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Comfortable viewing - new telescope


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I travel between the UK and Sweden, and I am thinking of buying a new more permanent scope for Sweden and keep my Mak in the UK. After reading views/opinions etc I am considering a Dobsonian as portability won't be a problem.  Size....well I suppose I will be governed by amount of cash available but I would love to get good views of deep sky objects that I cannot get with my MAK.  I have bought some new eyepieces, so would hope to share them between both if possible.  However, I am concerned about viewing and my back.  I have had problems using a finder scope with my Mak  when objects are high in the sky, and I am worried about having to stoop to look through the eyepiece on a Dobsonian.  I am 5'5" and although happy to stay out in sub zero temperatures, my back certainly suffers after using the Mak on its goto mount after an hour.   My view in Sweden is also limited as my house is in a dip, surrounded by very tall trees.  Best view is looking south - so this last week I did have a good view of Orion at midnight as it had cleared the trees (just)  In the summer I can get good views of Leo. So maybe I won't be stooping much!!  So was wondering if others have suffered with back pain using a Dobsonian (or could I expect less)  :laugh:

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Hi Kamet, your best bet would be to get a RACI (right-angle, correct image) finder scope for both telescopes, this will mean you don't have to contort yourself very much, although you cannot eliminate this completely.  On the dobsonian, I do not own one myself, but if portability is not a problem, then the 200P dobsonian is very good value for money and packs a powerful punch, here: http://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-skyliner-200p-dobsonian.html

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Your kit is almost the same as mine (just love the 32 TV plossl  :smiley: ) and I find this whole finder thing a big pain in the back.  I use a dining table chair and cushion at the eyepiece that works well.  But looking for a good height ajustable stool - I think that will be a good investment (and stop SWMBO complaining :cool: ).  

But as for the finder I haven't used it at all for the last two sessions.  And how anyone uses the straight through when looking high in the sky is beyond me.

Others here suggested the 45/90 degree finders but they are not cheap (especially with two scopes) and are still awkward to get to for certain parts of the sky.

I'm looking now for a very wide F0V EP and have downloaded a star atlas.  It might take longer to find things but as you say the alternative is "my back certainly suffers"  and that can ruin a good nights viewing, and the next nights, and .............................................  :mad:

What would be really good would be a webcam attached to the scope that you could connect to a tablet or laptop and see the view.  Then software to overlay the star map.  wow I think I have an idea  :rolleyes:

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a red dot finder / telrad wont give you as much of a sore neck - but you are still going to be looking up through it and therefore having simillar problems to a degree.

However a nice widefield low power ep and red dot finder means a cursory glance through the finder is all thats needed to get you in the ball park, then the ep takes over. this really minimises the neck strain.

as for observing pains, a 10 or 12" dob would mean at 5'5" you will be stood perfectly upright without stooping for most objects between 35-75deg elevation, and requiring a small step for near zenith. Alternatively an adjustable ironing chair would be perfect.

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hi Kamet, are you saying that you have back pain generally or that using the Mak gives you a crick in the neck /back?

'hopefully' it's the latter as this is easier to answer in a way. for me, viewing comfort is one of the most important things. if you are comfortable and stable (I mean physically, not emotionally - we cannot really help there!), you will see more.

I previously had a long refractor and even though I made a tall tripod for it, I found that neat the zenith, finding things really made me ache by the end of the night. Since I moved to dobsonian telescopes, I am far more comfortable and find the shape of the base also more conducive to a chair - even more comfort!

A focal length of 1200mm is really quite nice and I have a 12" f4 scope which is a joy to use. a 6", 8" or 10" Skywatcher dob would have the same approximate eyepiece height. However, I find a longer focal length (e.g. 1500mm as in the 12" f5 dob) is the most comfortable of all. This is a large scope so if the former above applies re your back, then consider this but when combined with a Telrad, right angle correct image finder and good quality eyepieces, the visual experience is almost as good as it gets - only enhanced by more aperture and / or dark skies.

Good luck with your choice.

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I don't know how anybody can use straight through finderscopes particularly when pointing anything above horizontal.

I use RACI finderscope and x1 finder (Rigel) and the latter is still pain in the neck even though it is raised well above the main tube (more info about Rigel here)

If you are using Telrad there is an option of Dew Shield Plus For Telrad (allows right angle viewing).
Alternatively you can do diy version

Of course if you have money to burn :grin: you should get Starbeam finder, which can be used both as straight through and (with flip mirror) as 90deg device.

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Thanks everyone for the replies so far.  My back is not a problem normally, but with a hip problem, kneeling down to look through the straight finder scope was getting to be a pain to put it mildly, and stooping to look through the ep was the real problem.  Looking at pictures of people using a dob - I thought this might work as it looks like you just stand more or less straight up - but wasn't sure about the different sizes.   I don't think I could afford a 12" dob.....but have been looking at the 10" ones as it looks like I could use my existing ep's.  Transporting ep's between countries is not a problem :grin:

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