Should I or shouldn't I ?

[bomberbaz]

Ok was considering buying a GOTO as per this thread http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/169108-skywacher-az-goto-mount/ but now having second thoughts.

Reason! well it might be easier to find targets but 1) I wont learn as fast nor possibly as much about stars, constellations etc by taking the easy option and 2) This mount is only suitable for up to 130 scopes and so anything bigger means getting a new one anyway.

Now although I have no plans to trade up just yet, it is going to be merely a matter of time before I want to.

So options are:

1) stick with my current EQ mount and learn more about using that and the skies in general.

2) still buy the mount and sell it on later

3) buy a bigger GOTO mount that will also accept a bigger tube later (thinking up to 200) and just accept my knowledge will lag behind others.

I know where I am currently leaning towards but what does anyone else think.

Steve

[rory]

manual, anything else is just plain cheating bomber !!! go to ,tut ! :grin:

number 1/ of those options id say, i only had my e/q mounted refractor for 14 months but i learnt a fair bit with it . its worth just getting used to using the equipment and orientating the constellations,you'll get a buzz when you track down an object.

[foundaplanet]

Enjoy and get used to what you have first. Give it some time and let things sink in a little..

[Velvet]

option 1 everytime

Velvet

[dtr42]

i have had goto's and in lp area's they are useful but i have now gone back to a manual dob and a 150 evostar frac on a eq mount with dual axis drive for tracking objects and have found the search and find astronomy better than the push button and look astronomy . i only do visual but if your planning photography then you would need a goto

[bomberbaz]

option 1 everytime

Velvet

Thanks Velvet but why then do you have a goto in your sig

[AstroTux]

Option 1 eveytime.

I have the same 'scope as you and have posted about how good it can be http://stargazerslou...ind-a-dark-sky/ . I bought mine purely to (re-)learn stuff that I thought I knew when I was much younger, and have since discovered that it's not the equipment you are using so much as how much experience you have gained and where you are using it. Just learning the night sky is more complex than it seems, but once you have got it you never loose it ( hopefully , I'm getting old you know ) and you will be able to find objects with ease without waiting for your GOTO to find nothing because of a) misalignment light polution , etc, etc.

Hope this helps.........

[John]

Thanks Velvet but why then do you have a goto in your sig

Imaging ?

On your question, I'd not spend money on a mount (GOTO or otherwise) that has no upward capacity beyond your current scope. This hobby has a habit of getting a grip quite quickly and good intentions not too yearn for an upgrade can go out of the window quite fast !

I'd suggest using what you have to develop your skills. If you do get a chance to invest, make it something with the future in mind. It can also be re-sold more easily if things don't work out too.

[bomberbaz]

Imaging ?

On your question, I'd not spend money on a mount (GOTO or otherwise) that has no upward capacity beyond your current scope. This hobby has a habit of getting a grip quite quickly and good intentions not too yearn for an upgrade can go out of the window quite fast !

I'd suggest using what you have to develop your skills. If you do get a chance to invest, make it something with the future in mind. It can also be re-sold more easily if things don't work out too.

Never considered imaging but it was tongue in cheek remark tbh John.

But thanks for the comment because you and the others have confirmed my decision and I shall get out of lazy street thoughts and start reading my S&T atlas, get on with learning stellarium and spend more time with the many other resources we have.

Thanks all, Steve

[Qualia]

Enjoy and get used to what you have first. Give it some time and let things sink in a little..

I really can't sum my sentiments better than that by FoundPlanet.

Just to drive them in, I'd say, you've got yourself a nice scope and some lovely EPs, an excellent star atlas, telrad etc. I'd slow up a little on the buying and get into to what you already have, practice with you gear and come to appreciate its limitations and range of capabilities. You ought to learn the technique of star-hopping and you ought to be able to read a star map, its signs, its Greek letters indicating magnitude and how they appear in your eyepiece. You ought to be able to identify the more prominent stars and constellations etc. Like learning a new language this doesn't happen over night, nor do I imagine in a month or two, but overtime it will be a skill you can dominate and master and one that will reward you tenfold.

[bomberbaz]

I really can't sum my sentiments better than that by FoundPlanet.

