positron Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 Hi I ordered my first equipment a few days back. I've ordered the scope from a local telescope manufacturer who i hear has a good reputation (within india) so i chose them for their higher apperture to cost ratio. I also spoke with the manufacturer and they are quite knowledgeable about the equipment and provide a warranty as well. I have the following questions 1. Have i made a mistake in ordering a non-top-tier (without much global impact like celstron etc)telescope manufacture's product? 2. What should I expect to see in my scope(how much detail and colors in planetsand nebulae) given it's a entry level 114mm reflector 3. Any suggestions on future upgrades on equipment 4. On a scale of 1 to 10 , how good is my starting setup FYI this was all the money I had saved and i just wanted to know if i made a rookie mistake Thanks in advance A I (abid irfan) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
positron Posted December 19, 2016 Author Share Posted December 19, 2016 It cost me a total $ 230 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owmuchonomy Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 I can't comment on the scope purchase too much. Is it a parabolic mirror? However, your choice of starter literature is perfect. I still use my copy 7 years into this hobby. Unfortunately, colour within deep sky objects is very elusive to our eyes save for planetary nebulae which can be quite vivid. Viewing colour features on planets is possible though. Please be VERY careful if you intend to observe the Sun with any telescope and make sure you remove or close off any finder scope. In the Solar viewing section of this forum there is a 'sticky' guide to solar observing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timebandit Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 Hello and welcome to SGL I do not know much about the scope you have ordered, so cannot really comment on the quality. It does seem to have a limited aperture of just over 4" and is reflector based(mirror). What we usually recommend as a "proper" first scope is something around the 150p Mark in the skywatcher range, or if on a budget then the 130 skywatcher get good reviews. The most important thing of a "proper" beginners scope is the quality of the mirrors used and the aperture availablenand a decent focuser. The skywatcher 150( or 130 if on a budget) seem to deliver on these points. And therefore this is what I would recommend to a beginner wanting to start their hobby in astronomy and looking for a first scope with known quantity and performance but with a sensible price tag. And if funds are limited a lot of the 130 and 150 skywatcher scopes do come onto the second hand market and therefore sometimes you are better off purchasing a second hand scope of reputation with a better mirror and aperture than a brand new scope of smaller aperture and unknown quantity . As second hand scopes you can get a lot more scope and for your money( this is the way I got my telescope) As for your book" Turn left at Orion" this is a great book for the beginner and more advanced as I have a copy. And a very easy read, but at the same time a lot of information and knowledge which every newbie needs. I hope you like the above and it helps☺ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
positron Posted December 19, 2016 Author Share Posted December 19, 2016 22 minutes ago, Owmuchonomy said: I can't comment on the scope purchase too much. Is it a parabolic mirror? However, your choice of starter literature is perfect. I still use my copy 7 years into this hobby. Unfortunately, colour within deep sky objects is very elusive to our eyes save for planetary nebulae which can be quite vivid. Viewing colour features on planets is possible though. Please be VERY careful if you intend to observe the Sun with any telescope and make sure you remove or close off any finder scope. In the Solar viewing section of this forum there is a 'sticky' guide to solar observing. Yes it is a parabolic mirror Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Drew Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 Welcome to this forum. Wth the aid of the book you should be able to find many objects of interest. I fear that the telescope is likely to be compromised by the mount and I would ignore the 675x magnification claim and keep to the lower levels. As mentioned, be most careful with the use of the solar filter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy-kat Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 If you can carefully balance the telescope on the mount that will help. The focal length will help your magnification and the Moon will really surprise you. If you can observe from a dark location then you'll see even more with your telescope. The book is really good you will know that every target that a binocular can see you will also see. You'll want to think about eyepieces at some point have a read of the what eyepiece thread because it is not always about chasing magnification. