Beginners Start Here!

[Jaala]

Thanks Ric... I'll have to look into buying some equipment soon... I'm getting married in 4 weeks so budget won't allow for any extras like telescopes! :lol:

Felix - that is how I found the site too.

[Neil]

G,Day HawaiiBill I,m also new to this community(IIS)So welcome.I think the amount of money spent by the gov of the world should be = to what they spend on there own political advancement, but we know that won,t happen.But anythingspent thats advances our knowledge is good for us.

[Tragedies]

Hello everyone.

I recently joined (just yesterday in fact). Was searching information about the Lunar Eclipse, and found this interesting site.

I haven't been fascinated about astronomy until recently, and this may sound a little stupid, but I want to buy my first telescope but I'm not sure where to start.

Can anyone help me by suggesting how much I should spend on a 'beginner' telescope and what to look out for?

[Ric]

Hi Tragedies, welcome to IIS and I hope you have a great time and a long stay here.

As to how much you should spend on a beginner scope is a very subjective area as it would depend on size, type and what you would want to do with it. I would suggest to stay well clear of internet and department store specials, you will only be dissapointed.

For starters I would try to get along to your local astronomical club and see what other members have, maybe even attend some viewing nights and have a look through some of their scopes as well this will give you a better idea of what is on the market and also what you would like to do as well.

You could also talk with some of the astro shop people as they are amateur astronomers themselves. There are lots in Melbourne but the only one I know of is Bintel, I'm sure other members can add a few more shops to this list.

Cheers

[PhilM]

Hi there everyone from yet another new member.

Have been perusing the forums and found loads of interesting info to help me with my pending upgrade from my ancient home-made museum-piece 6" reflector (spent all afternoon trying to collimate the thing - those laser collimators are great but the scope really isnt good enough - its a very thin wobbly metal tube on a pretty solid EQ mount thats fixed for Melbourne's latitude.

Anyway I am (very nervously) about to do the big upgrade and I can see already that the friendly folks at Iceinspace will be a mine of information and advice. See you on th forums (fora?)

Cheers
Phil

[Ric]

Hi Phil and welcome to the forum, you'll find a lot of good info and advice for your upgrade. Do you have anything in mind as yet?

Cheers

[PhilM]

Thanks for the reply Ric.

I am contemplating Celestron 9.25, Skywatcher ED80 600mm, Canon SLR and EQ6 pro mount. (Is the EQ6's weight a problem when transporting, setting up etc?).

Another possibility is ED80 on a smaller mount (HEQ5 pro or GM8) on which to learn astrophotography and a Dob (10 or 12 inch) for visual observations.

Cheers

[thongus]

hi!
Should only an experienced star gazer who could star hop use a dobsonian?
Also, with eyepieces whats the best size for an 8' reflector? and why are some 100 where'as other eyepieces are $500!!!! is there a huge difference in what you could see?

I have a star map, can cannot find any stars in the sky!.. what am i doing wrong? :(

[erick]

Hi to you, thongus. :hi:



I expect that you mean a dobsonian reflector without any digital setting circles, nor driven axes? If so, yes, you fundamentally have to know how to work your way from one star to the next, otherwise you will just be observing randomly, or have to sweep through the target area hoping to spot what you are looking for. But knowing how to use the finderscope and/or a laser pointer attached to the scope will greatly assist.



An 8 foot reflector! Wow. I'm sure you mean 8 inch, that's what I have. I have eyepieces from 40mm to 6mm which is magnifications of 30x to 200x. When I introduce my 2x barlow, those magnifications double. I think you'll find this is the maximum useful range. I wouldn't go below 40mm, but you may wish to try a 5mm or 4mm eyepiece if you can borrow one.



Apparently so, since I doubt anyone pays $400-500 more for an eyepiece just for the "name"! I can tell you that a $175 Vixen LV 6mm is heaps better than a $39 GSO 6mm plossl. Same for an Orion Stratus and a Pentax XF I had a chance to borrow (around $200 eyepieces). I'm not sure whether one would invest in $400+ eyepieces if all one had or planned to have was a mass produced 8" reflector. But if you are sure you will upgrade to a bigger and better scope some day, maybe it is a good move. Depends on how fussy you are with your view and how many discretionary $s you have. Read the many many eyepiece threads on the forum.



Wait for the clouds to go away? :D Sorry, I couldn't resist! Do you have a Planisphere as well? Maps are very useful, but you also need a picture of what the sky overhead looks like, at the time you are looking! Put the telescope away, and the binoculars. Sit back with your Planisphere and redlight torch and work with the sky until you know and recognise several major stars. Then update to the binoculars and see if the view around those stars can be compared to your star map. Then get the telescope out and get it pointed at a bright star (with the longest focal length eyepiece you have, therefore lowest magnification) and compare that to what you are seeing through your binoculars. Yes, it's all upside down and you'll need to train your brain to that fact. Watch out for the Planets - Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn don't appear on your Planisphere or star maps, but can be very bright, so can confuse you. (Duh! I did it early this morning - was looking at Aldebaran in Taurus, so I thought. No, that was Mars - fooled again :doh:)

Suggestion, start with the Moon - it's easy to get that in your field of view and there is plenty to see and you'll get used to moving your scope in the right directions to track the moving object and to see different parts of the object.

Hope some of this helps?

Eric :)

[thongus]

Hi Eric,
thanks for answering,
I havent got my t'scope yet, hoping Friday(tomorrow)
I bought it off this forum,
So those small eyepieces are usually for massive diameter scopes?? OR just for looking at the moon ?(since its so bright?)
My starmap doesnt have the moon on it unfortunately, i'm thinking all i need to find is one star, then i can figure out the rest lol

[Ric]

Hi thongus, if your looking for one star to start with you could try for Antares, it should be directly above you near the zenith at this time of year and being a bright red star it should be easy to pick out. There will be a very bright star nearby which is actually Jupiter and there will be heaps in that region to keep you going.

Cheers

[thongus]

Thanks for the replies guys,
Maybe an offtopic here,
Does anyone else get dizzy or eyestrain from looking into a pair of binoculars at the stars because it shakes so much?
I got 8x40 and they are an eyesore..

[erick]

Yes, it can happen. Possible solutions:-

1. get a chair with arm rests and see if you can rest your elbows on them - that should steady them and give your arms some rest. Obviously you need to be able to lean back a fair distance so need the right adjustable lounge - check the deckchairs and pool furniture at somewhere like Clark Rubber.

2. get the binoculars onto a tripod. The problem then is looking at a high elevation - you get all tangled up in the tripod.

3. put them on the tripod, but leave the legs folded and use it like a monpod. hold onto it and lean back to look higher. That will steady them better. Even lying down and leaving the tripod connected will assist steady the camera, even if the tripod legs don't touch the ground.

4. build a suitable binocular mount - see some examples in the Projects & Articles section , or search this forum or the net for "binocular mount" or "parallelogram mount"

[smithy1026]

Hi I'm here for the first time, but not all that new to astronomy. I do however have a request if anybody can assist me with advice on a 200mm f4 (I was suprised to find my scope on Brian Nolan's first telescope report).

I like the scope and find it great for the deep sky objects but I went to replace the focuser and found all manner of headaches from the focuser too short in depth (I had a 15mm spacer made up for it), to the collmination way out.

When the collmination is in alignment the star patterns resemble misguided fireworks and the field is in focus on one side and progressively fades out of focus to the other side. Does anybody have any ideas?

Darryl

[thongus]

Anyone know what these stars are?
i see them everynight and always notice them
I'm talking about the left side which looks like an arrow
http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/3959/dsc5221fv0.jpg

[Ric]

That's Orion Thongus, point your scope at them and you'll be rewarded with some fantastic sights.

You will not be sorry.

[thongus]

thanks! i can find it on the starmap now!
my starmap actually only shows this in november, so my starmap is wrong?
but in real life its right above me.

[john.pullen1]

Hi Felix,

I use and ed 80, a canon and an EQ 6 mount. The EQ6 is an excellent mount but is VERY HEAVY, if u need to set up each night an HEQ5 may be a more better option, the EQ6 is a bit oversized for an ed80.

Regards,

John

[edwardsdj]

Hi,

I've only recently registered but have known about IceInSpace for a couple of years. Have been into Astronomy since I was a kid and am now on my fourth telescope. Used to be into astrophotography as a teenager on a 4 1/2" reflector from Kmart with a Zenit 35mm SLR. Did some piggyback of constellations and some prime focus photography of the Moon.

I recently got a Nikon D80 and some camera adapters for my C8 and took some prime focus shots of the lunar eclipse. Am really excited about digital astrophotography!

Anyway, just thought I'd say hi.

Have fun,
Doug

[Ric]

Hi Doug and welcome to IIS. I'll look forward to your images.

Cheers

[iceman]

Hi Doug.
Thanks for registering and saying g'day. I look forward to your contributions.

[rodroger]

Hi,
I'm a newbie to Iceinspace, found link on the Astronomical Association oF QLD. As I need help on Newt I just purchased. I am having a bit of trouble with it as far as Collimation. It is a 150mm/1400mm Short tube Reflector and uses a corrector lens? at the bottom of the focus tube. I recently purchased a
Celestron Speciality Collimator from York Optics in Bris, but the mount of the corrector seems to obscure my view of the edge of the scoundary.
The collimation is way out and the mirror I am told by York Optics, could be piched as well by the mount brackets. At the momment there is a lot of ghosting and any bright star produces a lot of glare, I can't resolve Alpha centauri with a 25mm eyepiece, and the 6.5mm eyepice has no focus on any stars only will focus to some extent on the moon.
As I the only previous scopes I have owned have been a 60mm Refractor and a 8" Celetron Cass Smitt. I have never pulled a scope to pieces before as this is what am told to to to fix the pinched mirror. I was hopping there might be somebody close by who could help me out with this, I would even be willing to pay. York Optics don't have a work shop no more, so they are much help. Ther mirror also does not have a centre spot? This is a real delema for me as I have not been able to use this scope yet since I purchased it. - by the way it came from China! - Cheap.....But I was told by York that it turn out to be a nice scope if prperly aligned.

[iceman]

Hi RodRoger, :welcome: to IceInSpace.

It's unfortunate that you're having problems with your scope. Those short-tube reflectors really are best avoided. The built-in barlow is usually of suspect quality (sometimes plastic) and really will deteriorate the view more often that not.

If the mirror is pinched, you could follow the instructions here: Checking the optics of your GSO dob (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/index.php?id=63,206,0,0,1,0). It explains how to do it on a GSO mirror cell, but it won't be too different to yours i'm sure.

I'm not sure how much you paid for it, but it will probably give you constant trouble. From what i've heard, they are notoriously difficult to collimate properly.

For under $400-$500 you could get an 8" reflector on a dob base. A much more pleasing view, easier to modify, easier to collimate, great optics for the price. You really can't go wrong with them. Literally hundreds of IceInSpace members have bought them after they first came here for advice.

But, if you're prepared to stick with what you've got, we'll keep helping you out where we can! Get along to a local observing night of an astro society or IIS meetup and experienced people there can help you with collimation.

It's probably best to start a new thread for future questions because this beginners thread is quite long and maybe your post will be missed by people that can help you more.

[rodroger]

Thanks for that, Got scope colimated to a point with out a centre dot and has improved image a bit but still suspect pinched mirror - read the article on this, thanks for that. needed to put dot on mirror anyway. The Corrector is definatly glass as I removed it to check the centering of the secondary in the focus tube with and with out it - wish I read about the white paper trick before I did this :) Still getting triangle star colimation test which suggest pinched mirror, there are three main mirror mounting brackets!
(I checked my eyes and are ok.)
Paid $280.00 brand new with EQ3 Mount?
If I get any more probs after fixing pinched mirror, spotting mirror, and re-collimating I will start a new thread. I have a laser colimator arriving in a day or two which will help a bit.
Thanks again

[Malmsteen]

Hay there all, I would like to ask for a bit more information on filters , what the coulers are used for , ect, and what i will miss out on seeing with out filters on my scope thanks for u time

[Malmsteen]

hay there cant see my reply posts on this why

[erick]

Hi Malmsteen

You might wish to start with the link I give in my post on this thread:-

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=23881

And search the forum for other threads on filters - there is a lot of information.

Eric :)

[berg meister]

Hello,

I am to be known here as berg meister. Always been into Astronomy but yet to really get decent gear. I have a 3" refractor and some binoculars and seeing as I currently live in Sydney, my astronomical moments are not as often as I like. Will move back to Canberra to vastly improve this in a year or so.

My moments of astronomy so far are:

Observing the first shuttle flight in 1981 (?) though it was more like a moving star
Observing Haley's comet in 1986 from Gosford NSW
Observing the Shoemaker Levy impact of Jupiter
Observing Saturn's ring with my own telescope in Christchurch 1997
Observing brief Aurora Australis briefly in Christchurch 1999 - I have a newspaper article on this....somwhere too.
Observing the Jewel Box cluster at the Towsend Observatory in the Christchurch Arts Centre - a 100 year old telescope:

http://www.artscentre.co.nz/whats-on/Townsend-Observatory.asp

Watching a meteor explode over Lake George in 2005
Living within sight (for a while) of the Long Baseline Array east of Canberra.....could be in need of correction of the type there.
Observing McNaught


Maybe some others not quite to mind at present. Looking forward to the next shuttle launch too.

