I'm pretty glad I saw this. ATTN Ad Astra

[inksmithy]

Hi Andy,

I understand your need for a compact scope - the 6" dob stores in just an 18-inch square on the floor - very compact, all the bulk is straight up and it takes very little space.

I've recommended 6" dobs to beginners for years - here's why: Actually, I teach hundreds of people introductory astronomy in both high school and college every year, and for what it's worth, this is how we start everyone out.

My 'workhorse' telescope for beginners is the 150mm f/8 Dobsonian (like the 150P over there, I think). The scope has many advantages:

1. Lightweight and rugged - easy for anyone from young kids to the elderly to use and set up. And you don't have to be afraid to let the kids use it, either. I have an even dozen of these on three campuses, and some have been in service for over 10 years and still work great.

2. Simplicity, simplicity! No gears, no levers, no buttons, no cables, no batteries, no computers, no alignment... NO FUSS. You can learn to point and use a scope like this in minutes, and perfect your technique easily over time.

3. (Almost) maintainence free. The f/8 scope is easy to collimate, very forgiving of small errors, and holds collimation very well. Once properly adjusted, and used with care, you won't need to touch collimation for quite awhile. Keep the dust cap on when not in use and that's it. I live and work in the (very) dusty desert, and I only clean mirrors once a year - you probably won't have to do it for years.

4. Easy to store, Easy to transport. The modest size and mass make it not only easy to move about and set up, but easy to pack into the boot for a bit of dark sky fun at a star party. These take up only an 18-inch square on the floor, so finding room for them is not a problem. EQ mounted scopes by nature need much more space, or must be disassembled before you can achieve compact storage. (Dob scopes have no tripod to worry about, either.)

5. You are paying for optics (and great views!) not for bells and whistles! Since you aren't buying a tripod, EQ mount head, gears, motors, or on-board computers - the dob is a great value. The best view for the money, hands down.

6. Easy on the wallet. Don't forget that you will want to add a few accessories like a wide angle (32-40mm) eyepiece for deep sky stuff and a high power (5-9mm) eyepiece for planetary work, perhaps a barlow lens (magnification doubler), a lunar filter (the moon is incredibly bright in a scope!), a star map, eyepiece case, and a red LED torch for use at night (it doesn't ruin your night vision like white light does.)

Yes, there are some upgrades you may wish to consider:

A) You can go bigger. A 200mm will store in about the same space, and is only slightly bigger physically (although about double the mass). More aperture will give you brighter views, and enable you to see 'deeper' into space to capture even fainter objects. If you have the money, this isn't a bad idea at all. Be cautious though, if you go bigger than 200mm, the scopes get physically large rather quickly! If you haven't gone to a local club's star party yet, NOW would be a good time. Lots of mates there to help you out, and you can see a wide variety of scopes from the very simple to the really grand.

You can add a computer. "intelligent" dobs are available which do not move the scope (no motors), but they do help you point the scope. This can be very valuable in a light polluted area, but be aware that these things really up the complexity and make the learnnig curve much steeper. The good news is that these sort of 'passive' computer systems can easily be turned off, allowing you to use the scope manually. Not so with most GoTo models.

As for an EQ mount, goto system, or astrophotography - let that wait a bit. If you have a nice dob of 150-200 mm, you CAN buy an EQ mount for it later and upgrade if you want to. The conversion isn't hard at all. Astrophotography is an entire new set of skills that require excellent basic telescope operation and astronomy skills first. Add complexity only when you have achieved mastery of what you already have!

I really want you to succeed and have a blast, mate. No need to stress about getting the 'ultimate kit' right away. A nice dob will meet your needs optically - and your need for simplicty and stress-free observing. These scopes also hold their value very well, so if you decide to sell it off and upgrade in a year or so, you won't lose very much. I'm willing to bet you never sell your trusty dob, though. Many of us simply get our 'second' scope to do what the first one won't.

I hope that is helpful, feel free to PM me if you have specific questions - I'd be happy to help.

Cheers,

Dan

I mentioned in another post that I was resisting the temptation, I'm afraid Dan has tipped me over the edge, I've changed my mind completely.

Instead of this: Explorer 200P

I think I will go for this: 250P Dobsonian.

Works out to be cheaper, yet will do everything I want it to do I suspect. And considering I really do want to get an EQ mount at some point, I can find one of those as time passes and grab one second hand.

Cheers Dan,

Alan

[Ad Astra]

Hello Alan!

I'm thrilled that you found my post to be of value!

That said, I've been doing this a long time, and I have the unique perspective of having been a consumer of astro goods, a teacher of astronomy, and (in my dark past) a telescope salesman - each for a significant number of years.

There isn't one scope for everyone - but I have yet to see someone who started out this way fail to stay in the hobby and grow as an observer when they started out with something affordable, easy to use, and most of all - offered impressive views at the eyepiece.

I know you will have a blast with your new scope! There are (cough-cough!) two things you must do to repay the favor!

1) Post photos of the new baby when it arrives - and tell us all how your first light goes!

2) When you become an old hand at all this, you are then obligated to answer noob questions for the rest of your astronomical life to help give others the boost up and good start you have enjoyed!

Cheers!

Dan

[inksmithy]

I'm pretty happy to acquiesce to those two conditions actually.

If you have ever followed the link in my signature, you have probably been confronted by some fairly dull writing about artificial intelligence and neural nets and so on. Those posts are me frantically studying for an exam and are consequently pretty boring.

When the exam is done, I plan to get on with some other writing, such as this: http://inksmithy.co.uk/04-2011/misc/biological-bandwidth/

Apologies for the bare url, I'm on my phone at the moment.

My point is, I suspect people will stop reading my reports long before I tire of writing them.

I'll be doing a pictorial unboxing before the first light report comes in, though hopefully not long before!

Alan

[Slim]

Nice one mate

Think envy might just set in once you pick that 250P up, lol. I'm sure we could meet up so you could let me look in a real man's scope

[inksmithy]

hahaha, I'm hoping we can actually, I think this could be a lonely old hobby at times.

Dunno about it being a real mans scope - well, it might be, but am I man enough to use it, thats the question. Its a bit of a beast.

How have you gone in your quest for a dark site?

[Slim]

hahaha, I'm hoping we can actually, I think this could be a lonely old hobby at times.

Dunno about it being a real mans scope - well, it might be, but am I man enough to use it, thats the question. Its a bit of a beast.

How have you gone in your quest for a dark site?

I popped up to Pow Hill, as suggested, a few times but only got one clear night. A ton more stars to see if a little spooky in the dark all on your lonesome, lol.

[inksmithy]

I've been hunting around myself - had to change a couple of ideas with getting a don, but works out I can still do most of what I wanted to do before.

Wandering around in the dark is spooky though, been doing that myself.

Alan

[Adz]

Hey Alan,

I have just written this, it might be of some help to you.

http://stargazerslounge.com/equipment-reviews/140240-skywatcher-skyliner-200p-unboxing-building-some-add-ons.html#post1794085

HTH

[inksmithy]

Fantastic, thank you Adz, I'll put some questions in the thread.

Alan