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Old 26-07-2021, 02:11 AM
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wavelandscott (Scott)
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wavelandscott is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Ridgefield CT USA
Posts: 3,492
Sounds like your planned kit is a good place to start.

My advice is to add gear slowly over a period of time. The sky is not going anywhere so there is no rush. Use the eyepieces that come with your scope and gain some viewing experience. Discover what you like and do not like about the included eyepieces. If this is a hobby that keeps your attention, I promise this will not be your last or only scope purchase.

Depending on what you enjoy looking at the kind of additional gear you may want is different. With some viewing under your belt and maybe attending a star party or two, you will identify what is important to you, your style and preferences. I would not be in a rush to add more stuff with a couple of exceptions…

I would get a comfortable adjustable height observing chair…an 8 inch Dobsonian reflecting telescope is a great telescope (I started with one) but I found that after a while it was uncomfortable to view for long periods of time (my back ached in crouching). The chair fixed that! If you are handy you can build one or find a commercially made one. It is the tool I use every single viewing session regardless of scope.

I am not a fan of the attached finder scope and much prefer the Telrad as my “finder”…makes star hopping much easier for me.

So in summary, get a collimation tool (laser or not), adjustable height chair and Telrad to get you started and then use them.

With experience you will determine other bits you may need…dew control, filters, additional eyepieces etc. I would suggest that slowly adding gear after gaining some experience is a prudent and thoughtful strategy and a more budget friendly approach. It will save you from costly mistakes and accumulating a lot of stuff that is only used once.

The basic set-up package that comes with your scope should sufficiently get you started. Remember, the “giants” of astronomy had equipment that was far inferior to your starting gear. If Galileo had only had access to an 8 inch scope…

Get out under the night sky and enjoy
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