Beginners Start Here!

[wihgtr]

Anyone know a good site (besides this one) that gives a very simplistic guide to which telescopes are for what and weather restrictions etc? Does country matter? SO many "clouds" here :(

[barx1963]

Telescopes are like many things, there is no perfecy scope to cover all eventualities.
To a large extent the type of scope that suits is determined a combination of factors. Some can be
- what objects are being observed
- is visual use or imaging the main task
- budget
- storage space
- permanent setup or portable
- is it being installed in a observatory
- if portable, how portable and how is it to be transported
- are there existing accessories that it needs to match

That is all I can think of at the moment. Once these questions are considered, you can narrow down the choices a bit. There is an article on this site that discusses some of these issues here http://www.iceinspace.com.au/index.php?id=63,260,0,0,1,0

Malcolm

[mulberry]

Thanks Stu and Malcolm,

I think it was Chris with the dob. I am having trouble choosing between a decent refractor for ease of use and a, say, 8" dob for the capability. I am trawling the classifieds to see whats turns up. I think the first step is to try a few out by getting myself to some club nights when I am in Brisbane.
Cheers,
Suz

[mkeech]

Is there an inexpensive but with reasonable results ccd for nexstar 6

[budich]

Hi everyone !

totally new to astronomy, but really enjoyed the star-gazing since a long time with plain eyes.

anyone could recommend me the binoculars that may suits me ?

I just read that beginners should using a binoculars at first, what is the main different between binoculars and telescope ?

Thanks !

could anyone giving me a suggestion whether this is a good choice ?

http://www.ozscopes.com.au/celestron-skymaster-15x70-binocular.html

[TerryC]

OK, this is where I will start !

I have just purchased a Celestron CEGM 11" EdgeHD which I set up for the first time two nights ago, and was very pleased with the first up performance in the polluted Brisbane sky.

My main focus will be astrophotography, however I looked at the "beginners astrophotography" section, and....are you serious ? I've been around long enough to know that most if not all the photos posted there simply cannot be achieved by real beginners.

[philipheaven]

Hi Budi,
Binoculars are a good choice for starting out in astronomy.

I wouldn't recommend those Celestron 15x70 unless you wanted to get a tripod as well. Binoculars with magnification more than 12x are usually not suited to being hand held, as the extra magnification will emphasise any wobbling from your hands, making whatever your looking at dance around a lot. This is especially the case with heavier binoculars.

I think one of the best places to buy binoculars is Obewerk. Check out this site

http://www.bigbinoculars.com

I've bought binoculars from these guys and their service is fantastic and the binoculars are brilliant. They all have fully multi coated lenses and BK4 prisms. With the market in optical products these days I would't purchase binoculars unless they had these two things at minimum. I don't think those celestron sky masters are fully multi coated.

I've recently purchased the 11x56 from Oberwerk and they're brilliant. Also took less than 2 weeks to come from Ohio. Including postage they were only $135, which is a much better deal than $239 for the celestron sky masters. The 11x56 are well suited to astronomy, with big 56mm aperture and good magnification for hand held use. Also, they come in at exactly 1kg, which makes therm perfect for long periods of hand held use.

One other thing, I'd steer clear of ozcsopes. Their staff are not knowledgeable at all (the people I've dealt with aren't even interested in astronomy, nor use astronomical products) and their service post sale is non existent.

[budich]

Hi Philip !

Thanks for the advice unfortunately I just ordered it yesterday and the package supposed to come today or tomorrow but it comes with a tripod package luckily .

After reading your suggestion, i have no idea whether i bought the right things, anyway i'll take it as a lesson as im totally new to this things and yes they have fully multi coated lenses and BK4 prisms

I saw your location was in Melbourne too ! any idea where to start this star-gazing or how to do it better?

:D:D:D

[philipheaven]

Hi Budi,
That's good they included a tripod. You'll still get excellent use out of them, especially with the 70mm aperture.

Get yourself a good sky map. I find the maps in Sky and Telescope Australia mag to be very useful. The current issue December/January also has a guide to some excellent summer time binocular targets and information on how to find them.

Where in Melbourne are you? I'm in Camberwell.

[budich]

Hi Phillip,

thanks for the response, it was very helpful .

is this an example of skymap you talking about ?

http://www.skymaps.com/skymaps/tesmn1312.pdf

If so, I'm totally lost about how to use it, not even able to get what it means .:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Why the west side are on the right whilst the east side are on the left ?

Any idea where i can get an information to start using the map ?

I'm in Nunawading ;)

[philipheaven]

Yep that is the kind of map I'm talking about. I'd still recommend going to your local newsagent and picking up a copy of the Australian Sky and Telescope. The maps in there are very clear and easy to read.

I'll use the instructions listed in the magazine to help explain how to use the map.

Go outside and turn the map around so the label you're facing is right side up. For example, face south, and then hold the map so the word south is facing right side up. At this point you'll notice that west is on the right hand side of the map, and east is on the left hand side. This will also be the case with your actual directions - when facing south, west is also on the right, and east on the left. The curved edge of the map will now represent the horizon. You'll notice the southern cross (or crux) is on the edge of the map, i.e. on the curved edge of the map. Crux is also low on the horizon. Moving away from the edge of the map towards the middle of the map corresponds to moving away from the horizon towards the point directly over your head (known as the zenith). Stars halfway between the middle of the map (zenith) and the edge of the map (horizon) are located in the sky halfway between the horizon and zenith.

An example from the magazine reads as follows -

Face north east. Now turn the map around so the label "facing north east" is the right side up. About halfway between the edge of the map and the centre of the map is the star Procyon. Now look north east, halfway between the horizon and the zenith (point directly over your head). There's Procyon.

It takes a bit of getting used to. I found it hard a first corresponding stars and lines on the maps to the night sky, but stick with it. It will eventually get easy and you'll soon be star hopping your way around the sky in no time at all.

Also that map you've linked to on the thread is for the northern hemisphere. You need to make sure you stick with the southern hemisphere maps. So if you were in the northern hemisphere and you followed the instruction above and faced north east, the star Capella should be roughly half way between the horizon and the zenith.

Hope that helps.

[budich]

That is awesome ! helped me so much, eventhough still didnt get it on some parts, but yea thanks for your help, i'll take a look of that mag you recommended for tmr .

[barx1963]

This is a map of the sky, so it shows what you would see if you are looking up.
Walk out side, face south and look straight up, the west will be on your right side and east on your left, south in front and north behind you. If you print out the map, walk outside and hold it above your head it will be aligned the same way.

Malcolm

[barx1963]

When Phillip said skymap, he was of course referring to any chart or map, not a particular one.

The one I started with can be bought here http://www.bintel.com.au/Accessories/Books--Charts-and-Software/Star-Chart-Laminated---CD-ROM/655/productview.aspx and is a good starting point

Malcolm

[downhill]

G'day, I'm Brenton.

A couple of nights ago I was watching the sky for Auroras, and taking 30 second exposures in case they were too faint for me to see, and encountered an object that I don't understand.

I Have attached one of the photos I took.

What I am confused about is in the top right corner. It occurred in 10 consecutive 30 second exposures, and then 10 more later with the camera in a different position.

Can anyone tell me what this is or is it just lense flare?

It was taken in daylesford, vic on jan 10 at around 12-1:00 am facing what i think was roughly south.

Thanks

[pluto]

Welcome!

The purple/blue streak in the top right corner looks like a lens flare from that bright light in the lower left of frame.

[downhill]

Thanks

[linstar88]

Hi all,
My husband (Guy) and I (Linda) are new IIS forum members. FYI we will both use this account to post messages/questions etc. provided it's not a problem (team effort).
We are both fairly new to astronomy sky watching (with a half decent telescope). Recently purchased for the task was a 12" f/5 dobsonian from Bintel.
There is quite a lot to learn as you all know, so expect to see a lot of posts with many beginners questions from us.
We will be very interested in upgrades, add-ons and what accessories to use for best results.
This site comes highly recommended and has already provided us with some much needed info. The main thing we are looking for now aside from better eyepieces to use is some choice quiet dark locations to set up on clear nights.
Using the dob in the back yard is ok, but not an ideal location as there is a lot of light interference from neighbours and or street lamps.
After making a light shield for the telescope and blocking off direct light with petitions, viewing is greatly improved. Best guess is a good quality sodium light filter may help improve things a little more from indirect light in the immediate atmosphere.
Any advice from members will be greatly appreciated and most welcome on any and all aspects of astronomy / viewing / equipment / upgrades / locations and so on.

Thank you all for your warm welcome to IIS.
Linda and Guy.

[Allan_L]

Hello Linda and Guy
Welcome to IceInSpace
:welcome:
Nice choice of scope.

Is 86k north too far?
(Google map says an hour and 10 minutes for you).

A small informal group (from Central Coast Newcastle Syney)
come here regularly, close to New Moon, at Mangrove Mountain (The Pony Club grounds on Wisemans ferry road.) (FREE to attend)
Sky is good for close to the city.

There is another group who meet similarly at the Katoomba airstrip if that is closer. (but I doubt it).

Have a look at the Star Parties Forum for other happenings (mostly informal) and location map for Mangrove Mountain.

In April is IISAC (the formal annual IIS astro camp at Lostock.) (FEES apply)

Dark sites have also been discussed in various other IIS threads, try a search.

We'd also love you to join a few of us for an astro camping trip to Chaffey Dam, Nundle from Feb 25 to Mar2. ($5 per night)

[barx1963]

Hi Linda and Guy and welcome to IIS!
My 3rd scope was a GSO 12" dob which was essentially the same as the Bintel one. It is a big scope for a first one, which is not to say it is not suitable as long as you are happy with the size etc.
The good thing about a scope like that is that it is basically ready to go, the first accessory I got was Dew heaters. It is possible to use a hair dryer but it gets annoying having to stop observing to use it. I went with a set of Kendrick straps, and secondary wrap around heater and Digifire 7 controller and a battery that I mounted on the base of the scope. You can go cheaper but it worked really well for me.
The other essential is a good atlas. A big scope like this can see lots of objects so an atlas that will enable you to star hop successfully is a big help. Sky Atlas 2000 is a good starting point or even better Uranometria 2000. The Deep Sky Observers Guide 3 volume set is very good and will give you lots of targets to aim for.
My usual advice with eyepieces is to stick with the ones that came with the scope to start off. Try to get to an observing night and talk to others about eyepieces or even give them a try before spending cash. It is VERY easy to spend a lot of $$$ on eps, but you need to know that they are what you want.
With filters and light pollution I am lucky that it is not too bad a problem here so I really use them to improve contrast rather than reducing LP, so cannot comment on their usefulness for LP reduction. I have used the GSO filters that Bintel sell (both the Nebula and OIII) and found them satisfactory. Now have an Astronomik OIII and is is very nice, although a bit expensive in the 2" version. Really good contrast, sharp images.

Anyway hope this helps!

Malcolm

[linstar88]

Hi Allan L
Thankyou for pointing us in the direction of some nice locations. We often head up Katoomba way to escape the city life for a few days (when work permits) so we will check out the airstrip up there next time we hit the town.
Lostock in April & Chaffey dam Nundle are now on our to-do list. Mangrove Mountain is not to far, though I'm terribly allergic to horse hair so Guy may have to go to that location solo.

Cheers Linda & Guy

[linstar88]

Hi Malcolm
Thankyou for your advice, we'll certainly put it to good use. After looking through cheap 60mm - 70mm store scopes picked up from flea markets over the past years, it was time to upgrade to something well worth looking through. Originally we were looking at buying something like the Celestron Nexstar 8 SE computerised Cassegrain scope, but so many reviews recommended a dobsonian over these, especially for beginners, it was well worth NOT rushing in a buying the first thing that jumped out at us. What can be seen for the price, plus the relative ease of setup, we feel we made the best choice. Even if we purchased an 8" dob, we would probably have wanted to trade it in for a 12" by now already.
The Kendrick due heater for the secondary mirror is already up and running, the digifire 7 controller might be a handy addition for that so it's back to the store to enquire. Also added the 12V DC solution package from Bintel to run the heater & fan which will save a small fortune in battery burning and costs.
Next on the list is the nebula and/or OIII filter(s) and we should be pretty much set.
Guy is looking at all the tele vue eyepieces so it's time to start hiding money in offshore accounts until we know exactly what we want and don't really want :D
Guess the only question now is when buying better eyepieces comes around, is buying second hand to save $$$ worth the risk as apposed to simply buying new from the stores?

Thanks again, happy star hunting
Linda and Guy.

[Allan_L]

Generally, buying Televue eyepieces secondhand is a good experience.
Being so expensive, owners tend to look after them.

