IceInSpace beginners special?

[Jaeger]

Hi everyone,

I've been reading the forum posts, and they have been very useful in helping me to decide on my first astronomical telescope - almost certainly a Guan Sheng GS-680 8" Dobsonian, probably the Andrews Comm. "Super Deluxe" version (for the extra eyepieces.)

What I'm less certain about is what accessories I should/must get to go with it: "Bob's knobs", collimation tools, barlow lenses, even more eyepieces etc.

To try and distill the multitude of threads into one - hopefully short - buyers' guide, what should be in every IceInSpace beginner's shopping basket?

Cheers!

[Deeno]

A fine choice for getting your feet wet in the world of astronomy.

You will need to teach yourself how to collimate your scope and the best way to learn is with a Cheshire collimator. Plenty of info right here in IceInSpace on the subject.

An absolute must with a Dob is the "Astronomy 2008 Australia" year book. Heaps of info on what to look for during the different months, and star charts that will have you navigating the milky way like there is no tomorrow.

And get out under the night sky.

Then of course you will be after a Telrad, Bobs Knobs, Argo navis and some more expensive, specialized eyepieces. Then you will decide you want to get into Astro-photography and the 8" will be mounted on an EQ6 with a web cam and all the paraphernalia that comes with that but, I digress. Gotta walk before you run and most important..........enjoy

[Solanum]

A Telrad. It makes aiming the scope so much easier. Once I got one I really wished I'd got it with the scope because it would have saved me a lot of squatting down on the ground peering along the tube of the scope and then doing it again, and again...

The nice thing about an actual Telrad, as opposed to the other red dot finders is that it is easy for the beginner to mount it (just sticks on the tube). Most of the others need an extra plate putting on or removing the finder. I find the magnified view in the finder is a big help for finding stuff that isn't visible to the naked eye, so I don't want to remove it.

EDIT: you will of course need some means of collimating first... but I'm afraid that goes without saying.

[Gargoyle_Steve (Steve)]

If you've got a dob you need an observing chair of some sort!!!!!

Without something that will allow you to sit so you can still view through the eyepiece when the scope is aimed low, high, or somewhere in between you will find viewing uncomfortable to backbreaking!

I originally used 2 chairs - one was a timber garden chair for low angled viewing, and the other was a bar stool for that "perched up high" eyepiece position.

I now have a single "Stellar chair" which is excellent, but costs the best part of $200. If you're handy with timber (or even if you simply have more desire to save, rather than spend, more money) you may prefer to build a chair along these lines:

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/index.php?id=63,10,0,0,1,0

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...=stellar+chair

Cheers!~

[Karlsson]

Originally Posted by Jaeger

To try and distill the multitude of threads into one - hopefully short - buyers' guide, what should be in every IceInSpace beginner's shopping basket?
Cheers!

Hi Jaeger,

There are many resources available, either in print or on the web, around the theme of 'first telescope buyers guide'.

No two beginners are the same.... someone who is after portability or insists on a goto-scope may start with a small Maksutov or refractor, and he or she would not need collimation tools... whereas a Telrad would be a bit bulky for say an ETX-90. But they would need a decent power supply, which for a Dob is not a high priority.

I find the strength of the IIS community is in its ability to tailor its advice to each individual's desires, even if it may take posting the odd question or two...

And at the end of the day there are very few things that one really needs straightaway, besides a scope and a few ep's - but there are many 'nice to have's'.

[Galactic G (Greg)]

I'll say Telrad (makes scope so much easier to aim), a good chair/stool (I use one of those pneumatic bar stools too), and another comfort aid is the a eye patch (pirate style, me matey) which not only stops you squinting in the other eye, but can be swapped to the other eye when you go inside, or if you forget to do that you can swap to the other eye when you go back outside.

Originally Posted by Solanum

EDIT: you will of course need some means of collimating first... but I'm afraid that goes without saying.

I'll second that too. I find a laser is the easiest to use.

