Nub equipment help!

hellaflush (Adam) · #1 10-09-2010, 09:33 PM

Heya All!

I have browsed these forums over the years from time to time and ever since I was a child spent several hours a week using binoculars to look into the night sky in Adelaide...

It is my birthday next week and the Mrs is wanting to finally push me to get a telescope (with her $$$

).

She has done some research and suggested the 130EQ at this stage however she doesn't want to go purchasing something which is going to be a waste of money, space and possibly hinder my amazement with the universe!

Budget is up to $500 at the moment maximum...

Planets are well and nice (I know as of late we have had good viewings of Jupiter/Mars due to my iPad apps I have) but what will really bring tears to my eyes would be other galaxies and nebulae...

How much can I really see with this kind of budget?

If my experience is what I am hoping for - an upgrade would definitely be due within 6 months breaking easily into the 4 digit realm... practicality means nothing to me if it benefits my viewing... Astrophotography will also come once I get into the swing of things (I hope my Nikon D80 will suffice?)

Thanks in advance for any help!

Esseth (Alan) · #2 10-09-2010, 09:46 PM

Several things in your post point squarely to an 8" Dobsonain imo. They are quite a bit bigger than an 130eq, which viewing more DSO's and much better bang for buck if practicality is no barrier.

Further 6 months with a Dob will nut out exactly what you need moving forward in the hobby.

hellaflush (Adam) · #3 10-09-2010, 09:59 PM

Esseth,

That is the other option the Mrs had mentioned was an 8" dob...

The other thing I am having difficulty finding are some peoples albums/sites with pictures of what can be viewed through either the 130EQ or an 8" Dob...

If anyone has a decent amount of images they have captured or images similar to what can be viewed through my budget - it would be greatly appreciated!

The units which we have looked at so far...

http://www.ozscopes.com.au/skywatche...telescope.html
http://www.ozscopes.com.au/skywatche...telescope.html
http://www.ozscopes.com.au/reflector...tor-drive.html

Esseth (Alan) · #4 10-09-2010, 10:26 PM

I'd check out the article Astrophotography with a Dob to show you what you might be seeing.

The reason most people will point to the dob is, bigger meaning more light and able to see more, value, better as a first scope and better for viewing.

I would avoid going for one of the scopes on an eq mount for now as if you do look at going further down the road, the mount is something that you will want to spend at least 50% of your budget on.

I am in the process of saving for a Heq5pro as i am going down the road you might be on in a few months lol

M54 (Molly) · #5 10-09-2010, 10:58 PM

Hi hellaflush,

Welcome to IIS.

I have a 130mm equatorial scope and was finding it so difficult to manouver in the dark (without goto) that I built a new base for it and turned it into a dob. Works a treat now.

If I had $500 to spend on a scope I'd get the 8inch dob. without question. You'll see a whole lot more than with the 130mm. I've had an 8inch on loan from the local astro club and was able to carry it and move it around quite easily.

There is a website that shows exactly what you can see through various sized telescopes but I'll have to do a search, because I've forgotten its name. Someone else here might remember.....Suzy are you there???

Astrophotography is a whole other ball game so I'll leave that to the experts, but you'll definately need an equatorial mount for that.

Hope this helps, and I'll get back to you about that website, if no one else chips in with it.

Molly.

hellaflush (Adam) · #6 10-09-2010, 11:10 PM

Thanks for the prompt reply Molly/Alan!

What kind if a difference am i going to see between a 6" and 8" Dob?

With keeping a 6-12 month upgrade in mind im wondering if the 8" is worth that much more...

Also very keen Molly to see what kind of Nebulae and Clusters through a Dob

astro744 · #7 11-09-2010, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hellaflush

What kind if a difference am i going to see between a 6" and 8" Dob?

An 8" will show images nearly twice as bright to that of a 6" (64/36=1.78). I also recommend either an 8" Dob or if money is an issue, a 6" Dob. Either telescope will give you a lifetime of viewing pleasure.

