Paul_Sussex

Not giving up...hopefully, the Mak will be a bit easier on the old bones! Due for delivery Tuesday, but the weather's looking a bit pants so may be a delay in unboxing and first light report. Hmmmm...first quarter moon next week!

Apologies, all. After a serious sit down and think with the Finance Director, I decided the Dob was not for me. Far too stiff and aching after a night out and I doubt this would be improved with an 8". 😟 After several emails exchanged with Chris (with his FLO hat on) I've decided to go back to the idea of a 127 Mak - this time on a SynScan mount. So, order placed with FLO and looking for delivery some time next week. I'll be on leave, so possibly an unboxing and first light thread - hopefully more successful. Many thanks for all the advice...

Can't remember if I mentioned before, but I found the straight through finder impossible to use (old age and a bad back) but a borrowed RACI solved the problem and I found it quite easy to use. Maybe as a beginner I didn't have any ingrained expectations to overcome?

Just renamed this thread - I plan on replacing the 6" Ursa Major with an 8" StellaLyra, but wanted to preserve the previous discussion. I've put a very quick review of the Ursa Major on FLO. As a beginner, I didn't have much to say, but I do think it would be a good first telescope for someone younger and fitter than me - a good price point, some nice additions like the CNC machined focuser, and pretty much everything you need to get started. I'll be interested to see what others make of it.

Everyone's a comedian! 😆 Yes, the weight's not (such) an issue. It's more the lack of flexibility. (So maybe I should just go for the 16"!) @JOCI like the idea of a Y mount - do you have a source for that? Already have the offer of a free Telrad...

So, first light with the Ursa Major. Out last night with a clear sky. No moon or planets, so just panning around to see what I could see. I only reliably know Ursa Major, Cassiopea, Orion and Gemini and had only a small star chart with me. Orion was too low to get sight of M42 and I had a lot of trouble finding my way around the sky. I was pointed towards the galaxy "belt" and possibly spotted a few fuzzies, but nothing I could readily identify. The main excitement was giving up on that (starting to get a bit cold after eleven), panning around with the 9mm Plossl (I'd been using the 25mm up to now) and just by chance spotting and following what I hope was a double star somewhere around Leo. Don't know how to describe the distances, but through the eyepiece looked something like this... So a slightly frustrating evening. Hasn't put me off, but some things to address. Pros Really like the UM150 - light, easy to move around. Optics seemed very good to me. Some spikes apparent but not huge. Had a good evening, with some helpful advice. A great dark sky site - Kithurst Hill if anyone is in range of the South Downs. Encouraged me to just get out in the garden more and start finding my way around the night sky. Cons I found the straight through finder almost unusable - not an equipment fault, due to age and fitness (or lack of). I'd have been lost if someone hadn't lent me a 9x50 90 degree finder. The single speed focuser need very precise management. I was continuously over-focusing until I could hit on a sharp image. Lost in the sky - although this is down to me. At the moment, I am seriously considering whether (if possible) I should return and update to a StellaLyra 8", which comes with the finder and focuser and at 8" might be easier on my old eyes? I would say that none of the above is the telescope at fault. I think I have reasonable realistic expectations of what I can and can't see. I'm happy enough with the choice of a Dobsonian reflector. If I was twenty or thirty years younger I would be more than happy, but I just feel as if I'm handicapping myself from the start?

So...assembly completed and finder roughly aligned. There's nothing far enough away that I can get a clear sight on. Or maybe it's just me? Will have to go out in daylight tomorrow and find a good location to sort this out. First impressions (bearing in mind this is my first ever telescope) The base went together alright, once I'd worked out that the holes to attach the uprights weren't equidistant. My fault for not checking first. I was a little disappointed by the use of wood screws straight into composite board, but I guess that's to keep costs down. Once I mounted the OTA everything seems nice and smooth, although I'll have to check the tension on the azimuth movement. The tube itself seems nicely finished, in particular the CNC machined focuser, which is very smooth with no play and just under 5cm of travel. Sitting on a swivel chair (interim measure) I found it fairly easy to look through the eyepiece at all elevations, but I will need to invest in a stool of some sort. The straight through finder I found more awkward, so that may have to be changed in the future. The eyepieces are branded as Ursa Major, but I understand from FLO's site are GSO, which are supposed to be reasonable for starting with. Not much to add. Now just waiting for some clear skies...😉

Well, yesterday was mostly... Today is assembly and hopefully aligning the finder. Unless something changes, no clear skies until Sunday night and no moon or planets in view, so I'll be mostly finding my way around the sky and looking for anything interesting. But yes...I'll update on progress, as and when.

My first telescope - Ursa Major 6" F/8 Dobsonian...

Well, my early retirement present has arrived! So a weekend of struggling with mount building, finder alignment and hoping it's in collimation...

Chris - just hoping I can see something that clear with the 6" F/8. (Or was that AP?) And loving the Youtube channel as well!

Shipping today! 🤩

Hopefully the last question I have - on a Crayford focuser, is there a standard position for the locking and tensioning screws? And is it the same way round for all makes? For instance, on the Ursa Major which is which? The downloaded instructions weren't that clear. (As in, didn't say anything 🙄)

FLO are listed as a UK supplier, but don't don't appear to stock the springs. RVO list them but whether they have them in stock...?

@Mike Q Can you elaborate on that? I won't be doing anything immediately, but what should I be looking at?

Just ordered the 6", so be interesting to see what it's like as a first telescope!

Grass can be 6-8", depending on when the council have been round. Those table legs look like a good option!

On a side note, one of the sites I may be using has (variable length) grass - a small green space just up the road. I've seen some people suggest a groundsheet/tarp to protect a Dobsonian mount, but I wondered whether a sacrificial ground board would work? Something cheap like MDF or OSB, cut slightly larger than the base with holes to take the feet. Could be painted or epoxied for additional protection. Has anyone done this before?

Apart from all the advice here, it was things like that article and Ed Ting's Youtube about 6" Dobsonians - that finally persuaded me!

My other hobbies involve spending somewhat more money.! In comparison, this is looking quite...reasonable! Not sure about the pubs tho...

Well...that's my pocket money spent! Just have to wait for delivery... 🙂

I'm not going down that rabbit hole...I'd end up just chasing my tail again! 🙂 I think I'll go for the Ursa Major. FLO seem pretty positive about them - - and I can't imagine they would put their name behind anything with an obvious flaw.

I thought I'd stick with something I can manage easily. And with a light sack barrow, I can run this up the road to an open space with a better horizon than my garden.

So, as the finance manager has okayed the expenditure, I am about to order my first telescope - a 6" Dobsonian*. (The laughter in the background is everybody who suggested this in the first place🤣) FLO currently have the Skywatcher and Ursa Major available for roughly the same price. I'm leaning towards the Ursa Major, which appears to have a GSO mirror cell or clone, for the Crayford focuser; however, I came across this - Fixing the wretched GSO 6" mirror cell - Reflectors - Cloudy Nights - criticising the collimation adjustment. Is this an actual problem or more something to be aware of? *TL/DR - I was originally (before joining the Lounge) after a Dob, but was put off by a local "expert" who in hindsight was perhaps just after a quick sale.

Help! I realise I'd need eyepiece(s) and a mount, but this seems too good to miss! And the finance director is willing to sign off on it. Any opinions? https://www.firstlightoptics.com/offers/offer_ts-photon-6-f6-advanced-newtonian-telescope-with-metal-tube_288502.html