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Scopeless - for now


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Hi - I'm Andy. I have just joined and this is my 1st post to say 'hello'. I don't have a telescope yet but there is hope! (I plan to get one soon). So I thought I would try to learn a few things from the forum 1st.

I used to read lots on Astronomy but then got busy with other things. Time of life means I have just about enough of a combination of time and money to get back into it - but looking at a few posts, I realise how ignorant I am (lots of TLAs to learn!)

Looking forward to it a lot - and I apologise in advance for stupid questions that I will ask!

No rush to get a scope with current weather...

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At the moment scopes just serve the purpose of annoying the wife by getting in the way.

A lot of people are going to say this, but get some time in with the local astro club meets (using other's scopes) to help on a scope decision - then say goodbye to your bank account balance.

Welcome and enjoy the Forum.

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Andy hi and welcome from me ,do not rush out to get a scope research is the key ,and decide what you want to do ,just visual which is brill ,there images as well best to get that out the sy first as you may want to o both

Pat

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A question is only easy if you know the answer, and in a subject as deep as astronomy there is plenty to know, so there are no stupid questions. Fortunately you have come to the right place, as there is a wealth of knowledge and a great willingness to share it. So welcome to the SGL and ask away.

Clear skies,

Matthew

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At the moment scopes just serve the purpose of annoying the wife by getting in the way.

I can see that! Along with the way Astronomy consumes time like a black hole (sorry), this may not always meet be my wife's favourite hobby.

A lot of people are going to say this, but get some time in with the local astro club meets (using other's scopes) to help on a scope decision - then say goodbye to your bank account balance.

Welcome and enjoy the Forum.

Thanks

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Hi Andy and a warm welcome to the Lounge. Regarding any Astro equipment. Research, research and more research. Contemplate buying - dilly, dally

then more research then buy. Receive goodies - cloudy for three weeks or more....... Welcome to our world.

Steve

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Hi Andy welcome to SGL. You are right about the scope, you might be better of with a boat :D As has often been said, binoculars and star maps are an interesting way to start, to help you learn the night sky, whenever we get see it. :)

John.

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Don't take any notice of all this "no rush", "stars aren't going anywhere" nonsense! Go out and buy a telescope and enjoy that kid in a candy store feeling now! :grin:

okay, okay, yes binos are a good idea, and yes check out your local astro club... and yes you need to research... and true it helps if you know whether your interests are visual or imaging, and planetary or deep-sky...

Alright, perhaps wait a bit. But be impetuous if you want to be!

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Hi Andy and welcome to the forum. Astronomy isn't difficult it's just that there is a lot of it and if the truth be known, we are all beginners really as you can never know it all and what you do know keeps changing. To help you learn the sky (which is always useful :grin: ) why not consider downloading a free piece of planetarium software called 'Stellarium' you can read the details here. Very popular on here and can help you identify and find objects in the night sky. It can be calibrated to show the view of the sky from your viewing location and amongst the many 'toys' that it has, one of the most useful is the advance date/time function that allows you to look ahead to see what's coming up when so as to help you plan your viewing.

On the scope front, research is the key and of course the biggest determinant will be your budget. No matter how much you may wish to spend, popping along to a couple of your local astro club's observation evenings will certainly help you make sense of all the specifications that you are going to read about and how these differences reveal themselves at the eyepiece. My advice is to buy a good size scope that not only will sustain your interest, but will also reduced the number of potential upgrades which will cost you a lot more in the longer run. Better to decide on what you want and save for it and if you choose a decent size scope from a brand manufacturer, you will have a better chance of reselling it should astronomy not be for you and therefore recoup the major part of your initial investment. There truly is no rush as the stars aren't going anywhere and in fact many astro clubs offer kit that can be hired out which is another good way of exploring what will meet your expectations. Lastly, when you come to eventually buy your scope, I would strongly advise buying from a specialist astro retailer (not jessops etc) and avoid buying off the internet if you can unless they also have a physical presence in the form of a shop. With the best will in the world, it is always possible that something can go wrong or a component is missing when the scope is finally delivered and in my experience, the small amount extra that you pay for a 'real' shop is worth it for the continuing support, experience and information that you will continue to need in the longer term.

No such thing as a silly question although some of the answers might be a bit dodgy! :grin: :grin: Feel free to ask away and we will do our best to advise accordingly. Dobsonian type scope offers the best value, Goto navigation systems are great but only if matched by a decent aperture and the eyepieces supplied with any new scope will be of a fairly good quality so don't feel you have to start spending on fancy eyepieces as that will come with a little experience of what you really need. Hope that helps and enjoy the forum.

Clear skies

James

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Hi Andy,

Welcome to the forums. A great way to ease into astronomy is first to get some decent binoculars and a star chart. Make sure the binoculars aren't too big or you'll get really tired of holding them after a few minutes. Then when you get the hang of finding things, get a dobsonian telescope with about 8" aperture. Just these two items can keep you busy and happy for years. Personally, I'd stay away from the high-tech stuff like goto. You miss a lot of the fun with it, and it's just another thing to go wrong and get in the way of having a good time.

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Greetings Andy. I'm new here myself and can vouch for the fact that you will find anything astronomical here you want to know.

It's true what they say, that the only stupid question is the one you don't ask! There's so much, to learn but you don't have to learn it all at once.

Good luck

Jason

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Hello Andy from another Andy! In typical bloke fashion I enjoyed researching which scope to get almost as much as actually getting it! It's certainly a good way to pass the rainy summer nights ahead of the arrival of a crisp, clear autumn! Welcome to SGL!

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Hello Andy and welcome to the SGL.

Below are two links that will help you decide on what type/size telescope you should get to suite your needs and the other one on what you can expect to see with the one you choose.

http://www.galileotelescope.com/choosing_a_telescope.htm

http://www.astronomics.com/main/category.asp/catalog_name/Astronomics/category_name/V1X41SU50GJB8NX88JQB360067/Page/1

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