Re: Buying a new telescope...LONG
- From: "Stephen Paul" <spaul219@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2005 15:04:14 -0400
Some comments from my personal journey....
Using a 4" aperture GoTo scope and The Sky Level 1, within 3 months I
mastered what I'd call, "Computerized Astronomy 101: What's up there, and
how do I setup my GoTo so I can see it?".
While that was an important education, it would not have been money well
spent for someone without a decent amount of discretionary income. I'm not
going to tell you how much I spent on that first scope with all the
accessories I thought I needed, but suffice to say it was too much for too
little.
I kept that little 4" GoTo for years, and at one time I even mounted a 5"
SCT on the mount as a side project to improve its usefulness. But I had
moved up to a non-GoTo 8" SCT just 4 months after purchasing the 4", leaving
the little GT scope used only on the rarest of occasions over the next three
years or so before I finally sold it.
Having only "Computerized Astronomy 101" knowledge at the time, I found the
8" scope frustrating to use as I was accustomed to doing a computer
alignment, punching in a number designation, and having the scope go to the
object. I had not developed the patience, nor the skill to find stuff on my
own. So, I added digital setting circles (like what the Intelliscope has). I
found that I liked this a lot better than the GoTo system, since there were
no noisy motor drives, and I didn't feel as if I was disturbing my neighbor
late at night (at the time, the neighbor's bedroom window was within 30 feet
of my side yard observing spot). Besides that, the noise of the GoTo motors
bothered me too.
This particular 8" SCT was a heavy duty fork mount on a wedge designed for
imaging and had a clock drive. So, with the DSCs, it had very similar
capabilities to a GoTo. That is, computerized finding and motorized
tracking.
Over time, I became familiar enough with the more common deep space objects
and found that I simply wasn't bothering to turn on the DSCs except when
having trouble locating an object for whatever reason. Sometimes it would be
a new object and I had no idea what to expect in terms of its visibility.
Other times I just couldn't seem to get on target with a familiar object.
Through the process of using the DSCs (which required that you manually aim
the scope until the readout is zero), I learned to be more patient about
getting on target, as well as learning where many of the more spectacular
objects could be found without any aid whatsoever.
It the wasn't long before I moved up in aperture from the 8" SCT, and
decided on a 10" Dobsonian, and then a year or so later, a 12.5" Dobsonian.
With the larger scopes on hand, I found that I also wanted something small
to take out for 15 minutes to an hour from time to time, just to poke
around. I tried binoculars for a while, but finally settled on a decent 80mm
short refractor on altazimuth mount.
During the experience with the 8" SCT, which I owned for a few years, I got
interested in imaging. I purchased a used Starlight Xpress MX5-C with USB
and STAR2000 (the MX's autoguiding accessory). After a while, I lost
interest with imaging because it demanded more effort than I was willing to
put into it, so I sold the entire setup.
After nearly 5 years in the hobby, I now find myself hunting obscure objects
only on rare occassions, and instead simply aiming the 12.5" scope manually
with a Telrad and a 9x50 finder at several of the many "wow" objects I now
know how to find without need for charts or computerized finding systems.
There are enough of these objects up there, to keep you busy for a couple of
hours on any given night. I can also now usually find an object using a
chart and Telrad in pretty short order, given reasonable sky darkness and
transparency. If I am going after a new object, I concentrate on finding
just that one object during the session, and if successful, I then go back
and forth between it, and the other objects I already know how to find. This
hardens my knowledge of where the new object is, and makes it easier to
locate without aid the next time out.
Recently, I decided to get back into imaging. Taking what I had learned from
my last experience with that pursuit, I decided to spend the money on a
Losmandy G-11 mount, and go the DSLR route with an inexpensive 200mm
aperture F4 (800mm focal length) reflector. This is a non-GoTo, non-DSC
setup, with a piggy backed refractor as a super finder/drift alignment
scope. The refractor and the reflector are aligned so that whatever is in
the refractor eyepiece, shows up on the CMOS sensor of the DSLR.
Both the imaging setup, and the 12.5" Dobsonian are on wheels so that I can
roll them from the garage out to the backyard. The piggy backed refractor,
is also my grab and go scope. The 200mm F4 reflector only ever sees an
eyepiece during the process of aligning the finder scope. The rest of the
time, it is setup for camera use only.
With both of these setups, I have plenty to keep me busy without the need
for a computerized finding system, although I do have a couple of ideas for
my future. One is to get an 8" GoTo SCT to use with a binoviewer at star
parties under truly dark skies. The other is to add DSCs to my Losmandy, so
that I spend less time getting on target when imaging. Not that the latter
is super necessary, but I've found that the easier it is to image, the more
likely you will get out and do it.
Best wishes, and I hope this message is helpful to anyone considering this
hobby whether they be new, are coming back, or have stagnated. All it takes
is two, three, or maybe four thousand dollars of discretionary income over
four or five years, and the experience you develop in that time, along with
patience and self control over obsessive-compulsive behavior, in order to
truly enjoy the many facets of amateur astronomy.
