Sorry for yet another silly question

grantrosehill · #1 28-08-2005, 07:45 PM

I know this is a comon question and likely to be answered by .. it depends what you want to see or do a search.. but I have searched and both of these telescopes (within my price range) will allow me to see the planets and DSO.
I am torn between GS-880-BK7-CRF and SkyWatcher Maksutov-Cassegrain MAK127EQ3.
I have read good things on this site regarding the GSO Dob and read some bad things regarding the Skywatcher. I have a small Peugeot and am worried that given my location ... Rosehill sydney.. I wont be able to see much from home and that the GSO Dob will be too big to transport.

Any recomendations accepted ..

Starkler (Geoff) · #2 28-08-2005, 08:00 PM

The dob will be a far more versatile scope given that maks are primarily a long focal length with a narrow maximum field of view. Also the best weapon against light polution is aperture

Try taking a tape measure and get back to us with the measurement across your back seat and then someone can advise if the dobs OTA will fit in.

grantrosehill · #3 28-08-2005, 08:25 PM

Thanks Starkler for the quick reply ... a quick run out to the car and it is 125cm wide and 34cm deep at the narrowest point (damn that moulded back seat on the 206cc - useless to sit in). The boot has a similar width but obviously more depth.

As this is my first telescope .. I realise it woud be a squeeze for the DOB but how robust are they ... ie could I lay down the front seat and transport it that way. How heavy are they to transport? If it could give me clear enough pics in the backyard here then fine .. no need to transport. Just tired of looking at the skies through a 12 year old pair of Tasco binocs.

Grant

Miaplacidus (Brian) · #4 28-08-2005, 09:01 PM

What sort of binoculars are they? (I'm always boring beginners by telling them to get binoculars.)

Both pretty good scopes, but totally opposite in many ways. Are you familiar with using an equatorial mount? I find that this can be the biggest single turn-off for a newbie, or even an experienced observer. Unless you know what is involved or if you're seriously considering imaging, I'd recommend a dob, even if it meant you needed a smaller dob for it to fit in your car.

(Naturally, I'm only parading my own prejudices here. In ten minutes someone will chime in with a contradictory opinion.)

Good luck,

Brian.

seeker372011 (Narayan) · #5 28-08-2005, 10:15 PM

The mak will be great on planets and the moon..the dob will give you the rest of the universe..what is of greatest interest to you?

you should be able to wrap the OTA of the dob in a kids sleeping bag-about $15- and transport it to a dark site..that's what I do, even though I use the newtonian on GEM usually

Starkler (Geoff) · #6 28-08-2005, 11:12 PM

Heres the dimensions of the GS dob here
http://www.telescope-service.com/dob...art.html#cld8e

Looks like the tube will fit and its a matter of where to put the base.

iceman (Mike) · #7 29-08-2005, 06:20 AM

The 8" dob is the best bang for your buck if you can transport it.

You're not far from Kulnura, I strongly suggest you try to get to Kulnura this weekend for our monthly new moon observing session, where there's experienced and newbies alike with lots of different types of telescopes to see and look through. There'll most likely be an 8" dob there too, so you'll get to see for yourself how big it is and what you're likely to see with it.

The dob mount is very easy for the newbie to "drive" and for the price it's a great scope, heaps of mods can be done to it if you want to go down that path.

The OTA is fairly robust and as long as you secure it properly, it could lay across the back seat, across the front seat laid down, through the boot into the back seat, whowever you can squeeze it in. The base can sit on your front seat or squeezed into somewhere else. Then you just need a case or two for your eyepiece and accessories, and off you go!

btw

to the site! How did you hear about us?

cahullian · #8 29-08-2005, 09:21 AM

hi Grant
I have an 8" Dob and it fits in the car no probs. If you are going to attent the CC viewing night I would be more than happy to let you use my scope to see if it will fit into your car.
Mike has the 10" and Anthony the 12" so that will give you the heads up on what to expect.

Gazz

rmcpb (Rob) · #9 29-08-2005, 09:31 AM

The dob would be a very versitile scope. Why don't you go for a quick trip to Andrews at Greystanes and simply see if it will fit in your car?