Note views of nebulae will be nothing like the photos. You will see no red or blue colour as the light is too dim. Even the Great Orion nebula (one of the brightest) show a whispy white/grey sometime subtle green visually but it is a most impressive sight.

Forget about astrophotography with a Dob other than snap shots or video of the Moon. You need a tracking platform and the ability to guide to do astrophotography. If you want to do astrophotography get an ED80 and HEQ5 mount later. You will also need a guidscope and autoguiding CCD; an ST80 is light and can mount on top of the ED80. Unfortunately the $$$ are a lot more for even the most basic astrophoto package. The ED80 can also be used visually and the images are very good on planets, and the Moon. Nebulae are just a little dimmer, nearly 1/4 to that of a 6" (10/36).

Liz · #8 12-09-2010, 08:27 AM

Hi Adam

Yes, with all the others, the 8" Dob for sure - apart from the much better views, it is easier to use, and less frustrating than the EQ mount.

Better views = bigger mirror.

8" (200mm) compared to 103mm!! Though 8" may be out of your price range ... no, they are about the $500.

http://www.ozscopes.com.au/dobsonian...xon-8inch.html

http://www.andrewscom.com.au/site-section-10.htm

Suzy · #9 14-09-2010, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Esseth

Several things in your post point squarely to an 8" Dobsonain imo. They are quite a bit bigger than an 130eq, which viewing more DSO's and much better bang for buck if practicality is no barrier.

Further 6 months with a Dob will nut out exactly what you need moving forward in the hobby.

I couldn't have said the above any better myself in a nutshell.

Hi and welcome Adam.
As Alan said, 6 months is a good time frame - it took me exactly that to go from a 6" to a 10".

If you want galaxies and nebulas to bring tears to your eyes, then go for the largest apperture you can handle and afford. The bigger the mirror, the more light it gathers, which equals more detail. If you want some serious deep sky viewing, start with anything 6" and over. Just make sure that the dob and base will fit in your car.

Most of us upgrade our scopes when we know exactly what we want out of them, so don't expect to get it right the first time. Use this time to learn and see where your enthusiasm leads you. Dobs are very popular for beginners in particular as there is no setting up, and you are forced to learn the sky manually (which is a great thing). Unless you get an Argo Narvis down the track to add to it (push to guidance).

Quote:

Originally Posted by M54

There is a website that shows exactly what you can see through various sized telescopes but I'll have to do a search, because I've forgotten its name. Someone else here might remember.....Suzy are you there???

Here you are Molly

http://www.telescope-simulator.com/i...d=45&Itemid=57
Adam this is the link that Molly was asking me about.

By the way, you have a birthday coming up soon - so happy birthday Adam and what a great way to celebrate, by exploring the Universe.
Tell us what you end up getting.

Kind regards,
Suzy.

hellaflush (Adam) · #10 14-09-2010, 07:50 PM

Hey Liz and Suzy,

Thank you for the feedback.

Well the Mrs ordered a 8" Saxon Dob from ozscopes yesterday and should be here Thursday or Friday.

She has also booked in a private viewing session at the Stockport Observatory on Saturday night for 2 hours... a fun weekend to come I think!

I will let you all know how I go

Thanks again!!!!

bmitchell82 (Brendan) · #11 16-09-2010, 11:06 AM

Hey suzie, i just had a fiddle around on that site, it seems to me that its pretty skew if. Why do i say this? because apparently my 10" scope with a 20mm ep will show Jupiter up no bigger than a ball point pen point. and that a 1200mm by 254 mirror is F5 which it isn't . Be wary of sites like this as they don't really give a true representation and its only somebody's view point/programming that your relying on.

Best way is to get out and look with your own eyes!

Brendan

hellaflush (Adam) · #12 18-09-2010, 12:06 AM

Just thought id let you guys know...