I have bought and sold quite a few here on IIS classifieds.
Other forums (and ebay) may not be so lucky. ?

If you make it to one of our observing nights, we will be happy to let you try some televue etc eyepieces in your own scopes so you can see what works with your system.

[Terry5]

Hi All

After what seems like an eternity reading many many posts and trying to decide where to start, I finally took the plunge and Purchased the BT302 (12 inch Dob) from Bintel. First light was on saturday just gone (11th) and wow I was extremely happy with the view that i had with my first attempt. Even with the moonlight being quite bright i had a great view of Jupiter etc.

I am looking forward to many more eventful viewing sessions.

Adrian

[linstar88]

Hi Adrian,
Excellent choice! Highly recommend the 12" dob especially for beginners like us. If only the clouds would stop rolling over every time it's dragged out for the last two weeks here....
The people here have a lot of great advice, your in the right place.
Cheers Linda and Guy

[Allan_L]

WOW ! Adrian,
Congratulations!
Thats a big scope to start off with.
It should provide enormous satisfaction for years to come.
Being a first time poster...
Welcome to IceinSpace :welcome:
although I note you have been around for a while.

Feel at home to ask any questions you like.

Keep looking up!

[Terry5]

Thanks for the welcome.

I had not planned on the 12 inch initially but due to stock levels on the first choice and a generous price from the guys at Bintel I was able to step up a level.

Adrian

:)

[cowboydave]

Hi,

I am a brand new forum memeber and someone that has been interested in space and stuff for a long time. I would like to to get into astrophotography and even though I have already been looking at allot of telescopes and getting as much info as possible I thought I should join a local Aust. forum to get even more help and advice from people already in the know.

My name is Dave and I dont even know if I am posting in the right place but oh well you will have to forgive me being a newbie and all :)

[scagman]

Hi Dave and welcome to IIS.
You've come to the right place for friendly, helpfull advice.

If you keep an eye on the starparties forum you might be able to find a group that meet at a dark site and join them. Its a great way to get some idea what is involved with setting up/using various types and sizess of equipment.

Cheers

[julianh72]

(Well, two new users, really!)

My father recently satisfied a life-long ambition to purchase a decent scope, and got himself a Meade 8" LX90 ACF - it's a lovely instrument. While he can just about use a computer, he isn't really all that internet-forum-savvy - and that's where I come in. I get the best of both worlds - access to a really nice telescope, without the not-inconsiderable expense of ownership!

I've been helping him get it set up (with assistance from a couple of IIS forum members - thanks guys!), and we got "First Light" for an hour or so last night - fabulous!

By way of paying for my access, I'm doing a few hardware hacks and upgrades to hopefully make his usage more convenient and enjoyable. He's getting quite frail, and it's a big piece of hardware for him to manhandle on his own, so I've set it up on a tripod dolly with rubber castors. (Don't laugh, it works remarkably well!) The attached photo show the scope on the dolly during our "First Light" experience from last night.

I've also got him a second hand Celestron NexImage planetary camera which we will play with in the next few weeks, as well as an eyepiece-mount for his camera, and some solar film which I will use to make a solar filter.

I'm not sure who's going to have the most fun - him or me!

[Jen]

Welcome all the noobies I hope you enjoy your time here there is heaps to learn :) and remember no question is a stupid one so don't be shy :P

[adi]

hey all,
this is my first Astronomy forum, group and i am about to purchase my first telescope. after spending some time with my DSLR and moon shots now its time to get into deep space. off course i am doing lot of reading about telescopes and i would like to get some expert opinion. frankly i am very new to this area and i love photography. so i would love to capture Saturn rings, milky-way or other galaxies if possible. please suggest best VFM under 600$.
i am from Melbourne and i have shortlisted these one.. please guide towards best of these keeping budget in mind.
http://www.bintel.com.au/Telescopes/Dobsonian/Bintel-BT202-B-8--Dobsonian/72/productview.aspx

http://www.astronomyalive.com.au/saxon-dob-8-200mm-8-inch-reflecting-telescope-system.html

Guan Sheng GS-880 10" ASDX
250mm x 1250mm DOBSONIAN - 649$

off course these needs some accessories to attach DSLR, live view, red light and list goes on.....

any response highly appreciated.

[Yellow_Kazooie]

I am a 18 year old dude from Brazil that intends to hang around here for a while and have some fun

[Devilbabi]

Hi All!
Im Amanda, I live in Western Sydney, and Im getting into Astrology!
I am here to make friends and get some advise when it comes to equipement etc!!

:hi:

[julianh72]

If you want to make friends here, I suggest you learn the difference between astrology and astronomy!

As for equipment - I suggest you start with a deck of tarot cards. :lol:

[jim_bones]

G'day everyone,

My name is James and I'm located in Melbourne. I'm new to astronomy and am looking to buy a 2nd hand 8" or possibly 10" DOB - if anyone out there is interested in selling one, please get in touch! Collapsible would be ideal, but not a necessity.

Cheers,

- James.

[brian nordstrom]

:) hi Gabriel and welcome , what part of brazil are you from ? and do you have any equipement ?
Brian.

[Varangian]

Hi James, welcome. Keep an eye on the classifieds on this website, Dobs often show up there I sold one last year. Also noticed the pop up on eBay a bit. All the best, John.

[jim_bones]

Hi John. I've been keeping an eye out but nothing as yet. If nothing comes up over the next few weeks I'll just buy a new one..trigger finger is getting very itchy!

Cheers,

James.

[barx1963]

The ads here on IIS tend to be like London buses, nothing for ages then half a dozen of the same thing will pop up!

Malcolm

[lark2004]

Hi, My names Andrew and I've just started looking up at night :-) the views pretty cool... I only have a 3inch reflector at the moment but it's good enough that my kids and I could see Jupiter and three of its moons on Sunday night then it started raining here in Brisbane :-(

Anyway, I'm looking forward to learning whatever I can and spending time at night looking at the sky instead of the tv

[Allan_L]

Excellent Andrew !
Welcome aboard :welcome:
Its a friendly bunch here so ask any questions you may come across.

[Ryz]

Hey guys

Amateur photographer planning to get into astrophotography in the long term.

Preaching to the choir here, having done some basic research have obviously found and understood the steep learning curve and eventual financial outlay.

Is it possible to get an entry level setup with the view that can still be used for getting the basics down, to then use with DSLR?

Understand the need to upgrade down the track but want to be smart with the financial outlay.

Any help would kindly be appreciated. :)

[jenchris]

Ryz - Hi,
What sort of lenses do yu have for your DSLR - if you have some white lenses like a F2.8 70 - 300, you can use them on a tracking mount to get some wonderful shots widefield.
Tracking mounts come in all shapes and sizes and I should think about that before you go out and get a super rig and find you're not suited to trying to find your focus ring inthe dark.
Astro trac type of mount may be what you're after maybe?

[Ryz]

Thanks for the reply Jen.

Only got a couple of kit lenses at the moment which obviously won't do the trick (18-55, 55-200) but happy to gr

Apologies for the ignorance, when it comes to equipment im completely in the dark (no pun intended!)

Are you able to shed a bit more light on mounts or direct me to wear I can read up on it?

[Ryz]

Also, if it is still ok, what would be the best telescope to start with that fits my above criteria?

[jenchris]

Budget?

[Ryz]

At this stage anywhere probably anywhere between 500-1500

[niko]

Ryz,

in my experience I started with a secondhand 8" dob from here to do visual observing and learn the sky. I held a point and click camera up to the eyepiece and got some acceptable photos of the moon and saturn. I also used a DSLR on a tripod to photograph the night sky (30sec shots at 1600 or 3200 iso) and take star trails.

I "progressed" (keeping the visual setup) into photography with a DSLR ED80 scope (refractor) and a HEQ5 tracking mount - again, secondhand here for about $1500 or so. I think there is a similar setup for sale presently. Lots of little addons added to the cost - guidescope, guide camera, various t-rings and extension tubes etc.

You COULD get a Dob as they hold their re-sale value pretty well and are cheap these days. Learn the sky with that and have some fun. The camera on a tripod in any case will produce some decent widefields under a dark sky with nothing more than a tripod and a shutter release cable (intervalometer).

Photography through the scope requires accurate polar alignment which can reduce the newbie to their knees pretty easily. It's a slippery and frustrating slope that produces great results with perserverance.

niko

[Ryz]

Thanks Niko

Are you suggesting to start with the DOB then upgrade to a refractor scope (not sure what that is - talking to a dunce at the mo :help:)

What was the timeline from the Dob to the ED80?


Something like this be ok then?

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Saxon-Dobsonian-8-Telescope-/331156474171?pt=AU_Cameras_Telescop es_Binoculars&hash=item4d1a76c93b&_uhb=1

Thanks very much for the feedback guys, very much appreciated. Been a long standing desire to get into, but been a bit put off by the learning curve.

[julianh72]

I recently bought a new Saxon EQ2 mount / tripod from Astro Pete's in Brisbane for just $39 (yes, $39 - they're still showing them at that price, while stocks last http://www.astropetes.com.au/mounts.html ), and an EQ-2M RA motor drive from Bintel for $99 http://www.bintel.com.au/Mounts---Tripods/Drive-motors/Orion-EQ-2M-Electronic-Drive/128/productview.aspx.

I bought them for my 90 mm short-tube refractor, but it makes a great star-tracking mount for my DSLR with a 300 mm telephoto lens for 30-second to 2-minute wide-sky shots with no discernible star trails.

[Ryz]

Thanks Niko, pardon my ignorance would this work with a SW680?

[Allan_L]

No.
The Saxon EQ2 Equatorial Telescope Mount was designed with medium-sized telescopes in mind and has a load capacity of 6.5 kgs
The SW680 is much too big for this mount.
It would generally be used with an EQ5 or more.

[Ryz]

Thanks Alan.

Took this out last night to finally have a go.

Before I say the following, will preface it by saying most likely aware I will have answered my own questions, perhaps point out what im doing wrong.

Taking into account:


Very light but still present breeze
Location in SE Suburbs of Melbourne (not close to the city) but slight light pollution
Time - around 10.30 pm (after letting the tele temp equalize after half an hour)
Realistic expectations of details - planets/nebula


Only got a view no different than what you would get with a set of binoculars.

Had the kit 10 eyepiece on the barlow.

Someone able to point out what I may be doing horribly wrong?


Definitely will have a look at going along to one of the nights at MPAS.

[julianh72]

Ryz,

Can you just confirm your equipment - you have a Skywatcher SW680 8" Dob (1200 mm focal length), with the standard supplied 20 mm and 10 mm eyepieces, and a Barlow (presumably 2x) - is that right? (Reading through your posts, I didn't see a confirmed list of what you own.)

With that sort of gear, you should be able to see a LOT more than through binoculars - higher magnification, and MUCH more brightness (= lots more stars)!

Suggest you start out like this:

I suggest you start in daylight, to learn how things work. (But be careful to not point the telescope at the Sun!) Set up your telescope to point to something on the horizon (or at least 1 km away), and insert the 20 mm eyepiece. A man-made object like a TV tower or high-rise building can make a good test target, because it will have detail that you can make out easily to check your focus is good (steel bracing members in a TV tower, or balcony handrails etc on a building). Just looking at distant tree-covered mountains can be a bit tricky first time out, because it can be hard to see if you have exact focus on "soft" targets like the tree canopy at a long range.

Adjust focus until you see a clear image. (It may not be very stable, as you are looking horizontally through warm air, but it will do to get you started.) If I have your equipment list correct, this will be a 60x magnification, which is a lot higher than typical binoculars (7x to 10x are typical for binoculars). Make a note of where the focuser is positioned, because this is roughly where you will need it for stargazing at night. If you can't get anything like a focussed image in this condition, you may have a problem with the telescope, and you need to resolve this before you move on.

Take the opportunity to make sure your finderscope is aligned at this point, because you will need this to find targets in the night sky.

Now put in the 10 mm eyepiece and repeat. If you are lucky, it will be almost in focus already, but more than likely, it will need a bit of re-focus. This will be a 120x view.

Now take out the eyepiece, put in the Barlow, and then insert the 20 mm eyepiece into the Barlow. This will give you pretty much the same view as the 10 mm on its own, but will almost certainly need some significant refocusing. Now take out the 20 mm and insert the 10 mm into the Barlow, for a 240x view. This is your highest magnification, and may be pretty blurry due to atmospheric effects, but again, you can experiment to see how much refocus is needed.

Swap the eyepieces and Barlow around a few more times, to get the "feel" of how much refocus you will need as you change field of view / magnification.

