DD Goes Dob

[dick_dangerous]

Hello All,

Just wanted to share something with you all, after all the excellent advice I received...

For months I've been trying to work out where to go with the hobby: the ST80 is a brilliant little telescope for starting out (again) but is quite limited - I can't get much magnification on the planets and it's not got enough aperture for a lot of DSOs. The thrill is in the chase though, and it's not a telescope I'll part with in a hurry. However I wanted to move up a step. My requirements were fairly exacting: I wanted a telescope that had a longer focal length to allow me to gain more magnification for the planets and more aperture so I could get more out of my DSOs. Only problem was that it needed to be portable for someone without a car who lives in a first floor flat and observes from a park just down the road. It's a tricky ask...

I didn't want another wide-field refractor as I already have a decent one. I rejected a 90 Mak for the EQ1 because a} the EQ1 is wobbly as jelly and b} 90mm wouldn't have given me much more light grasp. I also decided against the table-top dobsonians due to their slight inconvenience of having to sit on something else to be usable... Then someone suggested getting a trolley to move the telescope to the park.

In the end I went for the Skyliner 150P. I know the 200P has more light grasp but it came down to the following points:

• I'm physiologically a nine stone weakling. The 150P I can lift, the 200P would be doubtful
• 6'' is double my current aperture, so I've improved my light-grasp about 400%
• I can afford a couple of extra bits with the 150P
• I stand a fighting chance of getting it in a hire car with the cases when I go on holiday. This was the deciding factor for me - an 8'' might have more light grasp, but a 6'' in Cornwall or the New Forest will kick the rear-end of an 8'' that can only be used in London.

I'm very much looking forward to first light, and the look on my wife's face when she sees the size of the thing. Then the look when I tell her it's the small one...

One question - any recommendations on eyepiece brands for my shiny new scope? I want to get hold of a 6mm and a wide-angle EP because I'm a little daunted by the lack of FoV over the ST80. It comes with 25mm and 10mm and I have a 2x Barlow already. Could probably upgrade those too...

And does this now mean I'm in the Dob Mob?!

DD

P.s. I'm afraid the rubbish weather will now last a few weeks longer because of my 'scope purchase. Sorry about that fellow Londoners!

[Stu]

Nice one DD. Aperture you use, is better than more aperture you don't!<br />

<br />

Have fun with it, great choice<br />

<br />

Stu

[NGC 1502]

Hi DD.   The logic you have used, shows just how hard it is for one person to give telescope advice to another.

Sounds like you've thought it through to arrive at a solution to suit your individual needs.

Hope you get loads of great sessions with the new kit - and if you have a Dob, you are indeed a member of the 'Dob mob'  

The ST80 will be a nice wide field grab & go, and will complement the Dob.

Regards, Ed.

[Stu]

The ST80 will be a nice wide field grab & go, and will complement the Dob.

Could always fit the ST80 to the dob as a mega finder!

Stu

[Naemeth]

This is exactly why deciding on which telescope to get is never easy - why many of us end up with more than one .

What is your budget for new eyepieces?

[Bart]

I'm going to be radical here and suggest the Starguiders (previously BSTs) from Alan at Skys The Limit. Good EPs from a good man

Can't go wrong. There are also a couple of Pentax XLs on ABS for a decent price

Barry

[AlexB67]

I'm going to be radical here and suggest the Starguiders (previously BSTs) from Alan at Skys The Limit. Good EPs from a good man

Can't go wrong. There are also a couple of Pentax XLs on ABS for a decent price

Barry

At that focal ratio they works very well indeed. Lovely bang for the buck or some maxvsion for the longer focal length for slightly more if you do not want to break the bank and get a reasonable amount of FOV for the money 

Barry

Pentax XL who what where ???. No chance, if there were I would have bought them  . Did you mean the pentax XFs that are on there ?  I love my XL enough so I have a shell script running in the background that searches the world wide web for XLs whenever they turn up, or may be it is missing out on some searches and has bugs 

[Bart]

Oops sorry, yes XFs. Sorry, everyone can stand down again. The starguiders are probably your man here

Barry

[dick_dangerous]

I'd heard a lot of good things about the BSTs - will give them a whirl!

DD

[brantuk]

A well thought out purchase DD - congrats!!

I wish more folks were as constructive when they take up astronomy. At least we know you're not going to come back in 3 weeks and ask "How do I take deep sky photos with this set up?" and we won't have to jam the ota on your head and bang it a thousand times with a baseball bat lol. :grin:

[daczzr]

DD, i'm a new convert to the dob having just got a 10" from a 5" on an eq mount. i love it!! my missus was a little shocked when i came home with a "cannon!" followed by "are you looking at the moon or blowing it out of the sky?" were the actual words.

I set up the 5" and the 10" with almost the same EP's in as comparison on Jupiter and orion nebula. WOW worth every penny and cold shoulder!

Talk to Alan at skys-the-limit he knows more than is humanly possible about optics and the prices are good too, had an easy hour talk on EP's and collimation

Enjoy

D

PS. I think we have both jinxed the weather with new toys!!

[swamp thing]

Thanks for your contribution to the weather DD

6" in the new forrest will kick a lot more than an 8" in London I know. My 10" from home gets beat hands down easy peasy by a 4" from a proper dark,sky. Your 6" from proper dark skies will beat a 12" in London just as easy.

[Astro Imp]

Well done DD.

Pleased you took the trouble to work out what you really needed.

Good luck and have fun.

[dick_dangerous]

It gets better... we are trollied and ready to go!

That's my wife behind the telescope - she insisted I bought the more expensive trolley to transport it...

A well thought out purchase DD - congrats!!

I wish more folks were as constructive when they take up astronomy. At least we know you're not going to come back in 3 weeks and ask "How do I take deep sky photos with this set up?" and we won't have to jam the ota on your head and bang it a thousand times with a baseball bat lol. :grin:

You mean I can't take photos through it?  Only kidding!

I think it may be a little while before I decide I want to get into Astrophotography. I love the fact the Dobsonian has no electronics whatsoever! Of course if I got a chunky mount I could fit the OTA on it. Oh no... more ideas...

DD