.

It is an E,Frantis (Korean Brand) 80mm lens 800mm tube (F10) and it has a very good focus tube with about 6 inches of travel. It came with 2 eyepieces (25mm and 9mm) and the dreaded EQ mount. The tripod is sturdy and the whole lot came in a bag with places for everything. For $90 I cannot complain.

Tonight was the first chance in Sydney to see the moon as it has been cloudy since Sunday when I bought it.

Amazing!!! Feels like I could reach out an touch it!!! Very happy on a "you can't miss the moon" level.

Fairly certain I will get the build my own bug at some point but for now its get out of the house and go somewhere in Sydney that's not too bright (hows the light pollution!!! Unbelievable!!!)

I would like to get down to SASI's open day this weekend and look through some monsters but as a starting point I am pretty happy, although I can already see some shortcomings (finder scope) that will need to be addressed soon. Let the spending commence!!!
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  #1730  
Old 11-08-2016, 10:34 AM
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Scorpius51 (John)
Star stuff observer!

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Hi Corey

DO NOT PRESS THE BUTTON!

A 10x50 bin pair is a must anyway. Get a 6" Dob rather than the 130/1000. Better still, wait for the 8" Dob.

The folks here have given good advice.

Did I say "DO NOT PRESS THE BUTTON!"?

Cheers
John
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  #1731  
Old 16-09-2016, 03:52 PM
haroon132 (Haroon)
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Hello Everyone, my name is Haroon and I have been living in Sydney for past 4 Years. I recently gained interest in Astronomy so Joined this forum. I am looking forward to attend some local space parties in NSW so I can gain more information about astronomy from experienced people.
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  #1732  
Old 17-09-2016, 06:21 AM
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Allan_L (Allan)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by haroon132 View Post
Hello Everyone, my name is Haroon and I have been living in Sydney for past 4 Years. I recently gained interest in Astronomy so Joined this forum. I am looking forward to attend some local space parties in NSW so I can gain more information about astronomy from experienced people.
Hi Haroon,
Welcome to IceInSpace
Plenty of people happy to share their experience here.
Keep an eye on the "Star Paries ..." Forum, coming up towards New Moon, for local observing sessions and/or Dark Sky trips.
Enjoy
Allan
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  #1733  
Old 17-09-2016, 10:04 AM
haroon132 (Haroon)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Allan_L View Post
Hi Haroon,
Welcome to IceInSpace
Plenty of people happy to share their experience here.
Keep an eye on the "Star Paries ..." Forum, coming up towards New Moon, for local observing sessions and/or Dark Sky trips.
Enjoy
Allan
Thanks for the Warm Welcome Allan ! ill keep my out for local star parties.
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  #1734  
Old 18-11-2016, 08:36 PM
blekk (Blair)
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Hi All

New stargazer here and keen to learn what I can! Great forum with HEAPS of information and so many helpful people

Cheers all
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  #1735  
Old 18-11-2016, 08:37 PM
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Somnium (Aidan)
Aidan

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  #1736  
Old 18-11-2016, 08:55 PM
sharptrack2 (Kevin)
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Hi Blair!

Welcome to astronomy, where things look better in the dark.

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  #1737  
Old 20-11-2016, 03:32 PM
Fourlights (Mark)
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Hi All

I’m in the market for my first scope and most of my queries end up linking to a thread in this forum so I thought I’d sign up and just ask away. It’s my first post and I’m sure you’ve heard all of these before but any help or guidance would be much appreciated. I couldn’t find the specific questions answered so please be gentle.

I know a scope is a pretty personal bit of kit so a bit of background:

It’s supposed to be a Christmas present for my son (7 year old) but it’s also a present for myself. I’ve been interested in space since I was a kid and he always comes home from school with space books from the library so it looks like I’ve passed that on. He’s been asking for a scope for over a year so I don’t think it’s a passing fad for him – in any case, I’ll be using it as well.

We live in Perth WA suburbs so there’s the usual suburban light pollution. I can’t really make it to any scope/viewing parties to ask questions and we are not likely going to dark skies very often (if at all) at least until the kids are much older and can stay up later so it’ll be used mostly in the yard or close by.

I don’t really have a fixed budget but won’t be spending $3k on a first scope. I might, maybe; possibly stretch to $2k but only if it has everything (goto etc).

We are not really into photography so it’ll be mostly visual (for now at least).

Initially I thought a Refractor was the go – easiest to use and I would know that what we saw was probably the best you can see given the ‘seeing’ on any given day (not because of collimation of or any other variables).

Something like the Saxon 1206EQ5 Pioneer Refractor or Bresser Messier 127mm (AR-127L) w EXOS 2 EQ5 mount (optics central but I have no affiliation with any place at all).

Questions:

How long would it take me to learn to polar align an EQ mount?

Once aligned, do you only need to move 1 axis on the scope to keep a target like Mars/ Saturn or anything else in view? Could I even see them in those scopes? I thought I read something about rotating the tube but couldn’t understand the gist of that.

How long would anything (say Mars) stay in the field of view – 60 seconds – more or less?
Would the kids be able to keep an object like that in the scope by moving 1 handle/knob?

