Just like to introduce myself and say "Hello" from Newcastle.
I'm here "accidentally" (in the nicest possible way). I was browsing through photography and electronics magazines at the library and spotted some Australian Sky and Telescope issues on the same shelf which revived a very long standing interest. I then started doing some serious research and found my way here.
I owned a Tasco scope about 30 years ago and eventually gave it away to a friend (since either it wasn't very good or I didn't know how to get the best out of it.) More recently, I've been occasionally downloading sky charts and trying to make sense of what I was looking at with the naked eye.
My other relevant interests are photography and robotics/microcontrollers and have been a programmer for more than 30 years. It didn't take long to realise, however, that astrophotography is probably going to be very expensive.
So my current thinking is to buy a 10" dob and just start to learn to observe in the good old fashioned way.
This site is clearly an excellent resource. Thank you all for what I've learned here so far.
Welcome to the fold Paul Your ascertain is correct, astrophotography can turn into a reasonably expensive hobby. Doesn't have to be though. Building a barn door style mount for a cheap DSLR and kit lens would be a cheap entry point with plenty of fields to keep you busy for s few years
Hi Paul and
You are correct on all accounts.
A 10" dob is an excellent entry scope in my opinion and this site is a great source for information and assistance.
I'm about to enter into astro photography myself and it can be expensive.
I recently bought an equatorial goto mount while it was on special, now I need clear skies and time.
I was about 12 when I first looked through the families 60mm Tasco refractor to view Halley's comet, and its nearly 30 years later on and I'm slowly getting back into astronomy.
Hi Paul and .
Well at least you have the right 'qualifications' to approach Astrophotography. It does involve a lot of tinkering with optical systems, mechanical systems and computer stuff. Sounds like you're cut out for the DIY brigade like many of us here.
The 10" DOB is good start for sure, you can do some photography through it either as afocal or prime for lunar pix or planetary video. And widefeild short exposure pix with just the DSLR is a good way to learn about some of the possibilities and limitations and whet your appetite.
Plenty here to help you out ( and spend your money )
AP in the traditional sense can be quite expensive, or so I read. I have not dabbled there and have no plans. However there are other forms that are far more approachable that are based on webcams and video cameras.
I just ordered this starer kit for electronically assisted astronomy. That is to say that you don't use an eyepiece you use a camera and view the results on the screen. http://www.revolutionimager.com/
As the kit comes it uses a plain monitor to display the image but you can also capture the frames to a computer and Stack them to create results that are similar to AP at a fraction of the cost.
As I read it, true AP, long exposures with a digital SLR, can require fairly pricey equatorial mounts. But these imaging systems can be used with most Goto mounts or simple tracking mounts and produce pretty good results.
I am going to use the R2 kit with my 80 mm GoTo mount. I should receive it this week.
Just thought I would open up your options. Might influence what scope you choose.
For strictly visual astronomy I think that 10" Dob would be a great start. If you want to dabble in this stuff you might want to consider a GoTo or tracking mount of some kind.
Thank you for the advice. I'm certainly interested in AP but I think that I won't be diving in at the deep end just yet.
Since I'm a naturally inquisitive person who enjoys research, I already have a list of questions and am slowly filling in answers. Of course, most of the answers raise additional questions. But that's where the fun lies.
I'm looking forward to learning the sky visually for the time being. (But it probably won't stop me designing and building a "toy" GEM - looks like it might be an interesting exercise.)
One thing, however, that I do need to do some more research on is that I understand that many (most?) of the commonly available newtonians have insufficient back focus for a DSLR to achieve prime focus. As well as my Nikons, I also have two µ 4/3 cameras which have a significantly shorter flange distance. Perhaps that might allow for at least some lunar and planet photos inexpensively.
I visited a (reasonably) local telescope shop with a view to looking at some 10" dobs and saw a 12" collapsible. It was so big it scared me - so I bought one.
The forecast is for clouds and showers for the next few days, so I'll have plenty of time to learn to collimate it with a cheshire (and to start building a trolley so I can move it out of the garage.)
