Zermelo

Welcome, So according to their website this is a 76mm aperture, 700mm focal length reflector, i.e. around F9.2. As reflectors go, this aperture is very much on the small side, so the amount of light you can gather will be limited. But you will still be able to see things with it, though you may struggle to see fainter DSOs, especially if you don't have access to darker sites. Planets and the moon may be more successful. You mention getting a 23-30mm eyepiece, well 30mm would give a magnification of around 23, and 23mm (if you could find such a beast) would give magnification around 30. This would be better suited for larger DSOs or perhaps the moon, but planets will require greater magnification to see any details. The absolute maximum magnification is normally around twice the aperture in millimetres, so about 150 in your case, under perfect conditions. In practice you are unlikely to be able to push it to that. The suggestion of a decent zoom to start with is a good one, either the Sybony mentioned or perhaps this one which is very decent if you can stretch to it. Provided you're planning to stay with the hobby, money spent on reasonable eyepieces won't be wasted as they are pretty much usable with any scope.

Not brand new here, but I've only just noticed this thread. Overall, I've found this to be a massively useful and inclusive forum, hosted on a very capable platform. If I had one request for an enhancement (assuming that it's not already a feature that I've missed) it would be the ability for a user to set a single switch that would cause every forum view to default its sort order display to "Start Date" rather than "Recently Updated" (which is the current default). As it is, the first thing I do whenever I switch view is to re-sort the display.

There have been a few before you who have wondered the same thing, as you might imagine. This thread was from someone with different kit, but the advice is pretty generic and worth a read. Generally, probably better to try things out with what you have before you decide you need to splash the (more!) cash. +1 certainly for "Turn Left at Orion" if you can get hold of a copy, and it will give you something to read while it's raining 😂. If you can't find it, then you can get some of the information in the book on their website.

Welcome, you'll find that no question is too stupid here 😀 but the search function is pretty good, and you may find that your questions have been answered before you've asked them. Good luck with your Skyliner.

Ah yes, another disadvantage of the current lead times for new starters is that agonizing "what else should I buy so I can hit the ground running?" period while you're waiting. I had the same experience. There are several threads along these lines, but this is a current one that you might want to follow, and if you haven't seen it already, and then this is the sticky thread on eyepieces starters (but it's a longer read). There are also some good comments here. If the scope is primarily for yourself, and you're a patient type, then "not planning on getting any accessories until I start to use it and to understand it a bit better" is probably the best approach. One person's essential accessory can be a nice-to-have for someone else, and there will be plenty of calls on your cash without splashing it needlessly. Use your waiting time to browse through some of the threads in the beginners' section and get familiar with some of the possible deficiencies that you might want to correct with a purchase, then when you get going you'll know better what to look out for, and what you could do about it. And if we ever get any clear skies again (if UK) start getting yourself familiar with the layout up there, if you're not already.

I have that one, I find it very useful and I've been impressed with the performance. The FOV is narrower than some of the wider field fixed EPs, and as noted above it reduces as you zoom out, which is the opposite of what you might expect. There is another Hyperflex zoom with a slightly longer range, though I believe opinion was that the 7.2-21mm was slightly superior.

These two barlows have been recommended previously: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/barlow-eyepieces/baader-classic-q-225x-barlow.html https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/revelation-astro-25x-barlow-lens-125.html and for decent eyepieces that don't break the bank, these are recommended more often than any other in these pages: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/bst-starguider-eyepieces.html Note that (as with a lot of kit at the moment) stocks may be hard to find in some cases. You may find that your 25mm stock EP is OKish for now, but the 10mm will perform rather less well.

I've relocated where I found that graphic originally, it was Astrid responding here: https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/364509-first-few-times-out/?tab=comments#comment-3970053 Apologies for stealing some likes! 🥴

Tony Flanders's Messier Guide has been mentioned before as a good resource. In particular, he created the following guide, which has been linked to before on this forum (but I can't remember where, nor can I now find the original on Tony's site): You can see that M101 in particular is listed in the hardest category - big enough, but low surface brightness. On the subject of locating the objects, there are maps for Telrads on the web (again, I'm sure these were linked to from posts on this forum, but the only ones I can find now are dead. Apologies to OPs).

