Out of the dark (side) and into the light!

[m37]

Hey hey!

I have begun the process of selling-off my imaging setup so I can switch to visual observing and hopefully an easier and stress-free astronomy experience! I would like to look at the lunar surface in detail, planets and also some DSOs within reason. I would like GOTO as I have always got on with it nicely.

A cursory glance through the FLO site leads me to think the Skywatcher Skyliner flextube Dobs would be suitable. I was looking at the Skylinber 250px goto which 

I have budgeted for a scope in this price range, a cheshire collimator, a 2" ED barlow, an astrozap lightshroud (already have a 1.25" strip for eyepieces), an illuminated crosshair eyepiece, and a right angled illuminated finder.

After these basics (power and dew strip controller is sorted) I would like to get some better eyepieces eventually but will have a play with the stock ones first, probably the BST explorers when I have saved some pennies.

Any opinions, pitfalls or general suggestions would be gratefully received.

cheers

Chris

[Daniel-K]

why not save the money and do without go-to and buy your self some half decent EP's? i love reading my map and charts and learning as you go along. Nothing beats the moment when you finally bag hat DSO that you have been star hoping scanning for it gives you a real great feeling. also the go-to base's are pretty heavy. dont forget your telrad in fact better than go-to buy a wixy and make your own setting circles its very accurate and could save you the extra £400 to spend on something else

[Pig]

They are great scopes by all accounts, you may need to think about upgrading the focuser, I have seen a few comments about how inadequate they are. I have not owned one my comment it is purely based on what I have read on the various threads.

Good luck with the new direction

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Goto or no goto is a matter of taste. Some people, like me, love the chase, and with a good RACI finder and star chart I have found well over 800 DSOs. A non-goto scope like mine can be set up in minutes and is ready to go. At a recent star party I was the only person with a non-goto scope, and I was picking up loads of DSOs before the rest of the scopes had been put through their two or three star alignment procedures. Non-goto scopes keepworking when the batteries have gone flat too. This is quite a bonus when you are somewhere at a dark site far from civilization.

Apart from these thoughts about goto, the choice seems entirely sensible, and if you like goto, by all means go for it

[faulksy]

or add digital setting circles like i did, no go to just push to and more accurate and very fast to use. i use the nexus system

[m37]

Interesting ideas guys. What about following things as they track across the sky? Is that tricky without some sort of motor?

Cheers, you've got me all excited!

[nightfisher]

Interesting ideas guys. What about following things as they track across the sky? Is that tricky without some sort of motor?

Cheers, you've got me all excited!

Nudging a dob is very easy, intuitive

[DaveS]

Why not put something like a 120 ED on your HEQ5? You can still control it with EQMOD bung an eyepiece in and be happily observing. Skywatcher also do a matched focal reducer for looking at DSOs.

[m37]

Cheers guys, keep 'em coming!!!

[Myopicus]

I love my dob - I can be set up and viewing in the time it takes me to carry it onto the patio.

Intuitive, simple, affordable.  Love it.

[Paul73]

Good choice of scope.

Can't see the point in GoTo unless you have light pollution issues. The great thing about dobs are their simplicity (good move re the dew control though).

However, learning to star hop is frustrating until it clicks.

Paul

PS.

[m37]

What are my dew reducing options/requirements for this kind of scope?

[Daniel-K]

You will need a secondary heater. Altair astro do a great one for £56ish. The obligatory homemade camping matt dew shield. Finder dew shield and heater.a dew controller and a small battery pack to run them off

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Putting a C8 OTA on an HEQ5 is also an option. Much more light grasp than a 120ED, and more compact and lighter,allowing easy transport to a dak site (or on holidays if travelling by car). You also have tracking (like on my Vixen GP) mount. The C8, when equipped with a 2" visual back is an excellent all-round visual scope.

[m37]

The dew shroud seems to promise dew free operation. Is this realistic? I have a dew controller thingy with 4 channels so can use strips if necessary. I was thinking of using them for the finder and eyepiece anyway.

[Daniel-K]

Thedew shield and shroud will stop dew for a while but your secondary will eventually dew over.

[AndyWB]

FWIW, a hairdryer can be used to clear the secondary too - cheap and cheerful. Long term, I'd like to get a split secondary heater and put it on - something like this: http://www.altairastro.com/product.php?productid=16275 - though be be honest, my solid tube hasn't had problems, so far, touch wood.

I'm not sure I'd bother with an illuminated finder, at least, not until I'd a Telrad or Rigel Quickfinder fitted. They're much more useful, as a rule, and to be honest, I don't use the crosshair on the finderscope much ("Middle" is close enough!) so illumination, while nice, doesn't add much  to it.

