mikemarotta

10 hours ago, bosun21 said:

SR stands for Symmetric Ramsden 

I wrote: "The SR is a "Symmetric Ramadan" two Plano-convex lenses. "

Yes, of course! It was not me. It was the type-ahead. I hate it and shut it off whenever I can just because of such infused idiocy. 

Thanks for catching that lest someone be confused by an obvious blunder.

Mike M.

2 hours ago, Jjmorris90 said:

Hello everyone. 
ive just been gifted a Celestron powerseeker 127eq. It came with two 20mm lenses and one 10mm lens. 
i haven’t managed to use it yet as it’s pretty cloudy. 
I’d love to be able to see Saturn and perhaps Jupiter. I’m unsure what lenses I need? 
I’ve read a lot about a Barlow lens? 
If anyone could shed any light. Thanks

The oculars ("eyepieces") you have are fine.  A Barlow lens will not do much for you right now. You have to learn how to use the telescope. It will show you much beyond Jupiter and Saturn, as stunning as they are. With Orion rising now in the evening, you will find that it is loaded with targets, including, of course, the very famous Messier 42 nebula cloud formation in the Sword. Do not rush into magnification or extra gear.  After Christmas, you will find a lot of options for returned gear with reputable retailers such as First Light Optics here. (Where are you located?, if I may ask. See about setting up your user profile and options there.) 

Nothing will look like it does online or television with specials about Hubble Space Telescope images, and all that, but the truth is that you will be doing your own exploring and discovering of Lunar features, the planets, double stars, and open clusters, fuzzy globular clusters, and more. It is your gateway to the Universe.

By the way: Is one of those 20mm eyepieces a "correcting" image? The way to know is to look at the Moon. The shiny side will point to the Sun of course. However, because in space, there is no up or down, most of our eyepieces do not correct for orientation. In fact, if you look at maps of the Moon often you will see South at the top.

This website will help you plan for viewing Jupiter:

https://skyandtelescope.org/wp-content/plugins/observing-tools/jupiter_moons/jupiter.html

And this one for Saturn:

https://skyandtelescope.org/wp-content/plugins/observing-tools/saturn_moons/saturn.html

Note that they give you options for three views. You want the Inverted: Newtonian/Dobsonian when you are in the "native" mode. If one of the 20mm is a correcting lens, then you want the Direct view.

1 hour ago, Stickey said:

Hi there. Congratulations on your gift, now all you need are a few dark nights 🙂.

You'll see the larger planets, but perhaps not as big as you'd like in the view. Typically, you'd want x200 magnification to get a really good look at Saturn. 

Mike

I have to disagree, Mike. The Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ is an excellent telescope at 40 to 100X. Our new friend has 20mm and 10mm oculars and 50X to 100X is perfect for it. This is also a German Equatorial Mount. So, learning to use that is also a bit of a challenge. jjmorris90 will have to find out for himself about inverting the telescope when he crosses the meridian. 

Myself, when I started with my Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ, I also bought the Celestron lens and filter kit. It is a great toolbox. I bought it because I saw people at star parties with huge telescopes refractors and reflectors both and the same Celeston kit.  I am still happy with it after seven years and I am now spending as much on single eyepieces as the kit cost back then. That said, though, I did not get any use from it for the first 10 or 12 times I went out with my telescope. In fact, I was disappointed with it. I only learned to appreciate it after I learned to use the telescope well with its "native" equipment, the 20mm and 10mm eyepieces.

Best Regards,

Mike M.

Ciao e Benvenuto. (... ma proprio non parlo italiano).

Feel free to ask for help, of course, and when you have solved your tehnical problems, please share your observation reports with us.

Best Regards,

Mike M.

(Pronunziamo il cognome "Marada" e non trilliamo la r. As the Scots say, "I do not roll my ars.")

On 21/11/2021 at 04:46, Mr Spock said:

I was having a think about this last night. I was looking at Rigel through the 102mm at x119. At 9.4" it looked quite wide.  ... I'll find out in due course but just wondered what everybody else used.

