#201  
Old 09-06-2006, 10:17 AM
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Dujon
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G'day. As best I can figure this is the place to introduce myself.

I've just decided to get out of my armchair and do a little bit of observing.

To enable this somewhat out of character behaviour I have purchased a 10" Newtonian and Dobsonian mount (GSO optics - I most assuredly cannot afford much of what is offered for sale these days). It, the telescope, is somewhat better than my old faithful Tasco 2" refractor which I purchased new some 45 years ago. Mind you it gave me considerable pleasure for a while - providing the seeing was good - but the silly table-top tripod with which it came should have been made illegal before it was allowed to be sold.

In the interim life has rolled on; marriage, children, career, grandchildren - you know how it goes. So, I'm back in the fold (if I was ever in it) even though I've tried to keep up with things from afar by dint of much reading.

Right, enough. I'll go back to trying to align my finder.
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  #202  
Old 09-06-2006, 10:30 AM
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iceman (Mike)
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Welcome to the forum, Dujon! How did you hear about us?

Great to see you getting back into the hobby after all these years. I've got a 10" GSO dob myself, and love it. Though of course, I wish it had accurate tracking and I wish I had more aperture

Blaxland is a great place, I imagine you get some nice skies up there. There's a few other forum members from those parts.

I hope you enjoy your stay here and find some threads you can contribute to, and please, don't be shy asking questions!
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  #203  
Old 09-06-2006, 11:08 AM
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Dujon
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Thanks for the welcome, iceman, 'tis kind of you.

As far as how I found the site goes - I forget. No, not really, it was when I was doing a quick research exercise on the worth of the GSO optics. Reading here, there and everywhere brought me to the conclusion that for each dollar spent the GSO products were/are good value. Hence my purchase.

Like most places in the mountains I'm surrounded by trees. This is good if it's breezy but it does limit one's access at times. At the moment Saturn is low in the western sky after dusk which precludes me having a gander unless I cart everything to a 'as-yet-unfound' location which would allow me the privilege. We all have our problems so I'm not complaining.

Questions? What are they? I surmise that as I slowly learn the art of using a Dobsonian mount they might well come, but I'll persevere with my ignorance and problem solving skills (?) until such time as I give up.

It is said that you can't learn unless you ask; I would suggest that you can't learn until you do.
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  #204  
Old 09-06-2006, 12:26 PM
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janoskiss (Steve H)
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Welcome Dujon! The 10" GSO Dob should be much more than "somewhat better" than the 2" refractor. Be sure to collimate.
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  #205  
Old 09-06-2006, 01:20 PM
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Thanks, janoskiss.

At the time I purchased the 'scope I also ordered a laser collimator. The main unit arrived two days ago but, because of overcast conditions, has been used but the once. Today the collimator assistant arrived so, given that it's still overcast, I might check the alignments this evening. Due to my propensity for doing things back-to-front this could take some time.

I'll let you all know how it goes . . . then again, perhaps not as it will undoubtedly turn into an essay on one man's stupidity.
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  #206  
Old 19-06-2006, 02:46 PM
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Jupiter
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Just arrived, my 10" Dob from Bintel, giving it a run tonight and not a cloud in the sky, can't wait for sundown.
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  #207  
Old 19-06-2006, 02:54 PM
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ving (David)
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you got a new scope and there are no clouds? unlikely!

congrats jupiter
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  #208  
Old 19-06-2006, 03:01 PM
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I've heard the stories, but I ordered it on Thursday last week, then the cloud rolled in, last night was clear and tonight looks like it will be clear as well, goodbye wobblitronic hello dob, I'm stoked, I nearly hugged the delivery guy today.
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  #209  
Old 24-06-2006, 09:26 PM
lingsifu
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Hello everyone,

Firstly I hope you'll all bear with me as I'm an absolute newbie and may ask some extremely silly questions..

I received my very first scope today, it's a Guan Sheng 10" dobsonian. The only thing I managed to do with it was assemble it and bring it outside - after which, I don't know what to do! The moon isn't out tonight, so I positioned the finderscope at the brightest star in the sky but couldn't see anything in the eyepiece (I tried the 6mm, 9mm and 25mm Plossl eyepieces that came with the dob, stood outside for a couple of hours, trying to adjust the focus). It must be because I hadn't aligned or collimated, but I don't know where to start.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated..

Thank you!
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  #210  
Old 24-06-2006, 09:43 PM
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ballaratdragons (Ken)
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Hi Lings,

if you couldn't see anything at all it sounds like your finderscope isn't lined up. Even an 'Out of Collimation' scope will show you something.

Wack in your highest number eyepiece eg: 30mm or thereabouts and get a bright star in the eyepiece. Then while it's in the eyepiece, adjust the finderscope to be on the same star. Then to test it, move the scope and aim it at another star or Jupiter and keep moving the scope gently until the new object is in the centre of the finderscope. The object should now be in the eyepiece too. Tell us how you go with that before we move on to the next bit.
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  #211  
Old 24-06-2006, 11:13 PM
lingsifu
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Thanks ballaratdragons, I managed to line up the finderscope with the eyepiece
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  #212  
Old 24-06-2006, 11:20 PM
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janoskiss (Steve H)
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Lingsifu!

These GS Dobs are great scopes, but do not come with adequate documentation.

First thing. Grab yourself the XT10 manual from Orion. The XT10 is essentially the same scope as the GS 10". Here is a link to the XT10 manual. It will tell you how to set up the scope, align finder, collimate etc and get started. If you are still having trouble collimating watch this video tutorial.