Glad to be a part of the community and look forward to some interesting stuff.

berg meister

[Ric]

Welcome Berg Meister and welcome to IIS, I hope you have a great here with us.

You have a nice list of astronomical milestones, the meteor exploding over Lake George must have been pretty awesome.

Cheers

[berg meister]

thanks Ric. Indeed that meteor over Lake George was one to remember. It was at about 2.30am with no vehicles in sight and a perfectly clear winter night...very cold too. Watched it explode with fiery fragments lasting up to a few seconds I guess....maybe two.

I still get a lump in the throat watching the shuttle take off each time....if only I could make it to the live launch in Florida. Amazing machine....I see it has a Hubb;le Repair mission schedulled for next year also.

thanks again for the welcome.:)

[iceman]

HI and :welcome: to IceInSpace!

I think you'll love it here and look forward to your contributions!

[xelasnave]

Welcome from me... just remember a great deal of the Southern Sky was mapped using a half inch refractor ... so enjoy your huge app.

Interesting you mention seeing Haley at Gosford thats where I saw it...

alex

[Paullus]

About time I became active on this forum!

My name is Paul and currently live near Grantham (Lockyer Valley), Qld. I've had an "on and off" interest in astronomy for a number of years. I've been a reasonably dormant member of AAQ for quite a while, but am keen to get things going again now that I have finished my engineering studies at USQ (more constant routine and a bit more coin to play with :D), and have a good friend (joshman) that has picked up the hobby in recent months who is rather keen.

My equipment consists of a Meade LXD-75 6" newtonian with the cheatstar (Autostar hand controller), a set of relatively cheap eyepieces, a Canon Powershot A95 and an older Ricoh SLR. My areas of interest are general observing and astrophotography. My first scope was a $200 tasco job...learnt a few things with that :P ...

Despite the good dark skies where I live, I'm practically surrounded by trees so my view is limited to straight above me. Consequently my scope lives in its boxes.

So I guess that's my back story. I'm a little more interested in my cars at the moment (as most young guys are) but will post from time to time!

Cheers

[Ric]

Hi Paul and welcome to IIS, I hope you have a great time here.

Cheers

[jjjnettie]

Hi Paul,
I dare say we'll meet sometime down the track. I look forward to it.
Welcome aboard.

[iceman]

Hi Paul, :welcome: to IIS!

Thanks for introducing yourself!

[Paullym]

Hi all

I never really add to posts, just observe, but I really want to get into astronomy and have been confused to the point of needing help...

I'm looking to buy my first telescope and would like some advice as to what would be the best to buy. I live in Brisbane and have been to visit York Optical, who unfortunately seemed to have confused me even more.

I realise the need for a minimum 6" scope, and am happy to go for a reflector. I think that I would be best suited to an equitorial mount, given the practicalities of taking it camping and to dark sights, although I appreciate there could be a learning curve here! I am looking at the Skywatcher SW500, but would appreciate any advice or alternate suggestions?

I've also been told a motor would be good, but surely its not necessary at the start?

Yours confused

Paul

:rofl:

[BIG BEN]

hey,

im a new member just wanting to say hi.

wandering if there are any assa members on this website?

also bout to buy 16" lb, can someone tell me any problems/ gremlins with this scope,
thankyou.
:hi:

[iceman]

Hi Big Ben! :welcome: to IIS!
There's a few ASSA members here, and i'm sure you'll fit right in.

There's at least 2 members I personally know of who have a 16" LB. Maybe you should post your question in the Equipment Discussions forum where they're more likely to see it.

Hope you enjoy your stay here!

[Ric]

How's it going Big Ben and welcome to IIS. I dont know much about the LB's but from what I've read they sound like a very nice scope. I'm sure the LB owners will be able to help you out with any questions you might have.

Cheers

[TimeLine]

Nerds. But, damn it, why do I love you all?

[Ric]

And loving it :P

:welcome: to IIS Timeline.

Cheers

[iceman]

Hi TimeLine.

My suspenders and I wish you a warm welcome to IIS :)

[tsuken]

Merry Christmas everyone.

I've just got my first telescope (birthday + christmas present, so had to wait a few months since I was told about it): a Celestron Omni XLT150 Newtonian. Skies are full of clouds, so I'm surfing astronomy websites - and came upon this forum 8)

I live in Springwood NSW, so shouldn't have too much of a problem with haze or light pollution (I hope) ... but the bush will no doubt limit my view from the backyard ;) Luckily a friend has a 4WD and likes heading to the Outback, so there might be some nice observing trips coming up (once I've learnt to drive the 'scope)

My earliest space-related moment would have been around age 4, travelling on the trans-Siberian railway: looking out the window, and seeing something that looked like a meteor in reverse - presumably a rocket launch of some description far off. I've always been fascinated by the night sky - but never really learnt much about it... now's the time, I guess 8)

Here's hoping for some clear skies soon 8)

Raf

[Ric]

Hi Tsuken and welcome to IIS, glad you found your way here, you've come to a great site full of top people.

hope you enjoy your stay here.

Cheers

[iceman]

Hi Raf, :welcome: to IIS! Nice to have you hear and look forward to more of your contributions and questions.

[tsuken]

heh - mainly questions for some time, I suspect. ;)

Thanks for the welcomes, guys :D

[Dujon]

Hello, tsuken, welcome aboard the good ship IIS.

If my experience is anything to go by you'll find just about every poster on here is of the kind who will, if they can, dispense free advice. So don't feel shy about asking questions as there is no such thing as a stupid question if you don't know the answer.

[omnivorr]

...since I've now already succumbed to posting elsewhere, I feel I can no longer "lurk" unannounced, and therefore "Greetings and Salutations" to all!

...take me to your leader ...by the way,this is Gort

Well, ..for those who recognise the reference, that's about the vintage I was when my father put me off of astronomy, and photography too,... by his then enthusiasm for it!! (lets not diverge onto any amateur psych' over that just yet please, just bear with me :thumbsup: )

....so, now the wrong side of 50 and all the worse for wear, I'm feeling MY way thru some erstwhile-closed caverns, glimpsed so-o-o long ago...

To wit : I'll start with a Dob (of course!!) ...GSO 8-inch...( 6-inch, depending on funds....)
....I have a yen to dabble with 'astro'-photograpy, (amongst others), and sofar envision the webcam-stack method to be my most viable option...
I might also explore what I can do with the dslr ...starting with tripod star-trails;) (..might help me to viualise where the South -point is :P )

Nothin else to tell.. Socio-economically, I'm a "disabled pensioner"... That describes my locii vis any DIY options anyone might care to share..;) but also limits same, with regard to transport/physical capacities , in my case...

My location/accommodation is sub-optimal also.. hemmed in by trees and roofline surrounding my northern-suburbs Brisbane locale... There's no "low-hanging fruit" in my existence.... unless it's those brown shrivelled /maggot-wriggling mango-fall from the neighbours tree, before it was removed to make way for the extension that obliterated the west-north aspect of my lower 30 degrees of that horizon........

but I digress...
sofar as contribution to this community.. I "take as I get"-"give as I get", ..can promise no more.. already I've seen enuff of this community to admire, aspire and emulate, and enuff to:rolleyes: if not :sadeyes:...:screwy:...:scared: at. :rofl::rofl:...but that's humanity, and I'm glad to belong!!! -if I'm accepted.

call me Russ ...I've been called worse. (and there's plenty a call I will not answer to!! -- just so that any empire-builders/Napoleons know that from the start!) ....and , to "head-off at the pass" any wanker/trolls :

my view is that "off-the-shelf" experts are "drips under pressure".....

if you can't demonstrate the principle (at least by analogy) in a crude or rudimentary form using everyday items... then your argument is mere consummerist gullibillity... Eg: the "right angle" can be constructed by any body from any pliable sheet of fabric folded twice.... no PhD req'd.

Similarly a circle: from any given length of material affixed at one end and rotated about that point on a plane.....a circle is "described".. all mathematics grew from there.

....so that's where I stand.. my particular ape-descended view on the cosmos and the antics of the "ant-hill" of which I'm a reluctant inhabitant.

The few who gaze beyond, ..whether "in the gutter" or not, but like Oscar, are able to see...... not just look, and blindly follow the rut.... that's the fellowship I recognise/precognise in this otherwise meaningless void ....

it's not all just some glittery cello-wrap gift for a chosen-few, some Cosmic Santa of white anglo middleclass patrilineal supremacy , ...hegemonistically contrived providencial nepotism..... for the benefit of those who can afford Canon, Zeiss, Lagerfeld (insert premium/trend brand as desired) .. .. it's a great big tumult of possibilities wrestling on a scale beyond mortal comprehension... visible at a vast distance and limited by the puny-ness of the observer.. a mere infinitessimal ego.... not yet weaned from this tiny teat we call earth.

Bourke and Wills perished while all about them were the source of their survival.... (;) HELLO! to Vinnie and Kokatha Man [Darryl] )

....it's all the fun of "Show-ride ally" out there, and it's atomic "no-man's land" too!! ...aren't we lucky we're in the outer seats of this Grand Colluseum.. and not in the arena!

but enuff of "bread and circuses"

enuff of me

end introduction
:hi:

[Gargoyle_Steve]

Welcome Gort, and a big "Klaatu berada nichto" to you!

Where abouts on the northside are you, roughly speaking, and are you / would you be able to travel to a darker, more open sky for a night now and then with other members from this forum?

The GSO dobs are awesme for the money, of course I'm biased in having owned 2 now in the last 2 years ..... and keep looking wistfuly at the adds checking prices of the 6" and 8" units as I have in mind to one day convert 2 into an inexpensive pair of "bloody big bionoculars"!

"Keep watching the skies!"

Cheers!

[omnivorr]

Hi Gargoyle_Steve thanks for the welcome:) tho I'm not actually "Gort".. {he's my sidekick.. I'm the (then) impossibly handsome actor no-one now remembers;), I can't remember his name....} but you can call me Russ. (Unless I do something meanwhile by deedpoll:P)

I reside at Deagon, ..the far-end of Sangate Rd.., near where it veers to merge with "all roads north"..

as far as being able to accept any gracious invitation to dark-sky events goes, I'm back-injury but not wheelchair, I thank (the deity of your choice)for that!- I arrived sometime after they realised "intervention" does more harm than good ,but I am "challenged" when it comes to sleep/wake routine ...or any other "routine"... hence my bourgeoning interest in night-sky phenomena :whistle:

my forecast ability is limited to something less reliable than the BoM:P, ie I could not accurately forecast my ability a week hence... 2 days at most..

I might also be limited in the duration of my being-away, to a limit of 2 nights.. ..but if that'd fit with 'riding shotgun' on one of your adventures to a place of peeking-"where no man has gone before", I'd be "chuffed"_ as they say, where they drink "warm" malty beer ... now where is that smilie that raises a frothy glass??:thumbsup:

... I'll get a sheet of red cellophane to "dark-sky" my 9-led torch tomorrow! ..err, "today" :D:rofl:

as I used to say to my motorcycle mates "keep it shiny-side up!"

:cheers: HEY HEY!! ...I found it on one of your posts in the moggie thread! ..and cut&paste seems to work!
Cheers Steve

[Gargoyle_Steve]

Hi again Russ ...... Michael Rennie played Klaatu, but in the new remake (being filmed currently) the role is played by Keanu Reeves would you believe.

Klaatu ... Keanu - I can see where that fits! :P


With regards some observing opportunities there's a number of like minded folk from this forum around the Brisbane / Northside / Sunshine Coast area who get together regularly on a designated Saturday night near new moon up in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. AstroRon (another IceInSpace member, and a Top Bloke!) lives on a nice dark site out in the valleys west of Maleny, and he kindly puts the invitation out to anyone who may wish to come along. Keep your eyes on the Star Parties forum area for mention of any Cambroon events. Some folk travel home afterwards, some camp out the night, so options are open. Not sure if you have your own car, or if that trip would be untenable to you for other reasons but let us know when the time comes, it may be possible to arrange things somehow.


Alternately there's a rumour of some other event runing for 4-5 days in early April ... :whistle:

It's a bit further away by road, allow maybe 2.5 to 3 hours from your place. Expect to see the official announcement in the same forum area very soon!
;)

[iceman]

Hey Russ, what an intro!

Great to have you onboard!

[omnivorr]

Hi Iceman, thanks .. Glad to be aboard!
I s'pose I could've kept it short: Hi, I'm Russ, I'm a grumpy old man. :P

[Kokatha man]

Well, well,well Onivorr: (the 3 holes in the gound joke - at least the vintage of "The Day the Earth Stood Still" - complete with dramatic music.)

I'm not Gort either, rather I'm beginning to see some similarities with Igor (lumping weird looking objects around in the middle of the night, complete with limp - definitely not Michael Rennie: but I (think!) I'm younger than him, and last time I checked I was still breathing.)

