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Hi, It's Tim from Andover, Hampshire

Warden

By Warden
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Warden

Warden

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I've looked to the skies through the old mark1 eyeball for years and years, sure I had a small telescope when I was younger living in Canada but never really knew how to use it properly (bit of a shame). Recently I've had a resurgence into star gazing since moving to Andover a year ago and realising that just a short walk into the countryside I've got very little light pollution and the sky opens up to you. I've been given a SkyHawk-1145P telescope as a birthday present and I look forward to all the advice anyone can offer in helping me use it to some degree of success (or failure if the case maybe :))

So if there are any observation groups near Andover that don't mind accepting a complete Noob I'd love to have a chat with you about it all.

All the best,

Tim

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SnakeyJ

SnakeyJ

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Hi Tim,

Welcome to SGL, not sure about local groups but imagine quite a lot of people head up to the north Salisbury plane area for the dark skies so sure there must be something going on locally.

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Warden

Warden

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Thanks all, I think I've found the Salisbury Plain Observing Group who I'll try and get in contact with. For now though any assistance with the use and future purchases for a SkyHawk 1145P or where I would find assistance with this piece of equipment would be ace.

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Jaykay495

Jaykay495

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For now though any assistance with the use and future purchases for a SkyHawk 1145P or where I would find assistance with this piece of equipment would be ace.

Future purchases = first light optics (link at top of page).

i'm new to this too, and have found the book "turn left at orion" very helpful as is philip's "stargazing with a telescope".

stellarium, a free bit of software(mac or pc), is also very good in planning your nights viewing.

if you have an ipad, i'd also recommend Luminos, which i really like. £5 via itunes.

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SnakeyJ

SnakeyJ

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Thanks all, I think I've found the Salisbury Plain Observing Group who I'll try and get in contact with. For now though any assistance with the use and future purchases for a SkyHawk 1145P or where I would find assistance with this piece of equipment would be ace.

I hadn't noticed a SON Review on this scope before - but First Light Optics are listing it as a SON Group Test Winner, though I haven't managed to find the review on the SON site. For the price (£ 125) this looks a very good buy and far better than spherical mirrored Bird Jones design 'equivalents' - though for £ 165, the SW 130P offers the next step up in aperture. Both offer good optics for the price, the weakest point is probably the EQ2 mount and tripod, which can probably best described as adequate/entry level.

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Jaykay495

Jaykay495

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Hi tim.

As per your instructions with the scope, get it aligned with north as its an equatorial mount and give it chance to cool down.

i'm a total noob too, and started with jupiter and saturn as my first "victims". Jupiter is the first to vanish following the sun, so start there. Usually seen just after sunset in the southwest sky, and is quite bright. Line it up with your finderscope, then try the 25mm (wide view), centre it in the viewfinder, then try the 25 and barlow, then try the 10mm and the 10 and barlow.

it'll shift through the sky fairly quickly, so keep adjusting the scope to follow it on the mount. You should hopefully be able to make out the planet, and perhaps 3 or 4 of its moons.

After jupiter, have a crack at saturn, which'll be rising in the southeast sky. Same drill as jupiter, finderscope, 25mm, barlow, 10mm etc. hopefully, you'll be able to see it as a ringed planet. Looks pretty astonishing.

once the moon is about to be seen, have a crack at that. Not had the pleasure yet, but looking forward to it with my skywatcher 150p.

this place is a great resource, and people are very helpful, so enjoy.

Apologies if any of the above is incorrect, but its how i've started off with my telescope :)

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SnakeyJ

SnakeyJ

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Again thanks for all the warm welcomes, for any interested the Sky at Night reviews are here:

http://www.opticalvi...nuals.asp?P=706

Thanks Warden - I couldn't see the review listed from the SON site, though an old review was alluded to - very refreshing to see that perhaps uniquely amongst other imports into UK the price has remained static at £125 for 7 years, wish I could say the same about US imports :(

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