Mine was the 8mm, I've been very happy with it. Just ordered the 18mm, which is supposed to be the best of the set.

OK, as it happens that's what I have. So it's on the less demanding end of the scale. I've not seen any official figures for it, but when I was putting together my own power supply I put an ammeter in series and measured a maximum of 0.6A while it was slewing at top speed. It's 12V DC of course, I'm not familiar with your power tank but I assume from your picture that it can supply that. The other question then is the overall capacity. The "official" SkyWatcher tanks come as either 7Ah or 17Ah. I imagine the Discovery would manage with 7Ah, but it would obviously vary with session duration, ambient temperature, amount of slewing (you can minimize this if you're happy to use the Dual Encoding) etc.

What's the actual mount? i.e. the hardware - Synscan is the software that runs on the mounts, but they will draw different amounts of max instantaneous current, and consume different amounts of power over a session.

I recently bought off his eBay site, he has said elsewhere that his own website is cheaper, it didn't seem to be at the time. Either way, I couldn't find Starguiders cheaper anywhere else, and the service was very efficient. Obviously he only stocks a few lines, as you can see.

Welcome MomOf2, I've nothing to add to the equipment advice above, it's very sound. And if your daughter has already been "wowed" by seeing Saturn through and amateur 'scope, then I think she will be immune to the disappointment that some people feel when starting out, if all they have seen are the extravagant NASA photos. It sounds like your daughter is pretty smart, so she should be more than capable of managing a reflecting telescope of the type described. I would only add one suggestion, that you point her in the direction of this forum while she is waiting (or else on Christmas day, if this present is to be a surprise!) I know from personal experience that it's possible to follow astronomy from a theoretical perspective, but still be clueless about how to start out on the practical business of observing. Yes, there are plenty of decent books, some are recommended on this site, but I have found the most useful activity was to spend a few hours (actually, days) browsing some of the comments and recommendations on these pages. She will find some areas of consensus, and some where there is a wide divergence of opinion - both are invaluable. There is a mixture of timeless reference information and up-to-date news. She will learn how to make the best use of whatever telescope she receives, and options on how to move on when she is ready (and of course, some contributers here have the money to spend that she will not, but she will also find plenty of examples of people saving on expense by making their own gadgets, with great success). Other forums are available, as they say, but I would at least start here. One other recommendation that's often made is for a starter to try to find and join a local astronomical society. That's certainly worth investigating, as most groups have members who are willing to advise newcomers, which may extend to the chance to experience different equipment.

Hi Jim and welcome. There are many on this forum who would kill for a location like that! Some have invested in kit like yours just to be able to see anything at all through the city murk. The truth is that you would be able to see quite a bit from there with a more modest scope, so you should be very well set up indeed. The availability has certainly been hit by manufacturing/shipping difficulties with Covid, and also I suspect because of an uptick in demand due to the lockdowns. As others have said, do invest the time to find your way around. The comment above about being overwhelmed by stars sounds odd but is very true. You will be seeing so many of the fainter ones that it can be harder at first to identify the main constellations. The better software allows you to set the "limiting magnitude" for your location - so that it will display what you actually see in the sky - have a play with that. Software will also often include lists of suggested targets that are tailored for your location and time of year (when set up). That's either software that comes with goto mounts (if you have one) or additional apps like SkySafari. Apart from that, there are many other ad-hoc sources of lists, including: Member contributed observing lists (on this forum) The Astronomical League (contains several lists, categorized by type of object) Jarek's observing lists for Northern Skies Turn Left at Orion website (this accompanies the book, which is well worth buying as an introduction to the more accessible targets, but the lists themselves are available online) Hope your delivery arrives soon.

