Nathan Ray

Hi mate, welcome to the site

Sorry for the late reply mate, I’ve had covid so haven’t been feeling my best haha. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Phone-Adapter-Mount-Holder-For-Binoculars-Telescope-Scope-Microscope-Universal-/274819439185?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0 That’s the one I have, only cheap but does the job. Nathan

I have always liked and been interested in space since I was a boy, watched all the documentaries on tv my whole life but never took the plunge to actually practising astronomy, Until one day…… Before I get in to this day in greater detail, I need to explain to you a personal issue I have! I buy things when I’m drunk, things at the time I have no use for but things that turn out to be very cool and useful 😂. Mid 2018, working in a office and religiously going the pub every Friday with the lads from the office as we got a early dart at 15:30. This was no normal Friday drink, it was George’s birthday…. I only need a excuse to let the tiger out of the cage! £150 down and a spinning head later I head home, I jump on the couch drunk as a sailor and out how the universe works on and fall asleep! Recovering from my hang over my life continues as normal, I spend my weekend with the kids and go to work as normal… Monday night comes, I feel violently sick. Seems I have caught a bug, I won’t be going in to work tomorrow I thought! On waking Tuesday morning I call in sick, still feeling worse for wear. There’s a loud knock of the door, a bang even as I’m trying to rest on the couch. Who the hell’s this I think? I jump up reluctantly, shuffle towards the door and reach for the handle and open it, ”will you sign for this mate?” DPD believing it’s a neighbours parcel I sign and push the big box into the hallway, back to the couch I go for a hour feeling awful, I wonder who the package is for? My friend lives to the right and to the left of a very strange guy I am not too fond of. I go to check… the parcel reads Nathan Ray???? I am so confused 😕 what is this big brown box? I get a knife to slice the package 📦 open and discover my first love, my first views of the cosmos…. Celestron power seeker 130p. I had only ordered this before falling asleep with a spinning head (at the time a item I could not afford) and forgot all about it as it was a drunken move! There is a moral to this story….. keep my access to money limited when drunk as I act on impulse and end up scraping by until payday😂😂😂. Best thing I ever did! Nathan

Hi Nicola, thanks for the warm welcome, Nathan

Hi Stephen, look forward to sharing mate. Thanks

@Spile no problem at all mate, I’ve had the scope out… all collimated well! Im not going to do a observation report as I haven’t had a long enough go! But I’ve been playing around and attached my Digital night vision from my pest control rifle to my dob and seen a few meteors with the kids from the quadrantids shower. I am really surprised how well my digital night vision preformed on the dob. Thought I’d share a little picture of it on the scope. hope you’ve all had a good time observing, clouds have appeared here now… catch ya next time 👍🏻 Nathan

Hi Spile, Sorry I’m late getting back to you on this, so yeah, my primary mirror was a out of collimation, I believe this is now sorted… just need to double check on a bright star but I believe that should do the job! Good detailed, easy to read guide mate… appreciate you sharing it and taking the time to put it together! thanks again, Nathan

Welcome mate and happy new year! Nathan

Hello mate, welcome to SGL

Hi Pete, thanks mate and all the best

Hi mate, welcome to SGL. Nathan

Will do mate thanks for the advice

Hi guys, so I’ve just woken up for work and had a thought run through my mind….. I already own a digital night vision camera, the digital night vision in question is a scope accessory for my rifle, this DNVC would fit on to any 1.25” eye piece. Would this work/bring any benefit to my 10” dob? if so for what application would you use it? You can tell I have the bug having random thoughts at this time before work 😂. Thanks, Nathan

The clouds didn’t leave, I’m all packed away and ready for bed. Its been fun sharing with you all… until next time 👋

thanks mate, haha yes I’m giving myself another 30 mins at most. It’s the last day tomorrow and I’m doing 12 hour shift in the lab, can’t handle the tiredness tomorrow.

Managed to view what I believe was the Orion Nebula? clouds seem to be coming and going. from my heavily light polluted area, the O’neb looked like a bright star, a smaller star below and a bright fuzz around it illuminating the surrounding area. this was with a 25mm EP, also zoomed closer in with 2x Barlow. tried to replicate this further with 10mm and Barlow but found the bright fuzz was no more. Clouds are back now waiting for them to move then my next target is Alcyone then moving on to hip 17448 Omicron Persei in Perseus if the weather plays ball 🙃🤞🏻

Thanks @Epick Crom appreciate the warm welcome

My fear was short lived the clouds have gone 😂

Just my luck, in typical fashion the sky wins again! I thought the whole night was going to be clear and I’ve just came back out to view the O’neb and clouds…. Clouds everywhere blocking my view! At least I got some time with my new scope and some beautiful views! next time I’ll be more prepared after using @Spiles collimation guide and I’ll be back with another report. Thanks for all the tips and encouragement guys! Nathan

@Spile I will be sure to use the guide you’ve provided and let you know how I found it mate. Appreciate it!

@Sunshine thanks mate and very good point. I’ll be honest, I haven’t collimated the dob yet…. I have purchased a Cheshire collimator but I haven’t got round to it yet (I guessed it would be sufficient for now). Ive also never collimated before as I’ve only ever been on smaller scopes that don’t need collimation. I think a few minutes on a YouTube video is I’m order so I know what I’m doing 😂. Thanks for the advice mate, Nathan

Thanks @Kon it looks like it’s staying clear tonight in liverpool…. which is dangerous as I’m up for work at 6am haha. Be a struggle to come in to bed while viewing is good. I will take a look at Rigel & Telrad, thanks bud

Thanks Doug, I am already looking for new EP’s while I’m eating my lunch but in the 2” region rather than the 1.25” that come supplied as this scope has the adapter for both. I will be going to a dark sky location after Boxing Day when sky conditions permit to open up a lot more. Nathan

Hey everyone, as the title suggests this is my first night to be able to have a scan around with my new telescope - skywatcher skyliner 250p. Instantly on setting up I could visibly see Jupiter setting on the horizon, naturally, I got a eye piece straight in and aimed my spotter scope towards it. First with 25mm EP which gave me a great, bright wide field view of Jupiter and 3 Galilean moons. Like everyone would, I wanted a closer look…. I changed to 10mm then 3.6 to give more magnification and to help bring out detail. I must note, bringing out a lot of detail tonight wasn’t easy. I was in a light polluted garden, the neighbours pesky led light went on for some time and Jupiter was incredibly bright…. Think it’s time to invest in some good filters too! Still, I’d missed my old friend Mr J. Such a pleasure to cross paths again!. Being a new scope and me being new to a dob of this size, I decided to have a little random scan about. I soon realised I was close to the Pleiades open cluster…. I placed in my 25mm EP (lowest mag I have) and centred Pleiades in my FOV. Pleiades is a bins favourite of mine, easy to find with the naked eye, beautiful open cluster. I always enjoy Pleiades, my viewing Pleiades tonight made me realise I need more EP’s as I could not fit the whole of Pleiades in my FOV. I am now going to invest in both 40mm and 32mm EP’s. Not going to tell porkies, I’m not the best at star hopping so I whipped my phone out and turned on night sky x to help me locate the Andromeda galaxy. Again, EP investment would make such a difference so I’m able to see more and also a dark sky location (I’ll be getting to one soon) but I had a amazing time viewing my white fuzzy friend. I was also very pleased to see a meteor whiz past which was completely unexpected. I’ve just came in for a brew and some lunch, the nights still young with the O’neb coming in to view so I’ll be back out to observe some more. I’ll be back with further updates, I must say a 10” dob was my best investment of the year! Be back soon 👋 Nathan

Welcome to SGL mate