Newbie needing advice!

ZeldaB (Zelda) · #1 05-12-2009, 08:34 PM

Hi there all,

I'm new here, was wondering if anyone from Brisbane might know where I can buy a good Dobson 8" telescope, as this seems to be the best telescope for beginners?

I would also like to possibly get into astro photography later on (way later!) but can't really spend a lot at the moment, max. $500. So perhaps I can get the scope first and worry about the rest later!

I was also wondering, what's the difference between the different brands, like Celestron and Skywatcher? My mind is so full of info on all the various options it's going to explode!

I'm so eager to get into this wonderful new hobby, have been meaning to do so for years! My birthday is coming up, and my husband may consider buying me something nice, that is if I do all the homework and send him a neat and tidy 'wish list'!

torana68 (Roger) · #2 05-12-2009, 09:20 PM

HI, everyone will jump in shortly , in the mean while there are some similar threads you can find via the search function or just read through the threads here. An 8" is a good size, there may be someone on here local to you who could let you have a look or contact the local club. Biggest difference in brands is usually quality, quality costs....but you will be unhappy with junk in both fun per $ and resale
Roger

barx1963 (Malcolm) · #3 06-12-2009, 12:36 AM

Zelda
An 8" Dobsonian is the way to go you have a limited budget. Perfect scope for a beginner. Buy an atlas or set of charts and maybe a book or two. I can recommend Collins Stars and Planets as being an excllent guide. I am sure other people will recommend their favotites as well.
As I am in Vic, cannot help with local stores in Qld, but one piece of advice, stick to the dobsonion, don't let them talk you into an EQ mount or a go-to as you will sacrifice aperture, and aperture is your biggest friend in this hobby, especially if you live in light polluted areas!
Good luck with it!
Malcolm

mental4astro (Alexander) · #4 06-12-2009, 02:25 PM

Hi ZeldaB,

to IIS.

Adding to brax1963, a dobsonian mount is also very easy for a novice to use- no tricky bits and pieces.

You can see the mob at York Optical, a link to thier site is here on the right margin->

Look at the sites of Andrews Communications & Bintel too. Compare the prices, even with the added freight, you may get a good deal if you care to negotiate:

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

http://bintel.com.au/

As a beginners scope, the 8" dob is a wonderful instrument. Could well fulfill all your visual needs for life. I've had a little use of one of these scopes and they give wonderful views of the planets and deep sky objects.

By way of brands, SkyWatcher OWNS Celestron & Tasco, and maybe a couple of other brands too. All is not what it seems as alot of the scopes sold out there, including in house generic brands, are actually the exact same instrument made in the exact same factory! Unfortunatelly it really is a case of "buyer beware".

However, GSO & SkyWatcher are separate entities,

. I would tend to go with GSO, but there may only be price between the two to sway your choice.

My last recommendation is to stick with visual for now. Astrophotography can be a real money pit,

. Learn the basics first and the learning curve to photography won't be so nasty.

RAJAH235 · #5 06-12-2009, 06:02 PM

Hi ZeldaB & welcome.
Stick with the 8" Dob. You'll be more than happy with it
until the "aperture bug" hits you.

Just to add a couple/3 more "items" that come in very handy.
A "long series" Cheshire collimator. Orion make one. ~$40.00 ? Not sure.
The "large variety" Chandler planisphere. ~$20.00.
Makes finding stuff, really easy.
Available from Bintel. (Binocular & Telescope shop.)
The last item is highly recommended. (Saves your night vision.)
A red LED torch....preferably, a small, 2 x AA battery size, (Woollies for ~$4.00.)
or some prefer the head band variety.

Have fun.
L..

ZeldaB (Zelda) · #6 06-12-2009, 07:01 PM

Thank you so much for all your help! I was planning on lurking around York Optical today to window shop (the website said they are closed on Sundays), and to my surprise and joy they were open! Apparently they'll be open on a Sunday for all of December. And... they had the Skywatcher 8" Dob! I am now the proud owner of a new telescope, and with the help you guys provided I didn't fall into the all too typical trap of buying 'supermarket' quality. And I got my birthday present a week early, which is a bonus!