Next Saturday there will be another viewing at Linden for the WSAAG people. I will hve my 8" dob there so you can have a look at it if you wish.

ving (David) · #10 29-08-2005, 09:38 AM

I have a 8" dob too. I have been in a 206cc at the motorshow, I cant imagine that the 8" would fit too well I am afraid... I am 6' and I tried to sit in the back seat!

now that was funny!

andrews have a 6" on a eq5. the OTA is realatively short so it'd fit the back seat ok and the mount folds up so it'd fit in the boot. Add to this motors for tracking and a toucam or DSLR and you'd be set for astro pics

elusiver · #11 03-09-2005, 12:03 AM

i've got an mx5 and an 8" dob. and I go nowhere

the OTA sits right in the passenger seat.. but i'm left with nowhere for the base

but if u have a back seat that could accomodate the seat u'd be right i guess.

el

janoskiss (Steve H) · #12 03-09-2005, 12:12 AM

8" Dob with the OTA in the box it came in (with the original styrofoam padding) fits across the back seat of my 1986 Corolla, and the base goes in the boot. I also take along a few plastic chairs and an outdoor plastic table with removable legs, few towels to soak up the dew and some warm clothes and I'm set for a great night.

davidpretorius · #13 03-09-2005, 09:17 AM

the dob bases from andrews are so easy to assemble / disassemble. couldn't be more than 6 to 8 allen screws.

worst case scenario, scope in back seat, and partly disassemble and lay in boot

janoskiss (Steve H) · #14 03-09-2005, 09:39 AM

Davo, I don't think you could do that more than a few times. The chipboard would soon start "chipping" (funnily enough). Also the nylock on the azimuth axis would need replacing regularly. But the base is not that big anyway.

davidpretorius · #15 03-09-2005, 09:55 AM

true, i saw an 8" last night at our local new moon get together and i can't remember how big the base is compared to my 10"

i have a wagon so last night was the first time i transported the setup and it was really easy

Darkplague · #16 03-09-2005, 01:01 PM

I have an old Mazda 626, and my 12" dob fits in easily. If your back seat folds down your laughing. I can fit everything in ok, but there is no room for a passenger after.

Lacey · #17 04-09-2005, 07:41 PM

Don't believe them, they told me I could carry it.....I'm five foot neat and the blessed thing is up to my chin!! (and I swear it weighs 2/3's my weight).....The neighbours think we have purchased a frozen chook shooter (I'm not kidding).....

Hey but it is really cool.....I got Venus on the first night!...brilliant!.....now where can I find another cool thing!
PS my girls are stoked!

Lacey · #18 04-09-2005, 07:54 PM

With my 8" dob I got a 10mm and 25mm ep, I have located venus with the 10mm (ep has to be totally wound in) and it is the size of say...a small bead (with the bands). If I wind out the ep when fitted to the scope everything goes bigger but incredibly blurry (stars look like CD's). Can't seem to get anything with the 25mm (is it suppose to be bigger or smaller). If I was to purchase another ep what would you recommend? and what is a barlow len?....do you add it to the ep and does it double etc your subject?......so many questions.....

cheers
Recent 8" dob owner!

janoskiss (Steve H) · #19 04-09-2005, 10:37 PM

Lacey, If you saw bands (and four moons), that was Jupiter not Venus. Venus is very very bright. There is no mistaking it for anything else.

It sounds like you can't get focus with the eyepieces that came with the scope. Not good! Before doing anything else talk to the people you bought the scope from.

davidpretorius · #20 04-09-2005, 11:46 PM

yes, it does not sound good for focussing, where did you get your scope, what brand eyepieces.

are the eyepieces all the way in?

the 25mm will give you a wider view ie less magnification. divide the mm ie 25mm into the focal length of your scope (1000mm i would guess for yours) to get magnification.

are you more interested in planets or deep sky stuff.

a barlow will magnify your view, but without tracking, it can get out of hand pretty quickly. with say an orion shorty plus barlow 2x https://www.bintelshop.com.au/Catalo...gory=eyepieces
will turn your 10mm into a 5mm.

most guys seem to have a 10mm and 30mm, add a barlow to this at say 2x, then you get 5mm, 10mm, 15mm, 30mm.

i have not bought a barlow yet as i do not have tracking, i went for a ultrawide 30mm 80 degree from http://www.andrewscom.com.au/site-co...-eyepieces.htm

very very happy with this. lovely wide views. sometimes you do not wany lots and lots of magnification.

get back to us on the focussing problem, you sound so excited and the quicker you get up and running, the better