Nearly There

[teifistar]

Hi,

A few weeks ago I introduced myself on the forum and said that I was waiting to go to a star party on the 27th February to help me make a choice of telescope to purchase.

I am trying not to preempt what I will see and be advised to do then but here are a few of my thoughts so far. I would welcome any feedback on this please.

Firstly I live in a rural area of West Wales with very good viewing conditions, I would also like to build an observatory, I do like projects. I think both these facts could influence choices.

I think that a Dob would probably be the best choice for me and if this is what I buy then the next question is what size do I go for. Having an observatory will eliminate the problem of moving the telescope around and I don't think I will ever need to take it to another site. I have been looking at the 8, 10 and 12 inch Dobs and bearing in mind what I have said so far is there any reason not to go for the 12 inch. I know it is more expensive but my thinking is, I may be sorry if I buy a smaller dob, will I be sorry if I buy a bigger one?

Next question is GOTO and tracking. I do not think I will ever become seriously involved with photography, hence one of the reasons of choice of scope, but I may just like to experiment and take a few photos. If I get a Dob with GOTO and tracking will that be suitable for my very limited ambitions in photography? I think I like the idea of tracking and GOTO if it will make life easier and extend observing time. I don't have to use it if its there. 

As far as eyepieces are concerned I will use what comes with the telescope and then decide what extra I need later.

There is also another reason for me posting this before the 27th, there is on fleabay a 12inch Skyliner with GOTO and tracking for sale, it seems it could be a reasonable proposition, only trouble is it ends on the 22nd.

Any comments and advice will be very welcome.

PS I do have binoculars, when are these clouds going away?????

Cheers,

Peter.

[kens]

I'd go with the 12 inch if its a permanent setup. There's really no downside to it. For "happy snaps" you can take many short exposure shots and stack them to avoid star trailing but you will get field rotation effects.  

You could look at an equatorial platform down the track but they can get pretty pricey.

I'm in a similar position to you in that I'm planning a backyard observatory but in a less desirable location viewing wise. I'm going with a 12 inch dob (no GOTO) I picked up for a bargain but looking at how I can also set up the 6 inch newt with its EQ mount for some not to serious photography.

[Dannae]

Hi Teifi,

I'm a dob person at heart so I'll offer you my advice. I wouldn't rush into anything and I think you will be better served to visit the star party and get the answer to your 8, 10 or 12" question also

A 12" dobsonian will give you a lifetime of observing targets and is in my opinion the "sweetspot" for planetary observation on most nights in the UK where anything larger in aperture gives diminishing returns versus the rapid increase in cost. A 12" at a dark site will almost certainly 'best' a larger scope from an urban area and a 12" in a truss form will be relatively easy to transport if you decide to go dark spot hunting.

The dobsonian, even with tracking, is going to be limited for deepsky without using a de-rotator. I have seen some wonderful images using exotic and complicated methods of using alt/az tracking to achieve these images but I would recommend dobs for planetary imaging only as I have tracked Jupiter manually keeping it on the webcam chip for up to 45 secs (about the max recommended to avoid blurring due to it's rotation). I am having a new telescope made but will be using it on a dual axis equatorial platform when I feel the need to track at high powers. I have had goto and tracking on large dobs in the past and felt I wanted more time at the eyepiece than faffing around with electronics this time around That said (and with no trumpet blowing intended), after learning my way around the sky for 30 years (still learning!) I don't need the goto.

If you are planning an observatory and would like to pursue deepsky astrophotography have you considered a large reflector permanently mounted? You will have the goto, tracking and polar alignment to do as you please.

Hope this helps

Regards

Dannae

[ronin]

Why an observatory for a dobsonian?
People will have them but other then an observatory and not a storage shed an observatory seems to do little else. I may be wrong but an observatory seems to have little relevance to a dobsonian scope and actually may limit what you can observe. Low objects can have the observatory walls in the way. Consider Mercury and Venus, these are observable often when the sun sets and they are low to the horizon, an observatory wall sort of literally blocks that.

An observatory is usually for permanent setup which are usually a pier and goto equitorial for long exposure imaging. The equipment is installed and all electrical supplies put in place often with laptops etc.

If you intend any imaging then look at the proper equipment and that means an equitorial mount. A goto dob is still an alt/az mount and so limits you to moon and planets - all 3 of them, lets leave Mars out of the options. If you try to put a 12" newtoini=an of an EQ you will need a very big equitorial.

As to 12" or not - will you use a 12" often?

Suppose if it is permanently outside you should, but if 12" are you going to put it in a car and go to a star party as you intend to do soon to look at scopes. Could you end up sort of excluding youself from star parties. Slightly ironic. The other aspect is until the observatory is present you have to take it in and out and set it up, could you get fed up of a 12" scope before the observatory is available to you?

Will repeat that if imaging is likey (and you are actually mentioning it) then a 12" dobsonian is the wrong scope, and the number of people that get a dobsonian then enquire about getting images is large.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Im with Ronin on this. For a Dob your dont need an obsy, just a shed. An obsy is mainly used for pier mounted reflectors or refractors which are used for AP.Computers are also involved.

[teifistar]

Hi Ronin,

Thanks for giving me more to think about. Firstly i do not think I will ever take photography seriously, I just thought that i might experiment a bit with the DOB, i would certainly not spend a lot of money taking photography seriously, my main aim is observing. I am intending going to a star party to ask for advice and thought i might ask for the opinions of members of this forum first. i do not think I will be transporting my own telescope to any star parties, although I accept that might possibly change so a 12 inch DOB would be a handful.

As far as the observatory is concerned i thought that it would provide me with some shelter from the cold and would save me moving the telescope and also it would be acclimatized for immediate use.

 What I propose to build is a shed with a retractable roof, I will need to take into account low sky objects and have ordered the book called setting up a small observatory to help. In the meantime I will still be able to use it without too much trouble setting it up, but i could not do this on a permanent basis.

These are all difficult questions for me and I suppose that inevitably there will have to be some compromises.

Thanks for your advice, please comment further .

Peter

[Geordie mc]

Dogs are easy and fast to get out and set up. If you get the 12 inch you'll get some great visual use and some nice lunar shots too. You can use it for a bit without the obsy and decide for yourself if you really need one. Friends I know just keep it in a shed or garage and wheel it out when needed. If you do go with the obsy idea then the floor needs consideration. A wooden floor would transmit vibrations of any movement through the scope and cause the image to bounce around a lot, so a concrete base would be better, even if it's just a central area for the scope to stand on. That would allow a permanent pier to be in later if you did decide to go for an equatorial mount set up. Get to that star party and have a good look and ask lots of questions. Good luck with whatever you decide.