Stu1smartcookie

UPDATE ... Had a lovely clear night ( again ) .. a bit dewey but i managed to grab a photo with my phone of the Orion nebula ( 20mm EP , 200mm Dob ) The photo is unedited , which is how i like to see stuff ( although i will do some tidying up on the image later ) . Aren't phone cameras great now ? Stu

yes with the unaided eye ... That space shuttle experience must have been fantastic . I actually saw one of the space shuttles at Stansted Airport many years ago as it was piggy backed on a boeing 747 . A brilliant sight .

Er yep ... lol . As we know , some seem to be very fast whist others seem to "burn" for a longer time . I will take Louis comment as light heartedly as it was hopefully intended .

Nice post . I am blighted by houses now when it comes to Jupiter and Saturn .. but they have been lovely sights (if a little low) over the last few months . Aquavit, Mars is actually quite challenging to easily see detail , so don't despair . Lets face it , just being able to see anything is a plus after the terrible weather we have been subjected to. I will remember viewing the various phases of Venus this year and also catching my first glimpse at Mercury . Clear skies .

lol if they were then whoever owns them have two less satellites as they burnt up

Your scope is a beauty ... but does indeed need to be cooled ... however you should be able to push the magnification . But , as Peter said ... there are other factors to consider .. the "seeing" is a particularly annoying part of viewing the two gas giants as they really are so low in the sky . Mars is always a difficult planet ... even with it being so high in the sky . Many people have complained about not seeing too much detail on the planet .

Congrats on receiving the 200p ... its a great scope As for the weather , well , depending on location it should be better this week than last week . ( trying to put a positive spin on things ) Stu

All lovely replies... it seems so many of us are alike . Of course we are governed by our , shall we say . Inclement weather ( putting it politely ) . Maybe that’s what makes us a unique bunch . We were so spoilt earlier in the year when the sky seemed to be clear every night . But , conversely the bad weather actually makes us more enthusiastic to get the scope out . By the way , as I write this ... it’s raining !!! Zzzz

As someone who has changed his gear more often than I care to remember , I have seemingly drifted to a visual only set up . Yesterday I had the massive good fortune to buy a skywatcher 200p dob ( my second one I stupidly sold the first!) for a really low price . The scope is immaculate and last night the skies cleared for the first time in three weeks ! So , armed with my newest purchase I nervously ( it was nervous excitement.. not bad for a 58 year old ) plonked the dob outside and used the lowest power EP ( a 2” ... 28mm ) and pointed it at the Plaides .Wow ! This view will be in my memory forever ! Crystal clear white diamonds sprinkled on a black carpet .I’ve viewed it many times before but this time seemed different . Maybe it was the fact that it was the first clear night for ages , maybe it was new scope syndrome .. or maybe it was because there was no extensive set up time , with no polar aligning , no cables to plug in ! It was probably all of those. I then quickly set up my “new”( bought from a fellow SGL member) 102R star quest with its lovely lightweight mount .. set up time 5 minutes , and viewed the same cluster .. amazing clarity ! I even got to see a few meteors which were pleasingly slow moving. Sorry for the long post but I am so enthused by last night . Also , a big shout out for buying second hand ... as I have found recently , it’s not the minefield you may think it is as people tend to look after their gear . I hope everyone gets clear skies . Oh and thanks for reading . Stu

Well , i am going to tell you otherwise ... this is a great photo because its something you saw through the EP and captured it . You will always be reminded of your views . There is far too much "snobbery" ( i hasten to add , NOT on this forum) regarding astrophotography imo . But there is so much scope (pun intended) where photography is concerned. I actually get more pleasure looking at a photo like yours than seeing a heavily processed image that has had star sizes reduced and colours enhanced . Its the sheer enthusiasm that shines through in your picture . And well done for highlighting the fact that we don't need an expensive piece of hardware to enjoy , what is essentially the most wonderful hobby there is .

I second the Bresser vote . Especially in line with the other scopes mentioned .

Hi , Buying second hand isn't the minefield that it sounds . You will find most people look after their gear . I bought a 102R off a fellow SGL member last weekend ... it is immaculate ! I also enquired about the bresser you mentioned . The owner said the dents in the tube are not as noticeable when you actually see the scope . Its a fine scope ( Bresser do make nice Scopes ) Of course living where you live, you will benefit greatly from a dark sky and as such any of the scopes you mention will show nice views . I know its tempting to rush out and buy equipment ( i am guilty of this ) but , think about what you want to see . Do you want to see a range of faint fuzzies , are you going to use a scope for mainly planetary and lunar viewing ... do you also want to use a scope for terrestrial use ? Everyone on here will have an opinion , but only you know what you really want . I was always told to avoid buying scopes from department stores as they have no knowledge , generally, of the product they are selling . Try not to buy , just for the sake of buying ... the stars are going nowhere so you have time . I can only speak from experience about buying on a whim and not getting what i really wanted . I wish you good luck ... oh and of course , clear skies

this post seems to have had an abrupt end .. so , what scope and mount did you get ?

