Star hopping with a Nexstar 6? Can you do it?

[SacRiker]

I'm focused on the Nexstar 6 as my first scope sometime in the next few weeks/months (live in a big city and need the portability option).  However, I don't always want to use the Go-To feature...I want to learn how to navigate and star hop from time to time.  Can you manually and effectively move the scope around and star hop?  Or are you forced to input specific objects and always go-to?

Thanks!

[nicoscy]

I assume you are referring to the Nexstar SE 6". As such, the mount can only be operated when plugged in so you will use the controller to slew manually while the mount is running on batteries / 12V power supply. The telescope has a focal length of 1500 and a pretty narrow field of view. Starhopping will be really challenging with a field of view of 1.1 degrees. 

Therefore, best to do an alignment and use go-to. Best way to learn to starhop is to get a SkyWatcher 80mm or 100mm f5 achro and cheerfully hop around with a large FOV to learn your way around the sky.

[SacRiker]

I assume you are referring to the Nexstar SE 6". As such, the mount can only be operated when plugged in so you will use the controller to slew manually while the mount is running on batteries / 12V power supply. The telescope has a focal length of 1500 and a pretty narrow field of view. Starhopping will be really challenging with a field of view of 1.1 degrees. 

Therefore, best to do an alignment and use go-to. Best way to learn to starhop is to get a SkyWatcher 80mm or 100mm f5 achro and cheerfully hop around with a large FOV to learn your way around the sky.

Thanks for the info.  Is it a viable option to learn to starhop with my binocs (8x56 celestron) alongside whatever scope I get?  I find myself really wanting the go-to to verify that I'm looking at what I think I'm looking at!  Haha.

[nicoscy]

Not so practical as the binoculars will not be mounted side by side with the telescope. You can always add a right angle correct image finder to the Celestron 6SE and slew manually. A 9x50 finderscope covers 5 degrees of sky!

However, you will find that if you do a proper alignment and input the correct information, the mount is super accurate. There are plenty of posts on how to do the alignment but key things to note:

Level the tripod. Download a leveling application on your phone or buy a cheap $1 thingie from the closest DIY center for this purpose and then place mount on tripod.

Input date under US system, i.e. as you are used to: MM/DD/YYYY

Make sure you have correct selection of Daylight Savings / Standard Time setting (and I think this is set to UK DS/ST time, so keep an eye out for the Brits)

Do a 3 star alignment. Pick stars as far apart as possible and not on the same plane, i.e. form a huge triangle in the sky , the bigger the better.

[SacRiker]

Not so practical as the binoculars will not be mounted side by side with the telescope. You can always add a right angle correct image finder to the Celestron 6SE and slew manually. A 9x50 finderscope covers 5 degrees of sky!

However, you will find that if you do a proper alignment and input the correct information, the mount is super accurate. There are plenty of posts on how to do the alignment but key things to note:

Level the tripod. Download a leveling application on your phone or buy a cheap $1 thingie from the closest DIY center for this purpose and then place mount on tripod.

Input date under US system, i.e. as you are used to: MM/DD/YYYY

Make sure you have correct selection of Daylight Savings / Standard Time setting (and I think this is set to UK DS/ST time, so keep an eye out for the Brits)

Do a 3 star alignment. Pick stars as far apart as possible and not on the same plane, i.e. form a huge triangle in the sky , the bigger the better.

More good info.  I'm so new to this.  Is the standard finderscope on the Nexstar terrible?  I just found this one on amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-93781-RACI-Illuminated-Finderscope/dp/B00DEOM534

[nicoscy]

The Nexstar SE comes with a Red Dot Finder. Ideally, it would be good to mount both of these i.e. a RDF and a RACI finderscope (I had this setup in the past with an Orion dual findershoe base).

