Greetings from the deep south

acropolite (Phil) · #1 25-02-2005, 10:18 PM

Greetings all from Tas.

After looking around another forum for info on what to buy

iceman pointed me to this site. It's nice to see a bunch of people so passionate about their hobbyand so willing to share and help others. I've always been interested in astronomy but never done anything about it. What finally kicked me into action was seeing a bright satellite trundle across the sky at night then finding it was the ISS from the Heavens Above site. Last week I spotted Saturn with my binoculars and could just make out the rings; next Jupiter and now I've got the bug and subject to ministerial approval .

I hope to buy something in the not too distant future. I was thinking of the Meade LX90 but dobs seem to be very popular and heaps cheaper so any suggestions would be appreciated.

Striker (Tony) · #2 25-02-2005, 10:25 PM

Welcome Phil.......I suggest you sell all your possessions and buy a Meade LX200 16".........I'm sure everyone else here would agree with me on this one....hehehe

[1ponders] (Paul) · #3 25-02-2005, 10:29 PM

Howdy Phil, let me be the first to welcome you and try to convert you to the wonderful world of meade tracking and goto. If you've already got a Canon EOS 20D then you are going to *hafto* get into digital imagery. Here let me help you get a second and third mortgage on your house

.

Seriously though don't listen to Tony, you'll know him when you meet him...Hi Tony

...but seriously, if you're just starting and you want to get your socks blown off then appeture rules. I don't own one but sometimes I would like to, especially when the clouds only break for 30 minutes or so, think about (I don't believe I'm saying this

) a

DOB . If you want to get into some imagery and you've already got a great start, think about tracking (goto not essential). I'm sure others here will happily give their two dobs worth. Usually the 8" or 10" but sometimes its the 10" or 12"

Ask yourself, "what do I want to look at/do?"

[1ponders] (Paul) · #4 25-02-2005, 10:30 PM

Ha Ha Tony Gotcha

Orion · #5 25-02-2005, 10:47 PM

Hi Phil and wellcome.
Dobs are user friendly but if money is no problem go with the Meade.

acropolite (Phil) · #6 25-02-2005, 10:55 PM

Nice one Tony; I've already eyeballed the Meades, I thought the LX90 at first but then maybe the Lx200 (8"), where does it end. I read somewhere that the LX90 optics are as good as the same size Lx200, but the LX200 mechanics and tracking are heavier duty and more accurate. I think I could get the LX90 past the minister but I'm not sure about the equivalent size LX200. Maybe I could just tell her it cost $200. I bought the 20D with astronomy in mind, a week later Canon announced the EOS20DA optomised for astronomy. Fortunately my partner also has a fascination for the night skies.

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #7 25-02-2005, 11:04 PM

Hi Dob, oops! I mean Hi Phil.

I own a 12" dob and it's o.k. I suppose (chuckle).

I would like to put my house in hock and get a megasaurus Meade but my dog likes eating the sheep, so I can't sell up and move.

I have not gotten into photoastrography shooting yet so I have no idea about anything other than bloody big Dobbers.

They are easy to move around the sky, reasonably easy to move from inside to outside and back again (very easy and quick to move inside when the fog rushes in) and they look damn impressive when the neighbours call in: "Good grief, look at the size of that thing" (the scope).

Seriously, a Dobber is very easy to use.

Can't speak about Go-to's and tracking scopes coz they got computer thingies and motor bits and that stuff scares me.

Hope I've helped

[1ponders] (Paul) · #8 25-02-2005, 11:05 PM

Phil the OTA of the LX90 and LX200 are the same so there will be no difference in optics, however the worm gears are smaller on the LX90 and you can't drive it with a laptop but you can autoguide. Check out http://www.meade.com/catalog/index.html .

Other than no GPS and the other modern fandangles they are much the same scope.

RAJAH235 · #9 26-02-2005, 12:32 AM

Hi Phil and welcome to the *NUT HOUSE*, aka "Striker's Place".
As has been said many times before by all including me, is *APERTURE WINS*. The final choice is yours alone, and it all depends on what you want to do in this facinating hobby and how deep your pockets are!
ps. It also helps if you're in with the local weather gods.

pps. I think you'll find that the LX200's have bronze gears, while the lower cost units have aluminium. L.

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #10 26-02-2005, 12:47 AM

The local 'Weather Gods' report back to the 'Silence Gods' and they get very annoyed at all those noisy motor driven gizmo's whirring and buzzing and such. Then they report back to the 'Weather Gods' and tell them to spoil our viewing with clouds because of all the Meades and Celestrons making a racket!

