Questions About My Set Up

[Mikey0368]

I bought my telescope about 4 years ago but have never really put it to much use. Jupiter and Saturn are about as far as I've got. The link below takes you to pictures of my kit.

The telescope is an 8" reflector and bit and bobs pictured below it all came with it at the time. I'm not too sure what the long tube is and I don't know what I'd use the 2" adaptor next to it for. Any advice on them would be appreciated.

Is there anything that I should be getting to improve the current set up? Preferably not for hundreds of pounds as I've got a Coronado PST on the way!

Pictures here............ http://www.mikey07.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/equipment.htm

Ta.

[David Galvin]

Hi Mike, I am guessing that the black tube might be a polar scope for aligning the mount on the celestial pole. It should slide into the mount in the direction of the red arrow Do you have an instruction manual with the scope?

The 2" adaptor is for using the larger (2 inch) eyepieces. The ones in your picture show the 1 1/4" eyepieces.

[SteelRat]

Excellent scope Mikey. Looks like an f5 tube to me. The old black painted Helios marked version of the now blue Skywatcher 8inch f5 newt that many people here on SGL use and swear by. The mount is EQ5 looking but could be the not very different EQ4 and yes you have the polar finder on the table to go with.

The 7.5mm Skywatcher Plossl, and 10mm and 20mm silvertop Plossls and deluxe x2 barlow give magnifications of x50, x100, x133, x200 and x266.

Pretty much all you could ask for really. If I were to add anything to that lot it would be a single axis drive for the mount for auto tracking;

RA DRIVE

a 32mm eyepiece for nice wide low power views at x31ish;

PLOSSL EYEPIECE

and a cheap collimating cap and a moon filter. I might look to swap the 20mm out for a 25mm later.

Nice setup matey 8) Enjoy the PST too

Cheers

Matthew(SR)

[Mikey0368]

Hi Mike, I am guessing that the black tube might be a polar scope for aligning the mount on the celestial pole. It should slide into the mount in the direction of the red arrow Do you have an instruction manual with the scope?

The 2" adaptor is for using the larger (2 inch) eyepieces. The ones in your picture show the 1 1/4" eyepieces.

Thanks David. Unfortunately the instructions I got with it only extended to putting it together!

Anyway, my Polar Finder is now fitted and I can see crosshairs and a wee dot. I'm assuming the wee dot ( which I'm sure has a proper name ) is to be aligned with the Pole Star?

Is there any benefit in using 2" eyepieces?

[Mikey0368]

Excellent scope Mikey. Looks like an f5 tube to me...........

Yes, it's an f5 and the mount is EQ4.

I like the idea of the 32mm plossl. I know it's not deadly price wise but how reliable is ebay for things like that?

[Sam]

Mikey,

You've got a very similar setup to mine. I agree, an RA drive would be perfect for your mount as that would keep objects in the FOV. The polar scope will help you get polar aligned. The 8" is a great scope and you should see many different things with that from the planets through to a huge amount of galaxies (certainly all of the Messiers visible from the UK). If I were you I wouldn't wory about long exposure mods to your webcam at the moment - it's probably worth getting imaging of the moon and the planets sorted before worrying about DSOs (you don't need LX for the planets or the moon).

Sam

[David Galvin]

I have to agree with the others Mike, particularly regarding an RA drive. You will see much more detail whilst viewing a 'static' object through the scope because your eyes can relax and you will not have to keep chasing things.

I am not sure what the actual set up is with your polar scope as some have graduated dials where you set the date and time etc Other scopes just rely on you sighting through the polar scope at Poaris and offsetting it so that Polaris sits on your 'dot'. Try it and see how it goes as it should improve things for visual use.

2" eyepieces, Heavy and expensive but can give spectacular field of view but not something that I use a lot. Perhaps other members could advice you on them.

[BG]

.

[Mikey0368]

David - Here's what I've got......

http://www.mikey07.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/dials.htm

BG - Perfect, ta very much.

[David Galvin]

Yep, its got all those dials and things that I mentioned earlier. Ideally the polar scope has to be centred in the mount as explained in the instructions from BG.

[Mikey0368]

Yep, its got all those dials and things that I mentioned earlier. Ideally the polar scope has to be centred in the mount as explained in the instructions from BG.

Cheers. I'll give that a go. Won't be tonight though as it's tipping down as usual