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Hi From Wales - Best Evening Ever!

hawklord2011

By hawklord2011
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hawklord2011

hawklord2011

Posted
Posted

Hi I've been using this forum and others for loads of great advice after wrangling over whether to get a scope or whether it would just sit in the loft - that's put me off for over 25 years really! After a number of years of binocular use and fairly rough and ready back yard viewing on the obvious beauties of the sky I was wary of whether I'd be overwhelmed by the difficulty of using the scope or whether the views would not be so great from my light polluted garden. Having finally chosen a compromise on size, affordability and upgrade potential I went for a Skywatcher 150P which arrived this morning, Having spent a couple of hours building it after tea I tentatively looked out and to my horror the skies were clear with patchy moving cloud - oh no I was terrified of the scope having built it and now felt obliged to go out and try and use it. I read ANOTHER great blog on how to set up a GEM mount and then use it to find objects before dragging the scope out into the garden. I did a very rough polar alignment, whizzed the scope around to the south pointed it roughly at the Orion nebula and wow there it was! I even then aligned my finderscope using the nebula never mind waiting until tomorrow when its light to focus on the distant sign all the guides go on about. Before I knew it I was using the fine ra adjustment to keep the nebula in view through a 25mm lens, then swapping that out for a 10mm lens and then a 10mm plus x2 barlow. Seriously I am in heaven at this point having seen the trapezium within the nebula and getting pretty steady views. Then its back out the 25mm and I'm getting around my favourite binocular objects, aldebaran and hyades, pleiades, found the beehive cluster. Shame M31 was behind the building at the back of my house so looking foward to seeing that another time. I'm just waiting for the comet catalina to come into view above my house which I've been failing to see with binoculars for the last month due to interminable clouds!

So my main learning points are:

  • I'm so glad I went for a 6" and not an 8" it would have been way too big
  • I really enjoy jumping around the stars so a goto system is not for me, again glad to have chosen a manual scope
  • Its a lot easier to use than I thought and for viewing purposes rough and ready alignment is fine
  • Light pollution isn't as much of an issue as I thought, I can still see things pretty well with streetlights around and everyone's outside lights coming on and off all the time
  • I am so excited by this I had to come in and ruin my dark vision to tell you all and thank you for the advice I've picked up here
  • Skywatchers seem like good kit to me having never had a scope though
  • I'd advise usability as a factor over everything
  • I wish I'd got one years ago, this is going to get plenty of use!
  • I'm very excited!!

Thanks again, off to check if that bloomin comet is up yet!

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jason.p

jason.p

Posted
Posted

Welcome Hawklord, and congrats on your new scope. Sounds like you've made a great start despite the weather, believe me, it will only get better☺. When the skies clear in our part of the world it can be stunning!

Good luck and clear skies. Keep in touch

Jason

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