I'm going to try it out tonight, I had my DH set it up all afternoon, lol! I think he's just as excited as I am, and hopefully our first glimpse of the night sky will convert him for life

Rajah235, I fully agree with you on waiting before diving into photography. There's enough to learn right now, and I'm only just beginning. Let the adventure begin!

Zelda

RAJAH235 · #7 06-12-2009, 07:09 PM

You're most welcome Zelda.

My ref; to > [q]until the "aperture bug" hits you.....[/q]

was to do with a "larger sized" telescope.
eg; Give hubby the 8" & you buy a 10" or 12" or even a 16" Dob.

Oh... & Many Happy Returns for next week.

Regs, L..

erick (Eric) · #8 06-12-2009, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZeldaB

I'm going to try it out tonight, I had my DH set it up all afternoon, lol! I think he's just as excited as I am, and hopefully our first glimpse of the night sky will convert him for life

Well done, and tonight you have some hours of dark skies before the Moon shows its face! Enjoy. Tell us what you see.

rmcpb (Rob) · #9 07-12-2009, 12:00 PM

On the subject of the moon. Try leaving your scope out under cover all night and get up early to have a squiz at the moon. It was stunning this morning and the atmosphere was very stable.

ZeldaB (Zelda) · #10 07-12-2009, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmcpb

On the subject of the moon. Try leaving your scope out under cover all night and get up early to have a squiz at the moon. It was stunning this morning and the atmosphere was very stable.

That's an excellent idea. How early is 'early'? LOL! We did use the scope last night, couldn't see much because we're still pretty clueless. We did see the nebula close to Orion, I only know this because I bought a planisphere! And lots and lots of stars, beautiful! There was one star (I think) in particular, with one small dot on the one side and two on the other, perfectly aligned. Anyone know what it is called? As I said, clueless!

I have another question. There's a street light right next to the open area in our yard, it gives off enough light to read by, so quite bright. This is obviously not ideal. Is there anything we can do to improve this? I know you get filters and all kinds of stuff, was just wondering if any of you have some practical advice?

erick (Eric) · #11 07-12-2009, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZeldaB

There was one star (I think) in particular, with one small dot on the one side and two on the other, perfectly aligned. Anyone know what it is called? As I said, clueless!

Was it very bright? Sort of overhead and to the West? Sounds like the planet Jupiter! Try again and increase the magnification - the smaller number (focal length in mm) eyepiece. Does that bright "star" become a disc of light? Have the small dots (its four main moons) moved since last night? Look carefully - can you see two dark bands across the disc, one above and one below the "equator" - in the same line as the moons?

erick (Eric) · #12 07-12-2009, 12:34 PM

Re the street light - try to get the telescope in a position where you are in its shadow. At least, put your back to it or have hubby stand in its way (he does have a use!). More important is how much other light pollution there is illuminating the sky. You haven't given us a clue as to the type of location you are in - surburbs of a big city? But if you are seeing that nebula in Orion (probably M42 - the Great Orion Nebula - a bit above the line of three stars known as Orion's belt?), then the sky isn't hopeless. How many stars can you see with your eyes in the Southern Cross - four or five? Filters - maybe. Start with seeing what you can see before you spend more money.

Planisphere - good! Try also downloading this skymap - southern hemisphere version lower down the page. It suggests various targets.

http://www.skymaps.com/downloads.html

ZeldaB (Zelda) · #13 07-12-2009, 01:08 PM

Wow, we saw Jupiter and didn't know what we were looking at? LOL! That's both frustrating and fantastic

It was in the west, and I think we had the wrong eyepiece (the scope came with a 10mm and a 25mm), we used the 25mm.

We live in the western suburbs of Brisbane (Chelmer), and as I mentioned the street light is our biggest nemesis at the moment! As for using hubby as 'shade', I'd love to, as soon as I wrestle him away from MY telescope!

