Top 5 tips

[Alan64]

Many years ago, I got a 2" 70° 32mm for my 102mm f/8 refractor, and later to be used with a 200mm f/5 Newtonian.  Here it is compared to a 1.25" 50° 25mm...

It has a retractable eye-cup, for more comfortable eye placement.  After a few years, I discovered it was no longer available, having been replaced by an entirely different type in the marketplace.  So, imagine my surprise when I rediscovered it here...

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/skywatcher-eyepieces/skywatcher-panaview-2-eyepieces.html

At f/6, the 200mm f/6 will not require highly-corrected and expensive oculars for quality views.  The focal-length of the 200mm f/6 is 1200mm.  1200mm ÷ 32mm = 38x.  Also, of the PanaView line, the 38mm: 32x, and at about the lowest practical power.  The 2" 38mm should give a true field-of-view at 2.2°, with the 200mm f/6, and approximately the width of 4.3 full Moons.  The minimum size of the Pleiades star cluster is about 2°.

This afocal shot of M45, the Pleiades, through the 25mm illustrated above, was taken last October with my 150mm f/5, and at 30x.  The true field-of-view as seen is at 1.67°...

Overall, one might see at least that if not a bit more with the 2" 38mm.  The 38mm would also allow a wider view of the galaxy in Andromeda.  It would also complement the telescope's finder, in scanning large swaths of the night sky; the Milky Way, for instance, and during the summer, then to pop in an eyepiece of shorter focal-length in place of the 38mm for a closer look once an object of interest is located.  I think the 38mm would make for a very useful ocular for star-hopping.  The nice thing is is that you wouldn't have to purchase a 2" diagonal in addition, as the Newtonian's secondary serves in that regard.

 

At the higher and highest magnifications, oculars with wide fields-of-view are preferred with a non-motorised mount, and so to keep an object within the eyepiece as along as possible before having to bump or nudge the optical tube in the tracking of it.  At f/6, the shortest practical focal-length of an eyepiece would be a 6mm: 200x.  Although a 200mm telescope can realise twice that on nights with ideal seeing conditions; if the atmosphere is cooperative.  One has a choice: either a dedicated 6mm wide-field ocular, or a 12mm wide-field barlowed 2x and for a simulated 6mm.  For examples...

http://www.365astronomy.com/6mm-The-Planetary-Eyepiece.html

http://www.365astronomy.com/8mm-BST-Explorer-ED-Eyepiece.html    

http://www.365astronomy.com/8mm-BST-Explorer-ED-Eyepiece.html

The 12mm is considered one of if not the best of the BST oculars.

If you want to upgrade the barlow...

http://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/antares-x2-twist-lock-barlow-lens-125.html

http://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/baader-q-barlow-lens-225x.html

This is an image of the Moon I captured last year with a 12mm 60° barlowed 2.8x, and for a simulated 4.3mm at 174x...

[spike95609]

1. Buy yourself a star atlas, a red torch, and learn what constellations are where.

2. Use a pair of binoculars to learn how to star hop your way to some of the bigger and brighter DSOs.

3. Join SGL, do a lot of research into scopes and ask as many questions as you want until you're sure which one is right for you.

4. Buy the scope and nothing else to start with. Learn what it and the stock eyepieces can do before you go throwing hundreds of pounds at replacements without really having the slightest idea what they can do.

5. If it's a new moon and the skies are clear, get outside because it might be the only chance you have that month.

[Moonshane]

I am assuming visual observing.

1. Comfort is important. If you end every session freezing or in agony due to twisting to use the scope, it's going to get boring quickly. Use a seat of some kind and where possible finders which allow you to align the scope easily (maybe a telrad and right angle correct image finder), and a mount which allows you to change position as infrequently as possible (dob/alt azimuth mount of some kind).

2. Find stuff. If you get frustrated through not finding things then it will soon get frustrating. The good news is that the finders and mount suggested above will help with this. Also buy a decent star map (sky and telescope pocket sky atlas is very good) and use a red torch to maintain night vision.

3. No pressure. Take your time. The sky is going nowhere. OK the odd thing like transits of planets across the sun or comets might be more transitory (he he) but almost without exception you'll get another chance. This also allows you to remember to spend time with your loved ones which makes the odd night out on your own in the garden until late a night more likely to receive their approval.

4. Do it your way. There's lots of advice out there. Some good some, some not so good. Take it on board and make the decision that's right for you. When observing, again there's more than one way to skin a cat. Try things if they work remember and use again, if not think why and adapt. If you make a discovery of a method or even a new supernova that's not been noticed then tell us!

5. You can always sell it. If you think you have made a mistake or  bought something that you grow out of then don't stress yourself out. You can always save a bit longer or use your birthday money to save for something else and sell the old one to contribute towards something better, bigger, more suited. Buying used (seek advice) reduces potential losses.

Good luck!

[Alastair Smith]

Hi all, and many, many thanks for all the advice offered. There are several recurrent themes so will start with these first, although they all seem logical, good, sound ideas, and plenty for me to continue with.  I don't suppose it will be long before I get round to asking stupid and/or daft questions, so you may want to rescind the advice to 'ask as many questions as you want', although I learned long ago that it is better to look stupid for 5 minutes by asking the (stupid) question, than look stupid for the rest of your life because you didn't!