I started astronomy about this time last year, so still learning, but happy to help with beginners info.
I have the SkyWatcher 10" Collapsible Goto.
Love it to bits and have had some basic photography images turn out ok. Only using a mobile phone so photos are a lot worse that what is seen through the eyepiece.
Have had very clear and amazing sights of the moon, Jupiter and Saturn. Also a few nebula and clusters
No reason the smaller sizes would give less enjoyment.
Dual speed focuser would be great, and likely to be the 1st major scope upgrade part. Otherwise it's very hard to fault. Collimation is simple and takes all of 5-10 minutes once you are familiar with it.
Happy to answer any questions you may have.
Thanks. I will look into both 8" and the 10" Bintel Dobsonian scopes and see which is reasonable in terms of space consumption and then make a decision.
I’ve used both Bintel 8” and 10” dobs and both are excellent value and great beginner scopes for star hopping and finding your objects. Ideal for backyard observing
I also have a Skywatcher 12” Goto dob which is more of an intermediate level scope
To be honest I prefer the Bintel GSO dual speed focuser in lieu of the Skywatcher focuser but that’s just personal preference
You can’t go wrong with either brand in 8” or 10” manual operated dob to get you started in the hobby
Welcome and Good luck !!
I will probably head to their store and find out more about the two Bintel scopes. If I can manage to accommodate the 10", I will possibly go with it.
In addition to your 8” or 10” Bintel Dob telescope you will need to collimate ( align ) the optics or mirrors from time to time depending on how much the scope is moved around or bumped etc...
Attached are two accessories I have used over the past couple of years that do the task really well
Finally, I got my 8" Dobsonian from Bintel. Unfortunately due to bushfires around couldn't make a visit to the store and hence got it delivered.
On Friday night I was able to assemble it and took it out in the backyard. It took a while knowing how to focus the eyepieces. However, wasn't lucky to observe anything due to overcast here in Canberra.
Please feel free to advise anything that I need to follow for some good observations.
I’d recommend you download the latest version of Stellarium on your laptop or desktop. It’s a free planetarium and will enable you to learn the motion of the night sky and it’s objects hour by hour , night by night , year by year
After I purchased my 10” Bintel dob nearly 4 years ago , IIS members back then recommended to me to down load Stellarium to get to know the night sky and within a few nights observing over a month , I had a reasonable understanding of the motion and objects in the night sky including notable stars, clusters and Nebula and of course the planets
I initially looked at the cardboard Star charts and constellation wheels etc.. so confusing , Stellarium was like my “live” window into the universe, so intuitive and so many features. You can fast forward time to see what’s up there hours , days and weeks later.
I still use it for observing to identify locations of objects. Previously I use to plan a nights observations with the laptop next to me on a small fold out table and select objects noting there locations via notable stars ( star hopping ) Now I have a 12” Goto dob and don’t need to star hop anymore , but it taught me a valuable lesson in knowing the night sky all year round
For my imaging I use Stellarium to navigate to my objects using a program called EQMOD
Stellarium is a valuable tool for any amateur astronomer, beginner or intermediate to experienced
Cheers
I only have a 5" manual Dob, and I rely on Stellarium for figuring out what I'm looking at, or what I want to try to find. Stellarium can simulate the impact of light pollution on how few stars you can see, so it more accurately matches what you can see.
If you have a tablet (Apple or Android) having both Stellarium and Sky Safari on the tablet is well worth it. The larger screens of tablets makes the apps easier to use.
The other app that's also worth having is Clear Outside. That lets you see what the cloud cover is likely to be, in advance of an evening.
If your Dob does not have Goto, consider getting a red dot finder or Telrad. Helps finding targets by letting you aim at a general area before getting closer with your finderscope.
A comfy chair at the right height is also highly recommended. It means sitting outside all night with minimal swearing... :-)
Max I was working from the viewpoint of you thinking Deepak's scope not having any finderscope. I didn't realise you were looking at adding a different finderscope to the telescope.
Max I was working from the viewpoint of you thinking Deepak's scope not having any finderscope. I didn't realise you were looking at adding a different finderscope to the telescope.
Been using a RACI finder for years. It came with my 10" Dob. I also use a Telrad, and it works for me. But as for most things, YMMV.