Are the focal lengths on the above good or bad for a first scope - does that matter (I’ve seen short and long scopes and don’t really understand the difference to the naked eye)?

I think I would need eyepieces with one of the above? What would be recommended? Any other accessories or must haves when you are starting out?

MORE RESEARCH was done and I nearly pulled the trigger on a 10” Saxon Dobsonian – 2 x Super Plossl lenses, Pyrex glass viewing lens included.

I was going to get a right angle finder scope and moon filter to start.

Questions with this:

The website shows an image of what you can see through a 10” dob
http://www.opticscentral.com.au/saxo...U#.WDEvRndh2Rs

Is that perfect seeing, marketing, wishful thinking or pretty accurate?

Would that image differ to what I could see with the refractors or would it be pretty much the same?

Would it be the same as what I could see through an 8” Dob from the suburbs due to light pollution?

Biggest question is about cooling. Perth climate is pretty moderate so would I have to allow an hour after sundown to cool the scope? The scope would be inside and lugged to the back garden probably (maybe a close by park - are there better spots?). If so, this will be a pretty big issue because the kids would be in bed before they could see anything.

Whilst it’s cooling are the views of the moon / mars (anything else) good enough to keep you interested?

Would the 8” dob be more practical, cool faster etc? The difference in price being spent probably on EPs and other kit.

Any and all information or guidance is much appreciated.

If there’s anything I’ve missed or not considered, please educate the newbie!
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  #1738  
Old 21-11-2016, 08:29 PM
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barx1963 (Malcolm)
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Mark
Well done on doing some research and trying to learn a bit before pulling the trigger. Scopes can be a very confusing item for newcomers and it is very easy to end up buying something unsatisfying. I usually recommend buying a dob as a first beginners scope, especially if your interests are primarily visual. If you find the imaging bug hits, you will still have a great visual scope for those night when just a bit of visual work is all you want and you cannot be bothered polar aligning, getting laptops working etc.
I will attempt to answer your specific queries.
1) Polar aligning. Inexpensive EQ mounts are really only worth roughly polar aligning. I played around with an EQ2 wobbletronic mount for quite a while and found it worked OK for solar imaging at a very short focal length. For deeps sky it was fine for visual but could only mount a small scope. I usually just used a compass to align it so was probably no closer than 1 or 2 degrees. If wanting to do accurate polar aligning a HEQ5 is probably the minimum.
2) Once polar aligned simply moving the scope through the RA axis will keep the object in the field of view. How long it stays there is dependant up how good the mount is, how accurately you polar align and the focal length ( and hence the size of the field of view) of your scope. Short FL scopes have a much wider field, that is why a basic PA for me worked fine on a 400mm solar scope.
3) Rotating the tube. This occurs with newtonians as the focuser can end up in some odd positions. Rotating the tube risks unbalancing the scope. It is one reason why I recommend dobs as it not necessary with them
4) the pic of the moon through a 10" is maybe a little optimistic. It is at high power I think so you would usually get seeing issues with a bright target like that meaning the atmosphere would be making the image blur and move about a bit.
5) When comparing a 10" dob to a refractor it would be on deep sky objects that you would really see the difference. There are great refractors out there but my opinion, and that of many is that on galaxies, clusters, nebula etc, a decent size aperture dob will win everytime. More detail and brighter images at the eyepiece.
6) Cooling. People often get worried about cooling. Ideally yes a dob needs to have its mirror cooled and dragging a dob out of a warm house into a cld backyard will result in mushy images. But take it out at sunset and by the time it gets dark, it will have cooled enough.
7) 10" vs 8" dob. Probably no significant difference with cooling. Main issue with these is that the 10" is a bit bigger and heavier. But it will enable you to see more. That said the difference in views would not be enough to justify getting the 10" if you are worried about handling it. Of course any adult will easily handle either scope and a 7yo will probably struggle with either.

Hope this helps, PM me if you would like anything clarified.

Malcolm
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  #1739  
Old 22-11-2016, 12:49 AM
Fourlights (Mark)
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Thanks so much for taking the time to reply Malcolm. It's much appreciated.

I think I'm settled on the simplicity of the 8" or 10" Dob. I just have to work out the brand and goodies to go with it.

There's an 8" Saxon bundle that looks to be best value for money from what I can see at the moment. Crawford focuser, 2 Plossl EPs, moon filter and 2x Barlow.

I was going to get a right angle finder scope and cheshire collimator eyepiece and see how I go with that to start.

Shipping to WA is not pretty but I don't think we are spoiled for choice over here. There seems to be one physical store I've found so I'm going to give them a call tomorrow and maybe stop by.

Can't find any information on if the Saxon mirror is pre marked in the centre or if the scopes have easy adjustment screws already?

Anyone have one of these who can comment or have any other suggestions?

Thanks again.
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  #1740  
Old 30-11-2016, 11:22 PM
pro.dev3
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New here, mainly been browsing the classifieds section trying to find a beginner scope with a goto mount for astrophotography.

Noticed that threads here have the last reply on top and the first post at the bottom. Is that fixable? Gotta scroll all the way down to read what it is about then keep scrolling up to read replies, would be awesome to have first post on top.
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