The focuser on my SkyWatcher 150i is a basic rack-and-pinion, unsurprising for the price point, but sometimes a bit of a pain to control finely enough. I’m not looking to spend any serious money upgrading it, but I did want to see what I could tweak. The first thing I did was to slacken off (slightly) the screws holding the plate against the spindle, as the operation was very tight when new – that helped a bit (and I think that without doing this first, the “friction fit” approach described below wouldn’t have worked). I will eventually get around to taking it all off as per AstroBaby's tune-up. Improving the fine control without a major change means doing something with the focusing knobs – they’re quite small, so the effective “gearing ratio” when you operate them is on the harsh side. Some folk have described fitting larger diameter replacements, either bought or made, and even using ones with a planetary-style mechanism to achieve a reduction in the ratio. I didn’t fancy this, as I couldn’t see how the existing knobs were attached to the spindle without trying to prise them apart (possibly terminally). The other option is to increase the effective diameter of the existing knobs, for which purpose a clothes peg is apparently quite popular, but I’ve also come across descriptions of chop sticks inserted into holes drilled at intervals into the circumference, and punctured lids from peanut butter jars. I wanted something that was cheap, relatively tidy and non-destructive. The answer seemed to be some sort of thick sleeve that I could fit over the knob. It would need to be a tight fit so as not to slip in use, to be not so large as to foul against either the focuser tube or the main OTA, and to be thick enough that it didn’t flex sideways when grasped. I thought I might find some larger rubber washers that would do the job, but none were thick enough to be rigid in use. However, a bit of searching found these spacers that are apparently used in vehicle shock absorbers. My calipers said the diameter of the focuser knobs was around 29.5mm, and the nearest spacers that were available had an internal hole 30mm and outside diameter 60mm. I ordered one that was 10mm thick, not quite as deep as the knobs, but which allowed a bit more space on the inside edge for free operation. I’d hoped the internal hole might be a but undersized when it arrived but it was spot on, so I wound five or six turns of masking tape around the knob first. To avoid taking the tape off when fitting the spacer, I positioned one side first and stretched it across the face as I pushed. When it’s flush with the knob’s outer face, it’s just clear of the focuser body and OTA. There might be enough room to stick some kind of friction surface around the outside to improve the grip, but I don’t think it’s going to be necessary. I decided to do only the one knob, so I now have a very Noddy “dual speed” affair. Because the clearances around the fitted spacer are quite tight, it’s worth checking the positioning of the spindle in the focuser body first – mine was fractionally off centre, so there was more room one side than the other (assuming you have no preference).

I'm also on the lookout for gloves, this winter will be my first observing. Touchscreen operation is a requirement for me too, so I was thinking of trying these: https://www.screwfix.com/p/site-kf530-touchscreen-nitrile-foam-gloves-orange-black-large/808fr though they seem to come in only one size, so they may be too bulky. Screwfix also sell fingerless gloves, including some partially fingerless ones: https://www.screwfix.com/p/site-kf420-3-finger-framer-performance-gloves-grey-black-large/445fr

This site: https://www.darkskydiscovery.org.uk/dark-sky-discovery-sites/map.html has also been mentioned in previous discussions, though its criteria are not very demanding (being able to make out the main stars in Orion, for one class). Also, by definition, a location's appearance on a site like this will likely preclude it from becoming that special dark place that only you know about!

I picked up a Celestron Omni last year quite cheaply and had originally been using that with stock eyepieces, which was fine. Since then I've bought a couple of BST Starguiders and a Hyperflex zoom, and I'm now wondering if I'd notice any difference with a better barlow (this is now being used on an F/5 150mm Newtonian). Otherwise, the pennies can be directed elsewhere. I'd not considered it before as the next rung up seemed to be around the £90-£100 mark, which seemed out of line with the rest of the spend. But I've seen some positive reviews of 3-element models in the region of £35-£40. In particular, I've read good things about the Revelation/GSO Astro 2.5x (though apparently closer to 2.2x) and the Baader Classic Q 2.25x. - does anyone have experience with both of these, and have a preference? - would I notice any significant difference with either, compared with the Omni? - I read somewhere that the Baader in particular required focussing the tube into the OTA to an extent that caused some image degradation. Obviously I'd want to avoid this if true, so is this a feature of the Baader, or of both, or of all (shorter?) barlows? (to be honest, I'd not thought to see whether this was happening with the Omni, I'll try to remember to check, if this weather ever breaks). Thanks in advance.

