need a bit of advice

[snug]

Hi all

Im new to all this and have been lurking and reading alot. I hope to purchase a telescope next month. Everyone seems to reccomend the 8 & 10 inch dobs. I was convinced till i looked at the 'Show your equipment' thread and realised they were so large.(how much do they weigh)

I work with adolescents (shift work)- alot of evening shifts and I hope once i am a little proficient to be able to bring it into work a fair bit to share with my work kids. I also camp with my daughter (alot, mainly new england & wooli) and hope to have it with me then, so i need to be able to pack it in the car amongst my camping equipment. At home i have a large covered verandah and my house is surrounded by gums so i envisage i will have to lug it down a flight of stairs to the middle of my backyard. So to me, portibilty will be my major concern.

So at the moment I'm leaning towards a skywatcher (sw500 or 500c) purchased at either Andrews or NVT. Does anyone have experience with these and can give me advice, mainly on what i should look for buying them, or negotiate as extras..I have also seen aluminium cases to pack them in. does anyone know what i could expect to pay for these.

I have found on the net that we have an astronomical club in Coffs and Grafton so i intend to ring them on my days off as well.(it just all seems so complex). I bought the 'Sky and Telescope' mag but it doesnt seem to be well suited to a beginner like me.

I will be out a bit today but back on tonight, any help would be brilliant.

Thanks heaps
Snug

PS Just a thought- is it possible to use while camping, with light from fires etc. I thought i could use my nylon shower stall with the roof off it.to sit in.

[sheeny (Al)]

Snug! How's Whoopie?

My first recommendation, if you can do it, is to contact the local astro society and see if you can get along to a viewing night or team up with someone there who has a 8" or 10" DOB so you can check it out 1st hand. Yes, they are big, but I suspect they might look heavier than they really are. My impression is the 8" and 10" DOBs are still OK for portability as the OTA will fit across the backseat of a car for example - but what's OK for me might not be for you!

If you can check out the DOBs before you commit to buying, I think, would be a good idea. Yes, a smaller scope may be more convenient to transport and move, but the views won't be as good. If you can manage the dob, I'd say go for it!

Al.

[KG8]

The SW500 is a nice looking scope but it's still bigish, and will take a bit of setting up. With the motor drives it will cost $900 so if you don't want hi tech may as well get the cheap one. Have you looked at these? https://www.bintelshop.com.au/Product.aspx?ID=6950
or this is a good deal https://www.bintelshop.com.au/Product.aspx?ID=6937
They are similar but smaller "you will see less than in the 500" but that may not bother you if you have never owned a scope before, and they are a lot more compact, a lot more.
As for campfires, well I wouldn't worry too much. Just move a dozen meters or so away from them and don't look at them and you will be alright. Most of the "don'ts" as far as light is concerned are negotiable with how serious you are about observing. If your really serious you will go upwind 50 meters away or more. Aluminium cases will cost you hundreds of dollars so I wouldn't even go there unless you can pick one up in a thrift shop.

I would suggest you get along to an astro club night but you live right in the boonies and you would be lucky to see the sort of scopes your after at those events anyway.

Good luck.
Frank

[astroAJ]

The sky watcher 500c is a neat little scope. Never used one before, but I think it should be ok for the beginner. Once you learn how to use setting circles and the motor drive. Also the 500 is still heavy and possibly nearly as heavy as some dobs.
I’m still not sure how portable and easy it is to carry around in your car etc. Also the 500 has a smaller aperture then dobs so you won’t be able to see the huge number of stars and deep sky objects which an 8” would show you.
Anyway I personally suggest you get a 6” or 8” sky watcher Dob for around $400- $500. The advantage of the SW Dob is that you can dismantle the tube from the mount making it a lot easier to carry around. The sky watcher 8” has a total weight of 16kg but when you dismantle the tube from the mount it’s only around 8kg each. I’ve never carried a Dob down any stares my self so I’m not 100% sure how you would go. Another advantage of the Dob is that they are still portable, depending on the size of your car etc.
The Dob has the disadvantage of giving you a sore neck if you are looking through a finder for a while etc.
If you buy a Dob you have to learn how to star hop (find deep sky objects by star patterns) & learn how to align the mirrors.
Other wise that’s all I can tell you.

PS. I suggest you go to a astronomy club, they should give you more info.
Others on this site should give you more info.