So in reality, us peace loving silent Dobber users are punished for all the noise from over-priced, over-gadgetry, noisy computer run motor drives.

Don't add to the problem, GO DOB! and make the Gods happy.

RAJAH235 · #11 26-02-2005, 12:53 AM

COFFEE ANYONE?

ving (David) · #12 26-02-2005, 08:27 AM

white and two sugars thank rajah

put simply, If you will be wanting to do some serious photography of DSOs then you WILL need tracking. If however your interest in astronomy is purely observational then you would be crazy to not go the dobsonian reflector for the extra aperture you will get for the price... and that it in a nut shell.
"just the facts m'am!"

acropolite (Phil) · #13 26-02-2005, 08:53 AM

I think I'm swinging towards a dob. Late last night the minister for household affairs was briefed on the wealth of info available on the Web, particularly regarding telescopes. Her reply was fast and to the point. ...

"Telescope.... You don't need a telescope" I think I'll probably get a dob first then hatch a devious plan

to fund an LX200.
She's a good woman really; after all she puts up with me.

Dave47tuc (David) · #14 26-02-2005, 09:17 AM

Phil,

The same old ??

What to buy

If you into observing only or even photography save your pennys and buy this scope
http://www.globaldialog.com/~obsessiontscp/18page.html

Whatever you decide buy one that you will use often

Mick (Michael) · #15 26-02-2005, 09:49 AM

Hello Phil D and welcome to this forum. Good luck with your search. Paul, you can drive the LX90 with a laptop no problems.

rumples riot · #16 26-02-2005, 11:09 AM

Just a few points, a goto scope such as the Lx90 or Lx200 are great for just setting up and viewing the night sky. They are also good for astrophotgraphy. With the goto you can simply order up what object you want to look at and it will slew onto the target. A dob on the other hand does not have this ability and you will be forced to learn where something is the hard way. I have been through this and now am glad I bought the LX200 (now on my 5th scope in 30 years).

The 8" L90 is a good scope; a mate of mine has one and when compared side by side I was able to view objects with lower magnitudes, but only just.

Added to this, it is way lighter and costs a lot less. It does not have the convenience of the GPS but that is a small thing.

All Meade scopes have plastic gears now. So slewing must be done carefully. Never had a problem with mine, but I have heard of some people having trouble with the gears. Balance is the key with this scope.

A dob will get you started but I recommend the L90. Take the "chief" to a viewing night and see if you can look through a Lx90. She will be sold and you will get the scope you want. Everything revolves around price and what you want to do with the scope. If your budget is limited go for the dob, you can always sell it later and get the Meade or celestron.

Anyway just my opinion.

Starkler (Geoff) · #17 26-02-2005, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by rumples riot
With the goto you can simply order up what object you want to look at and it will slew onto the target. A dob on the other hand does not have this ability and you will be forced to learn where something is the hard way.

A dob can be retro fitted with DSC and still come out way under the price of the goto scope. The main difference is you push the scope to target and you dont have tracking.

[1ponders] (Paul) · #18 26-02-2005, 12:02 PM

Sorry about that Phil but Mick is correct. Thanks for pointing that out Mick. I must have been thinking of the posting silvie made the other week about not being able to do this with her LX55. As soon as I looked at the photo of the LX90 fork base I went

mick pinner · #19 26-02-2005, 04:49 PM

Hi Phil and welcome,
After reading the replies l noticed something was missing, the good old eq mount, be it carrying either a reflector or refractor.
Apart from one or two other scopes the members seem to be either dob people or as l am at the moment a Meade owner but be aware that there are many more scopes out there to fill the void between these two alternatives.
An eq mount will initially give you a stable system providing you match the rating to the scope size (very important), you will learn to find objects manually using the long forgotten setting circles and then at a later stage you can add a go-to system when you can afford it.
Just another point of view to confuse.
Mick

RAJAH235 · #20 26-02-2005, 07:54 PM

Plastic gears now eh! Now there's something I thought I'd never see on a Meade t'scope. Should be a bit quieter tho! Wear factor not included. The new breed of Meade's should prove to be O.K. 4 of our members have them,(LX200-10"+12"), and are very happy with performance and features.
Ving, YOU are NOT LEGALLY ENTITLED to use MY quote, as YOU were NOT even born then!

Give it back!