Really enjoyed reading your personal expose (where's that little thingy on the keyboard to stick above the "e" to make me appear uber this and that with my literacy - and where's the little thingy for the "u" and where's the thingy for............etc.) Oh well, maybe we'll go for "ruggedly individual self-taught wanna-be intellectual" instead of Igor: it's better than the "wouldn't like to meet him in a dark alley" version.

But seriously, I'm glad I connected with you and (just) saw this other thread with your contribution/confessions. And don't forget: when you get your dob I want first option on your buggered K-Mart noccies.

Regards, Kokatha man.

[SteveB]

Hi everyone,
I am new to the site and definately a beginner to the wonderful world of astronomy. I have had an amature interest in the field for a few years now but time and money has stopped me becoming heavily involved.

I live on 2 acres about 40 mins north of Brisbane and it is pretty good (my standard anyway) for viewing the heavens. I only have a 3" telescope but desparately wish to upgrade and would one day love to build my own observatory. I love to lay on the grass out the back and just watch the stars for hours, I find it so relaxing.

I am looking forward to furthering my education by learning from people like yourself and will endeavour to become as involved in the forums as my experience allows me. Please bear with me and be gentle.

Regards
Steve

[Ric]

Hi Steve and welcome to IIS. I too enjoy enjoy relaxing and just watching the stars only these days it's in a deck chair with a glass of red.

Cheers

[omnivorr]

Hi Steve, you've come to the right place! I just arrived "5 min" ago myself, and pretty clueless.. but the good people here on IIS are enthusiastic and encouraging.. a diverse bunch with interests and expertise of all kinds.
...and when skies are cloudy, where better to turn?! :D

[peggler]

Hi,

I am new to forums, so please forgive me for any inappropriate behaviour.

Is there anyone out there who lives in Lismore NSW, and who could spare an hour or two to give a talk/demo on astronomy to a Cub Scout group?

Looking forward to hear from any interested parties!

Cheers. :help:

[iceman]

Hi Peggler, :welcome: to IceInSpace!

There's a couple of guys who live up that area, including glenc, Coombell Kid, Night Stalker and xelasnave.

I'd suggest starting a new thread in General Chat, because it could get lost in here.

Just click on "General Chat" forum, then the "new thread" button, type a subject and your message, and that's it!

[darrinph]

Hi all,

My name is Darrin and I live in Ferny Hills, 20 minutes north of Brissie. I have just bought a new 90mm Sky Watcher Refractor from York Optical and can't wait to use it (properly).

A combination of cloud, trees and light polution (street lights) have frustrated my early attempts at star (planet) gazing but time and patience I have!

I have a few newbie questions. As this is a beginners thread is this where I go with real bonehead questions like "how do I look through a telescope?" or "whats a planet?" or do I go searching in the realm of experienced astronomers if the other forums? Alternatively, is this just a meet and greet thread?

I am looking forward to leaning on everyone's experiences and knowledge as my new hobby slowly turns into obsession!

regards

Darrin

[madtuna]

Hiya Darrin!:welcome:
you've come to the right place, fire away with any question and there will be someone with an answer I'm sure.
The only stupid question is the one you don't ask.

One of the biggest helps I found to learning the night sky is a free download called Stellarium found here at: www.stelarium.com (http://www.stelarium.com).

It's disgustingly easy to use and lets you identify what is up over your head right where you are

[SteveB]

Thanks for the words of suport Ric & Omnivorr:), I think this is an amazing site and by reading some of the forums everyone seems to be very helpful and friendly. I am itching to learn more and explore more.

Managed to see the HST again tonight and dragged the family out to see it as well.

I just have to learn all the lingo now and start saving for a new scope.

Is there anywhere on this site or another one that gives a list of Astronomy Clubs in local areas?

[SteveB]

Oops! sorry guys, just found the link on this site for the clubs. Not a lot in SE Qld though. Any further advise appreciated.

Regards Steve

[Ric]

Hi Darrin, glad to have you onboard. You are in the right place to ask all manner of questions, I agree the Stellarium program is a very useful tool to get you started in this fascinating hobby.

There are also some very good free to download starcharts available as well which will also help you at the scope.

Cheers

[Ric]

Hi Steve, joining an Astro club is a great way to move up the learning curve and there is nothing better than having an observing night with like minded people to help you sort things out.

Cheers

[jjjnettie]

Hi to Steve, Darrin and Russ.
Russ, I grew up in Brighton. So we used to be virtually neighbours.
Steve and Darrin, you should come on up to Cambroon Observatory, Kenilworth, next month. Meet a few of us IISer's. Plenty of people with lots of knowledge willing to answer all sorts of questions.
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=28033

[iceman]

Hi Darrin

:welcome: to IceInSpace! You're welcome to ask questions here, but sometimes they get lost as not all members read this thread in detail.

You're likely to get more responses if you start a new thread with your question. But this thread is a great way to "break the ice" :)

[peggler]

For the comments. Will do.

Cheers.

[SteveB]

Thanks for the invite Jeanette, I will see if I can make it. I have a couple of photo shoots on that day but will try. I hope the weather is better by then.

Steve

[darrinph]

Hi guys,

Thankx for the warm welcolm and the invite. I will have to ask my wife if I am allowed out to play! I look forward to seeing you in the forums.

[V8cressida]

Hello everyone, Newbie to the forum here.

Thought I would introduce myself. I have a 10" f/5 Guan Sheng dob. That I have had for 2-3 years. I have 4 1.25" plossl eyepieces (4,9,15,25) also a 2" 26mm as well.

We live in a nice dark spot 30km due east of Hobart quite offen the sky is "bright with stars".

Any way just thought i'd say hello as I have a renewed interest, as my 9yr old son loves the telescope. I will be looking for more performance and eyepiece ideas and combo's in the future. But first I'll search the forums b4 posting any questions.

Clear skies. V8

[Ric]

Hi V8, welcome and great to have you onboard. I'm sure you'll find the answers to all you questions here.

Cheers

[BerrieK]

Hi Everyone

another newby here, just thought that I would introduce myself. Recent purchase of 8" f/5 Skywatcher reflector from Andrews (thanks for all your help guys) was inspired by lifelong need to lie on the grass, watch the night sky and escape from reality...now I've discovered that in fact with my new 'toy' I can escape TO reality. Working with 10, 20 and 30mm (so far) eyepieces +/- GSO 2xBarlow , bought a beaut 4 reticle red dot finder and a few other bits. On the few clear nights I have had opportunity to view, have really enjoyed getting to know my scope and the sky. Husband not sure if he likes the distraction.

Decided to get a GSO laser collimator which unfortunately appears to be out of collimation itself, but found good instruction to remedy this on www.astromaster.com/articles/article.asp?articel_id=96 (http://www.astromaster.com/articles/article.asp?articel_id=96)

Have appreciated reading reviews, advice and general banter on this forum and look foreward to further interaction. But I need to get broadband; my dial up connection is a bit like two cups connected with a string!!

[iceman]

Hi and :welcome: to IceInSpace! Great to have you onboard!

[cahullian]

Getting close to 4,000 members now Mike. Keep up the great work.

Gazz

[Ric]

Hi BerrieK and welcome to the forum, it's great to see you are finding lot's of info to heading in the right direction.

I know what you mean about dialup, I'm still on it as well and it can be very frustating at times.

Cheers

[Juliano]

Hi everyone, just thought i'd post my first message here.

I got my first scope from the misses for christmas 2 months ago, its a 50mm refractor from Celestron (it was $48). After seeing Saturn with relatively clear views i was hooked.

I then bought the 127 powerseeker from dick smith for $227. It was a peice of **** after reading this forum i returned the telescope and got my money back (14 days change of mind).

I have now ordered a 8" Skywatcher Dobsonian becuase everyone on this site reccomends it and I also have a pair of cheap 20-180x80 binoculars for general viewing.

In a nutshell i love this site and im hooked

[erick]

Hi Juliano and :welcome:

Have you got out under dark skies yet? When is that 8" coming?

Eric :)

[Juliano]

On saturday night i drove 100kms out of melbourne just for the fun of it, i was in amazement of what i could see.

I only took my binoculars for portability and creepy surroundings but i could easiliy see orion nebula and eta carina and the lmc were easiliy visible with the naked eye.

the binos are cheap so they dont focus on details well but i was impressed. i have been looking up for 2 months now.

[Juliano]

the 8" should be arriving in a couple of days

[iceman]

Hi Juliano and :welcome: to IceInSpace! Great to have you onboard!

You've made the right decision with the 8" dob! Portable, with good aperture, easily customisable, and you can chuck it on an EQ mount for imaging if you go down that track.

Keep asking questions!

[erick]

Woo Hoo! Just in time to watch the Moon wax over the next week or so - and you can do this in the evenings from your back yard in Melbourne! :thumbsup: Subject to clouds :sadeyes:

[Juliano]

I must say even as a newbie to the skies, i could tell the difference from the new moon in my backyard. Seeing was much better. (when there was no clouds)

Im lucky in that the south is over the bay and i get less light pollution. but the north looks pretty bad.

[Juliano]

thanks iceman, i chose the 8" because of portability and sick of being let down with cheap telescopes.

I must say im scared of collimating, ive read all the documentation and understand it somewhat (i even bought a cheshire collimating tool), but what im worried is how much it will need collimating and the "star test" how do you do a star test when its getting dark? isnt it hard. I dont have the telescope yet but can you reach the screws while looking throught the EP?

[EJO]

HI.

I have just purchased my first telescope - a Celestron Astromaster 70eq from Australian Geographic. Don't know what kind of quality 'scope it is. Saw the moon for the first time up close. Awesome! :D However, I don't know if it is my lack of technique and knowledge, but the 'scope kept moving like it wasn't balanced. Even though I followed instructions to balance it and thought it was, it appeared to be too sensitive. There is also a hole at the back of the latitude section with ridging for something to screw in. I think this is where the rear latitude adjuster/lever is supposed to go. This is missing. Does this help keep the 'scope from moving around? The pictures on the instruction booklet are not clear - some look like they have a rear lat adj lever and some don't. Does this make any sense? Can anyone help this ignoramus? I hope I don't have to lug it all the way back to the shop... :shrug:

Cheers
EJO

[iceman]

Hi EJO.
Unfortunately that scope probably isn't something that we'd recommend, but unless you have the option of returning it for a refund, you may as well try and get the most of it.

Can you post some pictures of it?

Also, maybe start by creating a new thread with the specific questions etc, because you're likely to get more responses. It can get lost in this "Beginners" thread.

:welcome: to IceInSpace!

[leinad]

Hi everyone, another newbie here :)

Just got my Skywatcher 8" Dob this weekend, and had my first viewing session Sat night. amazing!
Couldnt be happier with my first introductory scope to astronomy.

[EJO]

Hi Iceman

Thanks for the reply. Just to show my ignorance yet again - how do I start a new thread?

I will look at my docket and see what options there are for refund. I will take photo asap and post. Busy teaching and doing prep work during the week but will try it to post a pic soon.

Cheers
EJO

[EJO]

Hi again,

If I can return 'scope what do you recommend for absolute beginner?
EJO

[erick]

Hi EJO

If you get into "Beginners Start Here!" forum, there is a button at the upper left that says "New Thread". Click on that, add title and message and click down the bottom to "Submit New Thread".

To recommend a scope, first a lot of questions for you:-

1. What do you want to look at?
2. Where can you look at things - in fairly bright city areas, or are you in fairly dark skies already from your back yard?
3. If you have to drive to get to dark skies, you will need to be able to pack your telescope, transport it safely, and put it together at site? What sort of car would you have available - big, small, wagon etc.
4. Do you really truly want to try and take some photogaphs of what you see through a telescope? Think carefully before you answer? "Yes" may change everything and increase the price a good bit.
5. Do you think you might get out once a month? once a week? every second night!
6. Do you want automatic everything? Eg. if follows the stars for you, finds things for you - or can you do that yourself - follow star maps to find things and then be prepared to follow them by moving the telescope by hand?
7. Are you technically handy - adjusting knobs and screws? Some telescopes need regular adjustment, some are adjusted from the factory and don't need much attention.
8. How much do you have to spend?

That will do for a start!! If you answer those, it will be come clearer what telescopes could suit you.

Eric :)

[jshad84]

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to this whole star gazing thing. I recently got a saxon 130mm aperture 900mm focal length reflector on an equitorial mount. I am enjoying using it aside forms till getting used to polar aligning it. I was wonding if anyone else out there had a similar scope to this and what they thought of it. Also, because i plan on carrying it around with me a fair bit, i don't think the box it came in will last too long. any suggestions on cases?

J

[flearosie]

Hello, I have an 8" Skywatcher dob which I bought last year but due to circumstances havent used that much. I am back on deck now and hoping to learn as much as I can take in! Can someone advise me what the most popular eyepieces are for newcomers? I have 10,25 and 40mm Plossls but have no idea whether these are suitable for someone with no experience....

I dont want to waste money on something that is beyond my experience but also do not want something that is not sufficent. Is a 2X Barlow any benefit to me at my stage? I live in an area with very dark skies so I can appreciate how lucky I am and would love to be able to find my way around in time.Any advice on makes and types would be most appreciated.

