Setting my Expectations

[JohnP292]

Time for another update!

 

I've managed to get out a few more nights and play around some more.  One night I discovered what lives in the hole in the back of my yard I had been wondering about (desert rats). 

I'm still enjoying mostly success.  Add another Plossl and a moon filter to  the mix.  I'm finding that I don't use the eyepieces that came with the telescope at all.  

I also started noticing some difficulty with the RA axis on the mount.  The gears seem to be stripping and it is very hard to turn in one direction.   After this got worse for two nights in a row I decided to send the unit back (Amazon rocks!) and use this as an opportunity to go up a step and replace the 114 with a Celestron  AstroMaster 130.   It arrives tomorrow.

 

[JohnP292]

Here's a photo of the moon I took through the 114 on my iPhone...

 

[JohnP292]

Here's another I took two or three days before the first one.   The moon was not full, and the sky wasn't completely darkened yet.  I rather like the blueness that produced.

 

[MrBill]

A good software app that shows the location of objects in the sky is a great addition.  I've used most all of them and now us SkySafari on all my computers, iPad and Android phone.  It costs a few bucks but it's an awesome piece of software, not only does it show where object are you can click on them and get detailed info about them and even photos.  For the planets it has detailed (fairly) terrain features of the surface with names, and for Jupiter it accurately shows the location of the GRS.  SkySafari comes in three levels, cheap, medium and premium.  You only need the premium for controlling scopes using it, the medium is a nice compromise, it has all the detailed info just fewer scope controls for half the price of the premium.  I think it's about $15 but regularly on sale for half price.

If you have an iOS device, there's a free app called Gas Giant that shows detailed info for the outer planets, the locations of moons and the GRS, really a useful app.

I just watched a presentation last night at the local astronomy club by Jerry Oltion about his trip to Arizona last winter for observing, he was right on the AZ/NM border near a whole bunch of "Astronomy Village" developments but stayed in an RV park that catered to astronomers, apparently it's quite a big deal in the area.  He did say the wind was a serious problem, as were shady property developers...

[JohnP292]

An RV park that caters to astronomers sounds interesting.  You don't happen to know the name, do you?

[JohnP292]

Well, now some frustration.

 

We got the 130 yesterday afternoon and I spent a nice hour with my daughter putting it together.  She had not been home the day I got the first telescope, so this time as I assembled it I spent some time sharing all my newly acquired knowledge about what the various components are, how the telescope works, etc.. Then we took it outside and spotted the flag on the mountain I mentioned previously and she learned about the different eyepieces.

During assembly I had a problem with one of the counterweights.  There's a metal slug, inside the threaded hole, that presses up against the bar when you screw in the locking screws.  On one of the weights, that slug had been pushed completely into the channel where the bar slides in and was lodged in there.  No big deal, once I figured out what the problem was I was able to knock the slug out of the center channel with a screwdriver and hammer and inserted it back where it belonged. Problem solved, but it was only the beginning.

Darkness falls and of course I'm eager to try the new telescope out, so out I go looking for Jupiter again.  Jupiter is darned near almost directly overhead in the early evening here now,.  Got the telescope lined up and found it, but the views were not great.  We had the remnants of a Pacific storm moving through last night, though, so the seeing probably wasn't the best with some surface winds and I'm guessing more turbulence above.  But here's where the problem began.  I couldn't get the tube to come down any lower than about 45 degrees, and once there the equatorial seems to have jammed internally somehow as now it won't go back up either.  The locking screw is jammed somehow and the whole altitude adjustment is stuck.

All is not lost.  Amazon comes through again, and a replacement is on its way, even before I send this one back.  Now I have the fun task of fitting two telescopes back into their boxes.   

I have seen some reviews that expressed concerns about Celestron's mounts.  Is my experience typical with these  EQs?  I know lots of folks prefer Dobsonians, but they seem a bit out of my price range.  If I have problems with the next Celestron should I try something else?  

[JohnP292]

I was able to see Mars and Saturn Sunday night!  Mars was a bit fuzzy, but using a Meade 9.7mm Plossl in the AstroMaster, I clearly was able to view Saturn and its rings.  What a thrill!  They are still rising a little too late to share the sight with my daughter, but hopefully by next week I'll be able to give her a view.

I also have to agree with some of the comments that I've seen here about the Celestron "StarPointer" finder that comes with the AstroMaster scopes.  Pretty much useless.  Fortunately it comes off easily.  Following what I've read in this forum, I got myself a Telrad to replace it.  Awesome finder, to any other newbies like myself reading this thread, its well worth the price (which isn't outrageous, $42 US on Amazon).

Our local community center is hosting a beginner's lecture on astrophotography next week, I'm going to make a point of attending. 

I'm also kicking myself a little bit, I had an opportunity to pick up a custom made 10" Newtonian off of Craigslist last week. Asking price was only $200.  While I was talking to the seller to get info about it, he sold it to someone else.  Bummer   Its definitely easy to see how quickly one can want better equipment!

 

 

[JohnP292]

Here's a photo I thought I'd share.  I took this with my iPhone, so forgive the quality.  This was taken at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix on Sunday evening, we were there to see the Sonoran Desert Lights exhibit.   The star seen silhouetted by the saguaro cactus, I believe, is Procyon (but I might be wrong about that).