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I'm No Good at Intro Posts


skir

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I've just posted elsewhere for the first time so figured I'd better introduce myself in proper forum fashion.

My name's Pete and I got interested in astronomy a bit over a year ago but haven't done too much in the interim. I'm currently looking at buying my first proper setup so figured this would be a good place to get the right advice.

I've got plenty of time to research as I'm currently laid up with a leg in plaster owing to a skiing accident! So I'm doing a lot of reading and drooling over various kit!

Normally I'm on Merseyside, but I'm currently stuck down south owing to said accident meaning driving home is out of the question.

I look forward to learning lots on here.

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This seems a very welcoming place! The leg is gradually healing after the op to repair my torn Achilles. So reading is one of the few things I can do at the moment. I think I may be able to work out how to sit or stand (maybe) by a telescope too, though I think I'll be buying my kit bit by bit.

i've got my eye at the moment on a Altair astro Gso 8" f5 Newtonian, 2nd hand for a couple hundred. I think I'd like to mate that to a eq5 mount with goto capability which would enable me to try photography at some point in the future.

Thoughts on this?

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Hi Pete,

Welcome to the Lounge, sounds like your in perfect position for the research and general reading. No choice but to go gently with the plaster on, but try and build it back up gently once you're free!

Excellent scope that and the price seems attractive, but you may want to hold out for an HEQ5 mount if you are looking to photography, particularly for longer exposures and tracking - Though on this note I'll sit back and let some of the experts advise.

Maybe a bar stool or observing chair for the first few months!

Best of luck choosing, buying and hopefully soon observing - Jake

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Hi Pete and welcome to the forum. Hope you get up and running soon but try not to dribble too much - doesn't react well with the plaster! :grin: Would certainly second getting the HEQ5 mount as a minimum if imaging is your ultimate goal. Good payload capacity, proven track record in accurate tracking and importantly, ii also has built into it the capability to "auto guide". This is when a smaller scope is used to fix itself onto a nearby star to the object being imaged. It has the capability to make micro adjustments to the mounts tracking and so by keeping the nearby star in its cross hairs, it will also ensure that the main imaging scope also fixed to its target. Really important capability if you don't have an observatory and need to set up your imaging kit ('rig') each time for each session.

As you are currently in 'reading mode' can I suggest that you perhaps got hold of copy of Steve Richards book "Making Every Photon Count" (FLO £19.95) which you can view here. It is a comprehensive guide that will advise you on what kit to get and why you need it to take good consistent images. It is modestly priced and in fact could save you money by helping you to avoid buying the wrong kit. Well written and straightforward to follow, it is in my opinion essential reading that will help you establish the necessary overview so that you can decide on how far you want to go in astrophotography, or as we sometimes call it, the 'dark art'. :grin:

Clear skies for now, take it steady and enjoy the forum.

James

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Hi Pete,

Welcome to the Lounge, sounds like your in perfect position for the research and general reading. No choice but to go gently with the plaster on, but try and build it back up gently once you're free!

Excellent scope that and the price seems attractive, but you may want to hold out for an HEQ5 mount if you are looking to photography, particularly for longer exposures and tracking - Though on this note I'll sit back and let some of the experts advise.

Maybe a bar stool or observing chair for the first few months!

Best of luck choosing, buying and hopefully soon observing - Jake

well I've pretty much agreed to buy the scope so I'm getting a tad excited now.

bar stools I have no problem with but, that's another story.........

Hi Pete and welcome to the forum. Hope you get up and running soon but try not to dribble too much - doesn't react well with the plaster! :grin: Would certainly second getting the HEQ5 mount as a minimum if imaging is your ultimate goal. Good payload capacity, proven track record in accurate tracking and importantly, ii also has built into it the capability to "auto guide". This is when a smaller scope is used to fix itself onto a nearby star to the object being imaged. It has the capability to make micro adjustments to the mounts tracking and so by keeping the nearby star in its cross hairs, it will also ensure that the main imaging scope also fixed to its target. Really important capability if you don't have an observatory and need to set up your imaging kit ('rig') each time for each session.

As you are currently in 'reading mode' can I suggest that you perhaps got hold of copy of Steve Richards book "Making Every Photon Count" (FLO £19.95) which you can view here. It is a comprehensive guide that will advise you on what kit to get and why you need it to take good consistent images. It is modestly priced and in fact could save you money by helping you to avoid buying the wrong kit. Well written and straightforward to follow, it is in my opinion essential reading that will help you establish the necessary overview so that you can decide on how far you want to go in astrophotography, or as we sometimes call it, the 'dark art'. :grin:

Clear skies for now, take it steady and enjoy the forum.

James

yes from reading the heq5 looks to be ideal, sadly I suspect even second hand it will be beyond budget, but tbh I can't see the AP thing starting for a few years yet. I'll take a look at that book, thanks :smiley:

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