Cheers,:help:

[dannat]

HI flearosie,
I would stick with the ep's you have for now - they will provide magnification of 30 (for 40mm), ~50 (25mm) & 120x(10mm). I would use the 40 or 25 for cruising around & use the 10mm to zoom in on planets / finer detail. Before buying try a few other peoples diff ep's, you will see what your ep's deliver, and what might be better for you etc.

[rodroger]

Hi,
You might want to get a good Quality Barlows as depending on the focal length of the scope and the useful highest magnification applicable with the mount for double star observation if you want to try this field of adventure out. This you will learn from the operation of the scope over a month or so.
:)

[ajlane]

Hi All,

I have joined up to hopefully find people that have similar interests in Astronomy, this looks like the perfect place to start.

Anyone located in south eastern suburbs in Melbourne? Any Astronomy groups located here that do outings?

I thought everyone might be interested to see the telescope I built.

tks.
Alan

[Ric]

Hi Alan and welcome to IIS. you certainly have come to the right place to answer all your questions.

That is a very nice looking scope and to build it yourself must be very satisfying indeed. What are the details of it?

Cheers

[ajlane]

ive just joined the forum and i have a couple of questions ,im thinking of buying a meade lightbridge 16'',in the near future ,has anyone out there got one ,and are they any good????also anyone living around the rowville area who,s into astronomy,as ive just got into the hobby i want to learn from someone who knows the ropes......thanks.....alan

[ajlane]

hi ric,i made the scope whilst working at air new zealand,its a 12'' mirror which i had made ,and the rest came from obsolete aircraft parts ,i made an error on the f5 length of the scope ,but got around it by machining up a adapter for the eye piece,s which brings it all back into focus,this scope is good for a deck out in the country,its to big for my car and the mrs wont let me use her one....ha ha cheers alan

[Ric]

Good value Alan, It sounds like you did a good job with it. If your after a 16" you might have to upgrade your car :D

Cheers

[omnivorr]

Hi ajlane.. nevermind yer scope, ..it's that mount caught my eye.. is that a NASA-surplus LEM base ya got there ?? ;)

those OTA stays look pretty serious too... no flex eh??

[ya look like ya 'bout to give us 200 SAS chin-ups from its 2ndry end, ..mebe it needs it ;)]
..we could do with some beef around here.. far too much "ham" (apologies vegans) I reckon.. but I'm just a sardine.. mebe I'm only fishin' ..

mebe you could describe your "kit" in the " 'scopes n mounts" area for the zealously/jealously curious among us, yeah? ;)

Cheers
Russ

[erick]

Don't know all that much Alan, but I'm not far away from you and happy to let you pick my brain. Send me a Private Message if you want to talk more.

Eric :)

[ajlane]

hi erick,thanks for getting in touch,im off to london this week,but i will be back around the 15 april,if it would be ok to contact you then,that would be good.....best regards....alan

[erick]

That's fine Alan. Seems like we'll overlap for a couple of weeks before I'm out of the country for a little while as well. Eric

[spikeface]

hello astronomers... i am new! baby fresh!

and... in need of expertise...

i only made the actual telescope purchasing step about 6 month ago... a meade DS2300 (i think) reflector... 130mm apeture... and i'm already looking for more! i am astronomically insatiable!

so i'm on the hunt for a newie around $3000... i am most interested in deep space, but am very excited about seeing some REAL detail on saturn and jupiter. but i'm so confused about all the brands, products... i have A LOT of questions before i buy...

so! can anyone pretty please give me some advice on what 3 grand will get me? what questions i should be seeking answeres to when buying? i would appreciate it so much! thanks!:hi:

[iceman]

Hi there spikeface and :welcome: to IceInSpace!

Do you want a motorised "goto" telescope, or one that you push around?
Do you want one that can do photography later on, or will you be purely a visual observer?

[spikeface]

hi iceman! thanks for replying so quickly...

the goto question is difficullt... i would initially love the ease of a computer, but i ultimatley would like to be able to understand right acs/declination . etc. and find things manually... if i get a model with goto, will that effect my later aspirations? i'm also aware of a rather large price increase when electronics are applied...

and in regards to astrophotography... is it true that in order to properly see nebulas, you need to take a photo with the shutter down for a while? i would love to get into astroph, but if that affects my other viewing plans, and the overall price, then i'd rather sacrifice it...

[Ric]

Hi there Spikeface and welcome to the group.

3 grand can buy a lot of decent scope so my advice would be to have a good read here, there a lot of good advice to be had.

Your second step is get along to your local Astronomical Society/Club and go along to their observing nights, that way you can see various scopes in action and talk to there owners about the pro's and con's of various models.

Also do lot's of research it will pay off in the long run. If it takes a few months to find what you want so be it but you will have a scope that your happy with and want to use and not something that will be a dust collector within 12 months. You might find that you also have some extra money saved for some extra astro goodies.

It is a wonderful hobby that grows into a passion within a short time.

Cheers

[spikeface]

hi ric! thanks for the help...

so i've done some researching... and it looks like i'm edging towards a dobsonian... say a 12 or 14"... but what i want to know is, how big can i go before i start having transport issues? will it fit in my car? (ford ea falcon.) can you take the scope out of the base easily, or does it have to stay attached? and will i be able to see ACTUAL DETAIL on planets with a 12 or 14" aperture? so many questions! it never ends!

thanks for all your help!:P

[Ric]

Hi Spikeface, not being a dob owner I'll have to leave those questions to the dob experts and there are a lot of them on the forum they will be able to give you a lot more reliable guidance in this area.

I do believe that the scope can be removed from the base for easier transporting.

Cheers

[rodroger]

Hi,
I have had to clean my main mirror twice in the last 3 months and had no problems if it is done correctly and it improved my view by quite a lot. Just make sure you only use luke warm water with one or two drops of dish washing detergent - see the article on this web site. But you must rinse it off thoroughly with distilled water (not DE-ionized - it is not the same and has a lot of minerals salts, it will leave a film of salts behind).


As as for how you treat it after it has dried, first remove any dust with a puffer, (you will get some no matter how careful you are with the drying process, Than, I usually give it a very light buff with a clean camera lens cleaning cloth to remove any dullness you get even with pure high quality distilled water, a little bit of pressure is o.k as most modern mirrors are coated and will not be damaged by this action - (check the specs of your mirror).
Double check your finish in different light angles to see properly if there are no smudges and buff as necessary.

With general Astronomical observation you can get away with a bit of dirt on the mirror, so you should leave it alone, .......

.......but if you are doing high power double star observations with close pairs you need to have everything spotless and and the optics tightly collimated.

If in doubt - leave it alone!!

[mellotron]

Hi All,

I am new - it's great to find this site, I have already picked up lots of advice with just a couple of days looking through the forums. I have always been fascinated by space and have read lots over the years but never owned a telescope. I have recently been taking pics of the moon and Jupiter with my DSLR with reasonable results - I am amazed that you can see some of Jupiter's moons with only a 300mm lens. I would love to see with my own eyes what is up there with a bit more power.

I would like to get a good quality telescope that is suitable for astrophotography - planets and nebulae, etc. I don't want to spend too much as I will probably have to stop everything for a while pretty soon - I have a new baby on the way in a few weeks!

I am thinking a small-ish goto like the Nexstar SE range would be best as I would like to get set up pretty quickly. Are these systems suitable for imaging, or will I end up being frustrated and wish I had bought something larger, smoother, shinier, etc?

:hi:

[rodroger]

Hi Mellotron,:welcome:
If you are wanting to get serious into astrophotography, I would suggest a scope on a EQ Mount. The nextstars and the majority of other scopes mounted on a wedge will actually turn the image as it tracks through the sky causing problems with long exposures. There are some software and hardware out there that will help fix this problem but at an expense. I would avoid the goto scopes if you are limited in funds as the goto EQ mounts are reasonably expensive. You are best of finding your own way around the sky as I have, the use of setting circles helps quite a lot once the scope is properly polar aligned. I have purchased a 150mm Reflector f/5 on a EQ3 mount from E-bay for about $340. It did need to be collimated properly and I have taken the slop out of the focuser which was easy to do. I also had to buy a motor for the mount, a single axis job (a must for photography and high power observing of binary stars), a dual motorized mount would be better. Don't buy a Dob as are not made with Astrophotography in mind.
Even a Cheap Canon digital camera will get some results as Digital camera that cost me $99 from E-bay.
I have some shots I have taken on my Web site at....:)
http://www.rodroger.com/rr/rodrogers_bands_artists_Astro1.html

Here is one of them, hope this info helps you in your purchase, you will achieve far higher quality Superior images with your camera than I have here

http://www.rodroger.com/rr/images/Astronomy/Jupiter/Jupiter-sct_27-05-08.jpg

[fishinglizard]

Hello, Just brought a telescope it will get it here in a couple of days, where do you think I should point it first??

[erick]

At the sky? :D

OK, how about starting with the Moon. You can get started soon after sunset. Should be a nice view now - along the terminator. Easy to find, lots to see and experiment with - different eyepieces.

Then search for Saturn and Mars - on 11th July you might even get them in one field of view!

Then Jupiter a bit later in the evening.

[fishinglizard]

Well the telescope arrived today, haveing not ever owned a telescope I was pretty suprised at how big the box was, and then I fell over laughing when I saw how big the thing is, (8 inc reflector), I was expecting it to be a bit smaller, and I pointed it at the sky, started with the moon, I was pretty stoked at how good it looked, both my wife and I were blown away, then we pointed it at Jupiter I think, unbelievable, then the moon went behind a tree so we picked the scope up and shuffled up the back porch, (I had visions of taking the scope with us in our caravan, Ill have to buy another more portable one!) Then it took us forever to get the moon in view again, for it to go behind the trees again. So we decided to bring it back in and read the instruction book, tomorrow night will go a bit smoother I think.

[erick]

Somewhere in the instruction manual it will probably tell you to cut down all the trees around your observing location :scared:

Sounds like you are off to a good start. Lucky you didn't order a 16" :D

[fishinglizard]

can you look at the moon unfiltered when its nearly full?? i think i put this question somewhere else now i cant find it!!
its through an 8 inch newtonian.

[iceman]

Absolutely. But it's really bright :)
Just concentrate on the terminator - the area where day meets night on the moon.
Use a high-power eyepiece and your pupil will eventually contract and it won't be blinding any more :)

[fishinglizard]

Thx for the advice, another question for you, I set my scope up last night before dark, wife and I had tea cleaned up kiddy to bed ect, then went out to the scope and it was like it had been hosed down it was that wet with dew, The cover was on, should I be covering it (the hole scope) with something to stop this?? Also the EQ5 mount I have, the leg with N on it to face to North, but my father reckons that should point south in the southern hemisphere?

[rodroger]

Hi fishinglizard,:)
You should have the leg with north, pointing north, all my scopes are set up like this as it makes it easier start to align the scope to the poles with a compass, I don't think it matters really as long as the scopes mount can be turned without having to turn the whole scope, legs and all to align it to the poles. As for your dew problem well....a plastic tarp does help if you are going to leave the scope unattended for some time outside. But I also have found covering the finder with a plastic bag as well decreases the chance of dew formation, Always cover the main tube with it's cover before leaving it unattended. (a tent with a annex can be a handy cheap obsevatory for your back yard - see http://www.rodroger.com/rr/rodrogers_bands_artists_Astro1.html - my site - see photo's at bottom of page for my tent setup:))

Another problem you will find is dew formation while in use. The only way to stop this is the use of - 1. a dew shield, 2. the use of a hair dryer to dry the mirrors etc or 3. get yourself (make yourself or purchase) some dew heaters which are readily available for various size scopes and will keep the dew of the mirrors & lens. Depending on the scope you are using will depend on the dew heaters used.
For my Meade SCT I use a dew heater on the Finder scope, eyepieces and main corrector.
On my Newtonion I use dew heaters on my Finder and eyepiece only as the internal mirrors generaly don'y have too much problem unless I am observing close to the zenith for a period of time and dew may form on the secondary mirror and partially affect the main mirror but this does not happen very often:)

[oggie doggie]

Is that true?
I thought that the North leg had to point South in the southern hemisphere.

[rodroger]

Hi,
No it does not have to point north but it makes it's easier if you are new to the sky and you want to use a compass to help align the scope using the middle leg to piont at north, just makes it easier this.
The section under Projects & Articles on this site has a blurb on the use of magnetic north to align your scope depending on your location and suggests this method.

I found on most scopes, it really dosn't matter as long as you can polar align the scope. I use the drift method to get it spot on with the help of a illuminated cross-haired eyepiece 12.5mm Meade and either a x3 barlows or x2 barlows depending on the focal length of the scope.
And generaly always set my scopes up with middle leg pointing approximately north first, then check the mount at three points with a bubble level and adjust as necessary before using the drift method.

Takes time but worth the effort in having a nicely aligned scope for the night, especially for pictures and video.

[HawkeyeDaNew]

Hi all

I'm new to night, shall i say (no, not vampires) but soooo keen to get into it! I live in Perth, as people can probably see from my details (if they show them, don't know, see i'm that new :p ). I've been interested in getting into this, well "hobby" (if it can indeed be called that) for some time, but never got around to it, and now, well after reading a few articles and seeing the clear night sky from my parents farm (in Margaret River WA for those interested) i can no longer resist. So here i am!

