Tips for when your first ever telescope arrives

[LukeSkywatcher]

Get some nice warm clothes for the winter months ahead. This is more important than fancy glass because if you're not warm and comfortable, it'll either be a short session or an uncomfortable one. Thermals are a God send, as are many layers. A flask of whatever hot stuff takes your fancy is a boon. Enjoy

Barry

Warm clothes for me means an extra t-shirt in the winter (no jumper or jacket).

I'm convinced that in a previous life i was either a seal or a penguin. I just dont seem to feel the cold.

[Bart]

Warm clothes for me means an extra t-shirt in the winter (no jumper or jacket).

I'm convinced that in a previous life i was either a seal or a penguin. I just dont seem to feel the cold.

Jeez

Are you serious Paul? I used to be relatively insensitive to the cold, but I must be getting old now....I'm like the Michelin Man now when I go out!

[LukeSkywatcher]

I just hate layers of clothing. I think i must suffer from claustrophobia to a degee. I'm not immune to the cold, but i think the outside temp has to be about -5C before i would put on long sleeves...........and i wouldnt wear anything underneath.

I just hate wrapping up in layers of clothing.

I guess my extra layer of blubber helps.

For some strange genetic reason,myself and my 3 siblings have very thick skin. Its more like leather then skin.

Mozzies give up trying to draw blood from us because they cant break through our skin.

[Astro_Baby]

Read the manual from cover to cover, twice at least.

Set it up in the living room or study or wherever indoors and get used to it, push it about.

Check the optics and get the hang of focusing and tracking/panning by looking at some terrestrial objects, trees in the distance, buildings far away etc.

You need to get yourself familiar with it in a light room before you take it out in the dark or frustration will be the result more likley than not.

[MrsR]

Thanks so much everyone for all the tips

[Capricorn]

Unpack, read instructions, assemble, check and set up, take apart into the number of pieces that you will have it in to take outside, then reassemble those bits and check again.

Weren't you intending to get an EQ6 about a year or eighteen months ago not a Dobsonian ??

[Nillchill]

Leave it in the boxes, we have enough cloud as it is ..........

Only joking ..

Don't try an rush into things, take the time to do it properly. And most important enjoy

[MrsR]

Yes I was you are right but figured get the best my money can buy at the mo so that's a Dob and then later I can get a mount. Makes it a massive set up but think for me it's the best way to go and I kept coming back to a Dob. If I had over £500 to spend things would be different but with the budget I think this is the best way to go as I can do photography later down the line when I have a lot more knowledge.

[JamesF]

Very sensible approach, I think. A dob that size is going to allow you to see so many things in so much detail. And not just DSOs. The moon looks absolutely stunning. The only real negative is that you start lusting after expensive eyepieces.

James

[Demo johnny]

Get down to your local betting shop and place a bet for a week of cloudy nights starting from the day it arrives, its a sure thing!

[MrsR]

I've already prepared my husband about eye pieces lol

[JamesF]

I think the best option with eyepieces is to keep an eye out (as it were for the better quality ones second-hand. The Meade 5000 UWA and SWA ranges will perhaps not be absolutely perfect right to the edge of the field, but they'll be much better than many others and a lot cheaper new or second-hand than Tele Vue. I was after a wide field long-ish focal length eyepiece to use with mine recently and a Tele Vue 27mm Panoptic happened to come up for a price I could afford, but otherwise I'd probably have gone with the Meades or Explore Scientific.

But that will wait Get out there and enjoy it a bit first.

James

[brantuk]

Check what all the little knurled screws do around the focuser - especially the one underneath it. This is the focuser locking screw - I've had several folks come round saying they can't focus the scope till I pointed out the focuser wasn't moving cos it was locked off.

The other common problem some starters have is aligning the finder with the tube - it takes a little getting used to turning the two finder adjustment screws against the sprung one on the other side. Every thing in astronomy is based on tilting a single plane using three adjusters - scope leveling, tube aligning, mirror collimating, etc ....

[MrsR]

Blimey its going to take me ages to understand my scope I think :/

[ArmyAirForce]

No, not to understand it, but yes to making the best use of it!

[MrsR]

That doesn't sound too bad when you say it like that Fun times ahead

[saturn4me]

You'll be absolutely fine with it!

Then you'll love it like one of your children!!