Also picked up a copy of the "Atlas of the Southern Night Sky" (4th Ed.)
That's the way to go ... start BIG !
You should get some serious visual out of that thing, wait till the clouds that came with it move on and you are in for a treat.
Not sure what EP's you have got or come with it but bang for buck the GSO Super View 15mm and\or 20mm are extremely good performers for their quite reasonable price. They are both my most used EPs in almost any scope.
Can't wait to hear what you have to say about it ...
Good timing Paul, with a new moon only a few days away, you should have some good nights ahead.
Suggest you grab a Notebook with Stellarium installed and that will help with orientation of the dark sky for your location. The program is also helpful in learning the names of the stars on offer.
I visited a (reasonably) local telescope shop with a view to looking at some 10" dobs and saw a 12" collapsible. It was so big it scared me - so I bought one.
The forecast is for clouds and showers for the next few days, so I'll have plenty of time to learn to collimate it with a cheshire (and to start building a trolley so I can move it out of the garage.)
Also picked up a copy of the "Atlas of the Southern Night Sky" (4th Ed.)
Great choice Paul !
That is a seriously good scope you have there.
Let us know if you have any questions about setting up and using it, as you are just around the corner from me, it seems.
Along with the Atlas, and computer program Stellarium, I found the simple little rotating Planisphere (pictured below) to be a great aid in orientating myself with the night sky.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZeroID
That's the way to go ... start BIG !
.... wait till the clouds that came with it move on and ...
It comes with a 25, 15, 10, 6 and a 2X Barlow, Brent. Quality unknown but certainly a good starting point.
Quote:
Originally Posted by raymo
Assuming that the 12" collapsible is a Skywatcher/Saxon model, you are
in luck because it has enough back focus for DSLR astrophotography.
raymo
Yes, raymo, it's a Skywatcher. I had a brief discussion at the shop about this and they confirmed that it was possible. On the drive home, however, it occurred to me that a Dobsonian is (presumably) designed to be in a reasonably balanced state. If I were to hang an 800g DSLR off the end of the OTA would it not upset the balance? Anyway, a question for another day.
Quote:
Originally Posted by billdan
Suggest you grab a Notebook with Stellarium
Bill
Hi Bill. Yes, I've had Stellarium installed for a couple of months now. What a great piece of software. I've learned more from just playing around with that and looking at the sky than anything else.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Allan_L
Let us know if you have any questions about setting up and using it, as you are just around the corner from me, it seems.
I probably drove past you on the way home up the M1 yesterday, Allan. Thanks for your kind offer. No doubt I'll have plenty of questions. Collimation is the first challenge but I've read everything I could find about it (and all the methods described were different) but I'm sure that, once it's all set up, it will prove to be quite straightforward.
Welcome Paul. Sound like your diving right in which is great. You can hang a dslr off a dob but there are a couple of things to deal with: tube balance, dobs need counterweight at the back behind the pivot if you put more weight on the front; focal point, dobs are usually designed for visual use, and thus the optical focal point is optimised for eye pieces. Cameras have a different focal point but there maybe extenders or afocal attachments that help out. There are certainly folks around this forum that take photos from dobs; Long exposure tracking is a problem for dobs due to the Alt/Azimuth mount type but short exposures are certainly possible. Importantly have fun.
Heavy eyepieces can also unbalance it. Just nip up the handles at the pivot point the requisite amount, or D.I.Y. a rod with a small weight that can slide up and down and be locked in the right position.
raymoi
I'm sure that's why I decided on a simple scope - just drag it outside, point it at the sky and have some fun.
I enjoy making fun things more complicated than they need to be (and they stop being fun) and AP would be a perfect candidate for that.
Your ascertain is correct, astrophotography can turn into a reasonably expensive hobby. Doesn't have to be though. Building a barn door style mount for a cheap DSLR and kit lens would be a cheap entry point with plenty of fields to keep you busy for s few years 
)
... but true.