I hope to soon move to Darwin with my partner, so hope to be able to see the sky (space) from Margaret River before moving onto the more northerly latitudes. Don't currently have a telescope, but going to get one in the next few days (sadly will have to wait further, as i've seen they're so much cheaper in the US, and add the amazing exchange rate, can't resist).

So, to end, hi all, I hope to make this a hobby, i need one of them, as my partner is away at the moment, nothing other then the box to watch at night.

Hawk

(if the original "hawkeye" is reading, apologies, love MASH, and always been my nick, don't mean to be stealing it...)

[duncan]

Hi Rob,
Welcome to IIS. You'll get all the help you want from this site but you will have to be patient. Most are probably outside enjoying the nights delights.Only reasons i'm on is waiting for replies and it is lousy seeing conditions up here at the moment.Nice clear skies but lots of turbulence in the Atmosphere.
Anyhow if you have any questions fire away and someone will answer them for you.
Cheers,
Duncan:thumbsup::welcome:

[Matty P]

Hi Rob,

Welcome to IIS. :welcome: Like Duncan has said if you have any questions don't be afraid to ask. There are many helpful and well experinced members here that will answer any questions or queries you may have.

What type of telescope are you thinking of purchasing?

Clear skies. :thumbsup:

[garyp]

Hi Rob :welcome: to IIS. There's Plenty of good knowledgable people here to answer all your questions. Make the most of it:)

Gary.

[bipedalhumanoid]

I found this site as part of my campaign to get the Star Stuff radio programme back on the air.

http://www.gopetition.com.au/online/20716.html

While i signed up to participate in a thread on that topic I've always been interested in Astronomy so intend to hang around. I used to have a 12.5" Meade star finder dobsononian but had to sell it when I moved from Australia to Ireland 6 years ago:(.

I haven't replaced it yet because the weather is pretty much crap here 100% of the time. If/when I move back to Australia I'd definitely be in the market for an equatorial mounted scope (the dob was a pain in the hole).

I spent 4 weeks in Australia recently and took the opportunity to check out the cosmological centre in Charleville. The sky out there is incredible. I'd recommend it to anyone.

Well that's me. :D

[iceman]

Hi Steve, thanks for the introduction. Your campaign to get starstuff back on has been commendable :)

I look forward to your continued contributions on IIS!

[NickontheCoast]

Greetings from someone who just got told he's getting a Dob for his birthday. Guess that means I'll be spending time here and plenty of time staring into the wide black yonder. Yes.. I promise to read through the forum, but expect a few newbie posts ... the family is looking at a 6 or 8" dob (see how easy it is to fall into this!) so we're off to buy it this weekend. Any advice warmly received and I look forward to catching up again online....tks

Nick

[erick]

Yeah Nick - being given a scope! Wonderful! Now, insist on the 8" even if you have to pay the difference! :)

ps. Welcome! Ask anything you want? Post observing reports!

[rastis95]

Hey Nick,
I was in the same boat as you earlier this year, ive always been interested in astronomy and i finally decided to get a telescope. I ended up using a 302 bintel dob from sydney. Through doing a bit of reaserch, and my beginner level, the dob seemed to be the way to go. I agree with eric, go for the 8 inch you wont be disappointed. I went the 12 inch dob as i wanted a good appeture and something that i will be using for many years to come. Good luck when you get your new scope and if your like me once you look through the eyepiece the first time you will be hooked.
Cheers
Scott

[iceman]

Hi Nick and Scott, :welcome: to IceInSpace!

Keep asking questions, we're more than happy to help.

[rastis95]

Mike,
Just a quick question, I have been having a little trouble collimating my Newtonian reflector scope, when viewing stars and the like i get crisp images but viewing planets all i get is a blurry planet with very minimal detail. Is this misalignment or just bad seeing. Thanks for any help.
Cheers
Scott

[NickontheCoast]

I've 'found' that extra for the 8" .. no new CPU for me for a while! The dob seems to be the advice from most so it's the basis of my search this weekend. Fortunately we live out of town with only one streetlight near home and a wide open paddock behind us, so I'm going to claim a spot for myself as soon as I can. Apart from arming myself with as much stuff as I can download (we did some minor star gazing for my wife's ed degree a year or two back), some books and hot drinks (still bloody cold!)..what should be on my buy list when I get the dob? I see the advantage in a EQ mount, but will wait. Collimation kit? I'm happy to be able to just scope around - the moon, major things while I learn and then gradually build up as I see fit. Tks and more to come ...

[rastis95]

Collimation tool is one of the first things I had to buy seperate, I use an orion brand with very little hassel, the only other thing i have bought so far is a 25mm meade wide angle eyepeice, hope you have clear skys on the weekend
Cheers

[erick]

OK Nick, some very basic needs:- Comfy chairs to sit in while you wait your turn at the eyepiece. Some form of stool to sit at while observing - an old gaslift office chair can be useful. You can see a lot sitting at an 8". Standing will hurt your back over time - the eyepiece is often a bit low. A redlight torch for when you need light that won't destroy your night vision. Everyready sell one you can put on your head that will show white light - great when packing up later - or a single red led. About $36 in the supermarket. But there are cheaper options (really cheap if you make one yourself http://www.iceinspace.com.au/index.php?id=63,278,0,0,1,0 ). A Planisphere - get the big one. It's either that or memorise the sky soon, or drag your computer out with you (then you need a red filter for the screen!)

Yes, and get that collimating tool. Start with a cheshire collimating tool.

Happy observing! Tell us what you see! :thumbsup:

[NickontheCoast]

Yes Eric...I'm beginning to understand that creature comforts are almost as important as the equipment! .. I am fortunate, I hope, as I have some decent viewing potential in my back yard .. well, over the barbed wire fence (careful!) .. mostly to the west. Without much work I can get to the east in a comfy spot as well, friendly neighbours... Living on a hill can have its advantages...tks again for the advice and look forward to some reports..!

[NickontheCoast]

Ok..so who forgot to tell me how much fun this can be!.. Proud owner of a 200mm SkyWatch dob and bleary eyes

Out of the box and setup a treat.. didn't look at collimating, too eager to get viewing. And viewing I got! ..

With the moon as it is, a pretty bright night sky probably took out lots of stars but it the moon was of course spectacular, crisp and clear and mesmerising.

And Jupiter ... please tell me they were three of the moons I could see as bright white dots in a lateral line....

Jupiter seemed very white and hard to keep in focus (10mm and 25mm eyepieces..standard with the dob..any suggestions on eyepieces) but well worth the wait in the cold.

I can get a decent viewing spot in the back yard that gives a good view of the sky from south thru to ne - nnw (there's a tree to go next weekend!), so I guess this will be my main learning area.

... back out there tonite...

[erick]

:D:P



I think you missed Callisto - some distance from Jupiter and the other three big moons around 8pm last night.

Time for some computerised help? Try Stellarium at www.stellarium.org (http://www.stellarium.org) (download free) and zoom in on Jupiter; Skyview cafe at www.skyviewcafe.com (http://www.skyviewcafe.com) (run for free off the internet), click on the Moons/GRS tab to see Jupiter and Saturn up close; or if you really want detail on Jupiter http://www.astrosurf.com/rondi/jupiter/ to download the program free.

Sounds like seeing wasn't good. But if you didn't see two dark bands across the planet, it's time to have a look at collimation.



Eco-vandal! :whistle:



In which case you shouldn't be reading this you should be sleeping! :lol:

[NickontheCoast]

Hi Eric and again thanks for tips ...


Managed to see the bands on Jupiter and have just attempted my first collimation...got a laser one and the dot appears to be in the right place for each mirror..

Back out there tonite...after I look at those links...

Tks

[erick]

Is the dot in the right place on its return to the collimator - ie right back up the hole it came out of?

[NickontheCoast]

.. Yup .. many thanks to my wife....

The SkyWatcher has two sets of screws on the mirror, philips to adjust and hex to lock .... tricky as they both affect things...so once I got it into place I stopped...waiting for tonite. Those links are great .. and it does appear I got to see three moons...was outside from about 7.30pm to 11.30 ... short look tonight start of the working week etc..

tks

[erick]

Nick, I only do up the "lock" screws on the primary for transport. Experiment with leaving them loose during your session, after you have collimated. Many people report that nipping them up tight pushes the scope back out of collimation. The only problem leaving them loose seems to be if the springs supporting the mirror are too weak - then the mirror can shift a little as you move the altitude from horizon to zenith. It seems that replacing the springs with stronger springs is a fairly easy task.

My 8" GSO has the original springs and I don't have a problem leaving the lock screws loose.

[rastis95]

Eric,
With the locking screws undone does it take much to knock the mirrors out of alignment.

[erick]

I don't notice a problem for a whole observing session. But I have to say that checking the collimation before I firm up the locking screws and pull the scope apart for transport is not something I have done.

[BalderAsir]

well, this seemed like a good place to start my first post.

I've been interested in space and astronomy for as long as i can remember, but i've never actually used or owned a telescope. So in the process of researching my first scope I found this site. After reading some of the links i can't wait to go out with just my binoculars and have a squizz :) Most of my astronomy and star gazing has been with Photoshop and a creative mind so far, but i'm keen to gaze at the real thing for once :)

I originally hail from Darwin but have moved to Victoria to complete my pilot studies. 20 years old and thats about it :)

I really look forward to getting involved in amateur astonomy and harrassing you guys with my newbish questions :)


Nick

[erick]

Psssst! Hey Nick, you wanta buy a used telescope?

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=34798

Eric :D

[BalderAsir]

Hey eric, i'd love to mate, but been a student, i can't come up with the cash for awhile, and i've some how got to fit that in my car, plus my golf clubs when I drive back home to darwin in november :)

[iceman]

Hi Nick, :welcome: to IceInSpace!

Keep asking questions and enjoy this great hobby.

[erick]

Understood Nick (Of course you could sell the clubs to make some money and some room! :D )

But you should try to get out with someone with a scope. People gather south of Melbourne at the Mornington Peninsular Astrom Society (search "Briars" on this site http://www.mpas.asn.au/BOS1.htm ) or go west to Snake Valley ( http://snake-valley-astro.000webhost.info/welcome.html ). If you are interested, shout out and I'm sure you can team up with someone who can give you a lift or directions - to meet folks and check out scopes. I hope to go to Snake Valley on 5th.

Cheers
Eric

[BalderAsir]

yeah i will have to do that eric, im out in the latrobe valley to boot.

just need to work out how to read a star chart, i printed the ones from the sticky at the top of the forum (Which is the free star atlas, is this different from a star chart?). I'm guessing when eg Chart 1: Declination North of +65deg means 65deg up from the horizon of north, but have no idea of anything else, and a google search isn't helping lol

[erick]

A little bit more information? Which chart are you looking at?

A little easier to start with might be a map from here:-

http://www.skymaps.com/downloads.html

Choose the Southern hemisphere version, pdf should be fine. See if that makes sense after you read the instructions.

Cheers
Eric

[BalderAsir]

Thanks for that one, i understand that. The charts i was referring to are here http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=1878

If i am reading things right, i take a chart, align myself to north, angle up to the relevant declination eg +65, then rotate 15deg right per hour? on the chart?

or am i completely off track?

[erick]

Well it depends on which chart. That's why we'd need to look at the actual chart you are trying to use. Even then, might be hard to explain in words.

If the skymap I directed you to will do for the moment, use that. In theory, you hold it above your head, align north on the map with north, then that is the view of the sky at the nominated time on the map. Actually it is set for Sydney. For us, what you see in the sky is moved a bit towards the North, compared with the map.

After your arms get tired :D, just hold the map towards the horizon and align the cardinal point on that horizon with the same point on the map. Then looking from the horizon up to the zenith is the same as looking from the edge to the centre of the map.

So much easier to do then to explain. You need to get together with someone.

[BalderAsir]

i'm looking at chart 1 for now.

[jjjnettie]

Hi Nick, welcome aboard.
If you purchase a copy of Australian Sky and Telescope, they have a pretty good all sky map as the centrefold.
I know it's only basic, but it should be all you need for now with binos.
Once you've found every on that map, then you can start on the more detailed maps.
cheers

[BalderAsir]

funny you say that, i brought one today and have only just gotten to that part.

Just need to figure out the best way to "align" myself when looking, thinking of turning an old red dot scope into a pointer to help....

[light matter]

I've posted once already on a thread where members were listing the software they're using, perhaps I have not understood the thread etiquite, but I seem to be ignored.:shrug:

I am a beginner and I was interested in getting hold of some observation planning software and some star charting software. I've had a look at the site for "Redshift" and "Deep Sky Planner 4" and wondered if anyone had any experience of these packages, especially their suitability for the Southern Hemisphere? :help:

[light matter]

I can't spell either (etiquette).

