Jump to content

Hello from Western New york

Bear3t3

By Bear3t3
in Welcome

Recommended Posts

Bear3t3

Bear3t3

Posted
Posted

Hello everyone I have been reading your posts and hope to learn a bunch from you all.  As I was reading The beginner posts it was bitter sweet.  I have a Meade refracting telescope and have been very disappointed with how it doesn't stay on what I am viewing, especially when trying to show others objects in the night sky.  I also learned that I am not alone in my struggle to deal with the issues of my telescope ex; dew, quality of view and failure of barlow lens.  I am so glad this site exists.     To give you a little info on me...  I am 39.  I have been in love with the night sky as long as I can remember.  I had star charts decorating the walls of my bedroom as a child(total dork).  I spend a lot of time looking into the darkness trying to see a little more.  I also hope to figure out in what direction I want to go as far as my next Telescope.  I think I know what I want as my next camera (24mp Pentax K3 II SLR)  ...  I have 3 sets of binoculars, I know there is so much more to see, but I want a closer look at all the things I have ever looked at with them.   I want to be able to view and image with quality on both ends.  Been looking at nexstar 8se and dream about Meade lx series.  I am also kicking around the idea of a high power spotting scope.  However since I have not imaged the night sky with anything more than the zoom on my present camera.  I really don't want another misstep.   I hope in time I will figure out in what way to take the next step.  Until then I will thoroughly enjoy all the info and pictures available.  Hope you all have a great night!   Al   

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Phil Edmonds

Phil Edmonds

Posted
Posted

Hi and Welcome!

Don't give up yet!

There is a lot to be had out of this hobby, but like everything else in life, the more time and effort you put in, the more you will get out of it! Everyone here has had their disappointing nights, and weeks, and indeed months. We have had a rubbish summer for astronomy here in the UK.

You don't say much about your Meade telescope, perhaps if you tell us more we might be able to give some advice.

As for dew... we know a lot about this in the UK. Possibly the best purchase I ever made was a dew heater! Google "dew heater", they all pretty much work the same I think. They work very, very well and will change your night!

Cheers, Phil :-)

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Bear3t3

Bear3t3

Posted
  • Author
Posted

well my Meade is model 60AZ-D.   60, 700 the lenses I have, 25 and 12.5mm.   My 4mm was lost on a lake Ontario beach, I was so heart broken.   As soon as I got home and checked my stuff in the light I went back, again the next morning and after work that night , never found it.  My barlow is 3x and I have the electronic eyepiece.  However, I have never gotten the barlow lens to work.  It seems when I get it lined up and put the barlow lens in it, I can't focus on the object.  Not thrilled with that.   I started looking for a replacement for my 4mm and realized, I need more than I have if I want to fulfill my wants.  I really would like to be able to do some capturing and cannot with this scope.  Unless, I  chop it up and home make a setup.  

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
swag72

swag72

Posted
Posted

If you are interested in imaging, especially Deep sky objects then you will do worse than getting hold of a copy of 'Making Every Photon Count' - This is something of an imagers bible and should be read once, twice and thrice before spending a penny.. then think about what you need and why..... if you still aren't clear, then it's back to the book!

You say that you want quality with regards to images - Take a look in the imaging section and see the sort of quality you want to achieve. People will usually list their equipment and give valuable information about how they captured the data. Be realistic about what you want to achieve and with the budget you have. It's all about the mount in imaging, so don't be seduced by fancy scopes and cameras.... if you don't have a solid base, then you don't tend to move on from that point to achieve without frustration and difficulty.

Then there's the time spent in processing your data - I can spend upwards of 8-10 hours on processing one image...... it's a big time commitment. But, having said all of that, it's a great hobby :D

Hope that helps :)

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
JamesM

JamesM

Posted
Posted

Hi and welcome to the forum. Doing the research first will certainly save you a lot of heartache in the longer term. Steve Richards' book listed above is a good foundation upon which to help you decide what is the most appropriate kit for the type of imaging that you may want to do so as to avoid buying the wrong kit - don't want your first picture of a black hole being the one in your wallet!

Clear skies and keep asking your questions - it's what this forum does best.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
glowjet

glowjet

Posted
Posted

Hi Al and welcome to SGL, I should not shed too many tears over the loss of your 4mm eye piece, it will most likely have been an SR4mm, which most manufacturers supply as standard with their small refractors. In your case giving greater magnification than your scope can really handle.

I recommend that you try to get to grips with some telescope basics. Your telescopes 60mm objective should be able to handle magnifications in the order of 50x per inch of glass, when the atmospheric seeing is perfect, anything less, which on most nights is the norm, can reduce this quite dramatically, to something in the order of 30x per inch giving in the region of 75x for best resolution.

Magnification is the function of dividing your eye piece numerical into the focal length of the scope, in your case 700 fl. For your lost 4mm this will have given 175x, which you will now see from the foregoing, is way above what your scope can handle. Additionally your 3x Barlow will only be useful with your 25mm eye piece.

I expect you will have many questions to ask, enjoy the forum :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.