I'm new here

[Rod66]

Hi All,

this is my first post. After being a bino astronomer for many years, I've finally splashed out for my first telescope. I've purchased a Skymaster 8inch dobsonian with a 10mm and 25mm EP and a 2x Barlow.
After reading a lot of comments in here and other forums, it seems the most economical and potentially enjoyable for a first time user.
Arrives next week..
I enjoy the excitement of being a beginner at something and the amazement of discovery that awaits me :)

Rod

[iceman]

Hi Rod

:welcome: to IceInSpace!

Congrats on your first scope purchase. The 8" dob is a great start scope and you'll have many years of enjoyment with it - if the upgrade bug doesn't bite you too soon :)

[G1ZmO]

Welcome Rod and congrats on the new scope.
My second scope was an 8" dob and I learned loads from using it. (I'd recommend a Telrad to supplement that too. There are plenty of free telrad finder charts available on the net.
Anyway, enjoy and if you need any advice just ask. (Though don't ask me about the southern skies as I'm still in the Northern Hemisphere till next year :( )

Cheers

Paul

[mental4astro]

Hello Rod, :welcome:.

By the sounds of it, you already now the benifits that IIS brings in choosing toys. Now, how can WE spend the rest of your money...,:evil:.

Mental

[Terry B]

Welcome

Enjoy the new scope.:thumbsup:

[vaztr]

Welcome Rod

That's the same setup I have (without the barlow :P)

You'll have a great time with it - I know I do, it would be handy if you could get rid of some of the clouds that my purchase seem to brought over the ACT :lol:

You'll be amazed at the amount of detail 8" has over binos

Andrew

[erick]

Yes, an 8" reflector on dobsonian base was my first telescope. You will enjoy!

However, I didn't last a year before I moved up to 12"! :D :doh:

Actually I've recently bought another 8" reflector, but am trying to learn how to use it on an EQ mount :screwy:

[dpastern]

Hi Rod,

A big :welcome:to the IIS forums. You've got a nice setup there and I'm sure you'll get countless nights enjoyment from it.

Dave

[Rod66]

Gee thanks for the big welcome guys. You'll probably hear the screams of exhilaration as I set it up for the first time next week and compare the image from my 15x70 binos to the new scope. M83 is right over head at the moment so that might be my first target...have I picked one too hard? oh and did I mentioned Saturn, ahh and then there's Jupiter early in the morning... I think I just wet myself...

[erick]

Face on galaxy - you'll see it but might struggle to see detail. Try M104 - that's well up and the dust lane is great to see. If you are having success with those two, try for NGC 4945

[bmitchell82]

Off topic but erick i gotta say i love the new avatar :D its a corker!

[erick]

Off topic - thanks Brendan - felt it was time for a change. Found this one amongst the junk photos.

[Robert9]

Welcome Rod. Don't throw away the binocs. You'll find them a useful friend.
An angled finder-scope will also help if you suffer from a crook back.

Have fun, you'll love your scope, but don't worry about the clouds that are due to roll over Brisbane the night you want to give your scope its first light. :cloudy: Its a very common occurrence.


Cheers,

Robert

[Kevnool]

Congrats on the new scope and welcome to IIS.
Enjoy your stay.
Cheers Kev.

[vaztr]

Rod

M83 was one of my first choices as well, but I soon found out about the Dobsonian 'hole' - it's not impossible to find but the closer to straight up you go, the harder it is to move the scope exactly where you want it.

I found the sombrero an easier choice and the globular clusters are AWESOME :eyepop:

Other eye poppers rightnow for me are the nebulas near Scorpio (Lagoon and Triffid [I think])

These were my first 'real' nebulae (if you don't count the coal sack)

Grab a sky chart - and maybe a program like Stellarium (Free) and have a look around - a Messier catalog is also good to have (lots available on this forum)

Gee I hadn't realised I'd been typing this much. Just get out there and HAVE FUN!!!

Andrew

[erick]

With the infamous "dob hole", I find it best to reach down with your other hand and hold the base where you can get a bit more leverage on the Azi movement, ie as far from the central axis of the tube as you can. Then it is easier to move the tube in Azi in this difficult area then just with one hand holding the top of the tube.

[Jen]

:hi::hi::hi: Hi Rod :welcome::welcome:
Wow nice first toy you got there :thumbsup::thumbsup: but be warned that will not be the end of you astro spending :lol::lol::lol::lol:
Im sure some of these guys around here get profits out of us falling in love with all the beautiful astro equipment they all praise about around here hehe :rofl:
:D

[Rod66]

I fear you're right Jen. I don't have a scope yet and already I am looking at ccd cameras and wondering what might be useful. Is that abnormal? I've already looked at plans for a good telescope chair, DIY project for a mobile dobsonian mount and found out what a telrad was.
I'm even contemplating QLD astrofest - do they sell things there?

