SkyWatcher 130m scope, got it but what else should i get???

[KerryAnn23]

So as i went to my first star party in october i bought myself a scope off one of the other members. i had a play with it while i was there but since iv been home the weather has been terrible so i got myself thinking...' well what else do i need for it?' i have bought one or 2 second hand eyepieces but that is it. while the weather continues and xmas is coming up i thought i could compile a list of things i want or need to make viewing (when i get it) easier for me, so anything at all will be helpful as a suggestion or even better if you have experience with this particular scope....... THANKS :-)) :icon_scratch:XX

[damnut]

Hi KerryAnn23,

You have started well, having the right ep's is pretty crucial. There is a guide by Warthog in the ep section, I would use that to see where the gaps are in your set. Medium price but excellent performers are the BST range c£40 ea, Hyperions next £100 a pop, £70ish second hand. Also do you have a red dot finder or a 8*50, some like the rdf some prefer the mini scope.

And howabout a good star atlas??

Good Luck

[red dwalf]

Pinch one of the kids laptops and download stellarium, free software and very good to show what's in the night sky, also a moon filter, a must buy item

[Capricorn]

Plenty of practise.

Have you a collimator for when the scope needs it.

Warm clothing.

Box for putting things in, easier if they all go in one box then several different places when outside in the dark.

Couple of towels or small blankets for the box to stop the bits you put in it rattling round.

If you can get a wind up red torch get one, wind it up a lot and put it in the box switched on. I have a wind up Filzer rear cycle light for this. Nice and small can be set to 1 LED on only. Easy the find torch, know where the box is and find things in the box.

More warm clothing.

What eyepieces have you?

[KerryAnn23]

hey guys, i have stellarium and a red dot finder attached to the scope, i also have the bino's in my signiture which help alot too x

[KerryAnn23]

hey again, i definately want;

star atlas

moon filter

R A Motor drive?

collimator tool

Dew shield?

My main problems is knowing where to find the correct ones for my scope.

Capricorn, im not sure which eyepieces they are now lol, i will check once i get upstairs and let you know what they are x

[KerryAnn23]

ok my eyepieces are as follows ; Meade 400 series 2x barlow

celestron e-lux 40mm plossl

celestron omni 9mm plossl

super 10mm

series 500 6.5 plossl

super 25 wide angle Long Eye Relief

the first 2 listed are my newly aquired second hand ones and im in the process of getting a vixen 15mm

[nightfisher]

hi kerryann, you are doing ok for eyepieces, i would hold back on the right/A drive for the time being, and having a reflector a dew shield is not so important, either get the collimator, or really swat up on doing it with out one, in town a few shops sell some VERY thick, warm socks, get a pair of them for good reason, when we get some good clear skies you can bet it will get very cold, and you dont want to pack in on a good night cause your freezing

[onesmallstep]

Hi

Sky & Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlas: Amazon.co.uk: Roger W. Sinnott: Books

Check this star atlas out.

[KerryAnn23]

NIGHTFISHER worse thing is really that im on my own doing it all so i have just actually set it up tonight in my window and dabbled with my eyepieces to see jupiter. it was brill but the clouds rolled over and now jupiter is out of sight from my window lol, iv got plenty of warm clothes so that is not a problem at all. i need to get in touch with the astro group and try get a few friends there aswel as i cant go anywhere really dark on my own and i dont drive either ;-( thanks onesmallstep, iv got it on my wishlist now,a few have recommended that one to me x

[nightfisher]

guess what, i have use of a dark site......................in honley

dont set up indoors, if thats what you mean by the window, its no good for viewing, and as for the clouds, my mak is cooled down ready to power up, but the dam clouds are playing silly buggers

[KerryAnn23]

haha i bet thats what they do all the time to me, and yes i mean my bedroom window where i have my bino's set up permanently lol. sooo which is this site in honley? there is a park near me that would be quite good but havent been up there as of yet

[nightfisher]

If you dont have a garden, please dont be wandering about in parks at night on your own, a friend will have a garden that you could use once in a while

[KerryAnn23]

yeah, thats why i havent used the scope since psp, cant see that much in my garden coz of houses or trees but i no i wont go anywhere on my own, too much of a panicky person lol

[nightfisher]

looking like cloud stops play yet again

[red dwalf]

are there any clubs around your area, if not but a thread up on the forum for likeminded people to get together, try and find a nice darkish site in the area and then you can have meets and share gear and tips, thats what we did now we all chip in £20 a year for two sites, ones a cricket club in the middle of nowhere, and a more local site which has hard standing near a marina, we`ve had some great nights out all together and the clubs now growing strong

[nightfisher]

are there any clubs around your area, if not but a thread up on the forum for likeminded people to get together, try and find a nice darkish site in the area and then you can have meets and share gear and tips, thats what we did now we all chip in £20 a year for two sites, ones a cricket club in the middle of nowhere, and a more local site which has hard standing near a marina, we`ve had some great nights out all together and the clubs now growing strong

Good idea, might look at getting some thing going on these lines, we have the proper club with the observatory, but wont hurt to have a splinter group so to speak

[KerryAnn23]

well yeah, its hard in any sense with not being able to drive but im sure i would figure something out and i dont think it wud be as daunting if it was a first for all of us meeting up like that lol, im definately going to try get in touch with the proper club :-0