Note the following is my rant of a newbie to telescopes. Some people may find it boring.
So there I was, brand spanking new telescope sitting on the back lawn. Tempting me with its long white hard body and the winking stars. Just a few unavoidable personal delays in getting to use it, but I finally got there.
The night sky was perfectly clear, well to my naked eye.
My first object - The moon. So as I tried to use the mounted finder scope, I suddenly find myself contorting my body in 15 different ways to see through the lens. How hard is this supposed to be... and it only got harder as the night wore on and my failing back gave way to pain.
I think I finally found a posture where I was humping the telescope, wrapping my arms around it and lying with my face on the tube to try and get a good view through through the finder..Some quick research revealed a thing called a telrad , but I'm thinking laser pointer. Who would have thought trying to align a telescope to a point in the sky should be so uncomfortable. I smell a rat - I assume telescope shops have huge after market parts sales.
Anyway, moving onto the actual telescope, I viewed some incredible images, the moon, saturn, jupiter, twin stars and the big one - The Sombrero Galaxy - boy that was tiny, but thrilling, I've never seen it before...
It was already late when I was doing this and I noticed the images began to get a little dim and in fact getting dimmer as the minutes ticked by. I shined my trusty red torch down the barrel and there it was.. DEW! all over my nice new telescope mirror. I was aghast. More research on the net - ahh fans and heating elements are the go.. sheesh does the after market stuff ever stop?
Then there was the problem of sitting to view the eyepiece. Are yes some joy there. First of all my chair is too low so I bring out a stool, then the stool is too high so I try to find a compromise...more research on the net - oh dear.. they sell after market adjustable chairs too.. wow this is some hobby. So after a few hours of viewing and some reasonably satisfying sights, I retired to bed, content witth myself in obtaining mastery of the stars once again but a new phenomenon has entered my existence - the astronomical after market parts syndrome. I need more Is there some sort of astronomers anonymous where people go after they have spent too much money on their hobby? I forsee an addiction..
Sorry Rod,
Once you've started down this path there's no going back!!
All the things that you mentioned are an essential part of your observing kit, without them it will be difficult, as you've found out.
I'm afraid there isn't an "AA" for this affliction, just keep spending!!
The single most important accessory for the small dob owner is a chair of the right height. It doesnt have to be adjustable as you simply put it farther or closer to the scope to accomodate the eyepiece height at the time.
I used an old wooden bar stool and cut the legs down to give the appropriate height. Easy, cheap and it works well.
Ah Rod, the agony of the ecstasy! If you are having trouble sighting through the finder scope, you may also want to consider an erect image angle finder. More money The Telrad is very popular but is basically a straight-through view - however, a mirror/ dew-shield attachment is available. Guess what - more money
Have fun.
Robert
1. There is no cure and no group that will reduce your obsession, only a lot of fellow addicts to egg you on.
2. Telrads are wonderful. My beloved used to laugh at me mounting my dob to line it up. I like to use one in conjunction with right angle finder as Robert mentioned - sometimes a magnified field is useful and a telrad doesn't have this, but a telrad or rigel quickfind is the most useful pointing aid
3. I bought one of bintel's observing chairs - a fantastic device which is useful for a variety of purposes - I use mine when shaving our dogs, servicing my bike and a whole lot of other jobs. Mind you, with basic carpentry skills, it wouldn't be hard to make one.
4. I found that the fan modifications outlined by Scott Tannehill at http://www.iceinspace.com.au/63-400-0-0-1-0.html greatly reduced dew formation with my former GSO dob on both mirrors. Might be worth trying, but if your scope is a truss dob, a shroud might suffice. I found with scott's project that I only really needed to put a baffle in the tube to deflect air over the mirror and a gusset on the back of the tube to ensure the existing fan didn't just bounce the iar off the back of the primary. The fan didn't need any work. Total cost was about $25
Note the following is my rant of a newbie to telescopes. ... I need more Is there some sort of astronomers anonymous where people go after they have spent too much money on their hobby? I forsee an addiction..
Rod
Great to hear you are having so much fun. And yes Rod, IceInSpace = astronomers anonymous (or not so anonymous as the case may be!!). You can come here and talk about your addiction, spending, viewing, and communicate with others with the same fine addiction.
