it was a good night last night :-)

[bambuko]

Managed to use my Skywatcher 150p for the first time last night

Started early in the night, before the lights got switched off by watching the Moon (like I guess every beginner does...) - beautiful!

Later on managed to observe Jupiter with it's moons - first using 25mm piece, then 10mm and finally 10mm with x2 Barlow - better than I could have coped for!

I am a happy man.

Definitely need to sort out my mount - the vibrations were really annoying.

The other thing that got me wound up was waiting for the lights to switch off - it wasn't until 1:30 am that street lights went off

Might have to think about mobile operations - half a mile outside the village in the fields is a lot better than having to wait until lights go out.

And advice please, from fellow glass users (I normally wear varifocals):

Without glasses I couldn't see anything in the sky outside the scope, so had to wear my distance glasses.

To see Stellarium I needed my reading glasses.

I was using the scope without glasses.

How do you guys cope with glasses?

On top of all the other things I was doing in the total darkness, like changing eyepieces etc (I had red light torch) it was recipe for messing things up

[wookie1965]

Put play sand in your mounts legs and put a weight on the eyepiece tray it will help with the vibrations cannot help with glasses i do the very same thing. I have upgraded my eyepieces to BST starguiders which are very good and are great for spectacle wearers.

[rowan46]

If you can leave the moon till last,  looking at the moon definitely messes up your night vision. But yes a nice night last night. As to glasses varifocals are not ideal. I use them myself except for astronomy. I find it impossible to keep my head in the same place over the eyepiece. Either try without glasses (many don't use them instead relying on the scope to sort out focus) if that doesn't work  get a fixed focal pair and let the scope take up the slack, but yes a nice night last night 

[Astro Imp]

When I first started, with the same scope as yourself, I carried out all my observing wearing varifocals but over the last few months have tended to line my scope up wearing them and then removing them to observe.

Just try different ways until you find something that works for you.

[cotterless45]

You're lucky getting your street lights switched off. I made an enclosure outside of the shed using extended clothes props and old throws to cut out all extraneous light.

Double stars can be usefully observed with the Moon up and it was a cracking night when it set.

Glasses are a pain. I usually stick them up in the headlight band or on the ep tray.

I find it almost impossible to observe with them on, especially with orthos.

Nick.

[kerrylewis]

On the subject of glasses, I find the cheapest but most useful accessory that I have is one of those cords that let the glasses dangle round your neck. I don't use glasses at the eyepiece but I do for everything else so when observing I just let them dangle. I actually trod on a pair once so a cord for a few quid from Specsavers can save you a lot of money!

Kerry

[kerrylewis]

I forgot - you can see them I'm my photo! I have a boat on the river and wear them then too. Glasses dropped in the water can be expensive too!

[bambuko]

As usual, plenty of good advice - thank you.

I definitely will get specs cord (might also help me avoid loosing them - at my age it seems to happen far too often).

Shan't be using varifocals at night.

Also just got back from Homebase with 15kg of play sand (£ 2.99)

Moon didn't mess up my vision because I was able to observe it in early evening/night and waited until about 2 am before having a go at other things, but very good point - thank you.

[ronl]

Use your varifocals with the cord, then you can see what you are

doing both distant and close, removing for observing, but I find the

cord to be to long and it is easy to get tangled or caught on things

especially the mount, the shorter the better, tie the back to suit.

[bambuko]

Put play sand in your mounts legs

I have done it.

The weight of tripod legs has increased from about 1,5kg to whopping 6kg and the whole setup is markedly steadier now.

Good advice - thank you!