I have an Explore Scientific 102mm achromatic F=660 and first view of Rigel was last week 8 December at 165X with an StellarVue 4mm and then at 94X with a 7mm Nagler Type-1.  When I tried the 14-mm Meade Series 5000, I knew that it was there, but, truly, I could have not reported it on that basis alone. (My other hobby is numismatics, where optimistic grading is common.)  Last night (this morning 0005 Hours), I got very good separation with an Explore 5X focal extender and the 14mm Meade for 235X. 

On 21/11/2021 at 10:02, Stu said:

I like close pairs ...  though something like the double double clearly splits at x80 even in small apos if the seeing is good. Nice at x120 or more too of course.

That is not my experience at all. Skies and eyes are all individualized.  I have been able to split the famous double-double epsilon Lyrae with 70mm entry-level telescopes (Meade and Celestron). Here from my notebook for 05 November 2021. However, I was unable to do this with the National Geographic 70mm and for that, I had two of them, one older (2015) and the other new from the box. 

The Meade F=700mm. So 233 X to do this. The Celestron is a longer f/13 F=900. So 225X. For myself, the one pair is always harder to split and here even with the longer focus, the Celestron had trouble.

Because the Naitonal Geographic could not do this, I bought the other two to test the limits. Otherwise, I use (as above) my 102-mm with F=660. My first view was on 20 November 2020 with an 8mm Ploessl and a 2X Barlow (both Celestron) for 165X.  

1 hour ago, mikeDnight said:

The highest power I've ever used on a double was 1000X when I first bought my FC100DZ. It was a silly magnification to try, as at 1000X  ...  

Silly? Let me tell you about silly: "Jupiter at 1100X" here on my blog. However, there, I do cite Ronald Stoyan "The Visual Astronomer" blog at http://visualastronomer.com/ (Note that it is not secure socket https.) He says that magnification is never wasted.   But, as much as I agree that more power can serve a purpose, I still view casually mostly at 40X to 100X.  (47X with the Meade 14mm now. Previously, I tended to the Celestron 32mm + 2X Barlow.) 

On 11/12/2021 at 05:12, Spaced Out said:

Can anyone recommend a good book, for a total beginner, interested in looking at the night sky from their garden please. Just naked eye stuff at the moment.

Thanks

Everyone recommends their own favorite and no one says why or why not some other by comparison. Probably the best advice started out on a different tack:. wulfrun from Wolverhampton opined: 

Quote

How about a planisphere? Inexpensive and an "everlasting" calendar-based tool. Things like "Turn Left At Orion" seem to expect binoculars as a minimum. Not sure about others.

TLAO would be my personal favorite. I stress that personal favorite. Books are like cars or friends or anything else: highly personal. My honest recommendation is to use your public library and your best local bookstores. Browse the shelves. Read the books. Buy the one (ones) that speak to you.  I borrowed Turn Left at Orion several times from my local libary and still do not own my own copy.  I do, however, have several planispheres, including one that came along with maps of the Moon and the Sky as a package from Cambridge Press. But I found it at a used bookstore here in town.

If you want to know which "brands" to trust, look for the Patrick Moore label from Cambridge Press. They are not all stellar. (I just gave one a bad review for the poor editing. They let the author down. But I was a writer long before I was an editor.). 

Best Regards (and clear skies),

Mike M.

Congratulations. I did not know about Universal Astronomics.  Now, it is too late.

Quote

 

Been a long time coming, but UA is slowly closing its doors.  My thanks to those who supported our products over the past 20 years.

And my apology to those who have struggled recently to communicate with me.  

We are no longer taking orders for larger altazimuth mounts, All parallelogram designs, or tripods.  

Feel free to inquire for availability of accessories or lighter altaz mounts.

Please use Larry@universalastronomics.com for any inquiries.

Current product prices can be found at the PRICE LIST  page in the menu above.   All prices and information subject to change without notice.

http://www.universalastronomics.com

 

That last price list is dated three years ago.

RETAIL PRICE LIST

effective November 1, 2018*

21 hours ago, dazzystar said:

On a limited budget I'm going to put together a starter astrophotography rig consisting of an Evoguide 50ED, Skywatcher AZ-GTi goto mount, Raspberry Pi running Stellarmate and an ZWO ASI178MC camera. Can anybody recommend a tripod I could use?  -- Daz

It is very smart of you to seek all of that as separate components.  It is most common in the hobby to just accept the Package Deal of a great telescope and a flimsy mount and tripd with two oculars ("eyepieces") that you will soon replace with something more suited to your actual viewing needs.