Just to drive them in, I'd say, you've got yourself a nice scope and some lovely EPs, an excellent star atlas, telrad etc. I'd slow up a little on the buying and get into to what you already have, practice with you gear and come to appreciate its limitations and range of capabilities. You ought to learn the technique of star-hopping and you ought to be able to read a star map, its signs, its Greek letters indicating magnitude and how they appear in your eyepiece. You ought to be able to identify the more prominent stars and constellations etc. Like learning a new language this doesn't happen over night, nor do I imagine in a month or two, but overtime it will be a skill you can dominate and master and one that will reward you tenfold.

You summed up nicely what I was thinking very well there Qualia.

I was driving home tonight and noticed Jupiter and the Moon high in the sky and thought to myself, you have barely touched the tip of the iceberg and here I am thinking of shelling out some more cash on something I dont really need.

Also I started this hobby after a lifelong interest in the Cosmos, so why start with the shortcuts and miss half of what this interest is all about.

Anyway, as already mentioned. Time to do some reading and learning of tthe basics on nights when the skies are grey and empty of targets to view.

Steve.

[E621Keith]

Thanks Velvet but why then do you have a goto in your sig

'Tak 106ED' is the keyword there. That's £5k worth of hardcore astrograph.

Imaging needs very accurate mounts, and most very accurate mounts comes with GOTO. Furthermore, some imagers like to 'observe' from their warm living room, remotely controlling the scope to image for them. They will need a scope that will point accurately as well as track accurately, which is why GOTO is needed.

DSO imaging is a scary discipline and it burns money faster than any other activities in our hobby.

Going against the others, upgrading the Astromaster mount may not be a bad thing. Those EQ mounts are often very poor and vibrates a lot. If you found mount stability a problem, it may not be a bad idea to upgrade to a heavier mount such as a EQ3-2 or EQ5.

However, if you are happy with your current scope, keep on using it. Wait until you gain more experience before you consider your next upgrade. By then you should have worked out your interest and you can then tailored your equipments to suit your needs.

[bomberbaz]

'Tak 106ED' is the keyword there. That's £5k worth of hardcore astrograph.

Imaging needs very accurate mounts, and most very accurate mounts comes with GOTO. Furthermore, some imagers like to 'observe' from their warm living room, remotely controlling the scope to image for them. They will need a scope that will point accurately as well as track accurately, which is why GOTO is needed.

DSO imaging is a scary discipline and it burns money faster than any other activities in our hobby.

Going against the others, upgrading the Astromaster mount may not be a bad thing. Those EQ mounts are often very poor and vibrates a lot. If you found mount stability a problem, it may not be a bad idea to upgrade to a heavier mount such as a EQ3-2 or EQ5.

However, if you are happy with your current scope, keep on using it. Wait until you gain more experience before you consider your next upgrade. By then you should have worked out your interest and you can then tailored your equipments to suit your needs.

Keith thanks for your response. But I did, as already mentioned post thet the comment "Thanks Velvet but why then do you have a goto in your sig " was tongue in cheek. Hope I didnt offend in anyway.

However good reply about my current mount, it is pretty shaky when in use, slightest little touch or bit of wind and its all over. I was thinking about hanging some weight from its centre to pull it down but not sure how much extra the mount willtake before it is overloaded. So this is probably part of the reason i thought about a goto mount in the first place.

I think an upgrade to a better model is a idea well worth thinking about but again, I shall see how i get on gfor now.

Thanks for the idea though.

Steve

[E621Keith]

Keith thanks for your response. But I did, as already mentioned post thet the comment "Thanks Velvet but why then do you have a goto in your sig " was tongue in cheek. Hope I didnt offend in anyway.

However good reply about my current mount, it is pretty shaky when in use, slightest little touch or bit of wind and its all over. I was thinking about hanging some weight from its centre to pull it down but not sure how much extra the mount willtake before it is overloaded. So this is probably part of the reason i thought about a goto mount in the first place.

I think an upgrade to a better model is a idea well worth thinking about but again, I shall see how i get on gfor now.

Thanks for the idea though.

Steve

I wasn't offended in anyway. I'm sorry if I sounded like I was.

Instead of hanging weight on the tripod (which will overload the tripod even more and make vibration worse), the most popular DIY solution for reducing mount vibration is to fill the tripod legs with sand.

GOTO mount don't necessary offer better stability. In fact some are really unstable as well. Low cost Alt-Az goto tends to be the worse.

[bingevader]

Just accept that your knowledge will always lag behind everyone else!

I'm still a noob!

Always will be.

I'm just fascinated by what I'm able to see through a tube with some highly polished bit of glass in my own back garden!