[NickontheCoast]

My Dob was a birthday gift from my wife...she has now reached legend satus among my mates. And since then it's been some great nights observing. The moon put on a great show at my birthday bash...the scope was in use all night (well, until I thought it safer to put it away!), but the kids all had a great look at the moon, and stars. Jupiter turned it on also (for those without the wobbly boot on). Since then I have had a couple of great nights; clusters, Jupiter through the range of new eyepieces, the moon, even Mars in a hazy view). Now I guess I start to get serious and will be looking for more in the night sky. I grabbed the SkyWatcher eyepiece kit, lotsa swapping in and out so I hope now I can see more. While I read up.. any clues for some good sights? And thanks to the forum for a wealth of knowledge (and humour also!).....

[erick]

Go here:-

http://www.skymaps.com/downloads.html

Download the Southern hemisphere pdf version, print it out and away you go! :)

[iceman]

Hi Robert
I've not used those packages but I've had a look at them and Deep Sky Planner does look nice.

What are your requirements? What do you want to log or plan etc?

[NickontheCoast]

... beat you to the advice ... downloaded and thinking about the clear night ahead .. cheers.... :)

[erick]

Lucky you. 4/5s cloud outside my window! Tell us what you find! :thumbsup:

[BalderAsir]

hahaha yeah eric i was up in that today, bumpy as hell and looks like its gonna get thicker tonight

[light matter]

Thanks Eric and Mike for your replies. In answer to your question Mike, my objective is basically photography. I managed to take a couple of shots (I'm not very proud of) so far, but I'm finding that the amount of time I spend attempting to get the tracking, focusing, and then searching into the only area of the sky to get a good less light polluted shot. I really need much better time help in good planning of where my best view of the subject will be so I can get the best shots.

Where I am in Sydney I find that my darkest sky looks east and as I look straight overhead the light pollution starts to have more effect.

I'll let you know how Deep Sky Planner 4 is when I get the package.... I took the plunge and decided to purchase it.

Cheers,

[Lukazy]

Hi, I'm new here. I just got myself a 10" Dob after only having small scopes most of my life. I've always had a real interest in astronomy, but when I read a lot of the stuff on sites like this, it confuses the hell out of me. I just point my scope into the air and look through the eyepiece - seems to work well. I use a star chart and try and pick out things off it.

Anyway, is there any info on this site about how to use a dobsonian telescope properly?

[iceman]

Hi Luke, :welcome: to IceInSpace!

By "using it properly", what do you mean? Using star charts is a great way to get started to know where things are in the sky. However sometimes you'll want some more detailed charts and maps to find those obscure or fainter objects that are within the reach of your great 10" scope.

I started with a 10" dob and absolutely loved it. I observed some beautiful things in the time I owned it, and when I combined it with some DSC's, it was a treat to use and I observed many more objects in a given night.

Have you gone along to any astro society meets? That would be a great start to meet some other amateur astronomers, get help collimating (if you need it), and to see how they use their scopes.

[Dog Star]

Luke wrote - "I just point my scope in the air and look through the eyepiece - seems to work well."
Luke, if that ain't "using it properly" then I'm damned if I know what is.:thumbsup:

[jjjnettie]

Hi Luke,
If you can, you should come along to the Barambah Dark Sky Camp.
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=34767
You'll meet up with other Ice In Spacers from around South East Queensland.
You'll get loads of good advice, and get answers to all of your questions.
Everyone is very friendly and you get the chance to look through many different types of telescopes.
Cheers,
JEanette

[Lukazy]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I am thinking of joing the Brisbane Astronomical Society (BAS) so I can get a bit more of an understanding of all things astronomical. I don't pick up my new scope till next week (which won't matter because it will be raining for the next few days anyway).

Just one more question (pardon my ignorance), I get a 25mm and a 10mm eye piece with my telescope, what other eye pieces / filters will I require for decent viewing? I'm not taking photos.

Looking forward to perhaps seeing my first DSO next week!

[Moonlit_lily]

Hi, I'm new here, and I got directed to this site by a relative who thought I could maybe get some answers here :)
I live in melbourne, Vic, Australia and I really want to know when the next strong/prominent meteor shower is that will be able to be seen from the sourounding melbourne country area's. I know the quadratids (is that right?) are in early in jan from the 1-5 and best on the 3rd, but I have no idea if they will be able to be seen here in melb. so as I said, can someone please tell me when the next strong/prominent meteor shower will be that can be seen well in melbourne is?
Thanks in advance.
Sasha

[erick]

Hi Sasha

Read this link and follow some of the links given there:-

http://home.mira.net/~reynella/skywatch/ssky.htm#Meteor

Also some mention here:-

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=35836

Happy hunting but be aware meteors can be a a bit hit and miss - predictions of the rates can be out a long way.

[erick]

Sorry, Sasha, some of those links appear to be dead. :sadeyes:

[rastis95]

Hi all its been a while, bad weather and just to busy :). Wondering if anyone has any tips on collimating the secondary mirror. It seems to be a little out of alignment up and down the sight tube. Hoping for clear skys tonight see what happens. I use an orion collimation tool, its very close looking through that but not overly sure.
Cheers
Scott.

[andyfilth]

Hello everyone, I'm new here.
I have been an astronomy nerd since I was about 10. My life's work at the time consisted of drawing scale size images of the solar system in chalk on the pavement, making cardboard replicas of the planets to hang in my room, and putting those glow in the dark stars on my bedroom ceiling.
My parents got me one of those toyworld telescopes with which i couldn't even track the moon, thus dashing my enthusiasm at the time - it hasn't been until now that I've given thought to buying a proper telescope, as I'd always thought it would be a ludicrously expensive and complicated exercise.
So, I'm a real n00b as far as actual astronomy goes, but the enthusiasm is there. Luckily, I have a girlfriend who is also an astronomy nerd - and i thought it would be cool to get her a telescope as a birthday gift (something we can both enjoy). So I was wondering if anyone would have any suggestions in what would be a good start point for a telescope these days (my budget is under $1000). And can anyone shed any light on what kind of dough I would be up for to get into astrophotography.

Cheers!

[vindictive666]

welcome Andrew

a dob would be a good place to start but if you want to get into astro photography that can take very deep pockets :)

you will need something that will track ect ect, someone else will most likely jump in here for you :) you can always do a search there are plenty of answers to be found in IIS :)


i myself have a 12 inch gso dob from andrews communications

or from Bintel

there are of course different sizes in dobs, which one will depend on your need for portability ect ect :)

hope this is of some help :)

http://www.bintel.com.au/

http://www.andrewscom.com.au/

regards john

[dannat]

andrew, for astrophotography - are you thinking planets or deep sky stuff?
most recommend the mount being the most important - and people usually start with an heq5 or eq6, the former about 1000, or slightly less secndhand. the ed80 (though not great for visual due to small size)is most common dso scope - about 500-600 and you will need a d-slr or dedicated ccd.
for planets most start with a webcam
if you get a dobsoian mounted reflector at 8" or 10" they are better for visual but restricted to luna/planet work - you can get rings to mount them to an eq6

[Whizgig]

Hi All, First post for me here I am a noob! I brought my wife a Telescope for a present and its a Newtonian 6" reflector on with EQ mount, I have a problem with it trying to set it up as both the RA and DE radials move by them selves and I was wondering if they are suposed to do that and if so how do I set them. I know how to set up the scope to the south -11 deg and set the alt to 38Deg for Geelong,Vic and that the scope is to be in line with the south leg of the tripod. But as the dials rotate what do I set them to to be inline with the pole so I can track objects and find them using cords?

Eugene.

[Paul1234]

:hi: Hi All,

Another newbie here. I have been introduced to this hobby this time last year by a friend and now I cannot get the image of Orion nebula out of my head *sigh*. I have acquired number of telescopes since then but I feel I am still lacking skills in using them effectively.

I am currently located in Seattle but will be returning to Oz sometime late next year (such is the plan).

One thing I have noticed was that the price of equipments over here seems to be much cheaper than back home - and using that as my justification I have managed to convince my wife in letting me buy a 12" dob (new), a 8" SCT (used) and a 5" autostar (another used - for the kids you know....:D)

Now all I need are some pointers on how to use them effectively, and how to better observe the night sky - and any input would be appreciated.:help:

Also, does anybody have any recommendations on what other things I must get before I return home? e.g, eyepieces, accessories, etc.....

Thank you and hope to hear from you a lot.:thumbsup:

Cheers,
Paul.

[erick]

Paul, given the dramatic drop in value of the Oz dollar, if you are earning in US dollars, BUY EVERYTHING before you return!

[erick]

Eugene, OK, we need someone who knows your particular scope to advise. Can you post some more details - brand, model etc. Perhaps some photos showing what is concerning you. Best would be to probably to get someone to visit, or pack it up and bring it to where several experienced folks are. There is a good opportunity coming up within ready access to Geelong:-

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=30107

[Paul1234]

Wish I could... but I do get paid in AUD and I did take a hit this time around. Also, there is the wifee issue and she isn't really that easy to convince, you know.

I will take the prioritised (notice my spelling? I remembered!!) listing, if I may.

Thanx

[Paul1234]

Hi Eugene,
From one newbie to another.. I had this problem with a telescope my friends lent me, and this is what the manual says:

"The setting circles, R.A and Dec. of the telescope may be dialed, in effect, to read the object coordinates and the object found without resorting to visual location techniques. However, these setting circles may be used to advantage only if the telescope is first properly aligned with the North Celestial Pole."

i.e, those dials are to be used for taking readings and not for aligning.

I am quoting from the manual I found online.... it is a manual for Meade 114EQ telescope. Here is the link:
http://www.meade.com/manuals/TelescopeManuals/Reflectors/Meade114EQ-DSmanual.pdf

Hope it helps,
Paul.

[Whizgig]

Hi All, thanks for you replies and your help I have worked it out now after much reading and searching the net trying to find something about how to set the RA/DE circles which is a hard thing to find in fact its impossible to find anything!
But I worked it out after down loading and installing the Stellarium program and setting it up for EQ grid lines.
So this is what I have worked out so far after setting up the tripod to be level and the south leg set at 11 deg east of south I then set up the mount so the weight rod is in line and centred with the south leg.
Then I set the azimuth to my Latitude which is 38deg and that should line me up with the SCP now I put on the scope and line it up so it is along the same south line for the south leg ect. I then set the RA to 90 deg now I pick a good star that is bright then line it up in the telescope so it is in the center of the scope, then I look on the software and set the RA/DE to the same cords as the software for that star. Then I can now pick a star on the chart and turn the scope to the same cord for RA/DE and is should be within reson cose to the center of the scope I hope.:)

Ok now that I have stoped rambling on:) As for the telescope I brought it off EBay and its possible not very good but it will do till I get a good one.
Here is a link to the one I brought her http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230285774233

Eugene.:)

[rollmebackagain]

I'm still in the early stages of searching for a telescope to use for astrophotography, but I just wanted to get some input from people who do this often - should I only seriously consider an equatorial mount? Will I find serious issues with long exposures if I have an altazimuth mount?

[erick]

Yep! Seach for and read up on "field rotation". :)

[Darrin]

Hi All,

I have just joined the forum and have recently started to look for a first telescope to buy.

I have been interested in Astonomy for a while and have decided to take it one step further and buy a telescope.

I have done a fair bit of research (magazines, internet, etc.) and much of the advice seems to point to a Dobsonian mounted telescope is the way to go for a first scope.

I can see all of the advantages but not having alot of experience with using telescopes I have a couple of questions:

1) My first question - is it easy to track objects in the sky with such a large telescope - I can see the moon being OK but if you are following a plant or DSO how hard is it to keep the telescope following the object and keep it in view. Other telescopes have I've seen have accurate adjusters or remote controls to help - is this an issue with the Dobs or do you become used to following objects

2) Secondly - if some time in the future I wanted to try some photography would I be able to remove the telescope and put on to a motorised mount - if so is there a limit to the size of the telescope you can do this to (economically)

3) Are you able to use the DOB to take photos of the moon

This is a great site - It's great to be able to read throught the threads and get other peoples views and advice.

Thanks in advance

[erick]

Hi Darrin :welcome:

1) Yes, you soon learn how to track. That normally means moving the object back to centre or the other side of the field of view, then hands off and let it drift though the field for many seconds to a minute or so, depending on the magnification, while you observe. You cannot observe while moving the scope - hands won't be steady enough. Many do some work to improve the movement of their dobsonian mount. Just some simple work on the mount as supplied can be a good improvement. With a bit of handyperson work and a few dollars, big improvements can be made.

2) Yes, people take the tube unit from a dobsonian and put it onto an equatorial mount. We've seen 12" tube units on such mounts though most seem to stop at around 10" as being enough. The eyepiece ends up quite high off the ground - probably a stepladder needed. It will also rotate to strange positions so you may need to regularly loosen the rings and rotate the tube unit to reposition the eyepiece. A mount with sufficient capacity and good performance will cost plenty - probably an EQ6 around $1,500.

3) http://www.iceinspace.com.au/63-201-0-0-1-0.html

Ask more questions - whatever you want! Maybe start your own thread.

Eric :)

[Darrin]

Eric,

Thanks for the quick reply.

When you say you can do some modifications to the DOB base what would you recommend. Also are DOB bases all the same or are some better than others.