After several years in this hobby, I finally started doing that, buying the component separately.

17 minutes ago, neil phillips said:

< On 08/12/2021 at 08:11,  ScouseSpaceCadet said: For £45 the BK607A72 is worth a punt if it is immaculate.>

Neil Phillips replied Erm the mount looks well flimsy ?????? 

1 hour ago, vlaiv said:

IThere is a bolt holding clutch in place - if you undo it, you'll be able to pull away plastic leaver lever that you can then put back on at a different angle and fasten bolt again. 

I had the same problem and same easy solution for another mount, the Celetron AVX. I hate taking things apart because they are harder to get back together, but it seems that it really should be part of one's procedures for all new gear to really inspect everything indoors during the day to figure how they work.

On 10/12/2021 at 14:24, Ian McCallum said:

Rather than do things in my normal way, I decided to remove the mount from the tripod. 🙄

My new EQ5 Deluxe mount took a dive into the dirt! 😱

I nearly had a laxative moment, but thankfully there was nothing damaged, just my pride! 

Nothing was bend or broken and I very carefully took apart and cleaned the polar scope. 😮

Been there... done that...

I bought a new Celestron AVX computerized mount and I still have not used it much. The second night out, taking things back inside, after bringing my telescope in,  I loosened the center bolt connecting the mount to the tripod before I took out the counter-weight. The mount took a dive. As you said, "Nothing was damaged, just my pride." 

50 minutes ago, Adam J said:

perhapse a link to the specific model you are suggesting?

He has been singing the praises of this:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/telescopes-in-stock/sky-watcher-capricorn-70-eq1-refractor.html

They say: "The Capricorn 70 is a classic looking 70mm (2.75") F/900 refractor on EQ1 mount perfect for beginners.

Please don't let it's low price mislead you, the Sky-Watcher Capricorn 70 EQ is not a department-store toy. The 70mm aperture, long focal-ratio and coated optics provide pleasing views of Jupiter and some of it's moons. Saturn with it's rings is easily identifiable and the lunar surface will show a wealth of detail. Some of the brighter deep-sky targets are also within reach including the Orion nebula, M13 Globular cluster in Hercules and the beautiful double-star Albireo. "

Neil's point is that the long focus of 900 mm gives this a focal ratio of 12.8 which makes this what many aficanados would call "a planet-killer."  It is also suitable for deep sky targets. Moreover, its longer fcous also removes much (perhaps all) chromatic aberration, typical of shorter refractors. And - allowing some discussion on this point - longer ("slower") telescopes are easier to focus sharply. Shorter ("faster") telescopes are less forgiving.

At its higher magnifications this 70-mm refractor is not going to allow all of the Pleiades or the full Moon, but at lower powers it will. That is a trade-off versus for examples a larger reflector, especially a Dobsonian 6-inch or 8-inch or beyond. The Dobsonians are price competitive because their mounts are typically inexpensive fiberboard or plywood cradles. Also, reflectors do not suffer from chromatic aberration.  It is a tautology, however, to point out that a nice as the view is in a large reflector, the telescope is big and heavy. This is small and light.

Nature and nature's laws lay hid in night;
God said "Let Newton be" and all was light.

Godfrey Kneller's Portrait, 1689.

Few people except numismatists know him to have been the Warden and Master of the British Royal Mint for thirty years.  He had himself sworn as a justice of the peace so that he could pursue and prosecute counterfeiters.  For most people, Newton is famous for his Three Laws of Motion.  Beyond that, those with additional education know him for creating the Calculus to prove his theories of celestial and terrestrial mechanics. In addition, Newton invented the reflecting telescope as a result of his experiments with light.  And he also proved the general case for the Binomial Theorem (“Pascal's Triangle”). He served in Parliament, representing Cambridge, where he had been a professor of mathematics.  He served as president of the Royal Society.

Newton’s ideas are easy to explain today, especially using algebra and the Leibniz notation for calculus. The proofs in the Principia are—and could only have been—delivered via geometry. We do not know it so well today. Richard P. Feynman intended to develop and present his own proofs to a class as a treat to relieve the stress of up-coming semester final examinations. He could not do it. He did not know enough geometry.