Now wait impatiently for nightfall.

Pick a nice bright target, that is easy to find, and will show some detail - Jupiter is ideal right now if you have a view to the north-west in the early evening. The moon isn't visible right now, but will start to come back into view in a week or so.

Always start with your 20 mm (low-power) eyepiece, target the scope with the finderscope, and check out the view in the eyepiece. With the 20 mm eyepiece, you should be able to make out Jupiter as a small disc, and you should pick up the 4 moons as well. Soak in this view - you will never tire of it!

Get Jupiter centred, and swap to the 10 mm eyepiece - remembering to refocus as per your daytime experiments. You should now be able to make out some distinct colour banding. Now try the Barlow with the 10 mm - if viewing conditions are OK, you should see it magnified even more, but Jupiter is pretty low right now, so it is very unlikely you will get an optimal view at high power - you may not see much more detail than with the 10 mm on its own.

Now start looking for some other "easy finds" - the Great Nebula in Orion (in the western sky in the early evening) is the biggest, easiest and most spectacular nebula for a beginner, so you can get some idea of what a bright nebula looks like. Again, start with the 20 mm, and only go to higher power once you have taken in the wide-angle view.

Hunt down a couple of star clusters, again starting with the 20 mm eyepiece each time.

With these easy finds under your belt, you now have some idea of what to expect when you start chasing trickier targets. A bit later in the evening, check out Mars (you probably won't see much more than a slightly shaded red disc).

And don't go to bed until you have checked out Saturn in the eastern sky at about 11:00 pm!

Hope this helps!

[Ryz]

Play on words here, but you are a star :)

That's correct in regards to gear. Unfortunately despite very good assembly instructions, the use part of the manual is a bit more vague for someone at my level.

Will keep you guys posted if interested on how I go :)

[julianh72]

:rofl:

[Ryz]

Gawd im a nuffie.

Barlow isn't stock with the Dob kit is it?

Think ive gotten the eyepiece holder/adapter confused with a Barlow...

:ashamed:

[julianh72]

Some "starter" telescope kits come with just one eyepiece, some with two, some with two plus a Barlow, and some will give you a whole kit of eyepieces and filters etc - it really depends on what the manufacturer bundles, and what the reseller decides to "value add" to the deal. (Refractors and SCTs also come with a diagonal as well, but you don't need a diagonal with a Dob.)

The focuser / eyepiece holder stays permanently attached to the telescope tube, and racks in and out to focus the eyepiece when you turn the control knb. Eyepieces just slide into the focuser, and should be screwed in to make sure they don't shift or fall out.

The most common starter eyepieces would be typically 20 mm or 25 mm (low / moderate magnification) and 10 mm (higher magnification). The magnification you will achieve is equal to the focal length of the telescope (1200 mm for yours) divided by the focal length of the eyepiece, so a 20 mm eyepiece on your telescope will give you 60X magnification, while a 10 mm eyepiece will give you 120x.

A Barlow looks like a metal / plastic tube with a lens near the bottom of the tube (i.e. at the thinner end). It goes into the focuser, and then the eyepiece fits into the top end of the Barlow. A typical Barlow will be labelled "2x" (or sometimes "2.5x" or "3x"). It effectively multiplies the focal length of the telescope by the Barlow factor, so a 2x Barlow on your telescope makes it equivalent to a 2400 mm focal length, and a 20 mm eyepiece would give 120x magnification when used with a 2x Barlow.

Hope this helps!

[scottholio]

Hi guys,
I've been following this forum for a few months, but never posted anything. Everyone on here seems nice and helpful, so I thought I'd say G'day.
Scotty

[Ryz]

Yep def don't have a Barlow :(

Do I need one for the moment? and does this effect the very good and nice instructions you've given? (partner also thanks you btw, copied the body of your reply into a email to her :) )

[julianh72]

Do you "need" a Barlow? No.

Could you make use of one? Yes! (But don't feel compelled to rush out and buy one straight away - there are plenty of things to look at with just a 20 mm and a 10 mm, or thereabouts).

Be aware, though, that a 2x Barlow with a 20 mm eyepiece is pretty much equivalent to your 10 mm eyepiece - but which gives a better, more "comfortable" view will depend a lot on the relative quality of the two eyepieces, and the Barlow. And a 2x Barlow with your 10 mm eyepiece may give pretty poor image quality unless you have very good sky conditions.

Be aware, however, that there are those who feel that a Barlow is a great complement to a beginner set of eyepieces, while others will argue just as vehemently that you should spend your money on better eyepieces - see this thread, for example:

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=118929

(I for one don't think it has to be an "either / or" argument - I don't see why you can't have a couple of decent eyepieces, and also use a Barlow to increase the effective range of the few eyepieces that you own.)

[CanberraChris]

Hi,

New to all this. Have a Tasco 8V I inherited from my father.

cheers

[Allan_L]

Hi Chris,
Welcome to IceInSpace :welcome:
Did some research and it sounds like you have a nice scope there. A Schmidt Newtonian.

[Ryz]

Hi guys

Got some decent views of Saturn last night, and getting used to switching between 10mm & 20mm, plus learning the sky.(per the kind instructions in this thread)

Question, what should I be expecting to see with the dob in terms of definition? can make out the rings, but should I be expecting more (blown away, just clarifying if I should see more color etc)

Wondering at what point a beginner out grows the dob too?

[omegacrux]

Hi Ryan
You never grow out of a dob you just get bigger ones
I sold my first 8in dob regretted it ended up getting another a 10in

David

[rrussell1962]

Hi Ryan, Totally agree with omega crux (David) about never growing out of a Dob. I have just gone back to a Dob after a few years with other types of mount. The big plus for a Dob is the quick set up and ease of use. Add an Argo Navis if and when you feel like it and the sky is your oyster.

[Ryz]

Oh wowza. Thanks David & Richard.

Still in the embryonic stages of amateur astronomy knowledge so a lot of devices and terms are new to me. Looking into this, does this device work with Dobs like a skywatcher that don't have motorized mounts?

Trying to skim through the userguide from Wildcard Innovations (hoping these are the right people?) and lot of it going over my head.

Assume you mount this to the scope, sync it with your computer, and you can manually track DSOs with the co-ordinates?

[Ryz]

Hope Im on the right path here.

With use of the Google Sky app, with the 8" Dob had it pointed at what im sure was Jupiter. Is this clearly visible to the naked eye this time of year?

With a 10mm eyepiece, appeared to be a white disc with two very vague white vertical bands around it....was this Jupiter?....

[julianh72]

Yes, you've found Jupiter! Jupiter is one of the brightest objects in the night sky, currently sitting in the north-west in early evening.

With an 8" Dob you should be able to see a lot more detail than just a white disk with vague bands around it - check focus carefully, and you should see some texture and detail in the bands, the Great Red Spot (when it's facing Earthwards), the 4 Galilean moons nearby, etc. (But you might need to wait for clearer skies - poor viewing conditions will also limit the amount of detail you can pick out.)

Your next planetary target should be Saturn (in the eastern sky in the early evening) - not as bright as Jupiter, but still one of the brightest objects in that part of the sky. It will be sitting a bit higher than the Moon tonight, after last night's occultation.

[barx1963]

Ryz
I assume you are talking about an Argo Navis system? This is what is called a "push to" system. The handset gives you directions and numbers and you move the scope manually until both axis readout are zero and all being well the selected target is in the eyepiece.

No computer is needed unless you are updating the firmware or adding new objects to the built in catalogues.

Malcolm

[Ryz]

Thanks Julian

Viewing conditions were ok (least from a beginners persperctive), but should I at least see a bit more color at the very least?




Cheers Malcolm, I think that's the laymen's description I was after :)

[julianh72]

Jupiter is so bright that even with my 5" scope, I find it helpful to use an eyepiece filter to dim it down a bit, so that it's less dazzling, and I can observe it more comfortably. When your eyes are getting used to night viewing, they will tend to see anything that is very bright as "white", so it can be hard to distinguish "bright orange" from "bright red", "bright cream", etc.

Different coloured filters will suppress different colours on your target - for example, a blue filter will darken the red / orange belts more than the other colours, making them more contrasty from the lighter coloured belts, which can improve the overall view of Jupiter. A Neutral Density "Moon Filter" will just reduce the overall brightness of the whole image.

If you don't have any filters, don't panic, there are a few easy tricks to see if being too bright is causing you difficulty in getting a good, sharp image:

Try wearing sunglasses to observe the brightest targets, like the Moon and Jupiter. (Yes, seriously!)

Try looking through some coloured cellophane wrapping paper, to make a crude coloured filter.

Does your telescope's dust cover have a small round opening offset to one side, with its own small dust cap? If so, this is intended for viewing the Moon (which has the same issue of being too bright for comfortable night viewing) - you leave the dust cap on the telescope, and only take off the small cap. Try it when observing Jupiter to see if it helps.

Or just get a piece of cardboard and cover 3/4 of the end of the telescope, leaving only about 1/4 of the light-gathering power.

Once you get rid of the dazzling brilliance, you should be able to focus more sharply, and start to distinguish some finer detail.

If any of these tricks give you a better view, then you may want to invest in a set of basic eyepiece filters.

Hope this helps!

[CanberraChris]

Hello all.

[vlazg]

I am George, Darwin NT, joined a few weeks ago but this is my first post, i am about to receive my 1st scope , saxon ed 120 with an azeq6 mount,with the hope of getting into astrophotography.
Phew !! What a steep learning curve i am about to embark on but reading the forums on this site i see that help is readily available from such a friendly and informative group.
Looking forward to picking your brains and in advance please excuse any stupid questions i may post

[Mark_Heli]

Hi George & welcome :hi:

Looks like you have a great setup to get into astrophotography.

Cheers,
Mark

[vlazg]

Thanks Mark, many hours spent on the internet and a huge budget stretch :thanx:

[Shazz]

Hi Folks, its Shazz from Liverpool, Sydney.
Finally I got my Nexstar 8se (thanks to my wife for funding it :)), for now, just basic setup with 25mm ep, 2xbarlow and moon filter. here to share and learn more about star gazing.

[Xanthomaniac]

G'day everyone,
My long standing love of the stars and planets has been re-awakened.
I'm intending to shoot the stars as it were, with my conventional professional photographic equipment. I have the ability to take basic images with good camera, lens and stable tripod, (30s @ 1200mm)... but of course the global rotation is a big problem.
I'm looking for equipment to purchase at the moment to counter that movement as well as pinpoint specific objects to capture, (equatorial mount with GoTo capability - telescope optional at this stage).
Right now, I'm looking for the Delta Aquarids... *sighs* (any assistance is most welcome).
Looking forward to catching up.
Regards,
Pete.

[lurry]

Hello all

[pluto]

Hi Pete :welcome:
You have a few options when it comes to mounts that will track the stars. You could go for one of the smaller mounts aimed at DSLRs with photographic lenses like the Vixen Polarie, iOptron SkyTracker, or the AstroTrack.
If you want a bigger mount that you can eventually mount a scope on then it's a bit more complex as you would want an idea of the type of scope you will be using. However you could look at an Skywatcher HEQ5 as a starting point as it will easily handle your DSLR and lenses and will give good results with a moderately sized telescope.

[pluto]

Hi Shazz!


Hi Lurry :)

[IC1101]

Hey guys!

New to astronomy. In fact I've never ever attempted it before. I've just always wanted to see cool things in space so I did a little research and ended up with a 10" Dobsonian.

Super keen to do some observing once the skies clear in my area!

[Allan_L]

Hi IC1101,
Welcome to IceInSpace :welcome:,
Great choice of scope :thumbsup:
Where abouts are you located?

[IC1101]

North Western regional Victoria, right along the Murray.

It get's pretty starry here at times and I can get 10km out of town within 10 minutes. Just waiting for a clear sky!

[Starlite]

New to this site, can I get some help in posting photos to this site from imageshack, what I'm doing for other forums isn't working here. Cheers John.

[OzStarGazer]

Hello, and welcome. I don't use Imageshack, but with PhotoBucket for example I just click on the image symbol (bottom row, 6th from the right) and insert the url for sharing. What do you do on other forums that is not working here?
Edit: Oh, I see from other posts that you have already solved the problem.

[AnakChan]

Hi All, I'm a new rego although I've been browsing this site as a guest for some time, and I've been an amateur astronomer for a good 35 years since my childhood. In the past I've owned from 4.5" Meade reflectors, 10" Meade DS10's, and most "recently" (i.e. since 1996) a Vixen VC200L/GP-DX I purchased from Claude of AEC when he used to still deal with Vixen back in the 90's.