Sorry one other question - Even in DOBs there are several brands I'v seen - Sky watcher, GSO, orion, BT** - Do you have a preference - is one of these better than another?

Also are there any accessories you would recommend I get straight away or will the telescope & accessories in the package be enought while I'm learning at the start

Thanks

Darrin:shrug:

[erick]

Darrin

Best you do some searching and reading on this site. Look through the Projects & Articles and the Equipment Reviews sections up there to the left. There are articles and reviews that talk about improving the movement of the standard Chinese dobsonian base. Then search the threads. From sometime in early 2007 you'll find a thread from me on improving an 8" Bintel dob base. Search "milkbottle washers" to find a way to add some washers to support the pivot point.

However, I'm not sure what the new crop of Chinese dobsionian bases come with these days - they may have incorporated some of the better and cheaper ideas. Some incorporated a ball bearing lazy susan into the base. Some love them, other say they don't provide enough friction and your scope turns into a windmill if the wind comes up!

Best to find your local specialist - you have Sirius Optics in Brisbane, not sure who else - help me banana-benders! Then you can have a good look and what is on display. Sirius sell Skywatcher. From what I have seen, these sell at a premium of some 30% over other brands - say GSO. They get good reviews. My understanding is that most of these solid tube dobsonian-mounted reflectors come from a couple of Chinese factories. For example, I understand that the ones labelled "Bintel" are GSO telescopes, locally checked and labelled. I've had two Bintels now - an 8" and a 12". I'm happy with both. I cannot see why I'd pay a significant premium? However, others seem happy to do so. Andrews Communications in Sydney are worth a look if you really are tight on $s. They often price under most others.

If you do find that you want to buy from Sydney, consider cost of shipping and possible damage through shipping. We've had some bad stories lately around shipping.

Telescope accessories. Well, I believe in a laser collimator. The GSO delux would be fine. Others will say spend your money on an Orion combined sight tube/Cheshire collimator instead. Search out some of the collimation threads in the last six months to read the arguments for and against. However you do need a collimation tool. If you buy locally, you should be able to get the store to demonstrate how to use it on one of the floor models.

Apart from that, a red light torch (but you can make your own with red cellophane). Eveready do a head mounted torch with red light and white light - supermarkets/Kmart etc. for around $35. Do you have what you need to find your way around the sky? If not, then one of the large Planispheres. Download Stellarium (free) to your computer and use that as well. You may find it comfortable to sit down observing - there are special adjustable chairs (expensive) - I just use an old office gaslift chair with the back pulled off it. (Can get bogged in soft ground :( ) Don't worry about coloured filters. The filters you really need can wait a while - they won't be cheap.

If a barlow lens doesn't come with the package, pick up one of those. I'd recommend the 2" 2x GSO ED barlow. It does various things - mainly magnify by two times. Adding that to your eyepiece collection gives you a wider range of magnification.

Cheers
Eric

[jungle11]

Hi guys, i just signed up a few days ago and I'm looking forward to asking a multitude of questions over the next few months, as i have finally decided to get off my bum and join the ranks of amateur astronomy.
For years now ive logged onto the science daily astronomy section and have learnt alot of theory about things like black holes, DM, ect and yet last month a fellow asked when i told him about my "hobby" what constellation the 'saucepan' belonged to. I promptly told him the big dipper!
SHAME!! It's orion isn't it?
So enough with the pretending i thought, im buyin me a telescope and learning the night sky. When i was ten my olds brought me a scope from Toyworld. Crappy i know but i loved it - even though it wouldn't focus properly. But ever since then iv'e loved space - the size of it, wondering what's out there...blah blah.
OK, so here's my first question. Ive spent 2 weeks looking at scopes and ive got my heart set on a 12" inch dobsonian. (seems like a lot of people here feel the same) but I will need a collapsible as i just dont have enough room for a gargantuan scope. Im thinking on a SWFLEXIDOB 12
One shop i found is called andrews communication systems in NSW who list this scope at $999 (which is the cheapest ive found by quite a bit)
Yet telescope.com (NSW) list the same scope for $1950
Im just wondering how the price could differ so much?:screwy:
any advice on where to shop would be helpfull as i don't really want to spend 2 months saving to get ripped off.

cheers:thumbsup:

[erick]

Hi Greg - welcome aboard.

Lots of people buy from Andrews Communications and seem quite happy. Search "Andrews" and many threads come up - several deal with equipment bought from Andrews. Though I haven't had the occasion to buy from there yet, they seem to be well known for pricing very competitively - and yes that can be many tens of percentage under others.

Have you picked up Australian Sky and telescope from the Newsagent. Most of the major retailers advertise in that magazine.

[jungle11]

Thanks Eric, I found a few references to Andrews and everyone sounds satisfied to me. Perhaps the other place (15% off at $1950) may be the one to watch out for?
I've read reviews on these dobs, and what people in light polluted areas are able to resolve with them. I live on a property in south east QLD, and the nearest city is 300 km away so i should be able to make great advantage of a 12'' scope.
I'm proberly getting too excited considering it will be 2009 before i'll see my first glimps of the planets or a dso, but at least ill be able to get some groundwork done in the meantime.
Will pick up that magazine

cheers

[erick]

Stop it! We are all drooling! :D

[jungle11]

Gee....sorry fellas...here's hoping this saving electricity thing catches on and they start turning off the city lights at night...

About 2 weeks ago i lent a australian 2007 astronomy book from the library and printed out the skymaps inside (one for each season), then i positioned the spring maps together looking south, and i cant make sense of what i see...
For one, the magellanic clouds are shown on the right hand side of the milky way on the map, but looking south they are to the left unless im seeing things...
Two, the LMC is positioned on the other side of the south celestial pole at this time of the year on the map, and yet i can see both satellites reasonably low in the southern sky!
Know what you're thinkin...bloody airhead....

help appreciated..

[erick]

Not sure, Greg. Normally those maps are designed to stand facing a horizon then hold map up in front of you and all then OK. However, full sky maps are designed to be held over your head.

Eg:- http://www.skymaps.com/downloads.html

Hold it over your head and then North, South, East and West will point to the correct points on the Horizon. Many people wonder why they are printed "back to front"!

It may be that some maps in the "Astronomy 2007" book, those of the "centre" sky, work that way?

[jungle11]

Bingo! Now it all makes sense, thank you eric!
i still don't get the the magellanic clouds being above the horizon, but now at least i know they haven't mysteriously migrated thousands of light years to the opposite side of the galaxy! :screwy:
Is there a site you know that might teach me more about astoronomical navigation? I know lat and long, degrees minutes and seconds here on the ground, but i know nothing about arcseconds and the like...
I did a search here haven't turned up anything yet. Will keep looking.

Cheers

[iceman]

Hi Greg

:welcome: to IceInSpace

There's a great podcast series, Astronomy161, which teaches about celestial navigation - including degrees, minutes, seconds, arcminutes, arcseconds etc. Well worth a download and listen.

You'll learn a lot more about a whole lot of things in Astronomy if you persist through the course. Very entertaining and enlightening.

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=24169

[jungle11]

Thanks for that mike, ia may pick it up a little quicker listening to it described... There's a place called the Swinburne Institute that do online courses in astronomy. I was thinking of doing that next year but it wont hurt to learn what i can in the meantime.

[erick]

Yes, Astronomy 161 with Richard Pogge - highly recommended!

[jungle11]

Hi there again. Thanks a heap for putting me onto the Astronomy 161 lectures. The other day i couldn't work out how i could see Magelanic clouds, especially as the SMC is around 10 degrees below the south celestial pole.
Now i realize that because im at 26S, the pole should be about 64 degrees above the horizon - yet is that right? Now im not sure - ill keep reading.
Anyhow, it is above my southern horizon with explains the clouds.
Man i look forward to the day when i can chuckle at noobs rambling on like this!

[jungle11]

HEY, im backwards on that last attempt.
If im 26s that should mean the pole is a further 64 degrees south of zenith, so 26 degrees above the southern horizon. Is that better....

[erick]

:thumbsup:

But what's this about the SMC being "below" the SCP. Tonight, you'll find the SMC directly between the SCP and the zenith (OK, let's call it "above" for the moment), at around 11:15pm! It's a good time for looking at the SMC and globular 47Tuc (and a few other nearby globular clusters) :)

[jjjnettie]

Hi Greg,
You'll easily be able to see the SMC and LMC from where you are. Just look to the south and up a little.
On a clear night with no moon, they look like 2 cottony clouds just hanging there in the sky. In fact when I first "found" them, I thought that was what they were, clouds, I couldn't believe how large they were.
Over a couple of hours observing, you really notice how they rotate around the Pole.

[jungle11]

Thanks guys. I'll get there eventually, perhaps i will get myself a proper map that i can rotate, and work out how to reference it with the time of year and date. still have lots of areas to cover with that course.

[erick]

I suggest you download this software (it's free) and use it. It will show you the sky at any time/date.

http://www.stellarium.org/

[jungle11]

Thanks heaps for that Eric, i downloaded the software and it's great. Heaps of way to reference the sky, i'll learn my way around a lot quicker and easier thanks to this.

cheers mate

[jungle11]

Hi guys, i've got another question for you. I learnt about sidereal time today, and that helped me make more sense of the equatorial grid you use on stellarium. i was just wondering what this grid is based on? Polaris doesn't seem to line up with the 0 hr line...
It's really annoying me!

thanks

[erick]

Right Ascension and defn of zero hour:-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_ascension

Why do you expect Polaris to be on the zero hour line? :-

http://seds.org/~spider/spider/Misc/alphaUMi.html (http://seds.org/%7Espider/spider/Misc/alphaUMi.html)

A bit more on the "Precession of the Equinoxes":-

http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/~kaler/celsph.html#equ (http://www.astro.uiuc.edu/%7Ekaler/celsph.html#equ)


Here is the path of the NCP over 25,700 years:-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Precession_N.gif

:)

[jungle11]

March 21...thank you again erick - maybe i should be paying you for all this help.:D
I just figured that because the grid always lined up with the stars, thus running on sidereal time, there would be a particular 'guide star' or constellation that was a reference for it.:shrug:

anyhow, it's clear now - maybe more complex than it needed to be - but clear!!

cheers

[jungle11]

yes...i know...there IS a guide star for it:P

[rayman888]

Hello everybody. Hope you could help.

Just joined a few days ago after seeing a telescope on the cheap at the DSE store. A celestron powerseeker 50 refractor. Exchanged it for a powerseeker reflector 127 (just over $200) when I found it hard to move the scope with the standard azi mount.

Last night I used the reflector for the first time, although I tried to collimate without any tools the day before (terrestial objects did not focus well, smudgy images especially double images, still cannot figure out why). The moon looks OK but what I'm interested in is which "planet" was that? I was looking up at the western sky (I'm north of Sydney in the Central Coast). There're 2 bight objects in the sky there around 2000 hrs. One in the middle and another to the lower LHS, nearer the horizon. The middle one appears to be Jupiter when I zoomed in. With the 20mm EP I could see 3 moons in a row on the LHS of the planet with all of them moving leftward. When I used the 4mm EP the images tracked to the right. I thought I could see 2-3 reddish lines crossing the middle of the "planet". Is this Jupiter? As for the 2nd bright object I couldn't fully focus on it. It was just a ball of light. What was it? Many thanks.

I will post later with a new thread regarding whether to return the 127.

[iceman]

Hi Ray, :welcome: to IceInSpace!

You're right - the bright one higher in the West is Jupiter, and the one nearer the horizon is Venus. They're both shining brilliantly after sunset at the moment.

Venus is difficult to observe when it's close to the horizon, as there's more atmosphere to look through so it can be quite bubbly/wobbly like you can't achieve focus. It's also a gibbous phase at the moment, so it looks like a bright blob of light. At other times, it'll be a thin crescent phase which is usually more interesting :)

[erick]

Hi Ray

Keep watching Venus for the next few months and you will see it get brighter and change into a crescent shape, like the Moon. But your telescope will need to be in good shape to see that clearly. Work a bit more on collimation. If you have a "moon filter", you might find it helps to put that on when Venus becomes quite bright.

But keep watching Venus and Jupiter, especially the early evening sky of 1st December - You won't need a telescope to see what happens. :)

[jungle11]

Hi there rayman888, and welcome. If you look back about 10 posts you'll see a link eric gave me for some software called stellarium. It only takes a couple of minutes to download, and will show you the sky at all times and dates. just click on the star you want to know and it will show you details about it. Its a great tool to learn with..

[rayman888]

Thanks Iceman for the welcome and the fact that Venus is a big blob! It was a blob alright, with a very "short' tail! And shimmering.

Thanks to erick and jingle for the links.

[jungle11]

Hi guys, i just felt like venting...WHY DIDN'T I START LEARNING THIS 10 YEARS AGO!?!:)
Last night, a bit after 7, i saw scorpius (the top 2/3 anyway) Andromeda at around 8.30 - i was able to make out the andromeda galaxy with my 10x50 binocs. I didn't think you could do that - especially with the moon up. It looked like a distant star cluster, that would be the core right?
Set the alarm for 11.30 and looked at Taurus, Orion, Canis Major, and Minor. I found it easier to reference these constellations by drawing the letter M through Aldebaran, Rigel, Betelgeuse, Sirius and Procyon.
I didn't realize how much i would enjoy learning this stuff.
Man im looking forward to that scope!

