200P for my Birthday

[cloudythoughts]

It arrived last week and was put to good use immediately, despite it not actually being my birthday until later this week - OH's permission given after the event

Rather glad I did as there's now a tick layer of snow over everything and not a start to be seen

Assembled it as soon as I got home, in the living room and the straight i to the garden with the 25mm lens.

Sighted the Pleiades through the finder within seconds and found my cause adjustment was good enough to put it i the centre of the main. Very glad to have found Pleiades so quickly, but it does look better through bins.

Next, Jupiter. Found that very quickly - I do like the Dobsonian mount. I think I really get on with it well. Used it to fine tune the finder. Could see all four moons so switch to the 10mm EP and could vaguely see the cloud belts. It may need a little collimation but it not far out.

Orion's nebular was the next and I had an excellent image as good as I'd seen at the Stargazing Live event last week.

Took it out the next night and added Andromeda to the list.

By now I had noted two thing for the future. 1. remember to put more on the a light coat. 2. remember to turn of the security light to it didn't keep turning on every time the cat came to see what I was doing.

Very pleased with it. Next job is to tweak the collimation, but I a little scared I'l make it worse not better.

I now need make a list of object to look up. I'm used to observing just with bins I already have a good list to start with, but I am eager to find some object that would not have been possible wit bins. Suggestions welcome for what I should start with when the weather clears up again.

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

Next job is to tweak the collimation, but I a little scared I'l make it worse not better.

You probably will, but you'l fix it too, and learn everything in that one collimation session. Set aside 2 hours or so, though if it's close you probably wont need that long.

I did mine before i even got to use it, and so glad i did. Collimation is now a 30second job each time i set up, and it's nice to know that its bang on.

As for the views - the 10mm EP that comes with the scope is a bit of a duff, though the 25mm isn't too bad. Pleiades will look better through a wide angle eyepiece like a panaview or something similar.

You should probably think about buying a high power EP to replace the shoddy 10mm. I'm fortunate enough to have a few ep's on loan - I have a 12.5mm and 6.3mm plossl, along with a barlow, so i don't need the 10mm really. I tried it once and decided it wasn't for me.

I plan to grab a decent widefield ep, though the 32mm panaview is as rare as rocking horse poop it seems. First off though will be an 8mm BST for high power viewing, the 25mm is fine for widefield, at least for now.

[ecosse]

32mm panaview is cracking for the Pleiades! BST explorers are also a good choice for a lower budget. Congrats on the scope

[twotter]

Have a look at M42 and especially the Trapezium. Your telescope should easily resolve the four main stars and on good nights even more. I recently managed 6 with my 200P which was a first for me

Take your time with the collimation. The 200P is very tolerant and holds collimation well.

[cloudythoughts]

A soon as this snow clears I'll try the collimation . Thank's for the supporting comments

32mm panaview is cracking for the Pleiades! BST explorers are also a good choice for a lower budget. Congrats on the scope

What's a BST Explorer? I assume its an eyepiece, but searching for BST on FLV returns no results found, and on Google I get links back to this forum but with no one actually saying what it/they are

[twotter]

BST is an eyepiece sold by a company called Skies the Limit.

1.25" Eyepieces

Other retailers, types and brands of eyepiece are also available

[cloudythoughts]

BST is an eyepiece sold by a company called Skies the Limit.

Thank you Twotter.

[Daniel-K]

cant go wrong with the bst's the 8mm works a treat on the planets and moon

[Space Bat]

Congrats on your new scope...

One thing to remember with planets is the atmospheric seeing...

This is a major factor when viewing planets and can adversely effect contrast and quality of image when seeing is poor...

Best time to view planets is when there is zero wind...and as daft as it seems looking at planets when you have fog can throw up some amazing views...some of my best and sharpest views of Mars has come under foggy nights...fog tends to only accumulate when there is little or no wind to disperse it.

Also dark adaptation is very important so as to improve the light gathering capabilities of your eyes when looking at feint deep sky objects....

It is good to plan an observing session - where you split up observing moon-planets and deep sky objects - as if you hop between feint objects and bright objects you don't allow eyes to settle - I tend to start an evening on moon/planets then take a breather and then spend the rest of night on DSO's

I may take a last peak at a planet - if it wasn't available earlier in the night.

Have fun and enjoy your new scope

[cloudythoughts]

I'm putting a BST on my wish list, but I'm resisting the urge to buy anything until I have some good use out of what I already have.

I've notice the skies have been really clear when I come home from work the last few days but the timing been all wrong and by the time I've look looked later it's clouded over.

Did have a go at the moon. Nearly burnt the back of my eyeball out - a moon filter is going on the wish list too.

So far I've not really given my eyes the full time to adjust so I'm hoping this weekend will be clear and I'll remember to wrap up well so I can sand more than 20 minutes with snow up to my ankles.

[stevetynant]

First lens I would get would be a x2 barlow- the skywatcher one I have works great with the 25mm (although I have a Tal on order as well) I suppose that then means you can build your lens collection up gradually but all gthe time effectively have 2 lens options each time you buy =- good luck with your new scope

[cloudythoughts]

A Barlow is on my wish list, but not at the top. I want at least one good high power EP first. However, choice of my EPs will be made on the assumption I'll get a Barlow at some point so I get an even spread of magnifications.

I was thinking of an 8mm EP (150x), with my 25mm EP (48x) and a Barlow would I think then give me 300x and 96x. The 10mm EP that came with the scope would give me 120x, and 240x with the Barlow.

The series would then be 48, 96, 120, 150, 240, 300x and exit pupil would be between 4mm and 0.67mm

Is 0.67mm too small to be useful?

What does a Barlow do to eye relief, if anything?