Just watch the imaging bug doesn't get you too Rod - then you're really likely to see some moths start flying out of the wallet !!....
Don't forget the important bit though - are we having fun, and dying to get out again?
I've been out every night since I got it. Surprisingly enough its been cloudless every single night - strange...
Funny you should mention the imaging.. I um.. err.. put the Digital camera up to the eyepiece to see how it would work. Took a nice picture of the moon.... quick someone stop me before I get to the point of no return..
I am thinking filters at the moment - something nice for Jupiter and Saturn. Wratten 80A? I didn't realise how fast the planets move through the scope at 10mm with a 2x barlow.. I almost have to have a constant hand on the scope to keep up with the planet..someone needs to slow the earth down..
But yes the fun is there - I'm still at the point where I am willing the sun to go down every night so I can start the stargazing. I can see withdrawl symptons ahead if it ever clouds up.
Tried looking for centaurus A tonight - but gave up with the moon too bright.
Wow Rod !!! Your getting the hang of it !. The first thing I did when I got the scope (same as yours) was realise how back bending it was to get the scope aligned with the object you want. I thought If I added a small piece of PVC -white of course,in between the focuser and the finder scope,this will help. This will be my first guide to whatever I am looking at, then hit the Finder scope. This simple device, made it so much easier.
I then realised how back breaking it was to cart the thing in and out of my garage all the time. I bought a 10 pram with big wheels, and stripped it down, cut it thought the middle, and made it flat and wide like a trolley. My Dob sits right on top. It gives you the extra hight you need as well. With the eyepiece pointing at the zenith, It is just my hieght. Cool heh ?
A small DC computer fan on the back of the dob,- right onto the primary mirror, suspended on rubber bands, or in my case, my daughters hair ties, works a treat.
I have some colour filters, and a lunar glare reducer, if you want to try before you buy!
another cheap alternative to an 'official' observing chair is to buy an ironing chair - as in ironing your shirts. they are height adjustable, are generally sturdy and comfortable and about 1/3 the cost of an observing chair.
i have one just like this image and it works great.
I know the feeling Rod, my aging back and neck can't stand the strain anymore.
A trolley is a must for a large Dob, my old 10" weighs heaps, can't pick it up while assembled, but the Bunnings box trolley comes to the rescue. The Denver chair is a good cheap alternative to the ready made ones, lots of slightly different designs around the astro forums if you are even reasonably handy with simple tools. I made mine in an afternoon out of some cheap pine offcuts and a few fittings from the hardware shop. A right angled finder is my preference, no back and neck twisting and can be used while still seated in the chair.
Hey Bill, I would be interesed in a pic of the chair you built ?
Man, the best thing I ever did was cutting up that pram ($10 at a garage sale!). I actually did hurt my back luggin the thing in and out. Maybe I should just build an observatory.
The Fan I use in the winter for reaching equilibrium of the mirror, and in the summer for colling it down. It runs on a 12 volt batt (90cm square) in the dob base. I intent to run some steppers from this batt as well for navigation ? (maybe at a later stage).
Had to do a bit of searching in the pic folders, but here it is. This one has a handwheel that clamps the sides of the chair part to the support but it was just something I had in my bits and pieces box at the time. Another way to stop it slipping is to put grooves in the back side of the support that the bolt fits into. The original design showed routered ones, but you can get the same by clamping a piece of scrap wood to it and drilling 10 or better 12mm holes along the seam so they are 1/2 in one piece and 1/2 in the other at 25mm intervals.
I had some drawings, but can't find them. Do a google for Denver Chair and you'll find quite a few.
I put some padding on it later, was a bit hard on my (not very well padded) bum
I just got a 12" truss dob and found I can stick my head in between the truss to align the scope. Ordered a telrad coz I just know I'll get my big head stuck in the scope one day
I just got a 12" truss dob and found I can stick my head in between the truss to align the scope. Ordered a telrad coz I just know I'll get my big head stuck in the scope one day
, but I'm thinking laser pointer. Who would have thought trying to align a telescope to a point in the sky should be so uncomfortable. I smell a rat - I assume telescope shops have huge after market parts sales.
Is there some sort of astronomers anonymous where people go after they have spent too much money on their hobby? I forsee an addiction..
Nice little earner on the side!
Highly recommended! 