[erick]

For me Greg, it was 30 or 40 years lost time!!!

Wait until the Moon has gone away and try the Andromeda galaxy again. You should see it without your binoculars - a fuzzy spot in the sky.

The Pleiades, M45, can be seen earlier in the evening to the North. This star cluster should look nice through your binoculars.

Try your binoculars on the fuzzy middle star of Orion's sword - you'll see M42 - a big bright nebula.

[jungle11]

Hey guys, me again. I've made a start on the astronomy 161 course, and am finding it very interesting. Already things are seeming a lot clearer. It's great reading about historic astronomers, what they discovered, and how they did it (without modern means).

The only problem i see looming on the horizon is my less than knowledgable grasp on mathmatics.:rolleyes: Algebra to be precice. I know the basics, but that wont cut it forever...

Has anybody here found a good online course that they might have used whilst doing the 161?

regards
Greg

[jungle11]

Nevermind fellas, a friend hooked me up with their old math textbooks from school, with heaps of excercises to help me along.

Never thought id say something like that:screwy::lol:

You used to be cool man...

[pablocruze]

hey guys all new to this hope someone can help me ive been researching a bit on the mayan calander im sure you all know that it talks about the sun entering the galactic centre wich is supposed to cause all sorts dramas,is this true?could the mayans be wrong?

[Ric]

Hi Pablo and welcome. If your refering to 2012 don't worry we're safe and we'll all be here in 2013.

Cheers

[erick]

No and Yes

[jungle11]

Hi pablocruze
You need to be carefull what you read on the net, I was on a website the other day (ufo phenomenon is a hobby of mine) and this site claimed things like "Hollow Moon Theory" - Utter rubbish.

Our Sun orbits the Galactic centre at a distance of about 26 000 lightyears.
One lightyear is about 9.46 trillion kilometers (9 460 000 000 000km)

nothing to worry about bud!

[pablocruze]

thanks jungle but ive also been watching a doco on a man call nassim heramein he had footoage of a comet by nasa that was nearly twice the size of jupiter something that big would be classed as a planet wouldnt it?

he also claimed it to be planet x more or less.

[jungle11]

Not sure mate, but a comet the size of jupiter sounds pretty far fetched. I think if NASA imaged a comet of that size it would be instant news world-wide. Also, if this comet (Planet X, Nibiru?) periodically enters our solar system (every few thousand years the believers say) and has been doing so for 4.5 billion years, we wouldn't be here. The gravitational mass of an object that size would have ruined the orbits of earth and other planets long ago. Might have ejected the inner planets completely.
I don't think such an idea can be ruled out yet, but this object would have to be orbiting a long way from our solar system.
There is a thread here somewhere, just go to search and type Nibiru, people who know more about this than i do have posted their thoughts there.

cheers

[Ford Prefect]

Well, a week after having received it, I finally managed to achieve ‘first light’ with my new 12” dob. After what seemed to be a neverending continuous stream of cloud from the Southern Ocean, we had clear skies on Tuesday night. After the wife went to bed, I hurried out and got started.

I spent the first half an hour trying to align the finderscope :doh: :rofl: and managed to achieve something acceptable using Jupiter as a target. Objects bagged as follows:

Jupiter was an easy first target. Whilst I couldn’t get a sharp disc, the scope is f/5 and I haven’t yet collimated it. However, I was happy to be able to discern the major red bands.

Rigil Kent was my next target, but I was unable to get sharp focus, not sure if this is due to the proximity of the pair, or collimation. I also found that I couldn’t achieve reasonable focus with either the 6mm or 9mm EPs, so I suspect collimation is the issue.

47 Tuc/NGC104 was looking pretty amazing as usual, but didn’t get to look too deeply into the core given the difficulties with the shorter EPs.

Messier 42/43 was my final object for the night, and a beautiful sight as you’d expect. I went inside to work out whereabouts in Orion I’d look for the Flame and Horse Head nebulae, but by the time I came back out it’d clouded over.

Yesterday was a beautiful cloudless day, and conditions held for another night’s observing.

I started off again with what I thought was 47 Tuc, but I now believe it was NGC362 as it appeared much less impressive than my previous sightings. I then spent a fair bit of time looking around for NGC253, but I don’t really know the sky well enough to work out where it was. I was also hoping to see Andromeda, but I think it was too close to the horizon for it to rise above the trees and neighbours’ houses.

I then had a look to the north-east, and saw what I believed was the Hyades, but a little later I looked at the sky and realised that given the relative positions I’d been looking at the Pleiades! I then went to move the scope to be able to have another look at features in Orion, but the wife arrived home from tennis at that point so I packed up for the night tired but happy :)

Very happy with the purchase, although I can see I’ve got a bit of an apprenticeship on my hands before I know my way around well enough to locate the less easy to find DSOs...

[jungle11]

Congrads on the scope mate:thumbsup:
I've got my first scope (12''er Bintel) arriving this afternoon - but however, the base is still a state away?!? Don't know how they do it, both packages were dispatched together.
My collimator will arrive in 2 weeks, so looks like I'll be attemting collimation with a lense cap to start with, should be interesting...:rolleyes:

happy viewing - the upcoming conjunction should give you some stuff to look at.

[NickontheCoast]

Could those with clear skies please send some my way. I am seriously considering viewing Stellarium through my dob..just to keep the feeling alive!!!

[Ford Prefect]

Thanks Greg.

Now people, this may seem like a stupid question, but do these GSO finderscopes have a focusing mechanism?? It seems mine is focused at a point about 200m away, and I can't find any way of focusing on the stars!!

:shrug::help:

There must be a way of adjusting the focus?! :screwy:

[erick]

Yep, James, they do. Look at the front objective. It will screw in and out on the tube, adjusting the focus. However, there is a locking ring behind it (ie. in the direction of the eyepiece end) which you have to loosen off first, then tighten up when you have reached the focus you need.

I need my long distance glasses to see the stars, so I find it convenient to set the focus for when I am wearing my glasses (which then come off as I move to look through the eyepiece)

[Ford Prefect]

Thanks Eric, that's kinda what I figured, but the locking ring I can't budge! Will have another go tonight.. and yes - my eyes sound much the same as yours!

[jjjnettie]

Same here.:(

[erick]

Better get some muscle into it! :D Wrap a leather strap around the locking screw to get a firm grip? Actually I think they both just screw against each other on a thread cut in the metal tube. So it might be easier to grab the larger objective lens bit and try to turn that, rather than try to turn the narrow locking screw?

[jungle11]

I've noticed as well today how tight the locking ring is on the finder scope. The base arrived yesterday, and I picked up the scope this morning. Got it set up ok, centred and focused the finderscope, collimated(using the cap off a film cannister until laser arrives next week) and low and behold - stormclouds:windy:....right on cue:mad2:

Sorry if you are rained out guys
"I didn't do it":whistle:

[Ford Prefect]

Well, muscle did the trick! I'd been a bit nervy about trying too hard with something that had optics in it, but no problems now... apart from this damned white stuff that keeps getting in the way of the stars.

[jungle11]

I guess they must tighten the locking pin pretty hard for freight. Got mine loose, and put some WD40 on the focuser thread cause it was squeaking like mad.

[drahyrt]

Hi All,
My virgin post, just saying hello!

I have a recent interest in astromony (as of this Christmas), just purchased a scope off Andrews thanks to the advice here at this forum.

I feel part of the "community" as it has been cloudy since, and looks like it till christmas. Maybe Santa is trying to punish me for opening my present early? (that's what the mother in law said!).

The clouds have given me a chance to do some reading about it all, so it has been a good start that way.

Thanks for the gerat forum, hope to be asking questions soon....

Regards
Drahyrt:D

[iceman]

Hi Steve, :welcome: to IceInSpace!

What scope did you get?

Keep asking questions!

[drahyrt]

I'm reluctant to say, only because it goes against what a lot on the forum have recommended a newb to get.......

It was a 6" newt skywatcher on eq mount...... (gasp I hear)

The reasons were.....
1. Was going to get an 8" dob (as per a lot of discussions recommend), but wanted to get a bit more portability (probably some debate about that now I see it in my louge room)
2.Sister has a dob 8" and said her frustration was not knowing where in dec and RA she was in the sky and that she regrets that.....
3. I love technical details, so was mentally prepared for the challenge of a frustrating and difficult mount

So the forum is good in that it has prepared me for frustration. (it is always about expectations isn't it?) I'm not after an easy 12 months then getting bored with it, I am after a good challenge to start then an escalating interest in astronomy.

I also reaslise the mount may not be perfectly accurate, so am prepared for that too, but perhaps will give me some idea of where I am.

SO PLEASE be gentle..... it isn't what many of you guys would recommend, but also what you said, there is no perfect fit for the newcomer anyway.

So I am like a pig in sh$t at the moment, just hoping for some clear nights, the wife thinks it is kinda amusing.......

So all the questions will be about the EQ no doubt, so please be patient everyone, and YES I am waiting for a I TOLD YOU SO in the questions ahead.

Thanks for the welcome, bring on the 1st December!

Also I just found out to my amusement that the basketball court (council land) concreted in the park outside my back fence NOW has a use , it will work perfectly as a level telescope viewing pad!!

Thanks for the great site, I have use it to great effect so far,
Also love stellarium, incredible program.
Regards
Steve:hi:

[jungle11]

Hi guys, it's looking like I may get some gaps in the clouds to view tonight (first light!:thumbsup:)

On my dob there is a dust cap, and on the cap there is a smaller cap you can open. I was wondering, when i fan the primary tonight, can i just leave this cap open, or is it better to take the whole thing off to achieve equilibrium?

drahyrt, bud obviously I don't know enough to pay you out on the scope, but it sounds cool to me. Once you work it out, im sure there must be advantages over a dob mount.:)

[jungle11]

Hey... First light:)

Saw Jupiter and 3 moons, could make out the cloud bands! Was using the 26mm wide angle. Will wait half an hour for the sun to set properly and ill try the plossls

Im stoked:thumbsup:

[jungle11]

Well I've had an enjoyable night. Jupiter as i mentioned before - it was good with a 15mm, but too much mag with the 9mm (I guess because of low altitude?) Next was 47 Tuc, which blew my socks off - more mag the better it got. Andromeda and the Triangulum Galaxies were not quite what i expected but still pretty cool - made out the dust lane in A and perhaps a hint of structure in TG, I think the Sculptor was more impressive at first sight.
Orion was gobsmacking:lol: I knew it would be!
Tarantula Neb was great for detail as well.
I tried the rosette, and the cone but I couldn't see them. Is that to be expected?
Learned that I will need patience, and experience in first finding objects (nearly gave up looking for the sculptor) and teasing more detail out of them (I noticed more in the Orion and Tarantula Nebs each time I looked at them.
Oh yeah, and an eye-patch would be grouss - I will make one of those me thinks:P

[Davros]

G'day Steve
Probably more useful to your sister now but you can easily make a setting circle degree indicator that fits around the base of a dob and then attach an inclinometer to the OTA so that you an figure out RA and Dec. If you search around on setting circles you will find heaps of info.
cheers
Mick

[jungle11]

Hey drahart, I was wondering how you make out with viewing through your dob on an EQ mount? I know nothing about them at all. Does the eyepiece get twisted around?

[drahyrt]

Thanks Mick, I'll post it along to her, she'll be very happy to hear that. I'll keep learning!

Hey Jungle,

Yeah went well, the newt I have was amazing, only 6" but incredible, I believe I actually said "wow" as a first word! Really looked like a sparkling diamond.

I had only a very very short first light to the south east due to clouds and rain. I managed to see Conopus and was amazed at just how bright it was through the scope.

The positioning went well, not nearly as hard as I thought it was going to be so far, but it was a quick point and look rather than really measuring or targeting something, so I'll see. Didnt have any eyepiece issues either, yet.

I judged the clouds well as it poured from nowhere just minutes after I brought the scope inside.

Today looks like it is clear, hoping to get some better views to the west, south and north tonight, just to give it a whirl. I also want to get some planet action!

I have some reading and it appears that getting it in the right orientation at the beginning is one key to the mount, but once it is, hopefully tracking the movement is just as simple as twirling the RA knob.

Funnily enough I thought I had a dark environment, until I felt like throwing a stone through my neighbours window to "defuse" a light, and the street lights also some 500m away cast a lot.

So I am hooked!

Now I just have to start my journey with getting to know the night sky a little better, oh well, only have about 50 years until I'm dead, no rush....:D

[erick]

No problems! Your reasoning is fine! Welcome to IIS. Point it at the Orion Nebula (M42) and 47 Tuc (NGC 104) when you can!

[erick]

Aaaaaaarrrrrggh! Ditch that parrot and take yourself to your local Pharmacy. They'll sell you one. Buy the hard plastic type, not the soft material type since you will be wanting to keep that eye open behind the patch. I stuck some felt around the edges to make it a bit softer on my face. Must paint a bloodshot eye on it one day!