AstroAJ

[snug]

Ok...so i spent the day at work daydreaming of telescopes (is this normal..laugh) and thought of the reason behind why i wanted the sw500 and it was cause...I like the look. Just imagining it in my lounge...

But so many threads here have the term 'bang for your buck' and positive comments on dobs.

So yes, reasoning has prevailed (worked out its no good to me if i cant use the thing) and ive decided on a 10inch dob from bintell.. Ive gone back and read the thread "Ive decided on a dob which one" and realise that i should be able to manage moving it. There are so many useful tips on here on how to & realistically if i can manage to get my canoe on roof racks the dob should be ok.

Now i just have to get paid this week and order it...I have a fornights holiday coming up so i hope to have it by then. Im pleased i finally made a decision on which one. It seems to be one passion where you are spoiled for choice.

Again thanks guys for your input & taking the time to answer. It really does help to think if i get stuck someone will point me right, especially when i get it.

Ta Heaps
Snug

ps...is it bad form to ask if there are any women into astronomy, or use this site. I just havnt noticed any yet...

[iceman (Mike)]

Hi Snug

Welcome to IceInSpace! Great to have you here. The 10" dob is what I started with - you really can't go wrong!

There are a few women into astronomy and a few on IceInSpace, but no doubt they're in the minority

[Jupiter]

Not sure if you'd want to strap your scope to the roof rack either, if thats what you were thinking of doing.

[Uchtungbaby]

I use a national geographic Hugo, which is like a 125mm Tasco reflector. I reckon a tasco reflector is probably pretty good value for looking at the moon and picking out the difference between a major planet and a star.

I'd go with a small telescope first because it is something that the parents of the children might be able to afford.

Big telescopes provide big images but they don't provide the adventure of discovery which comes with a small telescope.

I actually prefer a small telescope (125mm reflector). I can definitely pick out the difference between a star and a planet.

The only drawback with a small telescope is that the mounts are not usually very good for astrophotography. I have all sorts of problems photographing things with my Hugo telescope.

It doesn't have a clock drive for taking photos either. That makes it difficult as well.

[IanL]

Hi Snug,

What about a small ETX to start off with. Portibilty is good and you can pack it away in mins. I used a 85mm refractor on a tripod for the past 4 or 5 years before upgrading. And for me portibilty was every thing. With a bigger scope you could quickly loose intrest lugging it in and out and back and fourth if you are not truely into it. But i would say a small ETX and you would get great enjoyment out of it.

Ian

[snug]

Sorry Jupiter

I just read back my reply. No i wont be putting it on the roof racks (so laughing at that image) I just meant that(my canoe) is one cumbersome job that took me months to perfect & alot of patience. if i can manage that i should be able to manage man-handling a dob into the back seat of my hilux by myself.

I also take Jerry cans of water and a heavy tent, so weight wise i think i will be able to handle the dob (though in two parts)

Now ive made the decision im getting quite excited.

Sorry i should of been clearer
Snug

[snug]

Sorry Ian

I have no idea what an etx is.??

[RAJAH235]

Hi snug...
Take a look at the 'Meade ETX' collection.
http://www.meade.com/etx_premier/index.html
Note the US $$$'s tho.
Aus dealers are Bintel in Sydney & Melbourne.
https://www.bintelshop.com.au/welcome.htm
HTH. L.

[Terry B]

Originally Posted by snug

Sorry Ian

I have no idea what an etx is.??

An ETX is a telescope made by Meade.
see https://www.bintelshop.com.au/Product.aspx?ID=6937
This is the larger one they make. The smaller one is 90mm. It is the first scope that I bought and I was very happy with it. It is very small and has reasonably high quality optics that don't need collumating etc.
Good luck with the camping. It's pretty cold at present up here in the New England.
As for women in Astronomy, our local club (UNENTAS) is pretty evenly matched for men and women. Try your local club and you may be surprised.

[IanL]

Hi Snug sorry i should have posted what the ETX is.

Here is another scope you may want to look into. This was the first telescope that i had and build quality is like the turat of a tank.
The TAL 1 or even if they do the TAL 2 which are classic scopes.
http://www.telescopes-astronomy.com.au/
http://www.telescopes.ru/product.html?cat=1&prod=7
Made in Russia

Build quality their is probably not much can compair to this apart from a Televue or a Tak. The mount is borred out of a solid piece of steel from the last time i bought one.

Cheers
Ian