A Story and Some advice

[kernowstargazer]

Hi all im new to this forum and i must say it is awesome.

I have been into astronomy for about a year now well since the first star gazing live last year. I have got a pair of 15x70 bins and stellarium and have really enjoyed having a gander at the night sky and learning the stars and constellations and everything else that goes with it.

I decided to take the leap from bins to telescope in november last year and i wanted to have a look at some scopes before handing over my dosh and the nearest shop is around 70 miles away:eek:. I found out theres a astro club in my town so found out when and where and decided to go along.

I turned up and introduced my self and asked who the organiser was and was pointed towards a tall fellow with a handle bar tash. So i trundled over with my bins in hand and asked if i could join and get some advice on which is the best scopes to use in my budget.

The mans reply nearly knocked me on my rear "sorry we dont cater for your type here we only allow upstanding members of the community to join go back to surfing theres nothing to look at up there that will interest you" so i walked off muttering loud enough for him to hear "blumming stuck up (insert obscene word here) sargent major":mad:

So it sort of put me off from groups and meetings if all the astrosurfers were like that until i found this site and i am glad i stumbled across this site on a random search in google.

Right now for the advice i have a budget of £140 and was wandering what the best scope get out of these ones would be

Celestron 130eq

Skywatcher 1145p skyhawk

skywatcher 130

Did look at the heritage 130 but the dob style mount wont hold up to the ruggered cornish country when i go out.

[Tribal-Wolf]

Name & shame the club, I hate stereotyping.

[kernowstargazer]

Its called Summerleaze Astronomy and is based in north cornwall. What i couldnt get was the leaflet in the WI hall window said newcomers welcome and the guy i spoke to drives a taxi round town.

[ianaiken]

The mans reply nearly knocked me on my rear

Before you decided to knock him on his rear?

Sorry I can't be of any help with your question - I am sure someone with more experience and maybe first hand experience of these scopes will be able to best advice you.

[rowan46]

welcome to sgl the 130p heritage dob is the most portable and easiest to set up the 130 celestron astromaster is the next best scope but the finder is bad, next comes the skywatcher 130 last comes the 1145p but that's only because of the apparture. If it was my money I would take the dob, however it's not and it's your choice I hope you enjoy your new scope. The dob the celestron and the 1145 have parabolic mirrors which means when collimated properly give the sharper image. however the finder badly lets down the celestron and the apparture lets down the 1145p. The skywatcher 130 is a good budget scope the 130p is a great one the dob has the same optics as the 130p

[DOBBY]

Hi... & welcome to a friendly forum

I know how ya feel... why are astro-societies so unfriendly ?

I'm biased ..so would go with the dob.. but, you'll see more in either of the 130's than the 1145p

[patomlin76]

If its any help I have just gone for the Skywatcher 130p. The majority of reviews and user feedback was positive. I heard that the mount is slightly more stable than the celestron and compared to the standard 130, it has a parabolic mirror too.

I wasn't keen on the Dob mount as I'm used to viewing in the garden stood up at a tripod.

I had a strict budget to keep to following a previous sale, and this seemed the best choice for me...

Cheers

[kernowstargazer]

Thanks for the replies. I have been talking to bloke up the road and he was a member of the group and left because of the way they treated new comers. Would the heritage be stable onthe top of a hill with a slightly sloping side (farmers field) as it is the best dark site around me and its only 5 mins down the road or would it be better if i save some more pennies and get the SW130p so have a tripod to grip the slope.

[LukeSkywatcher]

WOW. I am stunned by the guys reaction but not shocked. Its a well known fact that "clubs" can attract snobs and be very "clicky". I found this for myself when i joined my local archery club. I have a couple of ideas why i never really fit in with many members (or they didnt take to me).

Now.............regarding the Heritage. Because it is a Dob (solid base), it might have issues with being on a slope. If anything it might just tip over on you. Not a good thing. A tripod such as on the Explorer 130(P) would be better because you can adjust the legs accordingly. Optically they are the same scope, so you are not losing any quality of image.

The "P" (parabolic) model would be the better choice as it does a better job of gathering light and concentrating it towards the secondary mirror.

P.S.~~~welcome to SGL.

[kernowstargazer]

When i was younger i was a co=founder of a Power Kiting club and i would never had treated noobs like that we welcomed newbies to the sport and would show them how to handle very powerful kites and even let them have a go on very expensive equipment. I surpose i dont do myself any favours i was a surfer and dress like a surfer or am known to dress like a lumber jack surfer (dont know what it means but have had a few sarky comments how i dress)but who gives a flying monkeys left eye how people dress.

