Hello all how are we?

[squidink (Brendon)]

Greetings!

I've been parusing the forums for a few days now trying to figure out what scope to get for my first buy, and it's great to see so many helpful and fun people on here so I would just like to say "HI!".

Anyways after looking at the advice you guys have given some of the other people starting out I've come to the conclusion that
a 8" would be nice. I have however liked the specs of the Guan Sheng GS500-6" and was tempted to pick one up for $499($599 with the Crayford style focus) but I did some browsing on ebay as well and found this scope and was just wondering if it was worth picking this one up or if I should still go for the Guan Sheng?

From the ebay page:
Specification:
* Aperture: 203mm (8") Mirror. Hard Coated
* Focal length: 800mm, f/4
* Finder Scope: 6 x 30.
* Material heavy duty, aluminum tripod with accessory tray.
* EQ4 Equatorial mount with knob control on both axes.
* Eyepiece: Plossl: PL6.5, PL25mm. (1.25")
* Moon fillter.
* Colour:;Wite - Tube, Green - Equatorial Mount.
* 2X barlow lens.
* Instruction use book.
Huge 8" 203mm main mirror providing maximum light gain and clearer and brighter images.
The equatorial mount (EQ4) with setting circles and polar-alignment finder, allows the telescope to move in all directions and provides easier tracking of celestial objects, the slow motion on RA and Dec Axles allows precision movements.

http://i15.ebayimg.com/03/i/000/ag/a5/6a7f_2.JPG

I'm going to be using it for star gazing and not planning on taking any photos or anything and I don't really want to be spending more than $600($500 would be best), but I know generally you get what you pay for.

Anyways I look forward to your feedback and many hours of having a laugh with you guys on these forums.

Cheers,
Brendon

[Blue Skies (Jacquie)]

Hi Brendon, welcome to the forum from a fellow Perth resident.

If you are after visual observing more than photography, the f/4 might be a bit short. For example, when you go push the power up on the planets the focal length just wont have enough in it to support the high power. Better to go for a 8" f/5 or f/6 dob, you have a greater range of versatility there, and a new one should come in under your budget.

[rmcpb (Rob)]

Welcome to IIS Brendon.

I would say that leaving that scope on eBay would be a favour to yourself. It is under-mounted and the focal length af f4 is very short for visual use. I would tend toward one of the GS 8" dobs if visual is your cup of tea but then, I am a bit biased there.

Cheers

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

Dont bother with a GEM(german equitorial mount) untill you:

A. want to go down the Photography route
B. want goto precision/tracking

Run with a Dobs untill you can confidently take your friends out into your back yard and go theres scorpio, theres jupiter,saturn,venus, ect and be able to pin the brightest stars in the sky and know their names.

This is like knowing the major roads in perth if you don't know them you will get stuck at Horrie Miller drive and tonkin in peak hour traffic.... for ages if you know where im going Stick to it simple for now and then you will decide which way you want to travel later

[squidink (Brendon)]

Hi guys, thanks for the the warm welcome! So would something like this be appropriate? SkyWatcher Dobsonian - SW680.

Dad got me into astronomy as a kid but I've only really started getting back into it in the past few months. Living in the hills I'll have to stop in at the observatory some time soon and check out the night viewings they have and learn off some pros (and possibly meet some of you). The more I read/listen/look through other peoples (small and not overly detailed)scopes, the more I'm getting excited about learning it's great!

What sparked you guys into looking out to the stars?

Brendon

[xelasnave]

Hi Brendon welcome to iceinspace from me.
Personally I would buy new... it is one thing for an old hand to buy second hand but with respect you could buy a pup...
The advice above is good thinking.
As to starting into it I started with binos while on a boat with little to do at night but look at the stars...I had no experience but was hooked when I saw Omega Centuri and realised you did not need a Hubble to see stuff.
I was given a mirror (9.25 inch and 1875 dated) and built a scope from two old chip heaters, scrape form work ply and awning legs from a caravan annex...

You may find that a pair of $200 80 x 20 binos are a good start...you will need a tripod but these are sucg great value and for me I use them more visually than the rest of my scopes (including the 12 inch) ...such pleasing views in a dark site.

Good luck with your purchase.

alex

[JethroB76 (Jeff)]

Just say no....to ebay scopes

[andrew2008]

You could do a lot worse than that Skywather 8" for your first scope. They're very easy to get hang of and easy enough to add a EQ or GOto mount down the track if you did decide to do imaging.

For me personally this would be reason to buy full tube rather than collapsible for first scope. If your pretty certain however you wont try get collapsible cheap.

And also avoid looking at peoples images on this site:-) So many great images pop up here its hard not to get the imaging bug. Didnt think id be interested either when i bought the SW880 6 months ago but thats changed. All i need now is the EQ6 go to and a DSLR and a guide scope and a few filters and a winning lotto ticket and im set.

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

hehehe Ive always been interested in the stars, only problem was that i didn't think about telescopes untill i did "Planetary science" at uni, and what got the ball rolling was "Astronomy 101" Now im a intergral member of Curtin universitys astronomy group. We have been working out how to get the 12" meade fully automated so we can access it from any where in the world. This is mainly due to students being able to do research and study without having to be at the uni to do it. for instance track local objects in their paths over 6 months though the skys for projects. Although im an engineering student i love the challange as i myself am realitively green to the whole subject.