I do find the BSTs half decent, though there are better eyepieces out there.

What are you planning on using the Illuminated Crosshair eyepiece for? That's one bit of kit I don't often wish for...

[johnd]

Hello, whilst a complete beginner 'Telescope wise but I've been interested reading and naked-eye for many years'. I can offer a little newbie insight into Dob ownership and can say that even I could handle my 300p within minutes of a quick overview from the helpful seller and within a few mins when I got it home was enjoying Jupiter! I think it is a simple scope to use and even collimation (in the day anyway) was easy enough and you don't really have to do it often I guess unless your moving and bumping it or that's my limited experience? I was lucky in that I bought second-hand from a very experienced DSO observer and he had made a few mod including fitting a very smart looking Moonlite Focuser that is very smooth to adjust. The only thing that its missing is a Finder Scope (it only came with a Rigel but I'm going to get an "Altair 10x60mm Right Angled Illuminated Finder Scope") and whilst I've had many hours of fun, I too find the learning of how to move the big scope by hand and hunting (whilst not actually finding) for DSO part of the charm. I can only guess how good these bigger Dobs are in Dark Skies!

I think all I need is my 10x60 FS may be a 5mm EP (I use a 2.25 Barlow and my 12mm EP at present) and/or a 32/35mm EP seems to be recommended for initially finding 'stuff'. After that its just learning to see in whatever conditions there is.

[johnd]

Hello, whilst a complete beginner 'Telescope wise but I've been interested reading and naked-eye for many years'. I can offer a little newbie insight into Dob ownership and can say that even I could handle my 300p within minutes of a quick overview from the helpful seller and within a few mins when I got it home was enjoying Jupiter! I think it is a simple scope to use and even collimation (in the day anyway) was easy enough and you don't really have to do it often I guess unless your moving and bumping it or that's my limited experience? I was lucky in that I bought second-hand from a very experienced DSO observer and he had made a few mod including fitting a very smart looking Moonlite Focuser that is very smooth to adjust. The only thing that its missing is a Finder Scope (it only came with a Rigel but I'm going to get an "Altair 10x60mm Right Angled Illuminated Finder Scope") and whilst I've had many hours of fun, I too find the learning of how to move the big scope by hand and hunting (whilst not actually finding) for DSO part of the charm. I can only guess how good these bigger Dobs are in Dark Skies!

I think all I need is my 10x60 FS may be a 5mm EP (I use a 2.25 Barlow and my 12mm EP at present) and/or a 32/35mm EP seems to be recommended for initially finding 'stuff'. After that its just learning to see in whatever conditions there is.

Oh and one thing that will help no-end on seeing when I can find one, is a decent seat that is high enough as I do find my back a little aching and it must be a joy to sit look rather than stooping. I've seen some ingenious homemade but I've also heard of an ironing seat that sounds cheap but haven't seen one yet?

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

+1 for the observing seat (height adjustable). I built one myself (largely because I had wood lying around, and like carpentry). Gone are the back pains I used to have during long sessions

[johnd]

looks good http://www.amazon.co.uk/Folding-perching-ironing-padded-adjustable/dp/B004U9LWUO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398169033&sr=8-1&keywords=ironing+chair  71cm seems a bit low?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Leifheit-71325-Multi-Seat-Niveau-Silver/dp/B000VJE5SI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1398169033&sr=8-2&keywords=ironing+chair  85cm height better

Wonder if anyone uses any of these?

[avtaram]

I use the 85cm height ironing chair.

Viewing while comfortably seated makes all the difference.

Avtar

[johnd]

I use the 85cm height ironing chair.

Viewing while comfortably seated makes all the difference.

Avtar

Hi, are you able to sit and look at stuff directly overhead i.e. scope pretty much vertical e.g. for me that would be say looking for M82 in U Major. And on point for the OP question around Dobs, is it just me or is it more difficult to position and move a Dob when its almost vertical?

[AndyWB]

No, it's not just you - this is the 'Dob Hole', though I guess the same problem must exist for any Alt-Az system near zenith. One solution is to set up on slightly sloped ground, if you're trying to look at the zenith - this can help, though I've only tried it with my mini-dob.

[Paul73]

No, it's not just you - this is the 'Dob Hole', though I guess the same problem must exist for any Alt-Az system near zenith. One solution is to set up on slightly sloped ground, if you're trying to look at the zenith - this can help, though I've only tried it with my mini-dob.

Yes, you think that you are doing alright and then suddenly, normally just shy of the target, you can't steer!!

Not to much of a problem. Look at something else for an hour and then go back when the target isn't directly over head.

Paul