I've moved from Perth to Tokyo back in 2000 and been living in the land of Vixens & Takahashis for the past 14.5 years, my VC200L is ageing, and I'm thinking of reigniting the astronomy passion again and will be seeking this forum for advice.

Cheers!
A Rusty Amateur Astronomer

[mariner10]

Hey IC1101,
I own a 10" SN and have always found that size to be the best balance between portability and getting the views I want so probably a good choice.
Where you are you'll have great skies so enjoy it, I reckon there could be some envious people just wishing they could have the dark skies you'll have.

[Khuda777]

Hi All,
Thought i would pop in and introduce myself.
Located in Aveley, West Aus. New to Astronomy in the sense of looking through a telescope :)
Just bought myself an "Australian Geographic StarView 150EQ Newtonian Reflector and set it up last night (and what a mission that was), still to colminate and what not (maybe a weekend job).
I can't wait to learn more about Astronomy and go to my first Star Party :D

[Arthane]

Hi, am finding myself becoming enthused about Video Astronomy. I wonder if a 4" refractor would be ok?

[Ryz]

Hi guys

Pretty much got use the Skywatcher down-pat. Really want to move into basic astrophotography (moon/planets), is my only option to get a new set-up?

[britgc]

Hi all,

Finally registered after quite a few months of researching astrophotography on this site and others like it. Thought I should introduce myself a little bit and say thank you for all the great information on the site.
I'm Bret, I'm located just south of Adelaide and I've loved space for as long as I can remember and I've been hooked on the idea of getting into astrophotography some time now too.
I decided it was time I got myself a telescope and I've ended up with a 4" refractor and I'm finally capturing some light with a borrowed Canon 450d.
I will post my first image in the Beginners Astrophotography section shortly :)

Regards,
Bret

[Allan_L]

Welcome Bret, :welcome:
Congratulations on your new scope, and we hope to hear (and see) lots from your new ventures. I don't practice the "Dark Arts" ( of Imaging), so I can't help much in that area- I will leave that to others, but nice to have you on board thanks for your initial post and intro.
We are (generally) a pretty friendly bunch here, I am sure you will get lots of helpful advice as you progress into the "money pit". ;)

[britgc]

Thanks Allan. Hehe, I had read many warnings about this "money pit". My budget did indeed grow multiple times and in quick succession. Totally worth all that time saving up though :)

[adaregazer]

Hello all, just started out and into astro images. I have the following equipment: Canon 1000D dslr camera, T adaptor and 2 x Barlow, 135mm Sky watcher reflector with motor drive and EQ2 mount. Using backyard EOS software and Registax 6 and I've got a selection of eye pieces from celestron. No astro societies around here unfortunately! Was thinking of joining RAS as they have astro camps near where I live.

[jarred.carroll]

Hello, I have a canon 1000d dslr, im just using that to take photos of basic space stuff like the milky way. I have an exposure of 30 seconds and an aperture of 5, should I change that?

[cafuego]

You should definitely play around with the aperture, exposure and sensitivity settings (and maybe even noise reduction too) and get a feel for what they do to the resulting photo.

Settings will depend on the lens used too. Smaller f number means you can have shorter exposures OR see fainter objects, but they'll let in more light pollution (unless you're lucky and live somewhere properly dark :-)

It's a digital camera, so take full advantage of that and go nuts taking lots of images with lots of different settings.

[blexxx1769]

Howdy All,
My name is Ian (blexxx1769), a retired ship engineer living on Bruny Island, S.E.Tasmania & surrounded by acres of farmland & bush & not a light to be seen. I've spent years observing the skies thru binoculars but now I have the time & space to take another step. So, step, the next is a 16" Meade LightBridge,now sitting in the shed. A bit much, you might say, but this is what happens when you seek advice from a SDM 22" owner!
'If some's good & more's better, then too much ought to be just about right'. Right!
Anyways, the adventure starts now & going by the enjoyment had by all the IceInSpace readers out there, it'll be big fun.
Time to enjoy the night.
Cheers, Ian. :-)

[grasshopper]

Welcome Ian! Sounds like you are living in a piece of paradise down there in Tassie. Enjoy playing with your new toy and trawling through IIS - I am a newbie too and loving it :)

[Jen]

:welcome: :welcome:
:hi: hello noobies :hi:

[xelasnave]

Welcome Ian your adventure starts..the universe will unfold for you..keep a log.

[NCB]

Greetings,

another noob here, from Healesville Vic.

I've been doing a little bit of reading, but so far even some of the beginners section seems over my head!

I've always had a reasonably keen interest in viewng the night sky with the naked eye with memorable highlights being a sighting of Halley's comet as a young teen in '86 and I'm sure I remember seeing Skylab as a little tacker, but that could be a vivid imagination?

I have an older bro who used to be a mad keen amateur astronomer in Castlemaine, but I never did get around to spending much time using his gear or learning anything from him. :(

My interest has been sparked again by my 12 year old daughter and also finally having reasonable views of the stars for the last couple of years after 20 years in suburbia.

As is probably typical with some of us noobs, I'm keen to rush out and buy something in time for Christmas. I've been scouring the classifieds and e-bay/gumtree and also considering new options. I don't have a huge budget, but it sounds like a new 8inch dob from Bintel (or maybe Ozscopes?) would do me nicely. Or possibly even something a little bigger via the classifieds. I'm trying not to be too silly about it so have forced myself, over the last couple of weeks, to do a little bit of reading first!

I'm hoping to get down to the Mt Burnett Observatory for their last public viewing night for the year. I missed their last young observers night yesterday for my daughter, but I'll probably drag her along on the 30th. :)

Anyway, bit of a long post for my first. Basically just wanted to say Hi. :)

Regards

Neil

[Allan_L]

HI Neil,
Welcome to IceInSpace :welcome:
An 8" DOB is an ideal choice for a first scope.
10" even better if you can afford it.
Beyond that size weight and moveability become an issue.
The best scope for you is the scope you (and your daughter) will use more often, so ease of setup and transport is important.

Bintel is a great place to start your hobby.
People there are friendly and helpful.

If you can get to their Camperwell store, you can see and feel the scopes before you buy. This is a big plus.

Good luck with your purchase decision(s)
and keep asking questions :thumbsup:

Cheers
Allan

[fothers]

Gday folks,
I'm new here and wanted to say hello. I'm very much a new face here, rekindling my interest in astronomy. I'm based in Sydney, and looking forward to learning from your experiences and hopefully adding my own.

fothers.

[Allan_L]

Hi fothers,
Welcome to IceInSpace :welcome:
You have come to the right spot to do your rekindling...
plenty of bright sparks here to help.

You could start of with a Free Planetarium program ... Stellarium is a great free program that will help you find your way around the universe, and runs on various operating systems.
http://stellarium.org/

Good luck with your new hobby
Cheers
Allan

[ariefm71]

Hello All,

This is Arief, new face here as well. Just rekindled my interest in astronomy after 5 years of hiatus. Recently bought a second hand small fluorite refractor from Japan and had it tested on Jupiter last night. Saw three or four bands of the planet and its 4 moons. Looking forward to meet you guys for joint observations, etc. I'm based in Sydney.

clear skies!
Arief

[ariefm71]

I'd like to second this.

I went to Bintel yesterday to buy their skyview alt-az mount, bringing my vixen refractor. I asked Michael from Bintel if he can test my scope for collimation. He gladly mount the scope to a display altaz mount, used his 3-6mm Nagler zoom, and pointing it to a glint reflection on remote pole insulators. He was as excited as me seeing the perfectly concentric airy disks inside and outside focus of the scope.

The people at Bintel is as passionate with this hobby as any of us.

[Hubert]

I'm Hubert. I have been dabbling in astronomy for a couple of years now and thought it was about time I joined a net community.

I have a Celestron 8SE, occasionally go to the AGWA meetings here in Perth (when work allows) and have recently joined the volunteer stalwarts at the Perth Observatory.

This looks to be a great forum

[timpaton]

Hi IceInSpacers,

I'm Tim, a n00b who unexpectedly stumbled across an almost-free Celestron 114mm Newtonian telescope. As in, it was at the tip shop, sitting there on what I now know to be a Germanic Equatorial mount tripod, next to the mandatory pile of bikes and discarded exercise equipment. I'm sure there are plenty on this forum who will scoff at such a low-end instrument, but hey, the price was right...

I'm an automotive R&D engineer, and my wife is a chemistry/physics teacher, so we have a bit of the geek gene, which we have passed on to our 7yo daughter who is extremely keen to see what our new telescope can show.

The problem (and I assume a major part of how this instrument ended up at the tip) is that our 'scope has no eyepieces. That's my first mission - to get a lens to look through, re-align the mirrors (they look to be not very straight from looking down the eyepiece holder, but have adjustment screws easily accessible, and I'm pretty comfortable adjusting and hacking lab equipment), and get me a look at some sky.

We're in central Ballarat, which has darker skies than a big city, and obviously we can get out to the middle of nowhere pretty easily from here :thumbsup:

[Allan_L]

Hi Tim,

your question answered (and your welcome) on your other similar thread in the Eyepieces discussion forum:

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?p=1141840#post114184 0

Regards

:welcome:

[woofermew]

Hey all,

Watched Interstellar recently and really captured my imagination with the whole outta space thinking. Complete noob to all of this. I guess my question is where do I start for some amateur equipment and where is a good starting point for all of this.

Thanks all!

[Puss.in.Books]

Hi All,

Bought my 1st 'scope over 10 years ago... A cheerful 6" newt & GEM from BATSC in Heidelberg Melbourne. However, the last few years saw use declining... While the equipment was good, usage was frustrating.

Anyway, I have now upgraded (by instalments) to a SW 100ED refractor and NEQ6 mount. Wow! How much easier to use - it's great to be able to sit in a chair comfortably and be able to put your head to the eyepiece!

Bought the refractor just after Xmas and have used it 3 times since. I find setting it up much easier than my old gear even though it weighs a lot more. Little things like having an OTA in a case with its accessories increase the convenience fact.

Very happy with the NEQ6 and I am able to setup and star align quite quickly, and once done objects stay in view and go to actions get the target in the eyepiece.

I feel I have a solid base now to keep me free of upgraditis for some time, although there are some gadgets I have my eye on.

Anyway, chees and good viewing!

...Victor

[Jen]

Woohooo hope you enjoy your new toy Victor I just recently got a SW ED80 and HEQ5 pro and I love it to bits :D

[Allan_L]

Hi Woofermew,
Welcome to IceInSpace :welcome:.
I think the lack of reply to your very general question, may be due to the lack of information you have provided.

We can be of more help if you let us know what area you are in.
What sort of investment you want to make.
What you hope to see.

Basically, first advice is to go to an informal viewing night to see what scopes are around and what you can see with them.

Mostly, a Dobsonian telescope is recommended as best value for money and ease of use, around 8" diameter is fairly inexpensive and easy to move around and set up.

Hope you continue with venture into astronomy.
Happy to help with any further questions.

For a freebie start, download Free planetarium software - Stellarium.
That might wet your appetite for what about in the skies.

http://stellarium.org/

[woofermew]

Hi Allan,

Thanks for the response. Downloading stellarium right now to check it out.
Sorry my post was a little brief.

I'm in the Ryde area in Sydney NSW and really on a tight budget. Would something in the 200 range get you anything decent?

Where do these informal nights take place?

[Allan_L]

For informal observing sessions around Sydney, check out the Star Parties... forum. There are regular sessions at Katoomba, and Mangrove Mountain, to name the main

For new, I think $399 is about the best bargain priced I can see, being a 6" GSO Dobsonian. For your $200, you may pick up a second hand unit, but it is probably best to try to save for a while longer.

[Birdarth]

Hello Everyone.

My name is Arthur, First time here. I just moved to WA about 6 months ago so still getting a feel for this country. I am a beginner in astronomy and am looking to branch more into the field. I live in the Gingin Township and have visited the Gingin Observatory out this way as well. Still tracking down other places to visit. I use to work as the solar astronomy guide at Carter Observatory for awhile and a member of the Phoenix Astronomical Society and Lake Rotoma Astronomical Society. I am currently into my 3rd year of my Phd in Geology focusing on tectonic plate movements and Geological formation. :)

[Ric]

Hi Arthur and welcome to a fellow Geologist. You should be in your element in W.A. some of the oldest formations on earth over there.

[Birdarth]

Thank you Ric. I have found WA to be the most exhilarating location for geological history and as you said houses some of the most oldest formations on the planet. The academic opportunities far exceed my own expectations of the area with its prehistoric jewels and the tectonic mysteries of the darling fault line. The geological outcrops alone baffles me however I continue to look forward to exploring more of Western Australias hidden treasures along with exploring the southern night sky and its hidden secrets. :D

[Eratosthenes]

greetings

I hope to learn a bit about astronomy through this forum, especially with respect to equipment and astrophotography.