As for a beginner with a modest budget having the oppertunity to get a decent size scope is the best thing that can happen. Pretty much the whole thing is that you will get bitten by A. the astrophotography bug. or B. dobsession bug. they are both as expensive as each other (maby astro could be a little more).

What ever you choose just make sure you keep talking to everybody and you will be a budding amature before too long!

Brendan

[squidink (Brendon)]

That's cool I'm looking at going to curtin next year need to study physics but I need to sit the stat test before I can apply. With the automation if your making it a web interface and need some help I'm a web developer by day and would be happy to help where I can.

I'll prob snatch up the skywatcher as it's the best price I've found for something of it's size and a few reviews I've read here n there sound good.

Alex: I was looking at starting with some binos but decided I may as well spoil my self and get a large scope. I'll prob get a pair later on for those camping trips where the scope is too big to take

Cheers guys

[garyp]

Originally Posted by squidink

Hi guys, thanks for the the warm welcome! So would something like this be appropriate? SkyWatcher Dobsonian - SW680.

Hi Brendon

You won't be dissapointed with this scope. I have one and use it mainly just for veiwing, but you can take good shots with it on things like the moon that don't need tracking. It's a good scope for the money.

It is something I would never sell now no matter what other scopes I might get in the future.

Enjoy it

Cheers

Gary

[squidink (Brendon)]

Cheers for the info Gary, I just ordered the scope today should arrive next week some time I'm excited and my friends are already sick of me talking about it.

Thanks to everyone else for helping me choose a good starter scope and avoid a disappointing ebay purchase.

I'll be sure to let you all know when my scope arrives and all the fun I have with it... now I'm sure I have a old SLR around here somewhere ... but that could be dangerous...

Brendon

[squidink (Brendon)]

Hey guys,

Well it arrived in the mail yesterday morning and couldn't wait to get home from work. Got home at 730 had the mount built within minutes and everything set up outside waiting for the sun to set. Finaly the sun set and I could line my finder scope up with Venus(too many trees in kalamunda to use anything else) and I was off. First stop was Jupiter and it's moons and was quite happy with the result could clearly see the colouring and all four moons. Next stop Venus still nothing exciting but was good to fine tune the finder being almost full darkness. I turned around to see the moon in it full glory, waaaay to bright so I projected it out onto a piece of paper for my brother to have a look at. Then I moved over to have a good look for the Orion nebula no problems there was quite happy with the image will be better without such a bright moon but it's easy to find so I'm sure it will be a regular stop had a quick look at Sirius but the mozzies won and I packed up and that was my first night!

Any sugestions for tonights viewing(apart from some aeroguard)? I now understand why the dobs are good for beginners, it's hard to be disappointed such a great view even just panning around was great fun!

Cheers all chat to you all soon

Brendon

Ps sorry about spelling and stuff writing this from my phone

[xelasnave]

You answered your question...just pan about.
But you must look at the LMC and the SMC lots to see in each. Travel the Milky Way and there is heaps of things.
I look for the darkest places and then see what is there...the odd galaxy maybe...if all else fails look at a star chart.
alex

[leinad (Dan)]

Hey Squid(another fellow perth'ite)

Great choice Squid. That's the same Dob I picked up just past 12mths ago.
I assume you have a collimation tool? If not, get one. Bumps here and there will move the primary mirror and you'll need to collimate.
A slight learning curve, but once you understand how it all works and practice a little it will be as easy as setting up the dob.

Great thing about the dob for starters is that it allows you to learn the night sky to know where to point the thing. Grab some star atlas books. most popular book stores, Borders, Dymocks stock them.

Get used to identifying the constellations. Then see what delights can be seen in or around that constellation. Do some star hopping, and try find the faint ones.. galaxies, nebula, star clusters.

Check out the free planetarium software - Stellarium.
http://www.stellarium.org/

Many nights ahead of you that will bring great joy.

Full moon tonight unfortunately. Maybe check out the constellations, small clusters, practice some star hopping?

I'm also looking at applying for the Radio Astronomy/Physics course at Curtin after next year. Next year Im doing an enabling course in science and engineering to get the marks I need to be accepted. Maybe see you there 2010!

[squidink (Brendon)]

Hey guys

Yeah just going to have fun looking around figuring it all out I've got a planetarium on my phone and I have a basic idea of the layout of the sky nice to see it all close up finally

I'm sitting my stat in may and doing multiscience mid year and then try to get into astro and physics in 2010 here's hoping that's how it all plays out.

Brendon

[squidink (Brendon)]

Nice dark skys tonight at my friends place in Piesse Brook(just out of Kalamunda) was great to watch the moon rise over the hill. Heres a few shots of the moon taken with my dodgy phone camera through the 26mm and 10mm eyepieces that came with the scope. Bit blury but was crystal clear when looking through the scope I know when I was trying to make up my mind I was looking for these types of dodgy photos to see what to realistically expect I tried to take one of the orion nebula and jupiter but couldnt make anything out with the phone.

Brendon

http://photos-f.ll.facebook.com/phot...14469_8321.jpg
http://photos-e.ll.facebook.com/phot...14476_5198.jpg

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

Not a bad go at Afocal photography with your camera the moon was really good though i must admit. Now somebody in perth must have brought some KICK ASS astronomy gear... those lingering cloud's have rolled on in