Craig F

This is great, I did wonder if there were alternatives, this fits the bill, many thanks. thanks for the recommendation, I ordered from FLO and it arrived a couple of days later, just need a clear sky now……..

This is great, I did wonder if there were alternatives, this fits the bill, many thanks.

Thanks for the info.

After a lengthy wait for my first scope to arrive (skywatcher 200P Dobsonian), I’ve had a few successful viewing sessions, mostly of the moon, but I’m finding the standard straight through target finder a pain in the neck (literally). I’ve discovered that skywatcher make a 9x50 right angled corrector finder. They are a bit pricey at £75, but I wondered if anyone has had experience with these items, and if it would be a good buy? Thanks in advance.

You're very lucky living in California, a few years back (pre-astronomy) I spent a lot of time working in the high desert region of Ridgecrest. The night sky there was mindblowing when you got into the hills and away from the town.

Just need to wait for it to arrive now..............🙄

Thank you Spile, some good advice and links there.

So, just looking longingly at my FLO account to see if there has been any movement on my order (Skywatcher 200p Dob), not as yet, but noticed that the same scope to order today would be over £100 more expensive 😵. Glad I orderd when I did.

Not really a problem for me, our local council turns our street lighting off at around 11:00pm every evening, to "save money".

Thanks for all the advice thus far. I have ordered a pair of Helios 10x50 binoculars to get me started and learn where some of the popular sights are, I’ll let you all know how I get on once my equipment starts to arrive. And no doubt I will have countless questions to ask along the way.

This is great, thanks Geoff.

Thanks @wibblefish and @nephilim, some great advice there. It's a bit overwhelming all of this, but as I said in my OP, its something I've wanted to get into for many years. I think I'll look into getting some bino's to use whilst I'm waiting for the scope, to get me used to the night sky and learn where "things" are. I'll also look into the apps and book suggestions.

@Wulfrun, many thanks for the explanation, that makes a bit more sense. I think the reason I hadnt got into astronomy sooner is the minefeild of equipment and what it all does. i guess all will become apparent .

Thanks. Yes I'm prepared for the wait, who would have thought astronomy would be so popular during lockdowns lol. I will hold off on the accessories. I hadn't even thought about a pair of binoculars, this would be a good idea to use for basic recognition of common objects, whilst I'm waiting. In the mean time I'll get a collimation cap.

Hello, thank you. I have ordered a book called " The stargazers handbook" by Giles Sparrow, basically an atlas, again based on reviews, so I will have a read through that and then have a look at your recommendation as it might answer some equipment questions.