[tbentley]

Good choice on a first scope. I have the 8" Skywatcher dob and have found it to be ideal to start with. Big enough to see everything you want to, cheap enough to get you into decent equipment and simple enough that you have to learn what you are doing without relying on a computer controlling it.
For mine I'd say that after a cheshire for collimation (which I consider a tool for maintenance rather than an accessory) the Telrad has been the purchase that has made the biggest difference to my experience as a beginner dob owner.
At first it can get very difficult trying to translate the upside-down, back-to-front image you see in a magnified finder into the correct way to move your scope. Also, a constellation which is well defined when you can only see the visible stars can become most confusing when you get another couple of magnitudes worth of stars in the finder.
You can certainly make do with the eyepieces you get with the "super deluxe" and tracking an object at high magnification is hard to do when you are just learning so a barlow is not essential. Seating can be an issue but there is always an inexpensive option (dining chair with phone books anyone?)
Oh, and one thing that hasn't been said and everyone will either kick themselves for forgetting or say that it's so obvious it doesn't need mentioning is a red light torch. Can't survive without one, especially with a dob.
Good luck and don't spend too much too early. Start with the basics and think long and hard before every purchase.
Travis

[Solanum]

Originally Posted by Gargoyle_Steve

I originally used 2 chairs - one was a timber garden chair for low angled viewing, and the other was a bar stool for that "perched up high" eyepiece position.

Exactly, what I use, wooden garden chair and a wooden bar stool - I haven't persuaded myself to spend the $200 on a Stellar seat yet... always seems something more important to buy that will affect the photons that my eye receives - irrespective of how much my back hurts!

[rmcpb (Rob)]

8" dob and essential accessories. An observing chair (I simply use a folding camp stool), red torch, planisphere, http://www.rasnz.org.nz/ (check out the Constellations page), Luna 100 guide, Cheshire eyepiece.

Next level Telrad, View-tah's Telrad charts, variable polarising moon filter, laser collimator.

Next level better eyepieces and filters and sky charts.

Just spend LOTS of time under the sky with your new scope before you start spending money on more than the first level accessories otherwise you tend to end up with lots of expensive paperweights.

Cheers

[Galactic G (Greg)]

Oh, yeah, the red light torch <kicks self> But I still say a Telrad is a good buy. If you buy a Telrad latter you'll wonder why you didn't get one sooner.

[Night Owl]

Originally Posted by Solanum

A Telrad. It makes aiming the scope so much easier. Once I got one I really wished I'd got it with the scope because it would have saved me a lot of squatting down on the ground peering along the tube of the scope and then doing it again, and again...

The nice thing about an actual Telrad, as opposed to the other red dot finders is that it is easy for the beginner to mount it (just sticks on the tube). Most of the others need an extra plate putting on or removing the finder. I find the magnified view in the finder is a big help for finding stuff that isn't visible to the naked eye, so I don't want to remove it.

EDIT: you will of course need some means of collimating first... but I'm afraid that goes without saying.

I recently decided on the Rigel Systems Quickfinder on my GSO 12" dobs.

The Quickfinder won the competition becasue of the following factors. It is very light, has a very small footprint, is elevated by 4.5" off the OTA, fits between the focuser and 8X50 finder, and it has a built in blinking curcuit for finding really dull targets (this is an extra $$$ option for the Telrad). I have also noticed that the Quickfinder reticule windows is very resistant to getting dew all over it. Also the manufacturer will bend over backwards to help. And it is close to the same price as the Telrad.

http://www.rigelsys.com/

[Solanum]

Originally Posted by Night Owl

I recently decided on the Rigel Systems Quickfinder on my GSO 12" dobs.

The Quickfinder won the competition becasue of the following factors. It is very light, has a very small footprint, is elevated by 4.5" off the OTA, fits between the focuser and 8X50 finder, and it has a built in blinking curcuit for finding really dull targets (this is an extra $$$ option for the Telrad). I have also noticed that the Quickfinder reticule windows is very resistant to getting dew all over it. Also the manufacturer will bend over backwards to help. And it is close to the same price as the Telrad.

http://www.rigelsys.com/

Ah, I should have made clearer, that I wasn't commenting on differences in the red dot finders themselves, simply that for a beginner the advantage is that the Telrad simply sticks on whereas, as far I could tell when I was considering them, the others all require a dovetail plate, so you have the option of putting on a new one (drilling into that nice new tube you are still slightly scared of damaging), or not having your finder.