Now that's not asking too much is it? :-)
-Stephen Paul
"Zarkovic" <zarkovic@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:JlcAe.218737$El.110000@xxxxxxxxxxx
> Damn Larry, just when I was sure to go the "go-to", in comes your
> argument.
> Anyhow, you are right and that's why I would want to get XT8 from orion
> for $499 USD, without the go to function vs. XT6 with a go to function for
> $459 USD. Here is my dilemma: It definetly makes sense that bigger
> aperture to at least be able to see some detail, and even though there are
> hunderds of millions of stars in our own galaxy, but I don't think I would
> be able to find any planetary nebulae, solar planets (except the ones
> visible by eye) and so forth. But then again, I do own Starry Night Pro
> 4.5 version, so mabye that would help me somehow. I just basically don't
> know where to look to see the 'good stuff', yet I am ambitious and wanna
> do as much and see as much with my scope. But then again, I am sure I
> wouldn't be using the go-to function all the time. So the trade off would
> be at getting a big aperture scope vs. the go to function in my first
> scope when I immidiatelly purchase it. So yea, now I am changing my mind
> constantly, but I am in no hurry, as long as I get it within next 3 or 4
> months. By the way, what season is the best to views the sky on, I heard
> winter but I guess every clear night is a good time to do it? Thank you
> all again.
>
> "Larry Stedman" <stedman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:stedman-67A153.08265910072005@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Welcome to s.a.a.!
>>
>> For years, the standard advice has been a 6" or 8" dob... and it still
>> makes lots of sense. There are lots of choices. Many companies make or
>> import dobs: Discovery, Orion, Hardin (what's left of their inventory),
>> Celestron, etc.. You can always add computerized object locaters later
>> on. You can find used telescopes at a reasonable prices on Astromart.
>>
>> The Intelliscope series from Orion would give you an option for a later
>> easy, modestly priced, digital setting circle add-on. It would make
>> your scope "push-to". (Although some have reported that the DSC unit
>> doesn't work that well in colder climes.) Other dobs also can take
>> object locaters (what are called DSCs--digital setting circles), which
>> are pricier, but will you give a richer set of features. Go-to
>> telescopes tend to be pricey and don't get you as much aperture size for
>> your money. While many find go-tos useful and recommend them for
>> novices, many believe as I do that you're better off skipping them. Few
>> people get into this hobby knowing where things are. You learn as you
>> go. Then later you can add push-to DSCs and you'll value them more!
>>
>> Investing in aperture (rather than go-to), a Telrad (projects rede
>> circles against the sky so you can easily position the scope), and some
>> Telrad finder charts (showing you where to find objects given the Telrad
>> circles) will set you up well. With books such as Turn Left at Orion or
>> Nightwatch, you'll also have another guided way of finding things.
>>
>> You should talk more with Starlord, as having an experienced,
>> knowledgeable contact will help you. If there is a club near you, you
>> can go to a public night and see lots of scopes in action. First-hand
>> experience is invaluable in deciding what's best for you.
>>
>> There are lots of beginner's buying guides on the net... just Google
>> for FAQs, beginner telescope recommendations, etc. Check out Orion's
>> catalog and web site for information about scopes generally (they'll
>> send you a copy free)... Sky & Telescope also has good introductory
>> material. There are small scope and beginner's forums on such astro
>> boards as Cloudy Nights (check out Astromart forums, too).
>>
>> In hard copy, books such as The Backyard Astronomer's Guide (& StarWare
>> & others ) will cover the astro gamut well and teach you a lot about
>> type of scopes and picking a good starter one.
>>
>> Don't get hung up on picking an ideal first scope. Many people in this
>> hobby go through several scopes before finding the one or two (or 3 or
>> 4) that they really like and hang on to. It takes experience with a
>> scope to really figure out its pros and cons and what suits you best.
>> You probably will have to own for a while to discover that. Still, as
>> a first scope, you generally can't go wrong making it a 6" or 8"
>> Dobsonian.
>>
>> Good luck and feel free to ask us more questions. And let us know down
>> the road what you get and how you like it!
>>
>> Larry Stedman
>> Vestal
>
>
.
- References:
- Buying a new telescope...suggestions welcome
- From: Zarkovic
- Re: Buying a new telescope...suggestions welcome
- From: Starlord
- Re: Buying a new telescope...LONG
- From: Larry Stedman
- Re: Buying a new telescope...LONG
- From: Zarkovic
- Buying a new telescope...suggestions welcome
- Prev by Date: Re: Night sky- difference between major cities
- Next by Date: Supernovae - novae - average duration ?
- Previous by thread: Re: Buying a new telescope...LONG
- Next by thread: Re: Buying a new telescope...LONG
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
