cletrac1922

First of all, welcome from Land Down Under You have to decide what you want to use the scope for Just purely observing, then cannot go far wrong with a 10" Flex Dob If you want to venture into AP, then you will need a mount with Go-To Then go for a SW ED100 on a HEQ5 mount Have attached pic of my 10" Flex Dob, and my ED80 on a EQ5pro mount taken at club viewing days The pic with the ED80 was taken at a club solar viewing day, and the ED80 in background with camera fitted is an HEQ5 mount To power the Go-To mount, I use a car jump start pack, while other club members use a marine battery box John

Roger and @KeithP22 Both of you welcome from Land Down Under Keith, just a couple of useful tips for your new Dob Did you get a Flex or solid tube Dob With the base been chipboard material, always put down a small waterproof tarp for the base to sit on, to stop absorbing moisture in the ground, especially night time Also get a right angle Finderscope This saves having to lie on the ground, when trying to align an object directly over head John

First of all welcome from Land Down Under Where I am, I use Sirius and Canopus Lot of others might say not far apart from each other, works fine for me Know the northern hemisphere is different from the southern Currently just after sunset have Jupiter and Saturn almost overhead, and Mars rises around 9pm Several of my club members have posted images of the southern ice cap on Mars, as Mars orbit currently is closer to Earth John

Noel Which part of Land Down Under are you? Few things to know about setting up HEQ5 mount where we are First of all when sitting the mount, the North Leg has to face south When comes to Polar alignment, we do not have Polaris like the northern hemisphere What I do, and other club members on the Goldcoast, use a compass to find due south allowing for 12 deg magnetic variation The scope will also face south To find the South Celestial Pole, it is approximately four times length of The Crux, Southern Cross In have a ED80 on a EQ5pro mount, which is not much difference to the HEQ5 mount, as the sighting is the same Attached pic is of my ED80 on my EQ5pro mount taken at a club solar viewing day last year The ED80 in background with camera attached, a HEQ5 mount I also use a car jump start pack to power my EQ5pro mount, and other club members use the same, or 12 Volt marine battery box If you have any more queries, do not hesitate to contact me Members of your local astronomy club will only be too helpful to advise, if they like ours, have not meet since February due to COVID-19 Also check out Southern Astronomy Society website as well, which I was also a committee member for many years Event Horizon is their monthly newsletter https://sas.org.au/ John

Welcome from Land Down Under You travel the universe in this forum John

Brian Welcome from Land Down Under John

Robert Welcome to you and your family from Land Down Under You cannot go far wrong in your selection of scope, and I have a SW 10" Dob as well Just a couple of tips With the base been chipboard construction, put down a small waterproof tarp to sit the base on, to stop the base from absorbing moisture in the ground Get a right angle finderscope as well, if your Dob came with a straight through finderscope, saves having to lay on the ground when spotting things directly above us John

Mark I am also in the southern hemisphere Currently around 8pm every night have Jupiter directly overhead, with Saturn trailing not far behind Mars appears above the eastern horizon just after 8pm, and clearly visible angle of 45 deg above the eastern horizon around 11pm Just after sunset also have Scorpio, Antares is very visible, and to the south of Scorpio, also have The Crux, also known as the Southern Cross Once the current COVID-19 pandemic has eased, people able to travel again, this stage our border to international travelers will remain close until this time next year, you make it down this way, only too happy to show you what is above us John

Mark With my 10" Dob, when doing Space Badge, cubs and joeys, scout movement, and K- grade 4 primary schools presentations with my club, I use a 15MM and 17MM wide-angle-angle eyepieces Both give good eye relief For the moon, use your 25mm eyepiece, with a lunar filter I also have a 2X barlow, very rarely use it John

Ross Welcome from Land Down Under You travel the universe in this forum John

Maho Welcome from Land Down Under I have SW ED80 on a EQ5pro mount These days lot of people now going for the ED100 or ED120 As made in China, a lot of things are currently not avalable due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, industries closed in China John

@maw lod qan Just slightly west of Jupiter, you will pick up a small red star This is Antares, which is also known as the son of Mars, as a lot of people mistake it for Mars Moving slightly west of Antares, you should see three star at right angles to Antares, this is the head of Scorpio Follow the line of star back through Antares, and you will see the loop, which is the tail of Scorpio Takes up about half the sky Not sure where you are, you can also see The Crux, known as the Southern Cross The Crux contains a number of objects including Jewel Box In Scorpio, you also have Omega Centauri, which is just above the pointers for The Crux John

Are you talking about guide scope of finderscope The attached pic show my right angle finderscope attached to my 10" Dob Have you tried tightening the screw for the show, and should have a locking screw for the finderscope John

Kevin Welcome from Land Down Under John

Mike First of all welcome from Land Down Under For purely visual, you cannot go far wrong with either a Skywatcher 200mm or 250mm Flex Dob Easy to use, just plunk on the ground, then using spotting scope, go to object you want to view Couple of things as well Get a right angle spotting scope, as saves laying on the ground when tying to spot objects directly overhead The base been chipboard material, put down a small waterproof tarp, to stop moisture in the ground damaging the base The attached pic is of my 250mm flex Dob, and in background with shroud fitted is a 200mm flex Dob The Dob comes with a 10mm and 25mm eyepiece In addition, I use a 15mm and 17mm wideangle eyepiece as well, even though I have a 2X barlow, have rarely used it Hope I have been of assistance John