Should I keep going??

[seeker372011 (Narayan)]

and remember an equitorial mount involves a lot more set up..your dob is really a lot easier to use.Its all the scope you need for a long time!

[CoombellKid]

Originally Posted by seeker372011

and remember an equitorial mount involves a lot more set up..your dob is really a lot easier to use.Its all the scope you need for a long time!

No to mention the weird and horrible angles you will find your EP in when
shifting from one area of the sky to another. Save your neck some stress
and keep going with it as a dob setup.

regards,CS

[Bobj]

Managed to use my 10" dob for the first time, last evening, 1900-2030hrs and saw Omega Centauri and NGC 5128, without chasing all over the sky. Surprised at how easy the dob swings and holds so well. Also, I saw the Orion Neb, the LMC and a couple of nebs around it.NGC 2070? and NGC 2100? I think. And most of the Carinae clusters.....and, and.....
Had a squiz at Sirius and was almost blinded!!! Which poses the question; which filter for bright stars and planets, please??
Yep, rather pleased that I saw so much on the first try.

[crystal_stars]

I would also recommend downloading Stellarium. It's a good basic astronomy software without too much detail to confuse the beginner (I have found it very helpful). I would also suggest you purchase a planisphere and a copy of Astronomy 2007. Written by aussies its excellent for aussie observing and also has the full messier list in the back, which is a good list to start with for deep sky observing.

Enjoy your dark skies.

C.

[KG8]

Originally Posted by Charla

We've also found the Dob mount a bit clunky and hard to keep up with moving planets. So I'm thinking of upgrading to an equatorial mount but I don't know if this is a good enough telescope to warrant the expense.

Perhaps you should get along to one of the astro nights that the local clubs hold? That way you can check out what other people are using and see what you think. I have tried the dobsonian mounts and they are not for me. I like a scope that will track what I am looking at so I can make observations, take notes and sometimes sketch what I see. A lot easier it the scope stays on target with the object of interest dead center. I guess only you will know what's the goer for you, but if you like astronomy but are losing interest because of your scope, then definitely look around. A motor driven equatorial mounted scope is not that expensive, especially if you go second-hand and are prepared to wait for the right one to turn up.

Have fun'

[rmcpb (Rob)]

If tracking is required and long exposure astrophotography is not on the horizon then consider an equatorial platform. They will track an object for an hour before resetting. They keep your eyepiece in a comfy position. They still allow you to plonk your dob down for a simple quick look without tracking.

Brilliant bit of kit!!

[ving (David)]

I have had the scope you current own for about 3 years. throw in a nice widfield eyepiece and go DSO hunting! your scope is up to it

you dont need to go teh EQ route but if kyou do be warned, it takes longer to set up and is alot heavier than the dob... I have put my scope on a HEQ5. if you click on teh link for my website in my signature yuo can see it.

[Geoff]

Hi, Your 8 inch DOB should be fine, but you need to make sure it is collimated (mirrors aligned) properly to get the best from the scope. A lazer collimator is great but not cheap. There is plenty of info on the net on collimating. I bought a PC program "Starry Night Pro 5" a couple of years ago, it is not cheap and there is a later version out now. I use this all the time. You set it up for your location and then you can pick out a list of objects to view. The magnitude of the object is displayed as well as lots of other info. You can download updates all the time. I havn't used star charts for a long time, I set up a laptop outside with a red screen.
Good luck
Geoff