"Conder" Tokens from Middlesex. Catalogued as Dalton & Hamer 1035A. (See Good Money: Birmingham Button Makers, the Royal Mint, and the Beginnings of Modern Coinage, 1775–1821 by George Selgin.)
 
It seems that three students at Tokyo University started Newtonmas in their dormitory sometime before 1890.  As the undergraduates developed into graduates and assistants, their professors were drawn into the celebration, and a more suitable assembly hall was found in the University Observatory.  By 1890, they called themselves the Newtonkai  (Newton Association; 皆 = kai = “all”) and moved to the Physical Laboratory. There, they played games symbolic of great mathematicians, physicists, and astronomers: Newton’s apple, Franklin’s kite, a naked doll for Archimedes … 

That story comes from “A New Sect of Hero-Worshippers” published in Nature, Vol. 46, No. 1193, p. 459, 8 September 1892. It available from the publisher for $18 if you are not a member, or it can be found online at Google Books.

Reminders of Newtonmas Past
https://necessaryfacts.blogspot.com/2017/12/reminders-of-newtonmas-past.html

This year's greeting.
https://necessaryfacts.blogspot.com/2021/12/merry-newtonmas-2021.html

Well... I gave myself a project.

I am comparing entry-level 70-mm refractors.

So, this is what the postal carrier delivered this week:

MILE HIGH ASTRO - LAKEWOOD, COLORADO

EXPLORE SCIENTIFIC, SPRINGDALE, ARKANSAS.

So far, it has been an interesting four nights and five early mornings.

This is very nice work. The snapshot is fine, of course, but your sketch is truly extraordinary. You are very talented. 

Thanks for sharing.

Clear skies!

Mike M.

On 06/10/2021 at 10:31, lenscap said:

Yes, and it is even more precise if you de-focus the target to produce a large circular blob nearly as big as the fov. Then there will be no doubt when it is centered.

I hadn'tthought of that. Of course. Thanks for the lesson.

Best Regards,

Mike M.

Beautiful pictue. It is an area that I view often and read about even more.

But I am not sure about what I am looking at. What is the field of view ? 

It looks like maybe 10 degrees of arc, if those are Antares and M4 at 1.2 degrees separation.

Thanks!

Mike M.

Perhaps we should have a meta-discussion on how to give advice on buying your first telescope. It is a common question and reliable answers already exist, available for citation. The article from Sky & Telescope warning against "hobby killers" might be the best advice initially: not what to buy but what not to buy. In this case, the original poster already gave a monetary figure. However, lately, I have taken to listening to a different drummer. Rather than refractor-reflector-dobsonian-goto, I start with the cost of deciding. 

• How much do you earn per hour? 
• How much discretionary income do you want to invest in the telescope and all of the kit and gear that it requires?
• Divide Price by Wages and that is how many hours you should invest gathering information and reading. 

"I did this. Do what I did."  misses the fact that the interrogator is not you. They do not have your eyesight, your living arrangements, your income, your lifestyle, your education, or your physical strength, among all of the very many possible parameters.  

"I did this. Do what I did."  reflects cognitive dissonance: the desire to justify a choice that cannot be easily changed. I tell newbies "I did this, don't make my mistake." In fact, I made several expensive mistakes and gave the telescopes to the Goodwill where they might serve some social benefit on their journeys to new homes.  They just were not right for me, though, indeed, they were perfect for hundreds if not thousands of other happy customers. 

On the other hand, unlike @dweller25  I would recommend the "eyepiece" (ocular) kit that the original poster asked about. I bought mine because I saw other people at star parties with the same accessories. They had different kinds of telescopes. One was homemade, beautiful wooden tube. But they had the same box of lenses and filters. And the original poster found a restricted set, not the full array, but a core group, even better.  Given that the choices that were roundly offered cost far less than the stated budget, the ocular-and-filter set seemed like a good option. 

I could not help but notice that even the affable @Tiny Clanger  ran short of patience. It is understandable. That is why as a parent who survived  our child's teenage years, I took the time to use private messaging to open a line of communication, ask questions, and make suggestions, including finding a local astronomy club, and a short list of retailers in their city. 