My 8" Saxon Dob arrived today

Put it together... checked the collimation and then waited for a break in the clouds in my backyard tonight...

Due to a thick cloud cover approaching - time was limited... got to have a decent look at the moon and jupiter and 3 of its moons

Tried to look at one of the brighter stars in the sky however cloud cover obstructed my view by the time i located it...

One thing i noticed - out of the 2x eyepices which came with the telescope... the 10mm magnifies everything by a long shot!

Just did a bit of homework and have now understood the formula of telescope focal length / eyepiece focal length = magnification.

So going by that a 2.5mm eyepiece will then once again give me further magnification? are there any drawbacks?

Also I have noticed that eyepieces have different viewing sizes where you actually look through... is there some kind of magnification impact to this?

Any aid in assisting boosting the power of my 8" Dob would be greatly appreciated!

Of course - are the super expensive eyepieces really that much better? Would I need a full set or am I mainly going to be going for just 1 single good short focal length eyepiece?

hellaflush (Adam) · #13 20-09-2010, 06:30 PM

Anyone?

Also would a barlow (2x or 3x) be beneficial for my 8" dob? I understand that a combination between eyepieces and barlow lense may actually have a negative impact as I may go beyond what the current mirror optics can project...

mill (Martin) · #14 20-09-2010, 07:03 PM

a 2" barlow would be a good investment and will effectively double your eyepiece collection.
The 8" dob can later be fitted to an HEQ5 or a EQ6.

The Mekon (John Briggs) · #15 20-09-2010, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hellaflush

Anyone?

Also would a barlow (2x or 3x) be beneficial for my 8" dob? I understand that a combination between eyepieces and barlow lense may actually have a negative impact as I may go beyond what the current mirror optics can project...

Sorry to disagree with the previous post. A barlow is a waste of money when you start out, unless they have only supplied you with one 32mm eyepiece. Even then, best to buy a couple of good Plossl eyepieces, or a Telrad.

M54 (Molly) · #16 20-09-2010, 08:41 PM

A Telrad is a very good thing to have.
It helps you locate things easily, which can be quite an issue when you're starting out. (And even down the track a bit

)

hellaflush (Adam) · #17 20-09-2010, 11:01 PM

The unit came with a 25mm and 10mm Plossl pair of eyepieces...

With the 10mm jupiter was of a decent size (I know that I am at the tail end of a decent viewing of jupiter) however if I am seeing jupiter at only a very reasonable level of detail (I could make out its main ring plus another 2 or so) I am under the impression that a barlow or combination of barlow + a 4 or 6mm lense may aid my deep sky viewing.

I may be wrong as I am yet to locate any nebulae or anything deep space as yet... thus looking for opinions - is my existing unit without a barlow and just with the 25mm and 10mm eyepiece sufficient for what I want to really see?

that_guy (Tony) · #18 20-09-2010, 11:54 PM

if your gonna be searching for large nebulae or clusters... dont go for barlows instead go for wide field eyepieces. Suzy has some experience with these

hellaflush (Adam) · #19 21-09-2010, 01:05 AM

I will be looking at everything for now as I am new... but my interest is to see some nebulae most definitely... so I guess a barlow wouldn't go astray from my research...

If the current buyer doesn't grab this, I am 2nd in line - http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ad.php?t=65925

Opinions? It has the barlow and a wide assortment of good Plossl eyepieces...

I have done some reading on the Telrad and am currently in search for one now (looks like I just missed out on one in the FS section).

It has proven hard to find some good sites/articles explaining the differences with eyepieces (wide lense/normal lense - whats good for viewing what)

Obviously if i want a full shot of the moon - a 10mm has too much magnification for this but I just assume for most other things which will be further away and smaller - the smaller the diameter the better?

hellaflush (Adam) · #20 21-09-2010, 01:08 AM

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/NEW-TELRAD-TE...#ht_500wt_1154

Cheaper in the states

Ordered!