Here are my tips for new astronomers.

[Guest Tuomo]

1) Dont use cheap laser collimator for your Newtonian reflector. No, really do not. I HAD to buy cheap one from Ebay and it was rubbish. Once it broke down from normal use I replaced it with cheshire collimating eyepiece. Everytihng is now accurate and well collimated. Laser never managed to do this.

2) Dont be afraid of your ota. "Open" it and clean it if needed. Make new mods and flock it if necessary. Collimate it just for fun to make it easy part of your observing routine. 

3) Buy red headlamp - Second hand, yay!

4 These and buy planisphere.

5) Make that account to SGL and join local astro club.

[brantuk]

Good tips Tuomo and welcome to SGL

[Astro Imp]

Some great tips there Tuomo, it's always useful to hear what newcomers find helpful as this helps others.

Thank you.

[stevetynant]

Wear at least 3 pairs of socks when outside in the winter observing - without fail it is always colder than you think it will be.

 

Welcome on board Tuomo

[Moonshed]

I endorse getting a Philip's Planisphere, they are so quick and easy to use. When I first started out in astronomy I bought one and found it invaluable. Today I have Night Sky 2 on my iPad, Redshift on my laptop and there are tons of apps, out there, but last year I still bought myself a new Planisphere. I can for instance pick it up and choose my guide stars for tonight during a TV add while waiting for it to get dark. Buy one, cost under a tenner!

[Bonnylad]

42 minutes ago, stevetynant said:

Wear at least 3 pairs of socks when outside in the winter observing - without fail it is always colder than you think it will be.

To add to that, try and stop the cold creeping up in the first place - wear thick-soled footwear (e.g. DMs) and stand on old mats.

[L8-Nite]

A tip for new Observers regarding Torches ........

Please, Please, Please, do yourself and especially "others"  who may be observing with you a big favour, and  "Do Not" use multi functioning torches; the ones where you have to cycle through the modes, white light etc.,  in order to find Red.  Inevitably night vision will be lost, and more often than not.

Torches are CHEAP ....... so have dedicated red and white light torches, and make sure that they are physically different so that no mistake is made when reaching for one of them in the dark.  

 

[Guest Tuomo]

On 25.8.2016 at 13:45, L8-Nite said:

A tip for new Observers regarding Torches ........

Please, Please, Please, do yourself and especially "others"  who may be observing with you a big favour, and  "Do Not" use multi functioning torches; the ones where you have to cycle through the modes, white light etc.,  in order to find Red.  Inevitably night vision will be lost, and more often than not.

Torches are CHEAP ....... so have dedicated red and white light torches, and make sure that they are physically different so that no mistake is made when reaching for one of them in the dark.  

 

Can my red led be too bright?

[Moonshane]

Yes It can

A bright light of any colour ruins night vision although in my experience monotone lights allow eyes to recover a bit quicker.

I have a headlamp that cycles through white etc and I simply snipped off the white leds just leaving the two red. Even then I dimmed it by putting white tape over the lenses. You basically want the dimmest light you can red a map or sketch by.

Great post btw.

[Stu]

1 hour ago, Tuomo said:

Can my red led be too bright?

Absolutely it can!

A red light can still be bright enough to affect your night vision, some red lights designed as bike lights for instance are blinding!

The light should only be bright enough for you to read a star map by, if you have good dark adaptation you will be able to see where you are going and what you are doing.

[Moonshane]

P's is observing the moon and it won't affect other observers then you can use a white light as your adaptation is shot anyway

[barrie greenwood]

I'll second not using laser collimating tools drove myself mad trying to get the Cheshire and laser to the same point just was not possible, laser is now a paperweight? the Cheshire is the fastest and easiest way for me these days and startest seems spot on

Regards Baz

[rockystar]

2 hours ago, barrie greenwood said:

I'll second not using laser collimating tools drove myself mad trying to get the Cheshire and laser to the same point just was not possible, laser is now a paperweight? the Cheshire is the fastest and easiest way for me these days and startest seems spot on

Regards Baz

How do you get on with a cheshire in the dark? or do you always do collimation in the light?

The only reason I ask is that I have (and use) both a cheshire and a laser (which I spent well over an hour collimating); I tend to find that most of my setting up time is in the dark (especially in the winter) and checking collimation with the laser in the dark when it's all set up is so quick and easy. Every now and then (when the opportunity arrises) I'll double check it with the cheshire. 

[Moonshane]

shine your dim torch onto the face of the cheshire.

[swamp thing]

On 25 August 2016 at 08:32, Bonnylad said:

To add to that, try and stop the cold creeping up in the first place - wear thick-soled footwear (e.g. DMs) and stand on old mats.

+ You can cut out some corrugated cardboard insoles to go in your boots too 

[L8-Nite]

8 minutes ago, swamp thing said:

+ You can cut out some corrugated cardboard insoles to go in your boots too 

Wow, now that's a blast from the past.  I remember cutting out cardboard insoles from when I was a kid, they worked very well; my Dad even made wooden templates to mark them out.

[barrie greenwood]

56 minutes ago, Moonshane said:

shine your dim torch onto the face of the cheshire.

Yep that the way I do it ?

[-Dougal-]

Are all Cheshire eyepieces as good as each other or are there any particular makes that work better than others? After all they are only a long tube with a tiny hole one end and a set of cross hairs at the other with a diagonal mirror to let some light in somewhere in the middle?

[Guest Tuomo]

On 30.9.2016 at 17:16, -Dougal- said:

Are all Cheshire eyepieces as good as each other or are there any particular makes that work better than others? After all they are only a long tube with a tiny hole one end and a set of cross hairs at the other with a diagonal mirror to let some light in somewhere in the middle?

Umm...not sure about this one but I think you need short tube cheshire for fast newtonians and longer cheshire for slower ones.....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Skys-the-Limit-Cheshire-Collimator-for-Newtonian-Telescopes-short-/381769125804?hash=item58e3368fac:g:1WIAAOSwFV9X1qrn

That is the one I use for my F5 newtonian.