As closely as I aligned with @John  on the problematic nature of contrary engagement, the fact is that astronomy is a science and its practice rests on technologies and we come together in society to share our appreciation and enjoyment of our hobby. In astronomy, physics, and sociology, not all answers are equally valid. Right and wrong exist. Trades  group jargon about "dobs" (and all that) delivers not much, especially to someone whose initial iniquiries evidence a lot of passion but not much background at that moment.

I confess to dropping the ball in my reply to @Knighty2112 about the smart phone goto. A colleague of mine in information systems selected something similar for his son. In that case, however, there was no question about the technology (which was secondary) but also about the engagement of the parent with the child. I read the rave reviews on these when they came out. I read the ads, read the articles. I would never buy one for myself. And in this case, considering the context of the original poster, it seemed clear to me that this is a person who can (a) find the planets and (b) wants to learn the sky. The cellphone option seemed like both a burden and a crutch. But I was too terse, and that was my own failing. 

Anyway, the current status as I understand from our PM exchanges it is that the local club is gaveling soon and the original poster is looking forward to meeting people who can answer all of his questions. (The OP also has my personal email address if they want to follow through.) 

On 08/08/2021 at 05:06, John said:

I'm not sure that it is helpful to critique the responses that folks are giving here like this Mike

By all means post your own advice in your own style for the original poster but others should be free to post what and how they like I think.

All the responses are well intentioned I'm sure

On 08/08/2021 at 05:18, Knighty2112 said:

Hi Mike. I did state it required a smart phone or tablet if they wanted to use this scope with the goto function, however it can be also used without using the goto function ... and give much more enjoyment rather than not been able to see objects searched for, get frustrated with the whole thing then give it up.  

On 08/08/2021 at 07:13, Astro Noodles said:

@mikemarotta

I don't know if you have offered any meaningful advice here.

The manner of your criticisms of the advice offered by other members isn't appropriate.

On 10/08/2021 at 04:02, dweller25 said:

Perhaps we should all check with @mikemarotta first before posting 😂😂😂

On 09/08/2021 at 17:33, Tiny Clanger said:

You don't want to do any of the research yourself ? And you want the members here (the vast majority of who are in Europe) to tell you what to buy, and search for links for you in Australian websites ? Hmm.

If you want to have that sort of service provided for you, best you contact some Australian astronomy kit dealers yourself, and ask their advice. I'm sure an online search for 'telescope retailers Australia' will give you plenty of places to contact .

On 10/08/2021 at 04:09, dweller25 said:

I would not buy the eyepiece kit just yet - its better to buy the scope, use it and learn for yourself what you need based on your observing experience.

On 08/08/2021 at 11:21, Gonariu said:

...   with a achromatic Vixen 102M a few days ago, out of laziness I did not make any drawings. As a math and physics teacher ... 

I do not always make drawings. I will at least enter verbal notes, but every now and then, I just go out to view and enjoy. I will lie back in a chaise longue and use a binocular or just enjoy the sky naked eye. 

I try to apply all of the math and physics that I can to my observing. I work as a technical writer, usually in information systems. However, I am on a project now in optics and lasers. That provides some context to my hobby time observing at night.

Best Regards,

Mike M.

18 hours ago, lunator said:

I use an A4 sketchpad. I add 5cm diameter circle to draw within. ... Cheers, Ian

Well, you do a bit more than that! I visited your website and was greatly impressed with your photographs of doubles. You have an array of nice work on display.

Best Regards,

Mike M.

19 hours ago, TheTeenThatLovesAstronomy said:

Hi im new to this forum and website. I have recently downloaded a app that lets me track planets nebulas stars and other things in deep space. Im just a amateur and have a 10x50 binoculars that can barely see planets, i was wondering if any of you people can reccomend me good and cheap binoculars/telescopes or other equipment but mainly binoculars because im a amateur or telescopes that are good for amateurs that can make me see the planets somewhat up close enough that i can see saturns rings or titan in good detail that it dosent seem like dot and big enough to see the rings in good detail something that can make me see up close,that is cheap and good Thanks, Greatly appreciated

G'day, mate! You did not get the answers you need. First of all you need to find an Australian retailer to buy your telescope from. They will be able to help you with customer support, and they will stand behind their products. 