You first need a findershoe for a SCT:

http://www.amazon.com/Orion-07215-Schmidt-Cassegrain-Finder-Scope/dp/B0000XMY4C/ref=pd_rhf_se_s_cp_5_044V?ie=UTF8&refRID=1C1E73XXKZ2JS0TYNSBJ

Get this one as a finderscope:

http://www.amazon.com/Orion-07212-Right-Angle-Correct-Image-Finder/dp/B0000XMVE0/ref=sr_1_5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1422469757&sr=1-5&keywords=finderscope

Dual mounting base:

http://www.amazon.com/Orion-10145-Finder-Mounting-Bracket/dp/B00D2LEHIU/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1422469807&sr=1-1&keywords=orion+dual+mounting

But all of the above are extra expenses and wholly unnecessary now. Just get the telescope, learn the alignment and enjoy the scope without worrying about starhopping initially. Once you get the hang of it and if you like it, then start doing what we all do, i.e. pour our money into this hobby and assisting global economic recovery through one eyepiece/telescope/accessory purchase at a time....

[LukeSkywatcher]

I'm focused on the Nexstar 6 as my first scope sometime in the next few weeks/months (live in a big city and need the portability option).  However, I don't always want to use the Go-To feature...I want to learn how to navigate and star hop from time to time.  Can you manually and effectively move the scope around and star hop?  Or are you forced to input specific objects and always go-to?

Thanks!

I star hop with my 8se, I simply use the keypad to move the scope up/down/left/right. 

You do need a power tank though.

[SacRiker]

I star hop with my 8se, I simply use the keypad to move the scope up/down/left/right. 

You do need a power tank though.

Would you mind giving a couple of sentences review/thoughts on the 8se?

[LukeSkywatcher]

Would you mind giving a couple of sentences review/thoughts on the 8se?

Gladly, but i can only speak from personal experience.

I am a wheelchair user and a couple of yrs ago i was seeking advice here on SGL as to the biggest aperture scope i could buy which also had to be lightweight and portable. My largest aperture scope at the time was a 130mm  Skywatcher Heritage.

I had a budget in mind and i was pointed by a fellow SGL member in the direction of the 8se. Since i bought it, i simply have not looked back or regretted my purchase. 

The views in a 130mm simply dont/cant compare to those in a 8se scope. 

Nothing wrong with a 6se, but if budget allows...............the 8se would be a better choice.

I cant be more honest. Its up to you and what your budget dictates.

[SacRiker]

Gladly, but i can only speak from personal experience.

I am a wheelchair user and a couple of yrs ago i was seeking advice here on SGL as to the biggest aperture scope i could buy which also had to be lightweight and portable. My largest aperture scope at the time was a 130mm  Skywatcher Heritage.

I had a budget in mind and i was pointed by a fellow SGL member in the direction of the 8se. Since i bought it, i simply have not looked back or regretted my purchase. 

The views in a 130mm simply dont/cant compare to those in a 8se scope. 

Nothing wrong with a 6se, but if budget allows...............the 8se would be a better choice.

I cant be more honest. Its up to you and what your budget dictates.

Thanks for the honest review.  I have thought about the 8, but it's just out of my price range when considering the extra accessories.  The 6 is more comfortable at this point.  Maybe I'll get lucky with a sale though. 

[Peter Drew]

I also have a 8SE, it is an excellent telescope optically and performs very well on lunar, planetary and DSO's. The GOTO is accurate and slewing is not too noisey if you turn the rate down a bit. I normally employ a one star set up using Polaris for lunar and planetary observation. For anything else a two star alignment seems to be more successful than a three star for some reason. The mount doesn't have to be level but there is no harm in doing so. (See Michael Swanson's Nextstar Guide- myths.)

A 50mm RACI finder is a good replacement or an addition to the inadequate supplied RDF. The main criticism of the 8SE is that it is at the limit of the mount, calling for gentle use of the focuser to avoid the wobbles, the 6SE is on the same mount and proportionally more stable. As far as starhopping is concerned you have to use the telescope powered up and the handset as the altitude axis is the only one that is clutched.   

[griz11]

There are several apps for your phone you can use to verify you are looking at what you think you are. Sky Eye is a good one. Or Google Sky Map.

Griz