Hello!

[massivechicken (Gene)]

Good evening!

I just registered so thought I'd introduce myself. Looking forward to many a pleasant and enlightening interaction on this here forum.

I'm 35, with a wife and 3yo boy. I work like a maniac and don't do much else. I used to do Brazilian Jiu Jitsu a few times a week but stopped when I realised that what I was actually doing was hugging sweaty men for hours on end.

My father used to take me out as a boy with my 80mm refractor. he'd take his pentax SLR and tripod with good old film, and do time lapse shots of the heavens. I was absolutely fascinated. I used to be able to tell you the diameter of every planet in the solar system as well as atmospheric composition when I was in grade 5. Couldn't tell you now!

My wife and I listen to ABC radio's "Starstuff" podcast once a week and love it. She then showed more and more interest in the universe and demanded I download her more and more documentaries. I started to enjoy explaining stuff to her and my love affair with the cosmos was being rekindled!

This christmas, she said she wanted a telescope. I couldn't believe it. I've taken full advantage of the situation and gone and bought a C8-SGT with EQ6 mount and it arrives in a few days.

I really think she's expecting a $200 refractor from aus geographic so she's in for a nasty shock methinks. I'll let you know how it goes.

In other news, I am now terrified of the eq6 before I've even received it . Seems as though polar alignment is easy in the northern hemisphere but bloody difficult down here! I'm sure I can work it out but I have very light polluted skies here in my suburb.

[Allan_L (Allan)]

Hi Gene,
Welcome to IIS

in the meantime, download Stellarium
its free
and it will blow her away (IMHO)

[Scorpius51 (John)]

Hi Gene, and to the IIS forum. We hope you both get as much out of this hobby as we all do. You are in good company here.

Check out the articles in the "Projects & Articles > How To" at http://www.iceinspace.com.au/63-405-0-0-1-0.html for some good information on polar alignment.

Cheers
John

[pluto (Hugh)]

Originally Posted by massivechicken

In other news, I am now terrified of the eq6 before I've even received it . Seems as though polar alignment is easy in the northern hemisphere but bloody difficult down here! I'm sure I can work it out but I have very light polluted skies here in my suburb.

Don't be, I was at first with my EQ5 but when they say that drift aligning become easy with practice, they mean it! And I can almost guarantee my skies are more light polluted than yours (I'm 3 kms from the centre of Sydney CBD)

Welcome and clear skies!

[ZeroID (Brent)]

Wow Gene, to the forum. Big brave jump there to an EQ6 but it will do the job for some time to come I can guarantee.

Before I got the Ob built I used a marked spot on my driveway to make setup quicker and easier. Three yellow paint spots and a small levelling platform so I got a consistent setup made it a lot easier to be dang closer to alignment to begin with.
Find your Nth/Sth line using solar noon and a plumbbob and that is the starting point.
Hope your wife enjoys it as much as you do, great that she is interested enough to want to learn.

Oh, and I'm in a LP'd close to a city spot too and you can still enjoy it.

Cheers
Brent

[brian nordstrom (As avatar)]

Welcome Gene , what a beaut telescope set up you have comming , you wont be looking at upgrading any time soon , good choice ! .
This IIS is a great place , you will learn lots .
SO mate .
Brian.

[massivechicken (Gene)]

Thanks for the welcome!

Just received the C8-S in the post...So excited! Will have to wait until Christmas though. Feel like a kid again. The wife has no idea what it is.

I've been studying up on drift alignment and can't wait to give it a crack.

I got stellarium and yes, what an awesome piece of software!

Now I just have to avoid the urge of purchasing a skyfi and the pro version of skysafari for the iPad (i'm a sucker for tech as this often gets in the way of the point of the exercise!)

[Iain.k (Iain)]

Hey Gene welcome.

Good to hear its turned up already, good choice on the scope should do nicely.

[alistairsam]

Hi Gene,

Nice piece of kit you're getting there, the wife sure is in for a surprise, but out of curiosity, why not an alt az if she's interested in viewing rather than photography, just wondering what positions the ep would end up in with an eq mount. That being said, the eq6 is a proven mount so you shouldn't have hassles with either.
I went with the washers with superglue to mark the position of the feet once my pa was good enough
And oh, look up the solar noon method for marking n-s. that'll get you very close in one axis.
Look forward to some pics of your setup after they're opened
Cheers

[brian nordstrom (As avatar)]

Stop playing with the boxes .
they will still be there in 15 days ,,,, .
Your darling's gonna be rapp'd .
Brian.

Originally Posted by massivechicken

Thanks for the welcome!

Just received the C8-S in the post...So excited! Will have to wait until Christmas though. Feel like a kid again. The wife has no idea what it is.

I've been studying up on drift alignment and can't wait to give it a crack.

I got stellarium and yes, what an awesome piece of software!

Now I just have to avoid the urge of purchasing a skyfi and the pro version of skysafari for the iPad (i'm a sucker for tech as this often gets in the way of the point of the exercise!)

[massivechicken (Gene)]

Originally Posted by alistairsam

Hi Gene,

out of curiosity, why not an alt az if she's interested in viewing rather than photography, just wondering what positions the ep would end up in with an eq mount.

Hi Alistair,

To be honest, I did not consider anything other than at some point I wouldn't mind using her scope to take some pictures. I didn't consider that the eq would be less "usable" than a alt-az... but you're right I guess... It would be clumsy to use for viewing. Than again, you'd just need to nudge it and it would be easier to use once aligned, surely.

But yes, the choice was made with a view to future photographs, therefore the need for tracking.

[Rod771 (Rod)]

Welcome Gene

You'll have so much fun with your (wife's) new scope

Don't worry, the polar alignment procedure gets easier every time.

Reading your post has got me even more excited about Christmas

Enjoy