I have been a very keen student of astronomy from a very young age.

cheers

[Bernie.o]

Second that about Bintel. I bought an 8" Meade from them in 2002; took it in for repairs last week (long story). One of the guys (michael I think) remembered me from 13 yrs ago and happily took on the repairs challenge.

[dannoz22]

Hey folk, Danny here. Am new to this forum.

I've always had a keen interest in the skys above but have never really been able to spend much time discovering them. I've had cheap telescopes given to me and had some basic looks at the night sky etc.

Due to my new buddy cancer, I find myself with some spare time and the desire to do things I've always wanted to but never have or could.

I am based in Victoria, on the Mornington Peninsula. A very very bright area at night. I would love to go somewhere pitch black and see an uneffected night sky, so any tips on that would be great.

Cheers.

[iborg]

Hi Danny

You might want to look up,The Mornington Peninsula Astronomical Society, they shouldn't be far from you.

http://www.mpas.asn.au/index.htm



Philip

[Johan]

Hello all,
I bought my first telescope this week and I already have LOADS of questions! It is a 16" GOTO Skywatcher Dobsonian which I assembled on a trolley. I keep it in my shed for easy roll out/roll in access to the night sky. Some great sights so far are Jupiter and the four moons, Saturn, Venus, Betelgeuse, Sirius, Procyon, Hadar and the moon was out tonight for the first time.
I am in suburbia which limits what I can see, however if anyone have suggestions of where to aim the telescope for great sights in the near future, please dont hold back ��. Now, I'm heading straight to the eyepiece blogs...

Johan

[Jen]

Ooohhh nice buy for a first toy your in for a treat :) :welcome:

[BilliGoatsGruff]

Hello! Another newbie here. I've been looking into buying a Skywatcher 90/1250 Mak and I was just wondering what people think? Also, are there any eps worth getting? It comes with a 10mm and 25mm Plossl.

[BilliGoatsGruff]

On second thought, perhaps I would be better with binoculars? I'm looking for portability and like the idea of being able to grab them at a moments notice. Are there any recommendations? (budget of $300)

[BeanerSA]

Me again! Binoculars are great. For handheld use you don't want to go any larger than 10x50, so 8x42 or 10x50 are ideal. For anything larger than that, you ideally need a tripod. Any of the ones available locally are going to be good enough at that pricepoint. I myself am looking at the Nikons or the Olympusssss's(?)

[BilliGoatsGruff]

Hahaha maybe the plural is Olympi? If I get the scope then I won't be able to get the binos and vice versa. It's just a matter of portability. I did originally want a scope, so I feel like I'm going to sort change myself with binos.

[BeanerSA]

You always need a decent pair of binos. You can upgrade to a scope later. Binos are all the things you want. Portable, right way up images, easy to store. Look for an old pair on Gumtree, or ask a relative.

[BilliGoatsGruff]

I found a pair of Tasco 10x50 binoculars on gumtree for $60. I'm not familiar with brands or anything, but I'm guessing this is a good price for 2nd hand ones? There's a pair of 7x50's included in that price.

[BeanerSA]

I currently have a pair of Tasco 10x50's I borrowed off a mate. I see plenty through them. Buy those for $50 and try them out.

[BilliGoatsGruff]

They did say price negotiable so I'll try that. They are in Lockleys though, so hopefully the people will be ok with postage. If it follows through then I should be able to afford both the binos and the dob :)

[Grammaticus]

Hi all,

I've just joined Ice In Space in the hope of some advice on telescopes. I've never owned one and ultimately I'm interested in astrophotography, but am aware I need to learn to walk before I can run. The telescope I'm looking at buying is the Celestron Nexstar 130 SLT. I've read some reviews and as a beginner telescope it seems good for light gathering qualities and was no1 in Telescopes.toptenreviews.com.

As a total novice who's super keen, can anybody advise me if this is the way to go?

Really appreciate any help from anybody...

thanks

G

[Cloudbegone]

Probably too late, but BCF are selling Tasco 10 x 50's for $70. Unless of course you are looking specifically for 7 x 50's :question:

[pluto]

:welcome: Grammaticus :)

It depends on your budget and whether you want to start with visual observing and then buy new gear when you're ready to commit to astrophotography or whether you want to dive right in and get gear that's capable of astrophotography that you can grow into.

If you want to start with just visual observation then I think the consensus would be to grab an 8" dob, like this one:
http://www.bintel.com.au/Telescopes/Dobsonian/Bintel-BT202-B-8--Dobsonian/72/productview.aspx
Or even just a decent pair of binoculars to learn the sky.

I'm going to assume you want to do deep space astrophotography, like images of nebulae and galaxies?
Can I also assume you already have a DSLR?

For astrophotography I think it's generally accepted that the base mount that can produce good images is an HEQ5.
http://www.bintel.com.au/Mounts---Tripods/EQ-Mounts/Sky-Watcher-HEQ5-Pro-GoTo-Mount/96/productview.aspx

For telescopes for astrophotography there are a couple of directions you could take. You could get a reflector like this:
http://www.bintel.com.au/Telescopes/Reflector/Bintel-BT200-f/5-Imaging-OTA/988/productview.aspx
Or a refractor like this:
http://www.bintel.com.au/Telescopes/Refractor/Sky-Watcher-Black-Diamond-ED80/984/productview.aspx
The reflector has more aperture so will gather more light, which is good, but you will need to learn to collimate it to get the most out of it.
The refractor gathers less light, so you'd need to take longer exposures, but it's capable of excellent images and it's really simple to set up.

This setup is also capable of doing images of the moon and planets but if you wanted to specialise in those kinds of images there might be other choices that would get better results, for example you'd probably look at a more specialised camera.

I'm not really familiar with that Celestron that you linked to but that scope isn't going to be great for visual observation given its relatively small aperture and that mount isn't going to be very good for astrophotography (you pretty much need an EQ mount for AP).

I started with an ED80 on an EQ5 - not HEQ5 - and while I learned heaps it was very frustrating at times and the mount did need to be upgraded relatively soon. An HEQ5 should last you well into your astrophotography hobby.

[myoda]

Howdy all,

New here but had an interest in Astronomy for a long time. Looking to get my first telescope but there seems to be little second hand stuff going in VIC!

Found a 16" dob in WA that was very cheap but that's just silly for a beginner. Looking for a 12" collapsible dob in VIC if anyone knows of someone selling.

Hope to learn a lot and spend some (cold) nights outside having a look and having my mind blown away with what's out there.

[BilliGoatsGruff]

I only just saw this! Honestly don't know why I didn't check online first. I ended up getting both pairs for $50. My daughter gets a kick out of using the 10x50's for moon viewing.

[leo.a]

Nice scope Jen, for your First Telescope.
Enjoy the night skies

[Indio]

Hi all,

I bought my first telescope (Skywatcher 150/1200 EQ) a couple of weeks ago and have had a few good nights viewing so far. Views of the moon, jupiter and saturn have had me grinning till my face hurts, so much cool stuff to see and learn... I should have done this years ago :)

[Allan_L]

Hi Indio,
Welcome to IceInSpace :welcome:.
Yes, I am sure we all remember our first WOWs from first viewing sessions. I started with a similar setup to yours and was blown away.

You will find here a wealth of information and many willing to help you on your journey of wonder.

Ask questions, find local like minded individuals to share experiences with, and most of all ... Enjoy!

[yusbot]

Hi folks,

I just bought my first telescope...I'm really newbie to this stuff, but really want to get much from this, so I bought RC8 and an ED80. Still haven't get used to polar alignment, though I enjoyed viewing manually. Hope I could learn much from this forum to astrophotograph in the near future.:)

[dreamstation]

Hey everyone,

Another newbie here joining the ranks. Have recently picked up a 10" dobsonian which has been excellent for our first telescope. We've a lot to learn but we're more than happy just getting outside and observing.

The journey will be long but will be full of fun and adventure! Happy to be joining this community and I'm sure we will have plenty of questions in the future.

James :)

[Allan_L]

Hi James,
Welcome to IceInSpace :welcome:
You have picked a great scope.
That should keep you satisfied for a long time.

Feel free to ask any questions, and see if you can get to an observing session near you. The star parties forum is a good place to start.

Also, if you haven't already, you should download the FREE planetarium software Stellarium. (www.stellarium.org (http://www.stellarium.org)).
It will help you find some interesting stuff to track down.

Clear Skies

[dreamstation]

First off thanks for the warm welcome!

We have tried contacting the local astronomical society a couple months ago before we bought the telescope but emails and phone calls were going unanswered so it was a little difficult. We haven't tried again but did see some articles in the local newspaper a while back so they are obviously still around. Will have to try again soon.

As for Stellarium, we've already got that program which has been very helpful in finding our way around the night sky. We are only beginners so finding some things still proves difficult. But that is half the fun!

As for the clear skies, well not so much recently unfortunately! :(

[NikonNights]

Hey all,

Had a long time interest in the heavens, but don't have any equipment to actually play at home yet. Have dropped into the odd observatory when travelling and always come away with a renewed plan to purchase some decent equipment but the finance minister says 'not right now' frequently. I have however flipped some coin at photographic equipment and have an interest in capturing night skies from what I can see through lenses ranging from 10 to 300mm.

Hoping to find some like minded folks on the forum and share some tips, tricks and trophies for now just with a camera, and later when I'm ready to get some serious glass!

Cheers,
Mark

[NigyRob]

Evening all

Just joined up yesterday and I'm blown away by the amount of helpful people in this forum. My eyes are sore from reading so much good info but I can't seem to stop - what a great site I've stumbled across and hope to one day contribute also.

I am at the starting gate with Astronomy and yet to purchase my first telescope and there in lies my problem.

I have just clocked up 20yrs working for my employer and for this milestone I get to choose a gift from their website.
They have the obligatory gold watches, diamond earrings etc. but also have some telescopes of which for my bracket they are offering the 10" Skywatcher Dobsonian Telescope (254mm x 1200mm).
(I can actually get the 12" if I want and pay the difference too).

My problem is I have read that having a Go To telescope is a lot more fun for someone like myself starting out as you get to see what you want straight away after a few short setup steps.

My question is to you is this -

a) Am I on the right track with this thinking of a GoTo scope is better for a total newbie?
b) Is there the ability to upgrade this manual scope to a GoTo unit later down the track and if so what would be involved and where would I go to have it done?

Sorry for the long post but I have lots of other questions but I'll go do some more reading first :-)

Thanks
Nige

[Allan_L]

Hi Nigel,
Welcome to IceInSpace :welcome:

I have had both the skywatcher 10" (non-goto) and currently the 12" skywatcher (goto).

Both are great scopes visually.
YES. You can buy a goto upgrade for the basic SW DOBs.
These are around $1,000 for the upgrade. [checkout Andrews communications website]

Sure the goto makes finding stuff easier, but they then introduce further issues such as power requirements, alignment, and extra weight.
Whereas the non-goto is pretty much just plonk it down and start observing.

You can get various things to help find stuff, such as charts, planisphere, phone apps, and computer programs, etc. [Download the Free stellarium program anyway.]

I am certainly happy with my goto, but the choice is up to you.
It would be good if you could get to an observing session and see both in action, and talk to their handlers.

Good luck with your choice (what a wonderful work incentive !!!)
And feel free to ask questions.

Clear skies!

[Wolf]

Hi all!

I've always had an interest in space, so I decided to join a forum where I can share my enthusiasm with other people and hopefully learn from people. I've had very limited education on our universe in school, which disappoints me greatly cause I'd love to have a career involving looking at space and discovering what's out there.

I'm also interested in astrophotgraphy.

I'd love some recommendations on a good quality beginner telescope that could also help me start with astrophotography as well.

[GreyWolf]

Oooo... Another furry critter!
Sorry Wolf. I didn't know there was a Wolf. But at least I'm a grey wolf. I hope you're not a wolf-rayet.

Let's have a big howl together!!!

I'm also sometimes known as Andy. Domestic Engineering (or house husband if you prefer) is my current game. Better change that soon...:sadeyes:

Beware the full moon. But yes I like it. And planets. Omega Centauri. Bright sparkly things in the sky. Dim whispy things in the sky. These are some of my favourite things.

