Craig F

On 23/05/2021 at 20:14, Tiny Clanger said:

You could save £15 and go for one of these :https://www.firstlightoptics.com/finders/astro-essentials-9x50-right-angled-erecting-finderscope.html

I have one on my heritage dob, it is good, I have the skywatcher in the smaller 6x30 size on my mak too,

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……..

1 hour ago, Tiny Clanger said:

You could save £15 and go for one of these :https://www.firstlightoptics.com/finders/astro-essentials-9x50-right-angled-erecting-finderscope.html

I have one on my heritage dob, it is good, I have the skywatcher in the smaller 6x30 size on my mak too,

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

49 minutes ago, Tiny Clanger said:

As above 🙂 , having a RACI (right angle corrected image) finder is handy, it avoids the whole dobsonian 'scope weird yoga position thing which you can get when attempting to use straight through finders . There are two types , right angle finders , which reverse the view left/right and match the view in a refractor , but I suspect would be annoying with a dob ! Then the RACI which shows the sky as it is, just like the view in binoculars.

RACIs are usually more expensive than right angle finders , you can tell them apart visually because the right angled corner of the black truncated triangle plate will be truncated too , that corner 'cut off' , So the one in your illustration is a right angled finder not a RACI ! You can see the difference in the photo of the RACI on the page I linked to .

On a dob, a 9x50 RACI , which is a substantial lump of stuff, is in scale. I use mine in combination with the cheap red dot finder that ca,e with the 'scope to roughly line up on bright objects. On my mak I use the smaller RACI with a very nice Rigel Quickfinder, a slightly more sophisticated non- magnifying illuminated finder which stands up from the ;scope tube and is therefore easy to use.

In theory I could shift the finders between 'scopes, but they were never on the right one, and always needed to be re-aligned after being transferred, so each tube got its own .

Heather

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.

13 hours ago, AlexK said:

All paper charts require you to work at some table and with a bright flashlight. Which means trips back and forth, memorizing chart patterns, guessing them between 3-10 times more stars you see in the EP, and the saddest: never fully dark adapted eyes (which is the only single key to spectacular views in most any other unfavorable conditions but the overcast). Yes, with experience patterns recognition becomes a second nature even regardless the EP FOV variations, but for a beginner with ancient paper guides it's often a nightmare for a long time. Sane digital charts developed by actual DSO observers have all these problems mitigated.

I feel silly when recalling these ancient times: huge wet or frosty atlases pages, copying and printing pieces of various charts into one hand made, planning most efficient hops with a ruler, contouring photographs and reproductions, writing down observations with the pencil in the freezing cold, building rough measuring eyepieces and ugly ultra-dim flashlights, waiting 15 min at the EP until dark adapted for every tough object, etc... And all that to see just a handful of targets.

When I've started using star charts on handhelds (around 1999 on the Palm III PDA) it all became SO much easier, faster, and efficient compared to 20 years before that! So I didn't even hesitate a single moment to re-do all of my old targets again. It took barely 2 years to cover those past 20 of misery  (surely, also thanks to the California astroclimate, which is an astronomy paradise compared to Siberia)...

Instead of fiddling with all that rustic stuff and historical observing flow most of the night, I'm now actually just observing goodies in the eyepiece nearly nonstop, as pointing my z12 and identifying even toughest DSO on my list takes only 5-10 seconds with the App and Telrad (lately the QuInsight, which is even faster, as I don't have to leave my observing chair very often). I'm crunching hard DSOs by hundreds a night and have time to revisit favorite sky-candies as well 😍

Instead of meticulously planning observing nights weeks ahead of the New Moon trip to a B1-B3 sky location, and hauling tons of equipment on the roof of the car, I'm just rolling the Dob to the garage, loading, driving, unloading, turning on my app and continue observing goodies from the same page I left it last New Moon as if I never been leaving. So all I need for the night's "screaming success" is the Telescope, Telrad, and my app on the dedicated handheld (smartphone). In addition, all my observing records are always with me, in the app. On the trip or at work. So any spare minute I could take it out and hop on the hobby. Like reviewing and editing observing records, reconsidering or adding new targets (e.g. directly from a discussion on this forum), studying future targets with DSS overlays, etc... As the app contains and capable to address, visualize, and annotate every single object ever catalogued as well as to add new ones on the fly in any way I pleased.

Try that with paper charts. I believe they have only a decorative value nowadays of large handheld AMOLED screens and quadcore brains behind them.

The Aladin online service is great indeed. But it requires Internet access and not dark-adapted-eyes-friendly. Not even close. So it's (and alike services, and PC apps like Stellarium) for pre- post- observing time only.

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.

5 hours ago, dweller25 said:

Hello @Craig F and welcome to SGL.

You have made a good scope choice.

To get the best out of your scope.....

