It's not too late to organise to come up to IISAC - it's under 2 weeks away now and you'll get to look through MANY different telescopes, both small and large, and you'll get to see what you can see in them - first hand, before spending any more money. You'll also get a feel for how big or small they are, how you could transport them, etc.
Plus, there'll be many friendly people there to meet, chat to and have a great time.
Even if you can only come for 1 night, I think it will be a trip well worth spending.
Failing that, we have viewing nights at Kulnura (on the central coast) every new moon and again you're more than welcome to come along and see the different telescopes in action. There's a group of 6-12 of us who meet up every month to do some observing and have some fun in each others company.
PS: Welcome to the forum! How did you hear about us?
Hi Iceman and thanks for the advice. I will try and come along to IISAC. If not the viewing night at Kulnura sounds interesting.
I found this site via Google search looking for information on Planet rise etc.
Here is a pic of me with my 12" for size comparison! $799
Are you serious? Nice Cannon! Looks like good value for money to me. What are those mounts like on uneven surfaces? Thanks for the pic. If I showed you a picture of mine you would die laughing.
if you want something evenlighter maybe a 90mm refractor from aoe.com.au would be up your alley.... i have a 200mm dob as described by janoskiss and to show you how big they are heres a pic of me with mine http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...h_Dsc03554.jpg
you can get either in your price range
Hi there, impressive hardware. What would the pro's and con's of refractor v's Reflector be?
Thank you to all who have replied and offered helpful advice to my questions so far. I am surprised at how friendly and helpful you have all been. You have made me feel very welcome here.
I have been a member of several different forums over the years and have been put off by the competitive bragging, sledging and the bad treatment of newbie's. This site sets a good example that others should follow.
Looks like good value for money to me. What are those mounts like on uneven surfaces?
Yep, they are excellent value for their size!
The good thing about Dobs is that they can be placed on any surface. Uneveness doesn't make any difference.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Noidea
What would the pro's and con's of refractor v's Reflector be?
Dollars v's Aperture to start with! and Reflectors (dobs) collect heaps of light!
Regarding the pros & cons of different designs, here is a pretty good first-buyer's guide: http://astronomy.concreteairship.com/scope.htm
A bit out of date, with a lot more good telescopes available now for less. But most of the information is still very much relevant.
My refractor came from the supplier slightly out of collimation (6" achromatic) But the good thing is once you have collimated close to perfect yourself, it usually stays put. Unless you accidentally give it a hard knock.
Before you take the plunge, it would certainly be a good idea to try a few scopes out for real. Join your local astro club & go to a viewing night. This is a great way to 'try b4 you buy'.
All the different types have their advantages and disadvantages & it's really difficult to advise someone to go one way or the other because it comes down to what you are comfortable with. For example, you might be best off with a Dob. since you get great value for $, but on the other hand you might not like pushing it around. You might like the idea of a reflector on an EQ mount, but find it intimidating to start with etc.
Don't be in a hurry & you won't go wrong. In the meantime enjoy the skies with whatever you have at hand....
Paul,
With your little refractor, ( mine was from ebay too ) you can see heaps of the brighter objects.
Get yourself a copy of Sky and Telescope or Sky and Space and their maps will help you get started.
I went from my refractor to a 10" dob and I really appreciated the difference.
i agree with the above statement... the amount of things i saw thru my little 60mm ebay refracter astounded me. so much!
the more yuo stick at it the more you'll see
Paul,
With your little refractor, ( mine was from ebay too ) you can see heaps of the brighter objects.
Get yourself a copy of Sky and Telescope or Sky and Space and their maps will help you get started.
I went from my refractor to a 10" dob and I really appreciated the difference.
I think mine is a reflector. It has the eyepice at the side of the front, and a mirror inside. I understand this to be a reflector, am I correct?
I think mine is a reflector. It has the eyepice at the side of the front, and a mirror inside. I understand this to be a reflector, am I correct?
Yes yours is a reflector but its performance would be very similar to a 60mm refractor, the type of scope many of us started off with (and some still use). As jjjnettie and ving implied even thru your scope you should be able to se a fair bit particually when you train your eyes. Learn all you can about astronomy, observe planets, deep sky objects and double stars and when you move to a bigger 'scope you will be a seasoned observer.
but its performance would be very similar to a 60mm refractor, the type of scope many of us started off with (and some still use). As jjjnettie and ving implied even thru your scope you should be able to se a fair bit particually when you train your eyes. Learn all you can about astronomy, observe planets, deep sky objects and double stars and when you move to a bigger 'scope you will be a seasoned observer.