Sort of new I guess. Redundancy let me get my little 6" SCT. And then I learned the rest of the astronomy world exists. Yeah gotta do things backwards. But the learning cap is on, L plates dangling around my neck. Time to read!

cheers,
Andy :D

[raymo]

Hi Andy, you have taken up the hobby when new and used gear
is much more affordable than it used to be years ago.
raymo

[GreyWolf]

G'day Raymo. Yeah, it's interesting to see some of the prices in a couple of 1988/89 Deep Sky magazines I've managed to get my paws on.

Mind you the magazines are still very interesting reading and quite relevant. Sure most astronomers now aren't into hyper-sensitising film, but a lot of the other stuff is time-less - like a nice table of Carbon Stars.

I suspect that now, even though equipment isn't quite as expensive, there's so much choice that it's bewildering trying to work out what's what. And of course any opinions on forums regarding equipment are subjective.

I wonder when this forum will have as many posted text characters as there are stars in the Milky Way...?

[raymo]

I bought a Vixen Super Polaris mount back in the mid 80s, cost $2000,
no Go To of course, or even a tripod, that would be about $4500 today. Today's version with Go To of course, and a tripod, and a larger load capacity, would be around $2500.
raymo

[Ru1s]

Hi everyone,
I guess my fascination with space started reasonably early, i think i was about 8 years old with a pair of borrowed binoculars in the back yard looking up at Jupiter in a twilight sky and seeing the faint glint of something that was not a twinkling star.

Always interested in science and space since. now some 20 something years later, i came across a telescope in big w, Vixen 76/700 marked down to $50 with tripod, I could not refuse ! with a 4mm sr and a 20mm h eyepiece and a 1.5x erector and 3x barlow, all of which were .96".

Over the next 6 months or so I got some nice views of Jupiter's Bands and 4 Moons, the Moon, Saturn, even a peek at the great nebula in Orion. a wander through the Centaurus Constellation, and a Phase of Venus a few times.

Did a little research about eyepieces and magnification and found a National Geographic 76/350 table top dobsonion in Aldi for $75 with 1.25" eyepieces (again 4mm sr, 20mm h, 2 x barlow) no finder on this one so was a bit awkward to use.

So i went back to the vixen, had the focuser machined to take 1.25" eyepieces and used the better 1.25" eyepieces in that.

Bought a 15mm Celestion eyepiece, AMAZING upgrade from the "toy" eyepieces.

Bought a 6mm Super Plossl from Australian Geographic.

Worked well until i found another National Geographic scope at Aldi for $120 this one is another 76/700 but on a much sturdier mount this one equatorial mounted with a dovetail and counterbalanced.

I figured the mount alone was worth about $60 and the Eyepieces were 12.5mm and 25mm ( much more reasonable for the scope ) along with a smartphone adapter ( worth around $10 - $20 ) i figured the eyepieces were worth about $15 each, so the scope was at worst $30 !

Gave the 76/350 and a few accessories away to a friends son for his 10th birthday, the Vixen is going to another friends son soon. Hopefully i have sparked the same questioning, and desire for exploration in them that was given to me all those years ago ....

recently we got new neighbors and i spotted a 60mm bushnell refractor on their porch, inquired as to it's use and was told it was an "ornament" they has a 6" Mak-Cas GoTo ! Best friends since! but they have pointed me here so here i am !

so Hi All :)

[NigyRob]

Hi Allan

Thanks for the reply and suggestions.

I've actually changed my mind as I feel the Dob scope's in question were a tad too big for me starting out.
I have had a couple of more suggestions from the people who look after the gifts for our company and I have narrowed it down to two scopes.

Both are Maksutov Cassigrains -

1) 127 x 1500 with GoTo (SW127MAKSD)
2) 150 x 1800 with EQ mount

I have to chip in $300 for one of these which I'm happy to do but I just would like some feed back on each.
I'm actually leaning towards the manual one now as I think it might be a better quality scope as I'm not paying for a GoTo system and all the value is in the scope.

Would like peoples thoughts on this?

Thanks
Nige

[Allan_L]

Nigel,
You will probably get better feedback if you started a new thread, say in the "Beginners Equipment discussion" forum.

I have had Maks, and SCTs, as well as EQ mounted Newtonians and the DOBs.
For me, there is no question. Best value for money is the DOB.
(IMHO) You will see so much more through an 8" DOB than you will through either of the scopes mentioned.
The other thing I say to newcomers heading down the Visual observing route, stay away from EQ mounts. Essential for imaging, a pain in the neck for visual.

But its your decision.
Which ever way you go, enjoy the night sky!

[NigyRob]

Thanks for the advice Allan - will take it onboard.

[almikel]

Hi team,
my son has shown an interest in astronomy, and I've wanted a scope since I was his age, so starting the learning curve.
I took him to an observing night with the Brisbane Astronomical Society last Sat, and if the weather clears will go to the Southern Astro Society this evening (doesn't look promising).
Loaded Star Navigator on the iPhone and iPad which is great, and we've been doing some moon gazing in the backyard with some binos.

A colleague at work told me about this site, and I love the focus on this part of the globe.

cheers
Mike
Brisbane

[Rob_Wilson]

Hi all,

Just signed up to the forum. Recently purchased a Skywatcher SW135 EQ2 reflector with an RA drive, I also have 2x Saxon barlow and a set of filters being delivered this week.

I am a newbie and have been watching lots of youtube videos on astronomy and telescopes.

I would like to try imaging but don't want to buy an expensive camera, can anyone advise on a good webcam or similar to get started with.

It's great to have a place to come and ask questions.

Thanks Rob

[Visionary]

Rob,

I am also a Newbie. I was fitting a finder onto my scope and some how aluminium debris got into the OTA. As the scope is. Catadioptic there is a corrector plate that prevents ingress to the OTA. I was as nervous as hell, some encouraging and some cautionary words from advanced Astronomer had me off and onto You Tube. YouTube is brilliant I really don't know how we ever got things done before Youtube.
Sensible questions on this page are invariably rewarded with sensible answers and those answers come from varying interpretations of the same problem, simply invaluable!

David

[The Space Place Observatory]

Hi
Its been quite a long time since being on here
firstly buying our small Observatory in Gingin in WA (tourism)
we have owned this business now for nearly 4 years
in this time we have worked with NASA Jpl
become Finalists in the WA tourism Awards last year
most of all we have learned so much about astronomy and astrophotography.
We have just moved now from where we were renting a building and have just brought a property not only for us but our Astronomy business
we are now in Julimar in WA
It has been an interesting journey - met some amazing people along the way - we look forward to the future if there are any astronomers who would like some work and live in WA near Toodyay let us know
Have a great weekend
cheers :-)

[opticjunkie]

Hi all,
I am a newby at this, I have always loved Astronomy and decided recently to re kindle my interest in it

cheers
Peter

[Somnium]

Welcome Peter !

[opticjunkie]

thanks Aidan

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: welcome from me as well.
Brian.

[lup]

signed up a little while ago so thought id introduce myself...staring at the sky is a recently gained interest of mine and yesterday got my new 8 inch dob delivered. now to find some dark areas not too far out of perth

cheers all
Lup

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup:Great beginners scope you have got and it will give you years of enjoyment.
On the dark sky site , we get together when work and family allow out at Boygen rock on the Brookton road and you are welcome to come along also we meet in Gingin so keep an eye on the meetings section here
Oh yes :welcome: to IIS .

Brian.

[lup]

hey mate,never heard of that place but just checked it out..definitely seems worth a visit

cheers

[Randomguy]

Hi guys
I'm Jedd and I'm only 15
I want to get into astronomy but I don't know where to start.
I live around the Mornington area and I know there is a astronomy society in Mornington.
For the telescopes, I'm looking at a budget around $500
I've looked at the Australian Geographic website and I was wondering if the Starview 150EQ is worth buying
Thanks :)

[barx1963]

Hi Jedd
The MPAS is well worth getting in touch with. Their website is here http://www.mpas.asn.au/
Best advice with buying a scope is to hold off until you have seen a couple in action. Getting to an MPAS viewing night will be a great way to see some scopes in action! The best scope is very dependent upon what you want to do with it. Imaging gear, by and large, is very different to visual gear. If going visual, an EQ mount is (IMHO) to be avoided. A simple dob (eg this http://shop.australiangeographic.com.au/telescopes-binoculars/skywatcher-6-dobsonian-telescope.html) will be much easier to use and give far more bang for your buck. Personally I wouldn't go to Aust Geo to buy a scope, the staff are not trained in astronomy and have only basic knowledge. Much better going to a specialist shop such as Bintel.

Anyway, good luck and welcome!!

Malcolm

[Allan_L]

Hi Jedd,
Welcome to IceInSpace :welcome:
Sorry I can't help you much being that I am north of Sydney
But I agree completely with Malcolm and would suggest a trip to Camberwell to see some telescopes on the floor would be well worth it.
Better still is to get to an observing session as Malcolm said to see them in action.
Many Nat Geo scopes are good scopes, but as said, the staff are not always that knowledgeable, and their prices are higher than most other places.
I am confident you can get a good Dobsonian for your budget.

Feel free to ask many questions.
Clear skies!

[Akwestland]

Hiya Jedd and welcome.

I am also a new starter. It is great to see younger people getting involved. Ii cannot offer loads of knowledge but I do agree that a simple dobsonian is probably your best place to start.

(http://www.bintel.com.au/Telescopes/Dobsonian/33/catmenu.aspx) is a link to the Bintel page. I did not start this way, but I do wish I had.

But also, keep an eye on the classifieds, you can get some great deals both here on ICE and on other sites. I picked up a 12" dob with accessories for $180 in Melbourne.

Also, make sure to ask questions here, it is a great area of study with so much to learn.

Andrew

[Randomguy]

Is the 6" dobsonian easy to move around because i live on 10 acres and i would be moving it from the house into a paddock and back after i have finished

Also thanks for all the helpful info :thumbsup: :)

[Akwestland]

Jedd,

I have the 12 ", it takes me 2 trips, but I am approaching 50 and have a bad back. At 15YO I would like to think it would be a breeze, but maybe still 2 trips.

I also live on acreage in far east gippsland. The beauty of this is fantastically dark skies, but unfortunately no "astro groups" just around the corner. Where (approx) on the peninsula are you?

Andrew.

[Randomguy]

I live around the Somerville are, i was also planning to go to the public viewing that the MPAS soon. Its nice to know that the 6" shouldn't be a problem to move around

[Akwestland]

Jedd,

I should have mentioned that I have no experience with a 6". I am just estimating it against a 12". Although I do have a 8", but on a much heavier mount.

I would love to go to an MPAS night but itis about a 4-5 hour drive.

BTW, I used to live at Warneet, so I know Somerville.

Andrew.

[Randomguy]

I was also wondering how Astrophotography works. I've seen things like:
16 x 90 secs
What does that mean.
Thanks,
Jedd

[Akwestland]

Jedd,

My understanding is 16 exposures(photos) of 90 seconds each that are then "stacked" to form one image.

Andrew.

[Akwestland]

Jedd,

This has just been listed, maybe worth a look. :-)
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/OZScopes-Skywatcher-8-Inch-Large-Dobsonian-Telescope-Eyepieces-Manual-/331737568693?hash=item4d3d1995b5:g: yFQAAOSwPcVVoltn

An 8" for under your budget, in Melbourne.

Andrew.

[Hauler]

Just thought I'd say Hi to all. I'm a brand new, wet behind the ears budding astronomer. I don't yet know enough to ask any questions - have just bought a 6" Dobson + 15mm eyepiece for the daughter and I to use. After we unwrap it on Xmas Day I'm sure we'll be back here asking plenty of questions.

Mike.

[Akwestland]

Mike,

First off welcome.

I am also a newbie here, but rest assured this is a great place to be while learning. Ask lots of questions and enjoy the experience.

Andrew.

[Randomguy]

Thanks Andrew!



So 16 photos taken every 90 seconds?

[Akwestland]

Jedd,

I meant to say also that I have no affiliation with the sale of that telescope, it is just one I saw.

As for the photos, you are not quite correct there. No it is 16 photos in total, each photo is a long time exposure of 90 seconds each. The time in between has little to to consequence. So, photo one - open shutter for 90 seconds - close shutter. Photo 2 same deal, but it could be one minute after the first or 10 minutes. the ability to stack the photos means that the highlights are being aligned for each of the photos in order to get more detail from all of the photos combined.

I hope that am right here, I have not done this yet, just read about it all. If I am wrong then hopefully some of the astrophotographers here can chime in and set both of us right.

And have a great christmas and stay safe.

Andrew.

[Randomguy]

Thanks or all your help Andrew!

Merry Christmas!