The nebula we saw was close to Orion, the only thing we could find on our own due to the three distinctive stars (that's the belt part?) It was faint (the nebula), but this was while still using the 10mm lens, so not too sure of what we saw. The 10mm is higher magnification, isn't it? Either way, we were both very happy with the little bit we did see, and can't wait to get back out there!

erick (Eric) · #14 07-12-2009, 01:42 PM

Yes, 10mm is higher magnification. Magnification = focal length of telescope divided by focal length of eyepiece. I expect your scope is 1200mm focal length so the 10mm eyepiece gives 120x and the 25mm gives 48x. Usually start with the 25mm until you get the object of interest centred. Many objects are best in the 25mm, either due to their size or their faintness. I think M42 (the Orion Nebula) might be better in the 25mm because it will be faint. Jupiter, on the other hand, is bright and needs magnification - so move to the 10mm for it.

erick (Eric) · #15 07-12-2009, 01:46 PM

Your Planisphere doesn't readily show you where the Moon or planets are. Neither does the sky map. You need some planetarium software. This one is free and worth a try:-

http://www.stellarium.org/

ZeldaB (Zelda) · #16 07-12-2009, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by erick

Your Planisphere doesn't readily show you where the Moon or planets are. Neither does the sky map. You need some planetarium software. This one is free and worth a try:-

http://www.stellarium.org/

Thanks, Erick! I'll download it right away. Thanks to all for the advice!

Robbie · #17 07-12-2009, 04:15 PM

Welcome to the hobby Zelda, now you have all the info we'll be expecting great things from you in the future!!!

Have fun thats the main thing !!

barx1963 (Malcolm) · #18 07-12-2009, 06:35 PM

Zelda
Well done on what you have achieved so far. You have seen two of the best sights in the sky first time out! That really is the value of the dob, easy to use. If I may offer a target for next time the scope is outdoors, try 47 Tuc. It should be marked on your planisphere. It is the finest globular cluster in the sky at the moment (yes I know about Omega Centauri, it just isn't visible at the moment). Globulars are spectacular and are the oldest structures in our galaxy that are visible. Look to the south and you should see 2 bright star slightly to the east. On is quite low and is Canopus the other is Archernar. Below Archernar is a very wide triangle of stars which are the 3 brightest stars in Hydrus (The Lesser Water Snake). Locate the lower right star in your finder then scan upwards and slightly to the right using the finder. You should see a star that appears "fuzzy" then look at that star in your 25mm eyepiece, then pick up your jaw!
What you are looking at is 16700(+-850) light years away and is 120 light years across and has an estimated age of 10 billion years or more. It is a true globular unlike Omega Centauri which is believed to be the core of a dwarf galaxy. It has a magnitude of about 5 so should be visible under moderately dark skies to the naked eye, I can see it most night if there is no moon, hopefully you may as well.
There are hundreds of globular clusters out there which make very interesting targets and are a great way to learn your way around the night sky.

Malcolm

Vartigy · #19 07-12-2009, 07:02 PM

Hey zelda,

welcome to the club.
i own a 8" col sw dob. one of the best investments ive ever made.
if you find some of the stars don't look quite just right, you may need to collimate the primary mirror. easy enough to do. plenty of guides on here. i know i had to do mine a week after building it.

take your time cruising anything along the milky way. dont stress if you cant find the ful range of messiers finds or point at a star and call it by its name. enjoy your time just 'cruising'.

welcome to the greater world of knowledge.

p.s. excuse my grammer. had shoulder surgery and have had to relearn to type one handed.

ZeldaB (Zelda) · #20 07-12-2009, 11:43 PM

Thanks guys, I can't wait to get back out there. Took the scope out for a quick hour tonight, saw basically the same stuff as last night, but I only checked back here aferwards, unfortunately! There's some rain predicted tomorrow night, but as soon as the skies are clear again I'm going to try and find 47 Tuc, sounds like something worth finding!