Next, get yourself a planisphere and some charts, and a red torch (one on a headband is best - Kmart sell one by Energizer: expensive but very useful). I started with a planisphere and "The Southern Sky Guide" by Ellyard and Tirion - both under $25 (you can get them from scope shops, e.g., Bintel).

Planetarium software is good too, but for me it's usually more of a specialised tool and I find it a lot more tedius than a prepared guide like Souther Sky Guide. But software can help you find some stuff right away. Stellarium is one of the most basic (but also pretty) planetarium programs. Probably a good one to get started with. (Others will also recommend Cartes du ciel - I haven't used it. What I use you probably don't want .) Use it to help you find a few objects once your scope is setup with finder aligned:

Saturn shortly after sunset and Jupiter throughout the night. Jupiter is the brightest thing up there, you can't miss it. Then check out some of the brighter DSOs. Start from M7, say. There are lots to see in that area of the sky.

You can also get free charts. Google for Taki's star atlas - they're the best free charts there are. There are two versions: mag 6.5 and mag 8.5. Get the mag 6.5 for now. Print them out and stick them in plastic sleeves in a ring binder (or follow instructions on Taki's site). Again I'd consider these a compliment to a written guide which would also include descriptions of what to look not just the charts.

If you haven't got a pair of binos (40-50mm aperture, 7-10x power), get one. www.aoe.com.au have some excellent binos for little over $100. It is a must have accessory to a telescope. It is a terrific finding / scouting aid with or without charts.

Do let us know how you and your new scope get along.
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  #213  
Old 31-07-2006, 06:55 AM
Nordo
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lingsifu
Hello everyone,

The moon isn't out tonight, so I positioned the finderscope at the brightest star in the sky but couldn't see anything in the eyepiece (I tried the 6mm, 9mm and 25mm Plossl eyepieces that came with the dob, stood outside for a couple of hours, trying to adjust the focus). It must be because I hadn't aligned or collimated, but I don't know where to start.
Thank you!
I agree with the guys that you have to collimate. There are plenty of sites showing you how. Pick the one that you find easiest to understand. A basic collimating tool can be as simple as a cardboard tube with the plastic cap from a 35mm film canister (any 1 hr photo shop will probably give you one free). You put a small hole in the middle of the cap as a peephole to sight through. You place it in the focuser (instead of an eyepiece) to sight through, then follow the instructions on the collimating sites. Obviously there are better tools available, but this will get you in the ballpark. You may have to wrap the tube with tape or something to ensure a smooth fit in the focuser (it must slide in neatly, with no slop. ie, it must align straight through the focuser).
I have just purchased a GSO 10" dob as well. I did my first collimation on Saturday morning and my first viewing on Sat night (thanks Astroron & Gargoyle Steve ).

If you still can't see, then your problem could be dew . DON'T rub or wipe any of the lens with anything. If you are close to a power point, you are fortunate. Just blow the lens dry with a hair dryer. The glass should stay warm for about 1/2 hour, and should enable you to get a fair bit of viewing in before you need to clear then again. Don't forget to blow dry the secondary mirror - just remove the eyepiece and the 1.25" adapter (black ring) and aim the dryer through the focuser directly onto the secondary mirror.
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  #214  
Old 14-08-2006, 09:26 AM
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Blue Fire
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Hello everyone! This is my first post here. I have been active in the Bad Astronomy/Universe Today and Extreme Astronomy forums, but I am thrilled to be here in IceinSpace!

My first question regards comets. Can someone point me in the right direction or does someone know if there are any comets due in the near future that may be seen with binoculars? I had the thrill of a lifetime when I first spotted Hyakutaki and then Hale-Bopp with binoculars. Of course they eventually turned naked-eye. My taste is whetted and I'm eager to see more comets. I do have access to a cheap small telescope if that will work.
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  #215  
Old 14-08-2006, 09:54 AM
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jjjnettie (Jeanette)
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Hi Blue Fire, welcome to the forum!
Magazines like Sky and Telescope will let you know about any new comets in the sky. They might even have a finder chart so you can follow it's progress each night.
A good pair of 7x50 or 10x50 will give better views than a cheap refractor.
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  #216  
Old 14-08-2006, 06:46 PM
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RAJAH235
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Hi Bluey. ..Welcome to IIS..
Try here for a litlle more info on comets n metors etc... L.
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  #217  
Old 14-08-2006, 09:37 PM
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Blue Fire
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RAJAH235
Hi Bluey. ..Welcome to IIS..
Try here for a litlle more info on comets n metors etc... L.
Just what I was looking for, Thanks! That site also has good links for related comet information.

Thanks also to jjjnettie for responding! I sorta figured I should stick to binoculars rather than cheap scope.
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  #218  
Old 14-08-2006, 09:49 PM
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ballaratdragons (Ken)
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G'day Blue Fire!!!

Welcome to Oz (even if only via the net)
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  #219  
Old 21-08-2006, 08:19 PM
"O"
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Hi All,
Just would like to introduce myself.
I am not sure how I stumbled to this great site but real glad I did.
Two of my friends and I are interested in getting into amateur astronomy.
I am a complete beginner and can't even name all the planets (yet).
I notice that most members here have some form of experiences.
But I am catching up and had been reading for about a week now.
I have not been able to meet up with any local group so far but will definitely do. We tried to go to one field night and no one turned up
!

My first question is which binocular? What are the respectable names? Where is a good shop to go to in Brisbane. Is there a significant difference between a $100 and $300 ones of same spec but different brand?

I am sure there will be many more questions to come.

Thanks,
"O"
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  #220  
Old 21-08-2006, 08:25 PM
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mickoking
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G,day "o" and welcome I don't know enough about binoculars to give you any tips on them but there are plenty of others on IIS who will gladly help you.

Astronomy ROCKS Micko
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