1. Cool it down well before use - leave it outside for at least 45 minutes in the shade before use.

2. Don’t view over heat sources like central heating outlets or rooftops - the rising heat will spoil the views.

3. Learn how to accurately align the two mirrors - collimation - easy once practiced.

Enjoy.....

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

On 16/02/2021 at 16:42, Spile said:

I echo the advice others have given in terms of nothing buying any optical "upgrades" until you exhausted the potential of the 200P 'as is'. I have the same telescope and I've been delighted with it. Spending time working through Turn Left at Orion with your binoculars will be a fantastic way to identify targets and their location.

I had my previous telescope from 1968 to 1971 and I only bought the 200P two months ago. I don't consider 50 years with binoculars wasted at all. It meant I knew exactly what to expect when I started using the Dobsonian. Maybe I did wait a bit too long though 🙂

There is wealth of fantastic resources on the internet I could only have dreamt of when I had my first telescope.

These are some of my favourites (Star Gazer Lounge is first of course)

 http://skymaps.com/downloads.html - Getting used to the sky 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNXzteckwM7bKNNLwWu5OLw  - The monthly “What to see in the night sky” videos of the Sky at Night YouTube channel

http://www.deepskywatch.com/deepsky-atlas.html - I printed out The Sky Version on A4 

http://www.deepskywatch.com/Articles/what-can-i-see-through-telescope.html - What you will actually see!  

https://stellarium-web.org - As well as this web one, install the local version on your laptop/desktop  http://stellarium.org and the app is good as well 

https://lavadip.com/skeye  - I use this app on my telescope!

https://www.lightpollutionmap.info  - Don't get too depressed! 

http://clearoutside.com/forecast - So you don't worry about not having a telescope  

https://www.cloudynights.com - I think of this as the US equivalent of SGL 

https://garyseronik.com/no-tools-telescope-collimation and https://garyseronik.com/a-beginners-guide-to-collimation  mindlefulness training when you see others spending ££££ on lasers

https://www.12dstring.me.uk/fovcalc.php and https://astronomy.tools/ - useful tools 
 

 

 

 

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.

28 minutes ago, Geoff Lister said:

Hello Craig, and welcome to SGL.

Several of those above have suggested the book "Turn Left at Orion". As a taster, there is a limited coverage of this book on the web site

https://www.cambridge.org/turnleft

Geoff

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 .

15 minutes ago, Pixies said:

Hi and welcome. 

You might be waiting for a while, I'm afraid. I'll agree with the above, and say don't rush into buying lots of accessories just yet. However, if you have the budget, I would recommend a pair of binoculars (10x50). They would be useful while you wait for your scope to arrive, but they are a great tool to use alongside a big scope. I often use mine to 'reccie' out an area of sky before observing, or before a more complicated star hop. They are also the most 'grab and go' of any optical system.

Then there's the 'C' word. Collimation. Again, don't rush into things - some fall foul of the trap, trying to perfect collimation before even starting to use the scope and ending up losing days of observing, trying to fix any mistakes they make. Now collimation is very straightforward, especially with the correct tools, but I might advise that you start with the cheapest and simplest tool - a collimation cap. Get it in advance, just in case the scope arrives knocked out of collimation (as mine did). They are only a few pounds.

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.

49 minutes ago, M40 said:

Hello Craig F and welcome to the forum. You will have plenty of questions, ask away there are some very knowledgeable people on here.

Can I suggest that you do not buy anything for the telescope until you have it in your hands, instead buy yourself Turn left at Orion, a very good and informative book. This book provides a wealth of basic information into the telescope and types of eyepieces and Barlow lenses that you can get for your telescope. As you get into the hobby, the book also provides some very good targets for you to find. I also like and use a planisphere, plus get yourself a night sky app for your phone. 

A few clues for you with your new telescope, it's going to be bigger than you think, so find somewhere to keep it, preferably in a shed or somewhere dry and safe outside. You will probably need a cover for your DOB, there is a topic on here with some solutions, have a search to try to find it.

Enjoy

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.

Hello all,

I have had a huge interest in astronomical veiwing for many years, albeit with the naked eye, staring for ages at the night sky. I have finally taken the plunge, after a long time researching different scopes, the pos and neg of each type, and settled on a Sky-watcher 200P classic Dobsonian from First Light Optics (literally ordered 10 mins ago!). This was based purely on sifting through web searches for "best beginner scopes" and looking at the reviews etc. I am aware that covid has decimated stocks of scopes worldwide, so I am intending to spend the "in - between" time reading about the night sky, and what I will be able to realistically veiw with the scope when it comes. So what I would like to know is what additional equipment would be beneficial to enhance the experience. I understand that things like a Telrad finder would be a good buy? Also could someone explain what a Barlow lens is, why it differs from the standard supplied lenses, and which one would be a good buy for the 200P.

Thanks in advance, looking forward to the responses.