[kasshall]

Hello, I am Kass and :newbie:

Hubby stalked your forums for 3 months before buying me a Saxon EQ2 mount reflector telescope. I have assembled it but I feel like that was the easy part - I have NO idea what I am doing and, frankly, I am terrified!! The instruction manual talks in language I am not yet across and this is all very new to me!!

I feel a little bit :screwy:

Hubby tells me this is an excellent forum so maybe it's time I just read threads and try to figure it all out......to think I thought my summer holiday from Uni was going to be a brain rest :drink: !!

Kass

[sharptrack2]

:hi:

Welcome Kass,

You're not alone in your apprehensions. So many of us start out in the same position as you. This forum is excellent, as is Cloudy Nights (more Northern hemisphere but still very informative). I started out with a basic understanding of Astronomy and Optics, and am astounded by how much I didn't know and could be found here on the forum.

Good luck with your new found obses... err... hobby, it is extremely rewarding when you see your target with your own eyes. Just be prepared to immediately want a larger telescope, and then capture in pictures, what you see. ;) It can quickly be addicting! :P

Again, :welcome:

[kasshall]

Thank you Kevin!! I am not sure, with that book/art supply/expensive shoe hab--- I mean, HOBBY I have, I can afford bigger and better - but I am forewarned!! :lol:

Kass

[Jen]

Gday Kass welcome to IIS :welcome: depends on where about you are near Melb there is a few places where you can go to viewing nights etc you will learn so much from these nights or an Astro camp at snake valley in March :) enjoy your new obsession :)

[caj1311]

Hi everyone,
My name is Cindi and like a lot of people I guess I have come here as an absolute beginner trying to work out how my new telescope works! I am a keen photographer and after repeatedly telling my husband over a number of years that I would like to try some astrophotography, he bought me a telescope and mount for Christmas. However in his usual style he bought me something "top of the range" for astrophotography - and now I am trying to work it all out! My previous exposure to astronomy has been high school astronomy nights (many years ago!) and lying out on the lawn with my kids looking at basic constellations. So much to learn...I have already learnt a lot just reading through the threads and some of the listed resources. Anyway, just wanted to do a quick intro as you will likely see me popping up asking some basic questions as I try to piece it all together.
Cheers,
Cindi

[kasshall]

Our hubby's - bless them - sound exactly the same!!

[barx1963]

Hi Cindi
Welcome and congrats on both the gear and the husband!!
What gear did you end up with? Although I am not by any measure an imager, if we know what you have it will help.

Cheers

Malcolm

[caj1311]

Hi Malcolm,
I am the proud but somewhat bemused owner of a Celestron CGEM DX mount with a Celestron 1100EdgeHD OTA (Did I use the right abbreviation LOL?). It has other exciting goodies like a SkySync GPS and a set of eyepieces and filters. It is absolutely enormous and weighs a tonne. He also got me the "Astronomy 2016 Australia" book which has been very informative. In terms of the photography I intend using my DSLR (Nikon D810), but want to get the basics of astronomy at least sort of sorted before I try taking photos. Of course we have had overcast skies since Christmas, so I am champing at the bit. I got to take it out one night and got some great views of the moon, but could not get the alignment right for the computerised tracking to look for anything else. I have been reading a lot since then and I think I now have a much better idea of what to do, so just want a clear night to give it another go. Looking forward to it all!

[barx1963]

That sounds like an excellent piece of kit. You will find it has a fairly steep learning curve though! The only downside is that the scope is a fairly lonfg focal length which makes accurate polar aligning and guiding a must for imaging.
Best bet is to try and hookup with a club or group in your area to help with the setup and be very patient.

Malcolm

[GG]

Hi IIS, Just signed up after being a reader for a while, have been using my 130p with my son since we got it last year and also recently bought a homemade 10" scope on a motorized EQ mount in need of repair. Thought I'd join up so I could share my project and also get help when I need.

[Somnium]

Welcome Garret :welcome:

[Loki]

Hi everybody, I am Loki. Looking to get into astrophotography using dslr camera and I have no idea what to get all im reading seems to be fan boy posts of Nikon vs Canon. I have a budget of just over $1100 Aussie dollars. I will need a lens with it like a rockmax or what ever they are called, with high iso. Any help is very much appreciated as i really want to research everything now and not be disappointed when I get them.

Loki

[barx1963]

Loki
Welcome to IIS. Not sure what a "Rockmax" is, maybe you mean a Rokinon lense? Just be aware that they are a manual focus lense.
Traditionally, Canons have been favoured by many astrophotographers for a coupe of main reasons. Firstly, the Nikons for a long while had a very aggressive noise rejection algorithm that often deleted stars thinking they are noise (aka the Nikon Star Eater). I believe this has been less of an issue of late. Canon also until recently was the only maker t make a dedicated astro DSLR, firstly the 20Da and back in 2012 the 60Da. Unfortunately these were only limited releases.

I have been using a Canon 760d recently which cost about $1000 for the body and have found to be very capable. Of course if your $1100 budget is going to cover camera, lenses, telescopes, mount etc, you are going to have some hard choices. How were you thinking of mounting your gear and were you wanting to image through a scope or just the camera and lense?

Cheers

Malcolm

[Loki]

Yes that budget is for all cam, lens, tripod. to begin with i only want to use the camera and lens and if that is successful i would look at adding a scope to that also but further down the track. Oh and yes i did mean Rokinon lens and manual focus is perfect as I have been told I will need to foucs on infinity anyway. I suppose they have the dial on them with the infinity symbol?

[barx1963]

Loki
As a rule, don't trust the infinity symbol on lenses. It is rarely accurate. Also if using a tripod only, you will not have any tracking ability so you are limited to relatively short exposures, unless you are aiming for star trails anyway!!

This book http://www.bintel.com.au/Accessories/Books--Charts-and-Software/Digital-SLR-Astrophotography/480/productview.aspx is a not bad introduction to using a DSLR for astro. It is getting a little dated and the equipment it mentions are all no longer around, but the principles in it are still relevant. A quick search on the net will reveal more up to date books I am sure.

Malcolm

[bigjoe]

Welcome Mike; that's probably the best scope to start on, and you can always sell it easily later on, if and when you wish to upgrade.


bigjoe.

[bigjoe]

Welcome also Loki; were all here to have fun and help.:)


bigjoe.

[Loki]

Ok so I have narrowed down 2 suspects, 1. Canon 1200D for the fact its a Canon and good price, 2. Nikon D3300 for the price and ease of use and higher ISO. The price is similar for both. just need some advice if one has features i will need and does not have

[bigjoe]

My advice is to get the canon as many more have them in astro and thus more can help you, esp regarding software that you can use.

bigjoe

[Loki]

Thanks Big Joe, and everybody else who gave me advice :)

[poncho]

How do i make the threads start from the first post by OP ? Rather than newest first?

Cant figure it out!!

[Zane]

Hey poncho just click on the user cp tab and go to edit options and select thread display option to linear oldest first

[poncho]

Seriously so helpful thanks!!
Would not have figured that out, ever!!!
So much easier now!

[Tsan]

Hi everyone! After many years of enjoying looking up, I finally took the plunge and read through the "what to buy for newbs" sections of many sites and decided on a 6 inch dob for portability, and price.

The Financial Controller works at a high school with an astronomy subject, so she had a chat with the teacher for some advice on what we should get. Next day he contacts us with a second hand 10 inch dob for sale from an ex-student. Perfect timing. Going to be all set up for under $500!

We are off to the Perth Observatory tomorrow night (booked a while back), hoping it will be OK weather-wise, it is looking like rain and storms for the next week - the curse is still strong!

[Somnium]

Great stuff Kerrin, that would have been the recommendation you would have gotten from this forum too, hope you get some clear skies and report back

[Tsan]

Picked up the 10 inch Dob. It has a 30mm, 10mm, and a 2x Barlow. This will keep me busy for a while.

Financial Control loved looking at the moon last night during the brief time there was no cloud while we were at the observatory. She is as exited as I am with having the telescope, and does not mind getting a moon filter so she can look at it more. :thumbsup:

There might be some clear bits of sky tonight, what to look at first!

[wodanx]

Hi, I´m new to Perth, moving from Chile and a few months before moving I got my first scope, a Nextstar 6se (just the OTA) and a HEQ5pro. I´ve been testing on taking some pictures with the Nikon that I already had. Results don´t look so bad. Any recommendation about some dark places close to Perth?

I`m sorry about my bad english!:thumbsup:

Manuel

[Allan_L]

Hi Manuel.
Nice photo!
I am not into astrophotography, so I can't give any advice there.
And being from Sydney, I am not up to date on Perth dark sites...
But Welcome to IceInSpace :welcome:

You may find more responses if you start a new thread with those questions (in the appropriate forums). Or do a search for dark sites Perth. :shrug:
I know we have a few very helpful IIS'ers over there. :thumbsup:

Clear Skies!

[janoskiss]

Welcome to IIS and to Australia, Manuel! I only ever met great people from Chile and one of my best friends is a Chilean native. Your country hosts some of the best telescopes in the world, optical (https://youtu.be/BXIA5r9r29I) as well as radio (https://youtu.be/eAQZp6yTR2Q).

I've never been to WA so cannot recommend specific sites but if you search for light pollution maps (online or here on IIS), they should give you a good idea where to go. Your photo is fantastic; very much an anomaly in the "beginners" forum! :thumbsup:

Your English is very good btw. :)

:welcome:

[nessmulqueeney]

I'm new here! Heard about the forum through my local astro equipment store!

[sharptrack2]

:welcome: Vanessa!

Lots to learn and plenty of willing people to help. Check out the Star parties thread for meets near you. :thumbsup:

[Shano592]

Manuel, regarding Perth.... It is known as "The City of Lights," as you are by now no doubt aware.

To the north towards Lancelin is the Gin Gin Observatory. I have only seen the place during the day though, but I would expect that it is a dark site.

It is about 40 minutes to the north of Wanneroo.

Beyond that, I'm afraid I don't have a lot. The WA Government is obsessed with Phosphor lights, and that bright orange glow gets into everything!

Best of luck though, that image looks really nice.

[Cp75]

Joined 3 years ago to buy a s/h EQ6 Pro.

Have never posted in the forums though.

Never to late to start I guess.:)

[jonesalice34]

Hello everyone!

[sharptrack2]

:welcome: Hi Alice,

Welcome to the forum. Lots of friendly people here, don't be afraid to ask any question you want, astronomy related... or not!

Switzerland is a long way from Australia, and the skies will be different, but there's a lot of experience here, so ask away.

[Ric]

Hi Alice

Cute kitty for your avatar.

[iasuka]

Hi everybody.

This is my first post on this forum. Hope this thread is the right place for it.

TBH I'm writing mainly because I need to nail down 5 post criteria before I'm able to create ads of my own... Hope that won't offence anybody. :thanx:


Regards.

[Allan_L]

Hi Dmitry,
Welcome to IceInSpace :welcome:

If you are going to list some item(s) for sale, it would help to introduce yourself with some further details.
Your profile is fairly scant.
And people are a little wary of possible scammers these days.

What equipment do you currently use, and how long have you been into Astronomical pursuits?

[iasuka]

Hi Allan,



Thank you for pointing this out for me. Frankly I hesitate to put personal info into my profile. Maybe sometime later.





For the current equipment, I use cheapo second-hand 1/10 102mm Celestron achromatic scope. BTW great advantage of having a cheapo scope is I'm not afraid to experiment with it. :) Like disassembling doublet lens for cleaning and adjustment. Same would be unimaginable for multi $1000 APO.

I also got a great Nagler eyepiece. I hoped to build a collection, but my budget never allowed me to get more of those beauties. Few weeks ago I resolved to sell all my stuff towards a proper 10-12" Newtonian in pursuit of deep space views.

I also have a few binos, up to 20x80. The moon looks terrific through those.


Regards,
Dmitry.

[Mayhem]

Hey guys,

New here so will ask the standard rookie qu's.

I have read and ingested much of the advice here and I have quite a distance between the first scope I would love to own and the scope I can actually afford.

Plan A: 8' dobsonian. Problem is I can't afford it.

Plan B: I found a good price on this scope: Skywatcher | 130/1000 Reflector Telescope. This is on a few sites as a good beginner. I will press the button on the this shortly if people on here think it will work okay.

Plan c: 10x50 binoculars till the dust settles.

I understand the considerations but as I am a rookie i actually don't know what I will enjoy the most.

Advice welcome. Please!!!

[Allan_L]

Hi Mayhem,
Welcome to IceInSpace :welcome:

The best advice I can give anyone starting out is to get themselves along to a local observing night, where you can get to look through other peoples scopes and listen to their stories, and get a feel for what you will get for your investment.
Some star parties are listed in the Star Parties Forum, and there are others, so where abouts are you located?