I'm frightened my wallet maybe emptied soon...

Rod

[Jen]

:lol::lol: No its perfectly normal :lol: I only have a 6" scope and after a few days i already wanted more toys lol
Yeah i wanna take pics too but im still not quite sure which way to go yet either there is too many options :lol::lol::lol:

Yep just walk up to the counter at any astro shop and hand ya wallet over :rofl::rofl: better still get ya pay cheques sent straight to them LMAO :P
Happy viewing :thumbsup::thumbsup:
:D

[stevoggo]

hi Rod 66
i only recently started astronomy (at christmas) also with an 8"secondhand dob...I'm loving it...
I've looked through a few other telescopes now..thanks to IIS members and i wouldn't be rushing to upgrade..a 8" dob holds up pretty well!!! the step up in price from 8"dob for a big improvement seems...err...astronomical?
Unless you want to photograph space stuff....which from what i can gather involves mortgaging your house and buying a telescope you can live in
welcome to IIS everyone has been real nice to me so far...

Also thanks for asking questions...due to clouds I am struggling to get quality time with my loved one...but when I do I would like to check out these beauties...could people please provide some directions to m83, m104 'the dust lane" NGC 4945 and is "face on" galaxy the "southern pinwheel? between centaurus and hydra?
By directions just give the constellation...I bought the "astro box" from QBD books...on special at $15..it has a planisphere star chart and star finder book....but my birthday is not till next weekend so i can't open it yet...
I mention it as it may be a good resource for other newbies....
welcome once again...
steve
PS a quick thankyou to Erik and bmitchell who always seem to be in here posting advice to us newbies....

[G1ZmO]

Stephen, Any of the freeware planetarium programs will show you where these objects are by doing a FIND in them. I'd suggest Stellarium or Cartes Du Ceil
Off the top of my head I can't answer on objects in the southern hemisphere as I've never been there yet but looking forward to our emigration to Oz next year :)

I'd agree that an 8" dob is a wonderful starter scope. Not much need to upgrade there if you're only doing visual stargazing as I do. (at least not until you get infected with the aperture bug lol)

All the best from cloudy Scotland!

Paul

[stevoggo]

Hi,
thanks I have downloaded stellarium...its brilliant...
And its looking quite clear here tonight...might see something good!
Only problem is all the different names for things...its easy to search m83 but i don't even know what 'the dust lanes" might be.
Any stellarium is great... and is going to be very helpful.
Cheers
steve

[Jen]

:thumbsup: yep i love Stellarium :) so does my 8 year old son he gets on the computer and plays around with it for ages :thumbsup:

[erick]

I suspect it was a reference to the dust cloud that surrounds M104 and therefore, since we observe it edge-on, forms a dark band across the major star clouds of that galaxy.

But if you want a challenge, search for a dark cloud in our own Galaxy - the Dark Doodad. It is in Musca, but needs dark skies and probably not much more that 10x or 12 binoculars to see. Search for threads on this site. It is marked on various star charts but may not be in Stellarium - I don't think I have looked there.

[Tallstock]

The Dark Doodad thread says look around NGC 4372.
Stellarium v10.3 allows me to Search (F3) for NGC 4372 and centres on the object but there is no detail. Any ideas on why this might be?
Peter

[erick]

Yes, I've had this. Stars are straightforward, but I think many of the other objects require an image to see something on screen. However, Stellarium does know their location - it just cannot show you anything there! But it helps you work out the local starfield to help your starhopping.

Stellarium experts??

The various images in the threads and on the net show you its location.

I'm fairly sure it is shown in Sky & Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlas. I happily recommend this atlas to beginners anyway.

http://www.shopatsky.com/products/search/pocket+sky.htm

For a local cheap supplier:-

http://www.fishpond.com.au/advanced_search_result.php?rid=2011 901823&cat=all&keywords=pocket+sky+atlas

[Rod66]

Its Arrived!! My new love interest has come in from the Chinese Skywatcher Factory. Steve at My Astro Shop was very helpful and was very obliging as I rang every 2 hours of every day to check on when it might arrive. (free plug for Steve as he gave me a good deal)
These things are nice to put together.

Of course I can't use it yet because the weather has had a turn for the worst. I saw some clearer patches of sky through the clouds as I was driving home, but funnily enough since I've put the scope together the clouds have thickened up and its raining.. why do you think that is...

Anyway, hopefully tomorrow is good and I can catchup with Rob and get some viewing in to test her out.

So for the time being she sits in her dobsonian mount like a virgin telescope waiting to be broken in.. :)

Rod

[Jen]

:thumbsup::thumbsup: Awsome Rod have fun with your new toy ;) when the clouds finally go away :)