I've posted it before, but I've enjoyed spending the last decade playing with a 3.5" goto.

Incredibly versatile and portable, but for the last few years I stopped using the goto, disengaged the motors and pushed it where I wanted it to go!

I now have an 8" dob too.

Enjoy what you have, you can see an incredible amount with the setup you have and leave the upgrade until your sure what you want from the hobby.

[bomberbaz]

dont hold back bingevader lol

[bingevader]

Spent the evening (between feeding everyone and putting the children to bed) enjoying the transit of Europa across Jupiter!

Then I enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine.

Now I'm going to bed.

Cheers!

[E621Keith]

Spent the evening (between feeding everyone and putting the children to bed) enjoying the transit of Europa across Jupiter!

Then I enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine.

Now I'm going to bed.

Cheers!

It was very nice indeed.

[brantuk]

Goto's are as much fun as manual scopes - just different fun - but like everything astro related - both depend on a knowledge of the sky. If you do get one I'd choose a beefier equatorial mount over the smaller alt/az. You'll be able to upgrade to a larger scope, learn a bit more about the movement of the sky and polar alignment, and it opens up the possibility of imaging.

Start with a CG5 or EQ5 got - you can get them second hand in good nick under 2yrs old for around £300-£350. All depends what you wanna do.

[Ant]

Just having a goto mount doesn't stop you learning.

Buying something like an HEQ5 or EQ6 wil be future proof in almost every way / route you decide to take.

1. If you decide to try imaging the mount is spot on.

2. If you decide that you like high powered planetary observing the HEQ5 will take a c9.25 and the EQ6 a C11. I doubt you'll go bigger than that.

3. Both mounts will accept a PST solar scope with a minor addition.

4. Goto is there if you need it, but you can still loosen the clutches and star hop if you want. Although the GOTO function won't work until you do the alignment procedure again - but at least you'd be able to find your target.

5. Saving up and buying the best mount you can will save you money in the long run. Second time round I started out with a EQ5, then a HEQ5, then a HEQ5pro. It would have been cheaper to have saved a little more and just got the last one. Don't even ask about the first time round lol.

So I sort of agree with some of the comments above, enjoy what you've got while your saving for a bigger mount, take your time. Whatever you learn now you'll not forget.

i can generally look into a small hole in the cloud and see a star and I'll know what constellation it is, and if it's a bright star I'll know the name of it. Even if there is only one star visible, that's because I started astronomy as an observer. You'll be able to do the same soon irrespective of the mount that you have - the brain just takes in as much into as it can...

Cheers

Ant

[bomberbaz]

Since making this post I have spent a few hours reading some more about EQ mounts and I have found I havn't been using it correctly. Been using it half as it should and part like an AZ mount, so no wonder I was struggling a bit, doh !!!

So now I am currently going through this area of the forums AGAIN and taking my time now http://stargazerslounge.com/forum/43-primers-and-tutorials/

10/10 for enthusiasm, 2/10 for taking time to learn how to use things correctly

(It would have only been 1/10 if I hadnt been half correct, lol )

Leanr by your mistakes they say

Steve

[Matt Scunthorpe]

I'm planning on keeping my set up for another year at least (this is how my budget is looking so far anyway LOL). Around the start of 2014 when i've got a bit of cash saved, i'll get the proper equipment, go-to mount etc, for imaging obviously.

But if your just going to do visual, id stick with Manual, for me at least,the thought of using goto means that i can stand at the EP and press the button and look at like 20 Messier in 5minutes. That kinda bores me. While star hopping, it takes me like 5minutes to find a single messier, and then when i've actually found it, im pumped that im looking at something so amazing, and that i found it myself.

[bomberbaz]

I may get into imaging at some point but not yet. Whe/if I decide to go to onto that, I shall mae sure I conduct a lot of research before hand

[Peter Drew]

Sounds like a few more visitsto us are in order!

[bomberbaz]

Sounds like a few more visits to us are in order!

Hello Peter. Well I tried and was fairly successful with setting up the EQ mount tonight but I certainly intend coming to visit you guys again. Hopefully I can bring some clear skies with me next time.

I was looking for the pole star but wasn't sure due to cloud and light polution. So I just did a rough set down the mount using a compass. It worked well enough for the 30 minutes my partner allowed me, lol

See you in a week or two Peter and the rest of you.

Steve