Yes the 8" Dob would be a good telescope.

And the 130mm x 1000 sounds like a reasonable stepping stone.
But two things worry me. (If it is the model I have seen on line)
Firstly it appears to be on an EQ2 mount.
EQ mounts are a pain in the neck for visual observing.
And they are not simple to properly set up (polar align).
And they add to the price compared to a dob mount.

Secondly,and I may be wrong here, but this makes me cautious:


From what I can see, they sell for around $399.

For the same $399 you could get a 6" GSO Dob.
If you want to wait to save the extra $200 for the 8" even better.

Just my opinion.
Your decision.
If you are in my area, I can help.

[barx1963]

Corey
Having had the SW 130mm scope that you mention, my advice is DO NOT PRESS THE BUTTON!! IMHO these scopes are the worst things to be sold to beginners. Hard to use, hard to setup, often with very poor mounts (EQ2 mounts should be consigned to the dustbin of history)

In most cases an 8" is usually the best bet. Enough aperture to see lots, easy to use and setup, can easily be sold on if you decide the hobby is not for you or you want to upgrade. And if it takes a few weeks to save up a couple of 100 extra $$$, you can spend that time researching what to look at when it arrives.

Malcolm

[ab1963]

Agree with Malcolm here don't go for that scope,you want something nice and easy to set up that will be a pleasure not a chore , the best thing to do IMO is go to a meet and not just to view through them but to ask important stuff like how long it takes to set up etc ,but if you're not the patient type get yourself a pair of Binos 7x40 or 8x50, the reason being they will be a manageable weight and will be able to hold them reasonably steady on what you're viewing without a tripod then keep saving for when you know what will suit ,when buying a scope patience is the key ,hope that helps Corey

[swr]

Hello my name is Scott and I found this site after researching astronomy in Australia. Always had an interest but never the time (a familiar tale I'm sure) but our family holiday the next school holidays is we're off to Dubbo for four nights and the Warrumbungles for three nights and I am told it is one of the best spots to look at the things above our heads!

Looked at a lot of Telescopes and read a lot about telescopes but until I read an interesting article http://www.ebay.com.au/gds/Choosing-Your-First-Telescope-for-Astronomy-Complete-Essentials-/10000000013136783/g.html I was at a loss as to which way to go. It is nothing that you folks haven't told beginners before but it was a very handy article and stopped me from buying a 76mm reflector....

I am sure that if you really embrace Astronomy the first telescope you buy is not your last.

To start with I took the advice of many forums and picked up some binoculars (a set for each child!) and looked to the heavens. They were good and it only spurred me on to "go bigger!" It was then I remembered I had an old spotting scope from my big bore target rifle days...20X power!!! Better again!!!

Was looking around for "something" when I came across a telescope that seemed to fit the mark. It is a refractor but as a starting scope and something for the kids to look at I think it's pretty good.

It is an E,Frantis (Korean Brand) 80mm lens 800mm tube (F10) and it has a very good focus tube with about 6 inches of travel. It came with 2 eyepieces (25mm and 9mm) and the dreaded EQ mount. The tripod is sturdy and the whole lot came in a bag with places for everything. For $90 I cannot complain.

Tonight was the first chance in Sydney to see the moon as it has been cloudy since Sunday when I bought it.

Amazing!!! Feels like I could reach out an touch it!!! Very happy on a "you can't miss the moon" level.

Fairly certain I will get the build my own bug at some point but for now its get out of the house and go somewhere in Sydney that's not too bright (hows the light pollution!!! Unbelievable!!!)

I would like to get down to SASI's open day this weekend and look through some monsters but as a starting point I am pretty happy, although I can already see some shortcomings (finder scope) that will need to be addressed soon. Let the spending commence!!!

[Scorpius51]

Hi Corey

DO NOT PRESS THE BUTTON!

A 10x50 bin pair is a must anyway. Get a 6" Dob rather than the 130/1000. Better still, wait for the 8" Dob.

The folks here have given good advice.

Did I say "DO NOT PRESS THE BUTTON!"?

Cheers
John

[haroon132]

Hello Everyone, my name is Haroon and I have been living in Sydney for past 4 Years. I recently gained interest in Astronomy so Joined this forum. I am looking forward to attend some local space parties in NSW so I can gain more information about astronomy from experienced people.

[Allan_L]

Hi Haroon,
Welcome to IceInSpace :welcome:
Plenty of people happy to share their experience here.
Keep an eye on the "Star Paries ..." Forum, coming up towards New Moon, for local observing sessions and/or Dark Sky trips.
Enjoy
Allan

[haroon132]

Thanks for the Warm Welcome Allan ! ill keep my out for local star parties.

[blekk]

Hi All

New stargazer here and keen to learn what I can! Great forum with HEAPS of information and so many helpful people :)

Cheers all

[Somnium]

:welcome:

[sharptrack2]

Hi Blair! :hi:

Welcome to astronomy, where things look better in the dark.

:welcome:

[Fourlights]

Hi All

I’m in the market for my first scope and most of my queries end up linking to a thread in this forum so I thought I’d sign up and just ask away. It’s my first post and I’m sure you’ve heard all of these before but any help or guidance would be much appreciated. I couldn’t find the specific questions answered so please be gentle.

I know a scope is a pretty personal bit of kit so a bit of background:

It’s supposed to be a Christmas present for my son (7 year old) but it’s also a present for myself. I’ve been interested in space since I was a kid and he always comes home from school with space books from the library so it looks like I’ve passed that on. He’s been asking for a scope for over a year so I don’t think it’s a passing fad for him – in any case, I’ll be using it as well.

We live in Perth WA suburbs so there’s the usual suburban light pollution. I can’t really make it to any scope/viewing parties to ask questions and we are not likely going to dark skies very often (if at all) at least until the kids are much older and can stay up later so it’ll be used mostly in the yard or close by.

I don’t really have a fixed budget but won’t be spending $3k on a first scope. I might, maybe; possibly stretch to $2k but only if it has everything (goto etc).

We are not really into photography so it’ll be mostly visual (for now at least).

Initially I thought a Refractor was the go – easiest to use and I would know that what we saw was probably the best you can see given the ‘seeing’ on any given day (not because of collimation of or any other variables).

Something like the Saxon 1206EQ5 Pioneer Refractor or Bresser Messier 127mm (AR-127L) w EXOS 2 EQ5 mount (optics central but I have no affiliation with any place at all).

Questions:

How long would it take me to learn to polar align an EQ mount?

Once aligned, do you only need to move 1 axis on the scope to keep a target like Mars/ Saturn or anything else in view? Could I even see them in those scopes? I thought I read something about rotating the tube but couldn’t understand the gist of that.

How long would anything (say Mars) stay in the field of view – 60 seconds – more or less?
Would the kids be able to keep an object like that in the scope by moving 1 handle/knob?

Are the focal lengths on the above good or bad for a first scope - does that matter (I’ve seen short and long scopes and don’t really understand the difference to the naked eye)?

I think I would need eyepieces with one of the above? What would be recommended? Any other accessories or must haves when you are starting out?

MORE RESEARCH was done and I nearly pulled the trigger on a 10” Saxon Dobsonian – 2 x Super Plossl lenses, Pyrex glass viewing lens included.

I was going to get a right angle finder scope and moon filter to start.

Questions with this:

The website shows an image of what you can see through a 10” dob
http://www.opticscentral.com.au/saxon-10-inch-dobsonian-telescope.html?___SID=U#.WDEvRndh2R s

Is that perfect seeing, marketing, wishful thinking or pretty accurate?

Would that image differ to what I could see with the refractors or would it be pretty much the same?

Would it be the same as what I could see through an 8” Dob from the suburbs due to light pollution?

Biggest question is about cooling. Perth climate is pretty moderate so would I have to allow an hour after sundown to cool the scope? The scope would be inside and lugged to the back garden probably (maybe a close by park - are there better spots?). If so, this will be a pretty big issue because the kids would be in bed before they could see anything.

Whilst it’s cooling are the views of the moon / mars (anything else) good enough to keep you interested?

Would the 8” dob be more practical, cool faster etc? The difference in price being spent probably on EPs and other kit.

Any and all information or guidance is much appreciated.

If there’s anything I’ve missed or not considered, please educate the newbie!

[barx1963]

Mark
Well done on doing some research and trying to learn a bit before pulling the trigger. Scopes can be a very confusing item for newcomers and it is very easy to end up buying something unsatisfying. I usually recommend buying a dob as a first beginners scope, especially if your interests are primarily visual. If you find the imaging bug hits, you will still have a great visual scope for those night when just a bit of visual work is all you want and you cannot be bothered polar aligning, getting laptops working etc.
I will attempt to answer your specific queries.
1) Polar aligning. Inexpensive EQ mounts are really only worth roughly polar aligning. I played around with an EQ2 wobbletronic mount for quite a while and found it worked OK for solar imaging at a very short focal length. For deeps sky it was fine for visual but could only mount a small scope. I usually just used a compass to align it so was probably no closer than 1 or 2 degrees. If wanting to do accurate polar aligning a HEQ5 is probably the minimum.
2) Once polar aligned simply moving the scope through the RA axis will keep the object in the field of view. How long it stays there is dependant up how good the mount is, how accurately you polar align and the focal length ( and hence the size of the field of view) of your scope. Short FL scopes have a much wider field, that is why a basic PA for me worked fine on a 400mm solar scope.
3) Rotating the tube. This occurs with newtonians as the focuser can end up in some odd positions. Rotating the tube risks unbalancing the scope. It is one reason why I recommend dobs as it not necessary with them
4) the pic of the moon through a 10" is maybe a little optimistic. It is at high power I think so you would usually get seeing issues with a bright target like that meaning the atmosphere would be making the image blur and move about a bit.
5) When comparing a 10" dob to a refractor it would be on deep sky objects that you would really see the difference. There are great refractors out there but my opinion, and that of many is that on galaxies, clusters, nebula etc, a decent size aperture dob will win everytime. More detail and brighter images at the eyepiece.
6) Cooling. People often get worried about cooling. Ideally yes a dob needs to have its mirror cooled and dragging a dob out of a warm house into a cld backyard will result in mushy images. But take it out at sunset and by the time it gets dark, it will have cooled enough.
7) 10" vs 8" dob. Probably no significant difference with cooling. Main issue with these is that the 10" is a bit bigger and heavier. But it will enable you to see more. That said the difference in views would not be enough to justify getting the 10" if you are worried about handling it. Of course any adult will easily handle either scope and a 7yo will probably struggle with either.

Hope this helps, PM me if you would like anything clarified.

Malcolm

[Fourlights]

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply Malcolm. It's much appreciated.

I think I'm settled on the simplicity of the 8" or 10" Dob. I just have to work out the brand and goodies to go with it.

There's an 8" Saxon bundle that looks to be best value for money from what I can see at the moment. Crawford focuser, 2 Plossl EPs, moon filter and 2x Barlow.

I was going to get a right angle finder scope and cheshire collimator eyepiece and see how I go with that to start.

Shipping to WA is not pretty but I don't think we are spoiled for choice over here. There seems to be one physical store I've found so I'm going to give them a call tomorrow and maybe stop by.

Can't find any information on if the Saxon mirror is pre marked in the centre or if the scopes have easy adjustment screws already?

Anyone have one of these who can comment or have any other suggestions?

Thanks again.

[pro.dev3]

New here, mainly been browsing the classifieds section trying to find a beginner scope with a goto mount for astrophotography.

Noticed that threads here have the last reply on top and the first post at the bottom. Is that fixable? Gotta scroll all the way down to read what it is about then keep scrolling up to read replies, would be awesome to have first post on top.

[croweater]

G,day. Click on "User CP" at top left, then scroll down to click on "Edit Options. Then scroll to "Thread options". It's there. Cheers Richard. Welcome.

[croweater]

PS and "save the changes" at the bottom of page

[pro.dev3]

Thank you for that. Much better now

[GSO]

New user here and was just about to ask the same question re: post order - thanks!

[Orionskies]

Thanks for this. :)

Orionskies

[lehboy]

Saying hi to everyone, been a long time member of this forum but first post here.

[Allan_L]

Hi lehboy, "belated" welcome:welcome:
what equipment do you have / or intend getting?
where are you located?

[Maru]

Hi guys!
I'm new here, thanks for accepting me in your community!!
:hi:

[Allan_L]

Welcome Alessandro :welcome:
Enjoy your time here.
Ask questions, tell us what you want to do.

[Scorpius51]

Welcome Alessandro

Enjoy the ride! They're a great bunch here and you will learn heaps.