SECOND: You need to do some background reading. This is like buying a car: sports car, van, 4-cylinder or 6, long drives or short commutes? Go to your local library or visit bookstores (used books, especially), and visit more than one of these discussion boards.  Read and ask questions. On one of the boards that I visit one of the Moderators, one of the leaders, just asked for help buying their first telescope. This is not something to jump into. 

The telescope that everyone wants you to buy -- spending your money for you -- requires frequent maintenance. You have to adjust it periodically. That's why they told you to get a "Cheshire." It is an alignment tool. But not every telescope needs that, only REFLECTORS with mirrors. The other kind, are REFRACTORS with lenses. They also need adjustment, like anything else in life, but not as nearly often, and maybe never as long as you own your telescope. And when you do need to align a lens system,  you usually take to the shop and have an expert do it.  

You got hit with a lot of buzzwords about "aperture" and "Dobs" and "fast" telescopes.  Without getting too technical right now, a telescope is a SYSTEM: 1. A main lens or mirror in a tube. 2. A tripod and mount 3. Eyepieces. Having one eyepiece is like having a car with one gear. It works... sort of ....  And when you listen to them talk among themselves, they all admit that the MOUNT and TRIPOD are as important as the telescope itself.  That's why I recommended that you visit the websites and the stores of retailers in Queensland and near Brisbane.  You need to do some window shopping in order to gain the knowledge you need to make a good choice.  Finally, if you fall in love with the hobby as we all have, your first telescope will not be your last. 

19 hours ago, CraigT82 said:

Hi and welcome to the forum. If you want something cheap and good you can't really do worse that a Skywatcher Heritage 130p.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/heritage/skywatcher-heritage-130p-flextube.html

This scope will show you Jupiters cloud bands and the great red spot, plus Saturn's rings, moons and the Cassini division. 

It will also work well on deep sky objects. It is very portable and easily transported to observing sites with darker skies which really helps with the deep sky targets.

It all depends on the seeing conditions. The Cassini division and the Great Red Spot are not guaranteed sights.  You did not ask if the person lives in the city or suburbs or country. A reflector needs collimation. Can the person asking actually do that? You think it is easy. I found it difficult and abandoned reflectors for refractors. The questioner asked about what they knew to ask about (planets) because living in Australia, they take the Magellanic Clouds for granted.  A small refractor might be just the ticket. We do not know.

19 hours ago, Tiny Clanger said:

If it is within budget and in stock, the heritage 150 is similar but has a bigger aperture, so gathers more light .

I had no problems with it as a beginner when I bought it as my first proper 'scope a year ago. The Heritage (both sizes)  is a basic model (which is why it is cheap ) but a good mirror. There are some diy tweaks to be done with it  search on here and you'll find a lot og help, including an excellent you tube video all about it.

Heather

You gave some sound advice, Heather, no doubt about that. In this case, for myself, I hear warning bells when someone says "that's what I did." Is that cognitive dissonance? Are you justifiying a decision that you cannot change? I would not recommend the first telescope I bought. It was a mistake. And it was very similar to the one you recommended. Maybe it would be OK. Asking more questions might suggest some alternatives.

19 hours ago, Knighty2112 said:

In that case this one with goto easily falls in your budget, but you need a smart phone or tablet to control the goto part.

So, it is hard to use. And it has come from the UK. The person asking is in Oz, mate. Maybe they have a tablet. Maybe they do not want to use their phone for this.  It would help to find out more about the person's context.

18 hours ago, Tiny Clanger said:

Slow down there, don't rush into something  without doing lots of research. 

 Enthusiasm is great, but you can end up  buying the wrong thing very easily. There is a load of information to be found online, especially about the 130 heritage under the  name of a version of it in the USA  'one sky newtonian', look it up.

You have a manual 130mm 'scope,  and a 150mm 'virtuoso model twice the price in mind. The latter needs 8 AA batteries or a powertank or other external power supply for the electronics to work. Extra cost and weight .

All the heritage models are tabletop dobsonians too ... you need to raise them off the ground by around 60cm . If you have the storage space, a classic 150 dob might suit you better.

Is there a local  asttronomy group you can get in touch with,  where you could maybe see some 'scopes in action ?

You gave the right advice: slow down. Then you buried the person in buzzwords and jargon. The last line is salient advice, probably the best way to start the conversation. 