I came across this reference summary on a supplier site - it explains (i) what the different thread standards are, and (ii) where they are relevant in amateur astronomy. I found it quite illuminating, and I couldn't find a link to it already on the forum - admins, please delete this if I have missed it. https://agenaastro.com/articles/astronomy-threads-explained.html

Even fixed focal length eyepieces make design trade-offs, no single configuration can maximize all the desirable attributes. Zoom lenses have to do even more of this, to balance the set of criteria across a whole range of focal lengths. It's a marvel that they can still produce EPs that perform as well as they do, though pound for pound a fixed length EP will usually outperform a zoom at the same focal length. I wouldn't bother with one if you can stretch only to the cheapest generic ones on the auction sites; but I have had good results from this one: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/ovl-eyepieces/hyperflex-72mm-215mm-eyepiece.html and it has been recommended by others on here that have better fixed EPs than me to compare it with. At the short end it claims a 60 degree AFOV which is respectable, though this shrinks to 40 at the wide end - but then I have a separate wide field EP. I use mine at F/5 - if you have a slower scope, it will be more forgiving. There's no denying that a zoom with a range like this is a very useful tool, mine gets used more than any other. I also barlow it at 2x at the shorter end and it copes well, when conditions permit.

I've just seen this Synscan App User's Manual: https://inter-static.skywatcher.com/downloads/synscan_app_manual_20200825.pdf which I don't remember seeing before (and it's dated August 25th). My own 150i was delivered (less than ideally) with a manual for the bespoke handset and a little slip that said, basically, "you don't have one, so you need to download the app instead". The app's built-in help has some information, but this pdf has more, including on alignment. Be aware that there are two versions of the app; you can use the "pro" version (which has a few extras) with an alt-az mount, but some of the options specific to EQ mounts won't be relevant.

This thread encouraged me to have a try myself for the first time on Monday. 6" Newtonian with an average low power Plossl, Bortle 4 sky. With no filter, I couldn't see a thing. Adding an Astronomik UHC was amazing - the Eastern veil was very obvious. Couldn't see the Western side though.

I have this scope too. 1) This has been debated previously on this site, with contrary opinions, but I think the conclusion was that North/level alignment is needed only if you plan to use the Synscan "point and track" facility (which makes sense, because you're not relying on the scope to find the object, but it needs to know how it's oriented so it can follow the sky correctly). But if you do a 2 or 3-star alignment correctly, then the mount can in principle build a complete sky map anyway, even if it wasn't originally level/North aligned. Personally, I always level it anyway and point it in the direction I know is Northish at my regular site. I've also found that, even after doing a 2-star alignment, it improves the goto accuracy if I centre/confirm the location of at least one subsequent target (making sure to nudge up and right at least once, or else the app won't let you do so - and no, it doesn't tell you that). I usually drive the scope from SkySafari during sessions, but will switch back to Synscan to select and confirm an object if the guidance seems to be off - it's normally fine, but it can happen if a tripod leg gets kicked, or if the wifi signal drops. 2) Yes, the focuser is a weak point. It's a budget scope, still great value overall IMHO, but that's one of the places they made a saving. I found the mechanism as delivered was very tight, and I agree that - especially with shorter focal length EPs - the in-focus travel can be very short indeed. The link you have above to Astrobaby's tune-up is the definitive one, it confirms that the two screws underneath can be used to adjust the tightness on the rack. I will shortly be following the whole stripping down routine to see how much difference that makes. Others on this forum have replaced the focuser on the cheaper Skywatchers with better alternatives (e.g. a Crayford for around £90). You might decide that's a bit contrary to the original choice of a budget scope. The "wobble" is a bit more preplexing though. I've found the 150i to settle quite well after disturbance, and I don't bother with anti-vibration pads, hanging weights from the tripod, etc. The tube is short, and as supplied it is comfortably within the weight capacity of the mount. Forgive the obvious question, but are you sure everything is tightened up fully, e.g. the bracing plate is securely up against the inside of the legs? 3) and 4) nothing to add to the previous comments

Ah. The internal diameter of those plastic clamps (I bought some) is about 31mm when fully closed, they're intended for 1.25" legs.