This will upset some

[Viv]

Enjoy your scope - that's what it's all about

Exactly !!

I had a standard non-goto for a year, for me dis-heartening, that I couldnn't find things.

Now I have a goto I realise, there is no way on this planet I would have found things manually.

Am learning so much more (about what's where), now I have a goto ........

[GJBC]

I learnt he sky using Go to Dont need it now for much of the items but Like mark above it helped . i did not just send it to the object i noted where in the sky it was pointing and many of the star patterns trough both the eyepiece and the finder scope really was easy and a no brainer i also used Autostar suite to work out what was close by and then went to that one and then hopped to the object manually that is how i learnt really is easy. On observing sessions, i also had an star atlas in my pocket and that helped as well.

One thing i also done is my research as to what will be available that evening and in what constalation so i learnt constellation by constellation as they rose in the east all with the aid of the go to

[boabsta]

So basicly people without goto would say "get to....." and people with goto would ask "where to?"

[Cath]

I love the auto tracking you get with GOTO, but that's just me. Either is cool though, it's all down to personal choice. I've have used both GOTO and manual systems though.

Try telling the pros that they should throw away their GOTO systems

[Mr Flibble]

Personally I like the hunt for a DSO and then feeling a sense of triumph when I finally find the little blighter . I can only do this however because I travel about an hour to my local dark sky sight where I can actually see stars with which to hop about.

If on the other hand I was to observe from my back garden then I would have to go down the GOTO route because of the dreadful LP. So in other words there's no wrong or right, just what ever suits your own personal preference and needs. Just get out and observe

[leemanley]

I bought the same set-up as yourself a month ago, sadly, it's only been out three times !

I was always of the opinion that go-to was, in a sort of way, 'cheating', however, having spent the best part of last winter struggling to find what I wanted to see, I began to think, why not !

I am up for work really early every day so this obviously gives me a time limit out at night or risk being knackered before I even get to work !

That's my reasoning for my purchase, I can get out there, see what I want, do a bit of imaging or whatever and come away satisfied.

The only problem thta I can forsee for the winter is that I'll get so carried away that I'll be out there all hours, ah well, knackeredness here we come !!!

Have you taken any pics with it yet ? love to have a nosey

[Cloudwatcher]

This will upset some.

[boabsta]

I bought the same set-up as yourself a month ago, sadly, it's only been out three times !

Have you taken any pics with it yet ? love to have a nosey

Thats twice more than me!

I havent taken any pic yet but that will be next time I go out which may be tonight if I grow a pair as I know no one else is out so a wee bit freaked lol

I think I am going for a drive by

[Carbon]

I love my goto scope but I also love my manual degree circle on my dob.

[sunshine185]

I love my goto scope but I also love my manual degree circle on my dob.

If you had no scope now, knowing what you do, which would you buy, goto or non?

[mdstuart]

OK lets agree a list of objects...M31 / the double cluster / Albeiro / M27 / M57 / M13 / M15...

You time yourself going through the list with the goto and I will try to star hop them and see who is the fastest..

They did this in sky at night a while back and the hop one but only because of the goto set up time..

I actually agree with most of the posts...the important thing is to enjoy the objects and your scope..

Mark

[Moonshane]

I'd estimate about 15 seconds max for any of those manually, some of them even less as they are naked eye. I have no idea how long it would take to slew to them with goto?

[mdstuart]

Yes I think thats about right. I will try to do them in a minute flat when I am next out..

Mark

[Moonshane]

bizarrely I often struggle to locate M81/82 even though I have seen them loads of times.I usually need to follow carefully in the finder as the long hop from the top of the pan fools me every time - I bet goto would beat me on those two.

[boabsta]

Deary dear, didnt expect this to turm out to be a top gear challenge lol

[boabsta]

Have you taken any pics with it yet ? love to have a nosey

Right I went out and tried just for you

This is my first attempt at proper astro photography so be kind.

Both pics were shot using a Nikon D90 T-mounted direct to focuser.

ISO1200 and 10sec exposures unedited jpegs. I never properly aligned as I could see cloud coming so tracking was slightly off. Goto wasnt tho.

first up is Altair

DSC_4635 by boabsta, on Flickr

Followed by Vega

DSC_4638 by boabsta, on Flickr

Now remember this is my first attempt so be nice people. I'm chuffed with them

[CFC]

Well I like em!

[faulksy]

i also love go to and i find the motors on my cpc are very quiet and it tracks beautifully all the time

[sunshine185]

First attempt? The pics are something I would be, and you should be proud of. I'm purely a visual observer and to me your pics don't look any different to the ones I see in magazines shot by the pros.

[euphony]

I can see benefits to both, as i started out with a dob but changed to a goto. My main reason for this was to satisfy my wife's short attention span as it took me ages to find anything

When I got the goto, it took a lot of the hard work out if I'm honest, but it benefitted my lifestyle much much more as I view from my back garden, and like others, only have a few hours here or there in between the clouds! . I have been able to see much much more with my goto than the dob and it has help me learn the sky more as I actively look at charts and research each object I've viewed (only downside is that sometimes I have to do this afterwards when I stumble upon something I'm not expecting when manually slewing near an object it's centered).

The motor makes a bit of a noise, which might annoy the neighbours when I'm out there until 1:30am (like hopefully tonight! ), but I have to put up with their incessant noise all the time, from kids squeeling at all hours of the day, dogs barking at everyone walking past the window, music blaring out from some idiots house/car/garden, doors slamming and so on and so forth, so I couldn't care less any more!!

So, I love my goto, but I have a ot of appreciation for the dob, and respect for those that have mastered star hopping perfectly as it is a great skill

Chris

[boabsta]

First attempt? The pics are something I would be, and you should be proud of. I'm purely a visual observer and to me your pics don't look any different to the ones I see in magazines shot by the pros.

You have made me smile in ways that shouldnt be right :grin:

I'm now scared that I just got lucky but I am looking forward to finding out.

[bendiddley]

I enjoy finding things manually, it's the thrill of the hunt for me. I love researching what I'm going to look at, where it is in the sky and how I'm going to find it. I do print outs of the sky with stellarium and use these when I go out there, this is all part of the hobby for me. Then at the scope with the help of my bino's and finderscope i find my way to the object and it feels like a real achievement when I get there. I think I'd get bored if I could get there without the hunt. But each to there own. For some it's go to, for others it's manual. Good luck with your hobby anyway.

[dharma66]

I'd estimate about 15 seconds max for any of those manually, some of them even less as they are naked eye. I have no idea how long it would take to slew to them with goto?

Yes I think thats about right. I will try to do them in a minute flat when I am next out..

Mark

That's pretty amazing. However, I'm not that swayed by how fast someone else can find these, but how fast I can. With goto, it would be measured in minutes...without it, in weeks.

I can absolutely see the fun of the chase for those who have the time and find it fun, but without goto, I wouldn't have bothered ever upgrading from my £150 scope, because without goto, it was just an exercise in frustration, futility and endlessly revisiting the same handful of objects. For me, goto hasn't made astronomy better or worse, it's made it possible. And I suspect the same is true for a great many others.

[mdstuart]

dharma66

Absolutely...However you find things the amazing thing is to see the objects..

Mark

[LukeSkywatcher]

I've served my time star-hopping. I'm now settling into my golden Go-To years.