17 hours ago, Tiny Clanger said:

I'm recommending you pause and do some research before buying anything at all. ... There is no way someone can say what is right for you without knowing a lot more.

Reading this ... Lots to read here ... And this thread will help explain what is possible... 

All good points. 

14 hours ago, PEMS said:

You won't get told the negatives, but the negatives can make whatever almost useless. ... aperture ...spherical mirror.... parabolic. And I would hope that everyone knows otherwise. ... ... if you think a 130 will give 260x then you are way out. ... Do you want a mount that tracks the objects? A$1500 should get a mount+scope combination but I suggest that you pick the 2 items. Not a package. 

...  a fast scope ... A nice slow one ... f/8 ... I have a Skywatcher Az GTi with a Skywatcher 72ED. Now that will likely give me 100x ... An 80ED will go on a Az GTi ... Also Aus has some high import duties ... a dobsonian maybe consider the 150 that if f/8 so 1200mm focal length. ...  a 2" diagonal ... Have you found "iceinspace" ? Think that is the name - Aus based astronomy forum and may therefore have used equipment for sale.

And when told the negatives they will be incomprehensible. You do not realize that you are speaking a foreign language. Fast ... slow... spherical... parabolic... f/8 ... diagonal. 

The one thing you said that could help was "iceinspace" and I was able to find it:  https://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/index.php

2 hours ago, Chaz2b said:

I see Brisbane has an astronomical society and is on Facebook. I would strongly suggest you look them up and see if they are still having telescope meetings. ... I’d personally go for a slower scope with a high F value ... 

You were doing so well. And then you fell into jargon. But you were not alone in that. 

10 hours ago, BobInYorkshire said:

Hi, I’m a keen amateur photographer and have some top of the range Nikon cameras and lenses but have never attempted photographing anything in the sky so welcome any advice.

 

Well, not being a photographer, my experience is that those who have The Eye do well and others are on a learning curve. As a photographer first, you bring to this much of the learning that is otherwise hard-won (and sometimes hardly won). I managed some snapshots, but that's it. As a writer, I have worked as a reporter and had seminars in photography for news. Other than that, it's not what I do. But I know how it is done and, again, I know that those who have experience and talent are rare and highly regarded. So, welcome. We look forward to the fruits of your new hobby.

Best Regards,

Mike M.

2 hours ago, Arty68 said:

... I now have a Sky-Watcher 100mm ED refractor ...  a Meade LX65 8" f/10 ACF Catadioptric with GoTo mount.  ... I can mount both scopes on the Meade head however ... 

Welcome to the forum! I, too, am looking for a mount and tripod to carry an 8-inch Newtonian and (separately) a 115 mm apochromatic refractor. The supply chain is still very much impacted by the pandemic and inventory is hard to find all over. You just have to keep shopping. 

You have some nice telescopes. Your stable of instruments provides you with a lot of options. I also chose my current telescopes for their portability. 

If I may ask, where in Ohio do you live? I know the state well having worked in Dayton, Cleveland, and Columbus over the years.  Do you belong to a local club?

Best Regards,

Mike M.

On 15/06/2021 at 10:16, AstroMuni said:

Updated topic to show that its mounted ... Focus can be a challenge and needs patience. Tools in Ekos help ...

Thanks! This was a lesson for me, for sure: It's a poor workman who blames his tools. You are getting quite a lot of good use from a telescope than many people dismiss. You also have astro-photography skills, which I have not even attempted. All in all you deserve a round of applause. Thanks, again.

Best Regards,

Mike M.

4 hours ago, Bongo said:

@mikemarotta Thanks for all that. Sorry for not getting back to you sooner - things have been a bit hectic around here. 

...  plus the BST 8mm (which I'm very happy with indeed!). I inherited a 3x Barlow, which can be nice with the stock EPs but I've had no luck combining it with the 8mm BST - hard to focus and/or track. Gives options with the other EPs though.

Well, you know, you can multiply or divide but 3XBarlow with an 8mm ocular is like using an (8/3 mm) eyepiece: like 2-2/3... pretty tight. So, focussing will be touchy. But, yes, the 3X gives you options.

