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Greetings from the Mid-West...

airplanedriver

By airplanedriver
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airplanedriver

airplanedriver

Posted
Posted

I am new to this hobby.

When I say "new", I mean that I remember a telescope in my Father's study as a child, and have been fascinated by AP photos most of my life, yet never gave thought to how they were obtained, other than.....with a camera.....

I have spent free time in the past couple of months reading and (YouTube) watching what those "in the know"  have to say regarding amateur Astronomy ( in general), and AP (specifically)..

I never thought AP would be so easy as to buy a web-cam, a $200 telescope, and just "click"....but many advertisers assure me of this, and of course, if it's on the internet, it MUST be true.......

Seriously, after a couple of months of study and perusing, I believe that I know basically what I would like to purchase to start (equipment which I will not have to replace after the first 3 months) - within certain budgetary constraints - but thought I would come here for some guidance, as I know of no one personally, whom has any more knowledge in this subject matter than I do.

I am an audiophile, a member of Audiokarma (a forum for those whom suffer from "audio addiction"), and have enjoyed my experiences there, meeting many others with the same "condition", learning from other members.

I am also a private pilot with numerous ratings.

I relate these facts to emphasize that I understand there is no perfect device of any kind, for any endeavor, and I am sure (the more I come to understand) that it is the same with equipment in this hobby....better performance for one particular use must be traded off for lack of utility in another.

This certainly seems to be the case for the telescope in particular...........

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swamp thing

swamp thing

Posted
Posted

Hi and welcome to the stargazers lounge :)

The no perfect device take you've got will stand you well in this hobby. You will indeed find that what works well for one aspect of the hobby is not so good for others.

Best to have lots of kit ;)

Enjoy the forums 

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swag72

swag72

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Hi and welcome to SGL! There's quite a difference between requirements for planetary and DSO's - The former I know probably less that you, but I have picked up a few bits about DSO imaging along the way! If DSO's are your interest, by that I'm thinking of nebula's and galaxies predominantly, then before you even bother looking any more, get hold of the book 'Making Every Photon Count'. It really is an imagers bible and should be essential bookcase and reading material for anyone starting out.

Have a look around the imaging section and see what sorts of images people are taking. Pick those you want to achieve and their kit will be listed - That will give you an idea of the most popular kit (normally popular for a reason ...... it works!). Be realistic about your expectations and remember that often the processing of the image can run into many hours, so I hope you have time between your other hobbies!

Enjoy it above all - It can be as frustrating as hell, but so very rewarding when it goes well.

Look forward to seeing you around :)

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Dave In Vermont

Dave In Vermont

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Welcome aboard to Flight Infinity! We are very friendly people here to help you learn about astronomy - in it's myriad forms. So have no concern of asking questions. We LOVE questions as well as stories of accomplishments. So pull up a chair and make yourself at home.

Clear Skies,

Dave

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glowjet

glowjet

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Posted

Hi Airplanedriver and welcome to SGL. For those thinking about going over to AP, the dark side as we call it, then as already pointed out, Steve`s book is a recommended first purchase, probably adorns the bookshelves of the majority of the forums imaging fraternity.  As it is not available through book outlets it can be ordered direct http://www.skyatnightimages.co.uk Enjoy your Astronomy :)

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