Stargazer Joe

Hi friends. I have an Orion SkyQuest XT10 Plus. Not too long ago I noticed that all of a sudden,  I could not get clear views of anything,  not even the moon. Everything is hazy.

I collimated the scope, but this has not improved the clarity.

I observe in a dustier than normal environment,  in the middle of a farmer's field. Could a dirty primary mirror be causing the lack of clarity? If so, any suggestions to clean the primary? If not likely,  any suggestions?

I have an Orion SkyQuest XT10 PLUS, just a little larger then one your considering. It came with great eyepieces. 10mm, 28mm and a 2X Barlow. I have found these to be of excellent quality, and all I need for the time being. 

I would avoid buying any eyepiece that begin with a capital "H".

I own an Orion SkyQuest XT10 PLUS. It has a Dobsonian base. I would really like to look at upgrading the base to a GoTo Autotracker base, but am unsure if this is doable. I'm sure more then just the base would require upgrading, such as the mounts where the tensioner knobs attach...

Anybody have experience with this? Just looking for some advice on if this is doable, and what components would require upgrading...

Regards,

Joe.

Thanks you @Gfamily

Mr Niall and @rwilkey
Thank you gents! M13 looks like a great place to start.

@Starwatcher2001 @Pixiesyou guys are awesome,  thanks for all this info. I am definently going to try and find M57 using this advice. I've only used it a couple of times, looked at the moon, some stars, nothing crazy, was just getting a feel for the EPs and how the telescope moves. I ordered Turn Left at Orion and intend to download the app you buys guys recommended.  

@Starwatcher2001 the bantering back and forth is good! I'm learning from it.

Thanks guys  

28 minutes ago, Starwatcher2001 said:

Welcome aboard Joe.

That's a good choice for a scope and you'll certainly see plenty of DSOs through that.  Like any good instrument, it needs a skilled hand to get the best out of it, so I'd be wanting to spend plenty of time outdoors getting some experience with it. With a low power eyepiece in, get used to how the scope moves and how the view through the eyepiece relates to the sky (in terms of size and orientation). I'd start on bright objects: stars, doubles, planets and get familiar with star-hopping from one object to another.  Having those skills under your belt, and a basic knowledge of the constellations, will stand you in great stead to start looking for the DSO objects. Being confident that you're in the right area is a big part of tracking down galaxies etc.

Like Pixies says, I wouldn't bother getting a load more kit until you've discovered what works for you and what doesn't. Many of us have splashed out on stuff that we wanted, but later found out it wasn't stuff we needed or ended up using.

I've got the three volume Burnham's as well. It's an excellent (but obviously old) reference, but unfortunately spends most of its time on the shelf. A good sky atlas is better under the skies. I started with "Norton's Sky Atlas", an old fashioned paper book, but these days prefer an app for the phone or better still a tablet. If you go that route, make sure to drop the brightness as low as it will go, and if the app supports it, use "night view" that turns the screen red - which won't mess up your night vision.  The nice thing with apps (I use SkySafari) is that you can limit the magnitudes of what is displayed to match your skies, and also zoom in and out to match what you'll see through the finder or eyepiece (which are upside down to each other on a dob!).

Talking of seeing, a red light torch is highly recommended. Either buy one like that, or improvise with red paper or packing tape over the end of a normal torch.

I'm sure your familiar with warm stuff in Ontario, so 'enuff said, but there's nothing as miserable as being cold while observing for hours outside.

Other things that come in handy are a table for your stuff (eyepieces, charts, notepad, coffee mug...), and a box on its side to keep the dew off everything. If you can get a chair of a suitable height, that can make observing much more relaxing.

I use a cheap dictaphone when observing to make notes, but that's no good for drawings of course. Recording what you see, how you found it, eyepieces used, sky conditions, phase of the moon etc, can be a great help in sharpening your observing skills.

Hope some of that brain-dump helps you have fun with your scope.

Cheers,
Mark

 

 

Wow this is great. I really appreciate all the advice! I'm going to do exactly as you suggested. I am familiar with "warm stuff", haha. Some kind of bench would be great. The paint job on the hood of my car is taking a beating... I like the idea of an app, and will check out the one you suggested. Your phone is always in your pocket, so makes sense to have the right app on it.

Thanks again Mark!

3 hours ago, Pixies said:

A good guide to finding them would be a start. Such as "Turn Left at Orion" by Guy Consolmagno and Dan Davis. Your scope is perfect for deep sky objects.

As a newbie myself, I would suggest you just start with what you have before jumping into the never-ending abyss of upgrades and additions. Find out what works and what you have trouble with and then look to make things easier for yourself.

I  would imagine your initial purchases will be either eyepieces or improvements to your finder(s) - but until you have a shot, you won't know what your priorities are.

But just to get things started... what eyepieces do you have?

Thanks so much Pixies! That's great advice. I did buy a collimation tool, and as for the eyepieces, it came with a 28 mm, 10 mm and a 2X Barlow. I did buy a guide, but, I need to simplify. I bought Burnham's celestial guide, all three volumes, and I can't wait to become proficient at using it, but, I need something newer, and simpler, so, I think I will obtain a copy of the book you suggested.

Hey, I am new to backyard astronomy/ stargazing. After doing some research, I bought an Orion XT10 Plus. I would like to view galaxies and nebulas, can I do so with this telescope and if so, what should I get next? What eyepieces or additional components would better aid me in doing so? 

Any suggestions are much appreciated!