[Night Owl]

Originally Posted by Solanum

Ah, I should have made clearer, that I wasn't commenting on differences in the red dot finders themselves, simply that for a beginner the advantage is that the Telrad simply sticks on whereas, as far I could tell when I was considering them, the others all require a dovetail plate, so you have the option of putting on a new one (drilling into that nice new tube you are still slightly scared of damaging), or not having your finder.

The mounting plate on the Rigel Quickfinder sticks on with double sided tape, and its a much smaller footprint. You get two with the Quickfinder, one suits larger diameter OTA, the other smaller, say 8" to 10". Extra mounting plates are $7 US, which allows you to put the Quickfinder on any other scopes you may have. Also, because the Quickfinder doesn't weight much it doesn't need much tape to hold it. And the tape they supply is damn good tape as well. It hasn't moved at all, and its had same pretty heavy dew on it.

[Jaeger]

Thanks everyone for your replies; it's certainly given me some food for thought.

[srv]

Where's the best place to buy a Telrad from ?
and ship/post to West Aust.

thks.

Matt.

[tbentley]

Don't know about the "best" place Matt, but I got mine from Bintel. The price was alright (around $80 I think) and no problems with delivery to WA at all.
Travis

[Tamtarn]

Just a quick list for you Jaeger.

Telrad
Astronomy 2008 Australia year book- a must for beginners
Planisphere -To guide you around the night sky about $15-$20
Cheshire Collimator
Red light torch
At a later date upgrade to better quality eyepieces as you get a much better contrast between sky background and the object you're searching for

All of these items can be purchased from Bintel and I'm sure you will find other outlets who have them also.

B & D

[Jaeger]

I probably should 'fess up - I'm not an astronomical "n00b".

I've been into astronomy since I were a lad (Skylab re-entry anyone?), later acquiring a spotting scope for birdwatching - which naturally was turned to astronomy. The great planetary alignment (all the planets, except Pluto, lined up in order across the sky) was its crowning glory - my first glimpse of Neptune (by apparent motion over several nights.)

I have a soft spot for comets, having seen as many of the bright comets as I could manage since Halley's comet (much better in '86 than '87). Last year's C/2006P1 was obviously an absolute ripper!

For Halley's Comet, I borrowed my school's dusty and unloved (4.5"?) Newtonian telescope on an equatorial pier. It had awful lenses, worn/stripped worm drives, and almost certainly wasn't collimated. Unsurprisingly, the comet was unimpressive in it compared to a pair of ordinary 7x50 bins. However, the (fuzzy) high power views of Jupiter and Saturn were a real eye-opener - hence my desire for a light bucket.

For star charts, in the field I use Planetarium for Palm (http://www.aho.ch/pilotplanets/) with the m16 star database. XEphem (http://www.clearskyinstitute.com/xephem/) has also be useful over the years, but the Motif interface is showing its age.

I have an Energizer LED head torch, bought from Bunnings: one red LED or two white LEDs. Play Russian Roulette with your night vision! The red LED is quite bright, but hasn't been a problem on spotlighting trips.


Anyway, enough rambling.

Cheers all.

[Jaeger]

A belated reply.

I intended to get an 8" GSO Dobsonian from Andrews Communications earlier this year when I was in Wollongong for the weekend, but unfortunately they were out of stock of the Super Deluxe version and I put my plans on hold.

My interest was raised again late this year after ordering a 2009 calendar and almanac from IceInSpace; since I was Melbourne visiting family anyway, Bintel was the obvious choice. I'm now the proud owner of a Bintel BT-202 Dobsonian. I picked up a Bintel Nebula Filter and Orion Collimating Eyepiece, which will be enough to get me started and figure out what other eyepieces etc. I'll need.

Thanks for all of the tips and advice; I'm looking forward to first light once the usual new telescope clouds clear!

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

Congrats and welcome to the starlight foundation hehehe Im sure you will have many nights of great viewing!