Anyway i think i will try and save a bit more as i still get hairs go up on the back of my neck when seeing spectacular sights with my bins like last night i could see jupiter (very small bright speck) but could see the very smaller faint moons in a line next to it.

[UnderTheRain]

Well welcome to SGL I have only been a member since last October but everyone one on here is great and no matter your budget everyone on here will help you find the right scope for you. I'll only echo the advice already given to you and say get a dob and try and find a flatish bit of ground at your dark sky site. The dob will be quicker to setup and get you going. The cheaper tripods always seem a little shaky to me.

You might want to start your own club with the other guy that left that club I'm sure there will be other people that would join!! Show that idiot how a club should be run.

[Daniel-K]

ya see group's like that annoy me they should be thinking about who is going to continue with the socity when god for bid the older ones go(figure of speech, no god really). they should embrace the younger ones to carry on running the socity. well here you find friendly memebers offering you knowlage that has been passed around from pilar to post for all to see. my adivce first scope get a dob either the 150p or the 200p

[Tribal-Wolf]

Well I have just one thing to say.....................wouldn't you be better off on The Beach Boys forum or maybe the tree fellers forums rofl

Seriously though I haven't been a member here long and you get a good welcome and great friendly advice, well apart from the tall guy over there with the dodgy tash

[RobH]

Its sad to say, but stories similar to yours are all too common. I've experienced it myself, and now, as an imager, I find that I'm often not regarded as a 'proper' astronomer by some types....despite the fact that I've been observing the sky since I was 6, and that's a long time ago.

In all these cases, it's their loss....most of them never look through a scope in any case

Cheers

Rob

[LukeSkywatcher]

I feel sorry for anyone who is into astronomy yet has never put their eye upto a scope.

Visual observing is one thing. Imaging is another. Both very rewarding. But to jump right in and only do imaging

????????????

To me that is a crime against astronomy.

Am i wrong?

I have nothing against imagers. I salute them.

But at least have a look through a scope every now and then. In fact....................have a look through a scope before you ever get involved in imaging.

[kernowstargazer]

if i find like minded people around here i might see if we could start a regular meet i know plenty of farmers round here as i used to be an arbourist in these parts. If it got popular then the club would sort of set itself up really. I did block the bloke in a parking bay up morrisons super market for 15 mins on new years eve as i used to drive a ford transit county and couldnt park anywhere else.

[tone71]

Start your own meet, clicky clubs make my blood boil, it stories like these (and all too reguarly) that puts off lots of people from starting in many things.

Good luck and enjoy

[Kai]

I would take a guess that your from around the Bude area ?

How about putting a thread up asking if there is anybody else local to you interested in meeting up ?

[sabana]

You did try to stand up to the Sargent Major didn't you? I really hope so. Not just run off with your tail between your legs.

Oscar Wilde once said. "I don't want to belong to a club which would have me as a member". Therein, it could be a great club. His comment might be biting, but it could be an acid test to see how dedicated you are.

Go back and put him in his place. You might be surprised. Its character building.

[rory]

dicgusting man. it's people like him who can put someone off a hobby for life, not just astronomy here ,any pastime or hobby.

it takes some people alot of courage to turn up at a club on thier own to meet with strangers ,you feel an outsider before you start.so the last thing you need is a plum like him making things worse.

im scared to death of going to a astronomy club,but i know i will do eventually.

hope the handlebar tash man hasn't any cousins !

[mcsheffield]

Hi & Welcome to SGL.

I am sorry to hear of your experience at your local club, tbh I experienced the same at a club that is local to me, only 1 person spoke, and then said you need to talk to XXXX over there "I will introduce you, we need new members", and was then just ignored for the whole evening by everyone, then they all disappeared, when i left, I found them outside in there own little clicky groups stargazing, and was certainly left feeling do I want to be apart of a group like this? No was the answer, and have now found a very friendly & helpful group in the next town.

[Kai]

You did try to stand up to the Sargent Major didn't you? I really hope so. Not just run off with your tail between your legs.

Oscar Wilde once said. "I don't want to belong to a club which would have me as a member". Therein, it could be a great club. His comment might be biting, but it could be an acid test to see how dedicated you are.

Go back and put him in his place. You might be surprised. Its character building.

Lifes to short and there is so much to do

[sabana]

^^^Indeed.

[daz]

A very disappointing attitude from that club!

I can assure you that not all clubs are the same! I am Chairman of Bedford, and we welcome all comers with open arms!

Welcome to SGL by the way

[Kai]

I think the good ones are in the minority but as Daz says if you do find one it can be very rewarding.

A few years ago i attended a SEKAS public evening , it was if the Devil himself had turned up.........my crime..... a goto mount with a 8inch Sct on it !!!! .Its seems that unless you had a homemade Dob then you were just a interloper