A BEGINNERS FIRST EXPERIENCE LOL

[astropongo]

It was a clear night tonight, so I decided to take my cheap telescope outside for the first time, and try to view mars which I could see clearly and brightly in the east.

My observations -:

a) My hands froze

I banged my knee on the Equatorial mount

c) My father was watching me, and was annoying by saying "Cant you see it yet"

d) The scope seemed to be ultra sensitive to movement

e) Equatorial mounts are a pain in the (donkeys butt)

f) I couldn't read the DEC and RA dials (even with my red filter torch)

g) Although I eventually got mars in the finder scope there was no sign of it in the main scope

h) Tried the slow motion controls but didn't seem to bring mars into view

i) I thought I had mars eventually but the slightest movement knocked the bright blur out of view

j) Almost crushed my compass

k) Some washing on the washing stand got caught on the mount legs as I was bringing it back in the house

I must add although that may seem negative, I did enjoy myself. I also didn't polar align the scope first, I tried to directly view mars using the finder scope. I almost had it, but the scope seems really sensitive to movement. I have to laugh at myself, I looked like an overgrown baboon that had stumbled across a lump of scientific equipment ha ha

Anyway I did see a beautiful shooting star - and had some trifle when I went indoors. Any advice is warmly welcome.

Cheers!

[daz]

Glad you enjoyed it AP!!!

OK, simple tips...

1. Gloves

2. Set up the mount in daylight and ensure its all tightened and steady

3. Align the finder scope with main scope in daylight

4. Don't worry about the setting circles - learn the constellations instead

5. PLenty of hot drinks!!!

Good report though

[Paladin]

Hello Astropongo

First of all, welcome to SGL, a friendly & helpful bunch of people.

The only advise I can add to Daz's is, PERSIVERE, PERSIVERE & PERSIVERE; IT WILL BE WORTH IT.

Also, never lose your sense of humour.

Paul

[AlexG]

Hi Astropongo

Welcome to SGL.

Phew, so I am not the only one! I think we have all blundered around in the shrubbery in our time. Just keep at it (the astronomy not the blundering )

AG

[astropongo]

Thanks for the support and advice folks

[Casus belli]

Sounds a hell of a lot like my first night with a scope...... only with less cats. Brilliant first report, I'd have been (Ok was!) too embarassed to post it.

Its a huge but satisfying learning curve. Stick with it, get some decent cold weather gear and maybe a set of binos and you'll be hooked.

[barkis]

Don't worry about it, I think worry is the wrong word, you sound like a happy go lucky guy, and so I have no doubt you will improve very quickly.

Your experience is not unique, most first time equatorial users feel as though they are battling a boa constrictor, which won't move in the direction you are trying to move it. You'll soon get the better of it, and go on to enjoy it to the full.

Just keep laughing, it helps a lot.

Ron.

[ash]

I use to move my EQ2 mount and tube around the garden to look at objects then....hey presto!! now its easy ish! keep going the lads on here will do there utmost to help.

Welcome to SGL

ASH

[The Warthog]

Set the altitude of the scope to about 50 degrees, and point it as true north as you can. This will allow you to follow objects for a reasonable lenght of time once you acquire them in the scope.

If you have a cheap, jiggly mount, do anything you can think of to make it more stable. Particularly, tighten all the bolts that hold the tripod together and to the mount. Spread the legs of the tripod so that the spreader is taut. Ignore the RA and Declination dials. Just point at an object and follow it in RA, adjusting the declination as you go, until you have a good feel for the system.

Point your telescope at the farthest object you can see from your house, and then adjust the finder until it is pointing at the same part of the same thing. This should allow you to get close enough to an object in the sky to get it focused.

What kind of scope do you have?

[themos]

Make sure you are using the lowest power eyepiece for finding things.

Instead of a finderscope, you can use a powerful torch. Just shine it into the eyepiece and you should be able to make out a nice beam of light shooting out of the telescope towards a point in the sky. Use the scope controls until the column of light is pointing at what you want to see.

[Sam]

Make sure you are using the lowest power eyepiece for finding things.

Instead of a finderscope, you can use a powerful torch. Just shine it into the eyepiece and you should be able to make out a nice beam of light shooting out of the telescope towards a point in the sky. Use the scope controls until the column of light is pointing at what you want to see.

That's a very useful hint - I'm going to try that one myself!

[jgs001]

Yes very interesting

[Vega]

Finding objects without first aligning your finderscope is like trying to drive a car without the wheels attached (it dont get you anywhere quick).

Never mind mate, the best lesson, you won't forget the imporance of a well aligned finderscope in a hurry.

Matt

[themos]

If you use your scope as a spotlight like I said above, it helps to put your face close to the tube. It seems the scattering is strongest at that very shallow angle and you have the best chance of seeing the beam. Use your breath to make the beam more visible if you need to.

[dannyboy]

sorry to laugh but that's a great story, needed that to make me chuckle after the day I had. I guess I can also relate as I got my first scope for Christmas too, and am still trying to get my head around this EQ mount. The instructions for it might as well be in Azerbaijani :?

I really would align that finder though. During my first observation efforts I couldn't find the damn moon because the red dot finder was so far out. (either that or I look through it wrong). But I set it up by pointing it at a church steeple about 500 yds from my house, and it works brilliantly now. I even managed to find Betelgeuse last night. With the naked eye it looks like an orange dot, and through the scope it looked like a fractionally bigger orange dot