Help Needed with telescopes

styleman333 · #1 16-11-2006, 03:04 PM

Hi there folks
This is my time at this site and i have to say that it is extremely informative and well put together .
Ok what i need is some advice , for years ive wanted to get into astronomy and such and the wifes buying me a telescope for xmas. Ive been impressed with what is written about the dobsoniansand been thinkin about buying one of them . I have come across a site that sells Skywatcher Dobs 8" for $435 bucks . is this a good price , is skywatcher a decent brand and if not What would you recommend ?
Thanks so much and help for this newbie would be greatly appreciated ....

mick pinner · #2 16-11-2006, 03:29 PM

Skywatcher is a good brand as is the GS range, taking into account aparture for dollars you can't beat the dobs regardless of size.
For purely visual use they are easy to use and transport but keep in mind that for photographic work unless you are just doing planets with a Toucam etc they are of little use.

janoskiss (Steve H) · #3 16-11-2006, 03:30 PM

to IIS, styleman333! The SW 8" Dob is a nice choice and that's not a bad price either. MyAstroshop have them on special for a bit less at the moment and are offering free freight too, but if you found a dealer near where you are go with the locals I'd say, for the ongoing support.

In off-the-shelf Dobs there are basically two choices, the GSO Dobs from Taiwan, and the Synta Dobs from China. The Skywatcher is a Synta dob. IMO the Syntas have a bit better ergonomics thanks to the tension handles. They also have a bit better finish (esp the paint on the steel tube). With GSOs you tend to get more upgrade options (Crayford focusers, mirror fan, finderscope). Optics are probably similar. I don't think you can go wrong with either scope. You are getting a hell of a lot of scope for $400-500.

h0ughy (David) · #4 16-11-2006, 03:36 PM

just where in australia are you sitting on the toilet Styleman333? that may affect your purchase and also let you see some other scopes depending on the activities of local astroclubs or get togethers with IIS members!

h0ughy (David) · #5 16-11-2006, 03:37 PM

that would be right go to post and two others push in...LOL. listen to what they say

styleman333 · #6 16-11-2006, 03:45 PM

Hey mate ,
In wollongong but its no problem to head to sydney to buy the telescope ........... This is great folks , thanks so much , im finally gettin some idea on what to buy ...

h0ughy (David) · #7 16-11-2006, 03:57 PM

go to the wollongong astro society, I think for memory they have a club near some sporting fields, maybe a local has a scope you can have a look at, or buy?

ving (David) · #8 16-11-2006, 04:05 PM

hiya styleman!

i have a 8 inch GSO dob bought from andrews communications in greystanes i think they are. great service and great telescope. you can buy the same scope from bintel as well, they are in the city. my astroshop, as steve pointed out sells the skywatcher. these are good too...

really, you cant go too wrong with what you are looking at

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #9 16-11-2006, 04:12 PM

Howdy Styleman.

Nah, don't listen to them!!!! Jump in the deep end and buy a $6,500 Schmidt Cassegrain with GoTo and GPS and don't forget to get a $2000 DSLR camera to go with it!

That's what will happen eventually somewhere down the track so you might as well get them now

In all seriousness, the Dobs are a great way to go. I have the GS 12" dob (well it started out as a dob

) and can't fault it. Good brand.

It would help to get along to a local Astro club and see what is available and ask how each one works on what.

Ask anything, we will try to help.

mickoking · #10 16-11-2006, 06:53 PM

G,day and welcome styleman

Quote:

Originally Posted by styleman333

Ive been impressed with what is written about the dobsoniansand been thinkin about buying one of them . I have come across a site that sells Skywatcher Dobs 8" for $435 bucks .

Sounds good to me

styleman333 · #11 16-11-2006, 07:16 PM

Thanks so much guys , ill visit the astro club and have a chat to them
Cant wait to get the dob and im sure ill hassle you out with many many questions when i get it
thanks again folks , yous are all awesome ppl

stephenmcnelley · #12 16-11-2006, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ballaratdragons

Howdy Styleman.

Nah, don't listen to them!!!! Jump in the deep end and buy a $6,500 Schmidt Cassegrain with GoTo and GPS and don't forget to get a $2000 DSLR camera to go with it!

Thats a good point ballaratdragons makes!
It is happenning more often that some people are choosing goto scopes and flash gear strait off the bat as their first setup, personally i have seen a couple of peoples interest wain in a short time after buying goto gear because;
1/. Setting up a large goto scope can be a difficult task when staring out.
2/. There is more to go wrong with them $$
3/. They will show you an awful lot of sky in a short time and after the initial thrill some folks lose interest - been there done that all in one night..

So for a scope to begin with what the other members say about an 8" Dobsonian makes perfect sense, it is instantaneous to set up, needs relatively little maintenance, gathers a lot of light for its apeture, and gives you a rewarding challenge in finding things in the night sky on your own.
I use a 8" dob in preference to my 10" because it so much easier to handle and a pleasure to use.
Good on you styleman333 hope it works out and enjoy

Dujon · #13 17-11-2006, 11:07 AM

You can't go too far wrong with what you're considering 3x3s. Keep in mind that 'Dobs' are newtonian reflector style telescopes. Read up on collimation before you buy (seeing as you have the time). It is not difficult, though it can be finnicky. The purchase of a collimation tool (don't be too fussed about the nomenclature) will help considerably when it comes to putting into practice what you learn. Recommendation? probably a Cheshire rather than the laser unit - but I'm a bit biased so don't take my words as gospel.

Whatever you do, have fun. Welcome to the Club of Nerds.

styleman333 · #14 17-11-2006, 11:44 AM

Cheers john ,
Looking up about collimation as we speak . Askin a big big favour from u guys ......Ive checked out the 8" Dobs at MyAstroshop, Bintel telescopes and Andrews Communications and they all seem similar with similar prices , but a few have different specifications such as BK 7 mirrors and such ................ Ok but which is the best for a amateur like myself , which is the best value for money , ? personally id like to get the 10" but if i do the wife and kids could very possibly move out lol ....... Any help would be greatly appreciated Cheers guys !

ving (David) · #15 17-11-2006, 12:52 PM

you dont need bk7 in wollongong as such so dont let that be a decider. however a craford focuser is a plus, as is a right angle finder.

hope that helps

janoskiss (Steve H) · #16 17-11-2006, 02:37 PM

Yes, BK7 or "plate" glass does not make any diff for the mirrors. It comes down to accessories and level of support. Mirror fan, Crayford focuser (preferably with 10:1 microfocus), right-angle 50mm finder and a 1x compact straight-through finder like the Rigel are all highly recommended upgrades. (A Telrad finder is a bit too big for the 8" Dob.)

Besides eyepieces and the scope you will need:
- a collimation tool (I'd recommend long Cheshire/sighttube)
- planisphere
- charts/guides. I like the Southern Sky Guide by Ellyard & Tirion (<$25 from Bintel). Good one to start with and beyond.
- red torch (for letting you read charts and preserve night vision; preferably LED based)
- table & chair
- binoculars 7-10x, 40-50mm: fun to view the sky with but also essential for star-hopping (finding objects to point scope at).

Re eyepieces, to begin with I'd go for 3 or 4 GSO plossls from 10 to 32mm (likely included with scope), and a 2x barlow. Plossls < 9mm are very uncomfortable to use because of the short eye relief. Better use a barlow for high powers. GSO 2" 2x is the least expensive barlow I can recommend (the regular non-ED one).

Good luck!