Hi , and welcome to this great forum ... I must confess , when i first looked at Saturn through a Konus 500 (reflector ) it was tiny !... but you have to see through that and realise you are viewing a relatively small object that is millions of miles away . If you are interested in viewing planets and the moon there are scopes that excel in that area , Maksutov's and Schmitt cassegrains . They are relatively inexpensive ... you can pick up a 90mm mak for around £150 ...a 127mm is about £ 265 , also look at the second hand market for good deals . The Maks are high magnification scopes which have a narrow field of view but will show nice detail on the planets and especially the moon. Look out for a YouTube vlog from Jenhams Astro as he has tested both scopes . . Obviously as most people will advise , Aperture is key , so maybe a dobsonian is a good alternative . in an expensive hobby they really do give great value , as most of the expense goes on the optics rather than the mount . Stu

just bought a nexstar 5se ... it sits , tightly packed away in its box .. wondering when or if i will ever use it ! Frustrating to say the least

Er, Because i want to remain living ... !! and married lol

Yes , although i ALWAYS have intentions of observing from a dark site i never seem to get there , this time of year is a bit of a nightmare with Xmas lights adorning the neighbours and our picket fence ! ( yes i know its only November lol ) ... I really like the bresser 6" .. i try to look at everything i can in the night sky so i suppose the extra aperture is useful .. but ... i keep coming back to that bresser ! So to round up , Portability is important only for ease of set up .. Planetary viewing is great , but i have an SCT 127, reckon i'm talking myself into a 12" Dob !!!!!

John , Having owned a larger bresser and rather foolishly letting it go , what is a 6" Dob good for ? I ask this question only because i am very interested in purchasing another bresser but i never thought about such a portable size before . We know the quality is better than the skywatcher , but i can pick up ( another ) SW 200p for the same money . In my experience the SW is a good scope but nothing extraordinary , whereas the bressers tend to be built with more finesse. Ok , back to my point , will i see a lot less with a 150mm dob than a 200mm in bortle 6 skies . I am leaning towards the 6" ... does that make me crazy lol

Yes , knowing the payloads on these mounts is critical for a good experience of viewing . I understand the star discovery has a payload of actually 6kgs not the 5kgs listed , but , as we know we have to aim below that limit . I like the look of the Az-GTi better than the star discovery as it looks even more portable . And I can change the tripod to a 3/8 steel one if necessary if of course stock ever reappears ( more money ) . I have a 127 SCT and I’m getting a short tube frac ( of course if stock ever reappears ) I will take photos which is I suppose another plus to the GTI or GTe as I can get a skywatcher wedge ( if stock ever reappears) . I have been through aperture fever and now realise that a large dobsonian or reflector on a large mount in my light polluted garden is not the way to go. So I’ve found my niche ( hopefully) ... of course , if stock ever reappears lol Another curve ball just thrown into the mix is the nexstar series .. but of course I already have a 127 SCT .. The 5* nexsrar even has a built in wedge ( I know it’s not as accurate as a proper EQ mount) and it comes in a very portable package .

Hi Knobby , i'm impressed to say the least . i have two mounts in my " basket " on FLO and 2 at the Widescreen Centre ( i know the people that run that company ) so , whatever happens i will be buying imminently . I missed a really clear night last night because i got home in the dark , very tired and literally couldn't be bothered to haul out the EQ mount and set it up ! i felt really guilty about that as i am always moaning that we have too few nights to observe , so i really hope to make the most of the freedom a small goto mount will provide again . The old saying about the best scope is the one you use is also true when it comes to mounts ! for me anyway lol

Hi , i had one which was faulty ... and 2 which were great ... but i was "sucked " into the EQ heavy mounts that are fantastic but i have to say literally weighed me down . So , i'm changing ... not for the first or last time . I've not seen the GTe as a stand alone item

Hi All I will be buying a portable GOTO mount ... the trouble is i have three choices . The SW star Discovery mount , The AZ-GTi ( ive had a couple of these before) or the AZ-Gte. Now i know the GTe doesn't have freedom find ... for me that's not really a problem , I know the star Discovery cannot be converted into a mini EQ mount but the mount looks a bit more , shall we say robust . The key factor is , these mounts are all controlled by the Synscan App , which i think is brilliant . I can buy an Az-Gti on its own and add my own tripod . Anybody help me decide on any of the three mentioned above ? Regards Stu

Hi Katie , Welcome to SGL . Firstly ... i can speak from experience , that people on here are a friendly bunch . If you have a question ... always ask ! Good point about light pollution , most of us unfortunately suffer it . Make the most of your garden though , some people have to view from a balcony or out of their windows . Download stellarium ... utilise the program to plan your viewing times . ( you can even photograph a panarama of your garden and introduce it into stellarium which basically gives you a personalised accurate viewing platform) . I have the same problem as you , a nasty street light that wants to destroy my views every night , but it can't dampen the enthusiasm for this fascinating hobby . Clear Skies to you

The one i'm looking at is from another forum member so , yep , you are right . A 2" focuser is paramount as far as i'm concerned .

Vlaiv many thanks for that detailed post ... its clear that scopes like this still have a place , If i'm honest i actually like the look of the scope ... its impressive and neat ... whether it beats my omni xlt 127 on views its another matter . The shorter wide field scopes are attractive to me also , because of that wider field of view ... but , i am still looking at the evostar and thinking .... maybe ... whether Mrs Stu sees it that way is another matter lol One thing you mentioned was the use of wide EP's ... the widest i have is still only 25mm . I've read time and time that good quality EP's are so important ( i suppose its a no brainer ) but its something that i have neglected !! As for the photography side of things ... i use a driven CG4 ( stainless steel tripod) which is very stable ... I took an image of M45 the other night with the XLT 127 and a canon 100d .. i was really surprised how good it was , especially as M45 was only just clearing our roof . At least with the evostar , looking at your FOV picture i could get targets fully into view . I don't know ... its all a bit of a minefield ... lol . Great isnt't it