Collimation and Star-hopping

[Moonshane]

I don't profess to be either an expert or an expert speaker but was asked to do a couple of talks at the Peak Star Party recently.

I have attached below my written handout notes for each session in the hope they will help the odd person with how to find objects in the sky and also how to ensure you get the best views when you do find them. These notes are based on my own experience and also information gleaned from many sources since I started observing; thanks to anyone who recognises their work or comments.

If one person finds them useful then I'll be delighted and it's been worth the minor effort uploading them. They have been put into a couple of other threads but I felt they were somewhat hidden and might be more easily located here.

Cheers

Shane

Locating Objects in the Night Sky.pdf

Collimation of Newtonian Telescopes-1.pdf

This post has been promoted to an article

[wookie1965]

I was going to suggest this after a collimation thread said it was buried i think this will help a lot of people and just one you have have done that already with me

[Moonshane]

Success!

[Mike73]

Should make it a sticky!

I think way to many newbies start to think about 'what EP to get?' rather than starting with the basics, besides I learnt something from your collimation pdf so thanks.

[Reeny]

Filed away for late night reading.

Cheers

[arrayschism]

Great stuff Shane, very useful reference material. Thanks.

[siren]

As an absolute beginner I have had a quick read through your 'learning objects' PDF and found it really great. I have been looking for something like this on line for a number of weeks now and am yet to come across something as clear and user friendly. 

Thank you!

[Astro Imp]

Well done Shane another great post, thanks.

[Ally8446]

Excellent post Shane, I've even downloaded your 'locating objects' pdf, just to see someone else's take on it. +1 for a sticky.

[astronymonkey]

Hi shane, im putting some stuff together to help school kids use a telescope so ill include these in the pack if thats ok.

really good stuff and thanks for posting.... +1 for this being a sticky !

Cheers

[Moonshane]

totally - no problem. it's written for everyone's use if they find it useful. I have the associated powerpoints too if you can use them. send me a pm if you want them.

[ScottS]

Excellent guides.

[WaveSoarer]

That's excellent and many thanks for this.

[Reeny]

Prompted by this post, I have adjusted the secondary mirror and achieved a much better focus.

I didn't want to mess with the original factory settings on the brand new scope (although Fed-Ex may have already beaten me to it)

On the first collumation test, the secondary mirror looked fine with 3 mirror clamps showing evenly.

So I tweaked the primary only = no difference.

Fitting all of the extension tubes and using the film canister pin hole method, it showed that the primary mirror was ever so slightly out.

It was tweaked, then the primary was re-adjusted, and everything was rechecked with the lock nuts tightened.

And now we have lift off.

The Hercules Cluster was shown as individual stars at 133x magnification on the 8-inch Skywatcher Dob.

There must be more to come with some more fine tuning.

I have removed the astigmation described here.

http://www.astro-baby.com/collimation/astro%20babys%20collimation%20guide.htm

And once I have dark skies / no moisture in the air / and the Maxvision eyepieces, we will be cooking on gas.

Thanks Shane.

[Reeny]

Fitting all of the extension tubes and using the film canister pin hole method, it showed that the primary mirror was ever so slightly out.

Thanks Shane.

Should read secondary mirror (looking at the primary mirror clips)

[Ccolvin968]

Great files! Thanks for the upload! Vote for sticky!

[Qualia]

Yes. These are excellent PDFs and really should be set up as stickies in the observing section.

[AlexB67]

Another 2 excellent novels by Shane   I would second that recommendation Qaulia.  I lie the idea of the ring binder charts, now getting into the more tricky targets it would be useful. I have some handbooks with charts  picked up second hand that I use, but the larger charts and framing them as shown is handy

[MadAlbert]

+1 for stickies

Shane - have you considered a website/blog?

[wayneh]

I have them printed out and on me shed wall's :-)   

[Space Beagle]

Good articles, very useful indeed!

Thanks for letting us all have them!

Doc

[Murigius]

I don't profess to be either an expert or an expert speaker but was asked to do a couple of talks at the Peak Star Party recently.

I have attached below my written handout notes for each session in the hope they will help the odd person with how to find objects in the sky and also how to ensure you get the best views when you do find them. These notes are based on my own experience and also information gleaned from many sources since I started observing; thanks to anyone who recognises their work or comments.

If one person finds them useful then I'll be delighted and it's been worth the minor effort uploading them. They have been put into a couple of other threads but I felt they were somewhat hidden and might be more easily located here.

Cheers

Shane

Locating Objects in the Night Sky.pdf

Collimation of Newtonian Telescopes-1.pdf

Thanks Moonshane. Very useful articles here! 

[Ant]

Thanks Shane.

The collimation PDF is downloaded and currently sitting on the printer.

If I can work out collimation it will be a modern day miracle

Cheers

Ant

[johnd]

Two very useful doc's for the novice, I appreciate your effort's. Thanks 

[Moonshane]

cheers John and you're welcome.

often a sledgehammer is used to crack both of these particular nuts and I hope people find them useful and if nothing else appreciate that often with collimation at leasr, a little or nothing is all that's often needed.