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"Go-Tos" For Beginners?

Mr Q

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pvaz

pvaz

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GoTo haves it's virtues for light polluted sites.

If your sky is dark then starhoping is a great and very fast method. The argument "I rather spend time observing then searching" is not a very good one. It only takes me 1 or 2 minutes to locate objects I never saw, using pocket sky atlas and the telrad. Most of the brightest DSOs I memorize after 2/3 observations and it takes just a few seconds for those.

I'm not against GoTo just don't agre with some arguments. I actually have a PushTo system. It works well in the same area of the sky as the chosen alignment stars. if I align with stars on one end of the sky then ask for an object on the other end it's usually 1 or 1.5º off.

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Moonshane

Moonshane

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I am not really bothered what others use, they are obviously free to do what they like and as Kim says, there's room for everyone. I prefer less wires and gadgets if honest as there's more to go wrong the more complex things get. For me it's also a matter of budget. I'd sooner have more aperture than more gadgets and this leads me to never have GOTO and the like as I always seem to want more aperture.

As others have said, the freedom to just point the scope at whim in a second or two is great. Manual large dobs for me.

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Karen

Karen

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I don't totally agree, you don't "have to learn the sky", nice if you have the experience but it's not a pre-just fine - when you take time to get it right. This builds experience without becoming frustrated and I expect I would have knocked it on the head if much of my limited time was spent trying to find my target. What the op actually compared was a beginner with a compact scope (faulty) with a more experienced person with a 10" newt.

Absolutely ;) Anyway what's wrong with being a push button astronomer if that's what floats ya boat. I use goto and manual. I am "learning the sky" and I have just joined a society with its own observatory, can't wait to get to grips with its big reflector :). You can't write off a beginner just because they have bought a goto!

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Neil McRae

Neil McRae

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Using Stellarium and EQMOD helps me in a light polluted area to get good alignment to observe DSO's. Looking at star charts and planetarium images is ok if "your sky" above is exactly as described but as I said light pollution often gives a very different result. Also like others I have found that the sky can be learned at the same time.

Neil

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Ad Astra

Ad Astra

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Nonsense, Brantuk!

Those sorts of toys all come with the same sticker on the box...

Some Assembly Required! :)

Dan

"I would like one but there might be problems with getting it delivered"

I don't think DHL have a truck that big lol :)

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twotter

twotter

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The argument "I rather spend time observing then searching" is not a very good one.

I couldn't disagree with you more. Not everyone is blessed with ideal conditions, kit and memory.

Obviously I can only speak for myself but I gain most pleasure from actually observing a target than the sometimes frustrating process of finding it. Currently I have a 200P dob but I would love to have a goto setup in the future, either a GEM from my current OTA or possibly an entirely seperate setup.

Whilst I don't consider myself a complete beginner I have only a very limited personal knowledge of the night sky. Without Stellarium and TL@O I would be rather lost. I look forward to goto providing me with a better insight into the night sky and I can honestly say I won't be concerned if that offends anyone's astronomical sensibilities.

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malc-c

malc-c

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Sounds more like an ego trip for you than anything else, but congratulations on showing off your 'superior' skills to a beginner to the hobby...:)

Have to agree with you.

I think we've all seen enough of the go-to vs non-go-to threads, and often the issue is not with the equipment, but the user not RTFM so has no idea in the first place.

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Caldwell 14

Caldwell 14

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I use GOTO and would not be without it. So esy to use, never ever fails. I don't get home till late and have to be up early in the morning. A 5 minute set up and I am in buisness...fantasic. I can see more objects in the hour or so I have before I hit the sack than I could posiably see using a Dob or what have you. In the "real" world I need a scope that fits in with my life and that I am going to actually use. The only thing that put me off buy GOTO was the absolute certainty that traditionalists would look down their noses at me for doing so...what a shame.

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pvaz

pvaz

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I couldn't disagree with you more. Not everyone is blessed with ideal conditions, kit and memory.

I can only agree on the conditions part, as it's very hard to starhop with heavy light pollution.

About the kit, put a pair of 10€ binos in 2 astronomer hands, one thats used to starhop and one who's not and see who makes the better use of a very cheap kit.

Regarding memory, starhoping takes basic memory skills. The same you use when you memorize the way to work after a couple of times. Then you can drive home and not even think about it, much like auto pilot. The same happens when you're used to starhoping, it just becomes something you do without thinking.

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ronin

ronin

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Started with a goto and now have 3.

Always found what I wanted.

No problems.

Use one at public demos and find that kids like it. Show them the handset, sit with them to make sure they go up and down the right tree in the menu and they start finding things literally in minutes.

Strange that just about all clubs use goto's and have no problems. They are the standard item. At a university near me they have a set of 8 observatories all fitted with goto's from 8" to 20", Meades and Celestrons. Never a problem.

Why at one star party do all goto owners seem to have a problem but not the dob owner?

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twotter

twotter

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Regarding memory, starhoping takes basic memory skills. The same you use when you memorize the way to work after a couple of times. Then you can drive home and not even think about it, much like auto pilot. The same happens when you're used to starhoping, it just becomes something you do without thinking.

Save for occasional roadworks my daily commute doesn't move with the seasons in the same way the night sky does. With limited opportunities to observe, particularly after a summer like this year, I can find myself facing constellations which look unfamiliar to me. It takes me some time to make sense of what I'm looking at so your auto pilot analogy, whilst being sensible, doesn't necessarily apply in my case at least.

Others may well enjoy the thrill of the chase but with limited viewing time for me the pleasure is in actually viewing the target.

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sabana

sabana

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Have you a database of 40,000 astronomical objects in your brain? The thing is its one to be good. Its another to be a genius. GOTO is an incredible piece of technology for the beginner in particular. Yes alignment can be tricky. But once your competent it is no harder than collimation.

I do agree though that GOTO can make you lazy. And if your power supply ran out, or any electrical failure, for whatever reason, then if you don't know the night sky your well and truly scuppered.

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Neil McRae

Neil McRae

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This post is getting to be rediculous. Some like to starhop amd others do not. Is it not acceptable that the end result is both (no matter which method they use) get to observe our beautiful universe. Come on folks one will not convince the other as to who is right. Enjoy our cloud free nights when we can.

Neil

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