Blimy talk about diligent, I sent off a fairly standard e-mail to the good folk who make Argo Navis and got a very comprehensive reply within an hour, and Gary (from Wildcard Innovations) was actually in Flagstaff, Arizona. I've got nothing to earn by saying this, but with that sort of prompt reply, I am filled with confidence and can't wait to purchase my own Argo Navis for when my new scope arrives.
I posted a general query on IIS about using my TeleVue Sky Tour (like AN but older and less advanced) and Gary saw it and replied within a few hours. Not only that, he told me how to use AN encoders with my exising CPU, so that I could adapt my Sky Tour to any other telescope and only have to pay for the encoders. Fantastic service.
Well I've never seen one in the flesh so to speak, but I did download a 288 page PDF manual and quickly scrolled through it, it looked very comprehensive and something that will take a complete weekend to read right through.
What I did glean from it is that it has a very large database of objects and I also noticed that you can name your own entries.
I won't be buying one until August when my telescope lands here, but I reckon by studying the manual before hand I should 'hopefully' not have too much of a learning curve using it.
I sent an email asking a question and I got a comprehensive reply within an hour on a Sunday no less!
Wildcard certainly win the Starkler award for superlative customer service
Hey Starkler I noticed in your sig, that you have a AN and a Dob, this is exactly where I'm heading in a couple of months, can you give me your honest opinion on how these two components compliment each other, and good tips or experiences you can share?
Edit: Make that same request of Dave47tuc, who was faster than me.
Last edited by DobDobDob; 24-05-2007 at 08:07 PM.
Reason: To add a line regarding Dave47tuc
Hey Starkler I noticed in your sig, that you have a AN and a Dob, this is exactly where I'm heading in a couple of months, can you give me your honest opinion on how these two components compliment each other, and good tips or experiences you can share?
Edit: Make that same request of Dave47tuc, who was faster than me.
Ron,
The AN works very nicely indeed on my GSO. I can find any object in the sky with my 13 mm lvw, spot on every time.
I had a Meade LX200 GPS, and the AN on the GSO finds objects just as well, at well over half the cost!!
You can PM me if you like for any ?? Just a wonderful piece of equipment
Ron, tell us about the telescope that you are waiting on. Thanks Greg.
It's a 16" Export Dob (GSO) that Andrews is landing here in August, it has a few nice specs and will sell for $2,495.00 which is $500.00 cheaper than a comparable scope from another leading outlet.
Hey Starkler I noticed in your sig, that you have a AN and a Dob, this is exactly where I'm heading in a couple of months, can you give me your honest opinion on how these two components compliment each other, and good tips or experiences you can share?
Edit: Make that same request of Dave47tuc, who was faster than me.
As Daves sig says, its the single best thing you can do to improve the amenity of your scope. You can find everything the guys with their goto scopes can, and get there faster too
If you like dso viewing, you'll view many more in a night using AN than by starhopping. Want to view some galaxies? set the AN to take you on a tour of galaxies visible at that time and work your through the list it generates as points you to each target.
There is a bit of a learning curve at first and getting it fitted and ironing out the initial hardware fitting bugs, but it doesnt take long to get the hang of it.
Some baulk at the cost of fitting a $1k system to a $700 dob, but what scope for $1700 can catch a 10" dob with AN for dso viewing?
None
Some baulk at the cost of fitting a $1k system to a $700 dob, but what scope for $1700 can catch a 10" dob with AN for dso viewing?
None
Wow, you've really got me going now, and I still have a full two months to go Thanks for your help and especially for your enthusiasm, now I know for sure I'm on the right track. I might even buy the AN before the scope arrives, to just get the feel of it and make sure I get all the accessory cables etc. Being over prepared has got to be better than under prepared
A couple of months ago at a local viewing night, I was able to let a friend take control of my scope. I trusted him and gave a quick lesson on how to use the AN.
He had never seen let alone used the AN before. I sat back in a chair and over the next hour while I had a cuppa or two, my friend used the AN to great affect.
He had never seen 2 Galaxy’s in the same field before and observed over 20 or so objects he had never seen before.
He could not get over how easy the AN was to use and how accurate it was in finding objects.
I star hopped for 20 or more years, but no more the AN lets me enjoy my limited observing time.
Enjoy your new scope and AN you will never regret the purchase.
Ron, just had quick look at the GSO site, the 'scope looks the goods, how much does it weigh?, I really like the idea of track roller bearings. Greg.
Hi Greg,
I just went back over my correspondence with Lee Andrews but could not see a reference to the actual weight. I have a description of a 16" GSO Dob taken directly from their website, whether or not the Export scope differs in anyway I don't really know.
16" DobsonainThe GSO Dobsonian line is particular model serves a very clear purpose, to offer a large aperture and an excellent image quality at reasonable cost. Set-up is as easy as you can imagine very simple assembly with the rocker box and put it on the ground, insert the telescope tube and put the springs in position and you're ready to go to navigates through the night sky by simply moving the tube up or down, or side to side, by hand.
All GSO dobsonian use optical quality BK7 glass, cooling fans built into the rear cell to decrease cooling times, also all dobs use a roller bearing on the azimuth surface providing dozens of support points for smooth swivel motion. The deluxe model comes with 2" Micro 10:1 Crayford style focuser and 1.25" adapter.
Enjoy your new scope and AN you will never regret the purchase.
I could not rate the Argo Navis highly enough.
Sincere thanks Dave, your words have reassured me and I sense you are speaking straight up from the heart. I really appreciate the honest and frank feedback. Cheers
Sincere thanks Dave, your words have reassured me and I sense you are speaking straight up from the heart. I really appreciate the honest and frank feedback. Cheers
There's a picture of the GSO 16" in Andrews' shop. Interestingly, while the Meade LB has three V-shaped truss supports, the GSO model uses three solid tripod legs. Not sure if this means it may be slightly heavier than the LB, but I'm guessing they might be slightly less likely to flex, depending on how well they are fixed at each end.
Ron, I think you have made a very wise choice. I just don't know how you can wait till August!!!
For the benefit of others looking for info on the Argo Navis I've moved this thread into the "Equipment Discussion Forum".
Ron, the AN is the best accessory you'll ever buy for your scope.
A dob (or any other scope) becomes an awesome setup once equipped with such an amazing device.
The unit looks fantastic, it's smart and sleek and the service you'll receive from Gary and Mai is second to non !