The important thing is to keep at it. Go out when you can. Read went you cannot go out. If I may ask, what books do you have? Do you read any other web discussion in addition to this one? We can all recommend books, lots of books, trust me on that. You will need the stargazer books like Turn Left at Orion, but also telescope books like Philip S. Harrington's Star Ware. I just borrowed S. Barlow Pepin's Care of Astronomical Telescopes and Accessories from my local library. I also cruise the used bookstores and leaf through many just to see what speaks to me. I found a recent edition of a standard one-year university text at a good price. But I am a bibliophile and I prize my copy of a book by Henry Norris Russell. In the UK you have a surfeit of books by Patrick Moore and even a series edited under his direction. We all have our favorites, but it is like eyepieces: your eyes are not mine and the book that works well for me may not be friendly for you.

On 29/07/2021 at 12:51, Mogra1 said:

Hi,      We  were able to set up finderscope and see the moon clearly. ... However, ... Any suggestions. Thanks

 

My first adult telescope in November 2014 was a Celestron EQ 130. It took a lot of getting used to. I posted criticisms of the design and construction. It arrived not perfectly collimated and after a few years, it was just unsatisfactory. I bought a collimation eyepiece and was not successful. I donated the telescope and its original everything and the collimator to the Goodwill. My worst experience was trying to put one of the Celestron fillters in the 20mm eyepiece. The two they send you are not meant for their own kit. The eyepiece came apart I held a handful of small lenses. Fortunately, I was not the first person in the world that happened to and I found a website for putting it back together.

All of that being as it may -- and there's more sad stories untold -- that telescope taught me a lot about observing. I learned a lot preparing to view when I went out. (Taking flying lessons in the 1990s, I learned that pilots spend as much or more time planning the flight as flying the route. That's good advice for astronomy, also.) I saw things that I never saw before, of course. The Trapezium in the Orion Nebula is a perfect example. Now that I know it was not the sharpest image possible, it makes no difference because the image was what it was and I identified what I was looking at. Jupiter, Saturn, Mars... I tracked the moons of Jupiter... Saw the phases of Venus, and eventually even the Andromeda Galaxy.  It's all out there waiting for you. See below, but at some level, your telescope will cut through the city sky and you will see very many stars in the telescope that are not visible naked eye.

So, make the most of the telescope and ignore the nay-sayers. Galileo changed our view of the universe with much less of an instrument. When you are ready for your second telescope, you will get a lot more from it because of what you learned from the EQ 130.

On the plus side: Celestron customer service is great.  

Also on the plus side, the Celestron Lens & Filter kit.  I agree with the comments above that you have most of what you need in the 10mm and 20mm and with a 2X Barlow and a 40mm (I would go with 32 mm) you will have most of what you will use actively from 40mm (16.5X) down to 5mm (10+2X) for 130X.  That being as it may, you will also need some kind of "Moon filter" also called ND=neutral density or you will hurt yourself on the Moon, seriously: it's that bright when fuller. Different people have different opinions of the other filters. I have used them all and really am not active with them, but it can help to block this or that when you want to see Saturn, Jupiter, or the Moon somewhat differently for details.  The reason that I bought the kit in the first place is that at club star parties I saw other people with other kinds of telescopes with the same kit. It seems to be acceptable to many. 

I did buy another telescope (several) and I did buy other oculars ("eyepieces") paying as much for them altogether as I did for the EQ-130. But I still use the Celestron kit and I seldom use the others. You will find the comment above that there is no sense in buying a great eyepiece for a mediocre telescope. The EQ-130 will not be improved with a 250 UKP 82-degree waterproof ocular. I still use the Celestron EPs every time I go out with my midrange and beginner refractors. 

Why? Because lenses and mirrors and tripods and mounts and eyepieces are totally irrelevant against the seeing conditions of your sky. I live in the city. Right now, Saturn is at opposition and Jupiter is closing. Unless I travel to a dark sky site, my view will be whatever it is as much with the National Geographic 70 mm "department store" telescope as it would be with the Apochromatic Extremely Low Dispersion Triple Lens 115 mm refractor and an 82-degree 7mm ocular. That's life. Think of Galileo.

One recommendation:

One of the first things I read online was from a guy who turned the wrong knob and his telescope slipped from the mount and hit the deck with the sound of shattered glass. As you can see, the control knobs are the same for the two axes and the mount. You want them to feel different in the dark.