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan64 Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 Here's the listing itself, with the specs... http://www.ebay.in/itm/Galileo-SKY-1149-AZ-675x-D-114-F-900mm-Reflector-/251576984271 At f/8, the primary mirror is undoubtedly spherical, not parabolic, but a 114mm Newtonian performs quite well with such at f/8. Note the type of primary of this slightly larger offering, at f/8, within this listing's specs... http://www.telescope.com/Telescopes/Reflector-Telescopes/Reflector-Telescopes-for-Beginners/Orion-SpaceProbe-130-EQ-Reflector-Telescope/pc/1/c/11/sc/339/p/9851.uts#tabs-2 This 114mm, at a fast f/4.4, would need a parabolic primary to perform acceptably... http://www.ebay.in/itm/Galileo-SKY-114mm-EQ-D-114-F-500mm-EQ-Reflector-/251576992690?hash=item3a932843b2:g:tnMAAOSw9NxTs~rB However, the manufacturer does not list its type of primary mirror either. At 114mm and f/8, it's simply not necessary, especially from a manufacturer's standpoint. Parabolic mirrors are found mostly within Newtonians at f/6 and faster(to f/4), however Synta of China does equip one with their 150mm f/8 Dobsonians branded "Orion" and "Sky-Watcher". Congratulations, as you seem to have avoided the Jones-Bird variant with a long focal-length within a short, compact tube. You did quite well for the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laudropb Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 The specs of the scope seems quite good. Not so sure about the mount. It looks rather flimsy. You will just have to try it out and learn how it performs. I am sure it will be good enough to get you started in the hobby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brantuk Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 If you use the filter to look at the sun through your scope - make sure it's of the necessary standard to protect your eyes from permanent damage. And don't forget to get a filter for your finder scope which can also ruin your eye sight - or mask it off or remove completely - so you don't accidentally look through it directly at the sun. Hth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan64 Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 "What should I expect to see in my scope(how much detail and colors in planetsand nebulae) given it's a entry level 114mm reflector" The telescope has a focal-length of 900mm, and rather versatile in observing a wide range of objects. The kit comes with two Kellner eyepieces, a 25mm and 10mm. I have a 25mm Kellner myself. You'll see several shades of colour within Jupiter, the overall dusky and yellowish shade of Saturn, and the orange-red of Mars. Alberio, a double-star, will readily show off its gold and blue components... http://billionsandtrillions.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Albireo.jpg The star, Betelgeuse, a red giant, is quite colourful, and bright... You may see some colour when observing the nebula of Orion at low magnification, but at high magnification, like whilst observing the Trapezium cluster of stars, the nebula will exhibit some structure, like clouds, but they will be grey, and without colour. It takes a very large aperture to see colour in that instance, and others, like a 400mm, and larger. My largest active telescope is only 150mm. A 32mm Plossl will realise a low magnification of 28x, and would enable you to view a larger portion of the sky, and in the finding of objects to observe; along with the finderscope... http://www.tejraj.com/eyepieces-superplossl.html The GSO Plossls from Tejraj are of better quality than the generics sold by Galileo, in theory, and do not cost that much more. In future, you can select other Plossls to make up a set. The 3x barlow provided with your kit is a bit powerful, but it can be combined with the longer Plossls for more comfortable viewing at the higher powers. For example, a 20mm Plossl combined with the kit's 3x barlow would simulate a 6.6mm eyepiece, and a magnification of 136x. In addition, you would have the larger and more comfortable eye-lens, and may have the greater eye-relief, of the 20mm, and at that higher magnification. Or, you might consider this GSO kit... http://www.tejraj.com/gso-eyepiece-kit.html ...and simply fill it out with the 20mm and 12mm in future, if you'd like. The 6mm and 4mm Plossls within the kit will have tight eye-relief, and in placing your eye very close to the eye-lens in order to see the entire field-of-view. Solar observing, and of our nearest star, is quite popular. I've dabbled in it myself in the past, and will again in future. Make certain the filter fits snugly and securely over the front of the telescope before beginning to observe the Sun. Since the Sun is rather large, and not that difficult to find in the sky, the finderscope can be removed, and for greater safety. Never look at the Sun through either one without a safe solar filter in place, and over either the telescope and/or finderscope. If, when observing the Moon or the Sun, the light seems too bright, you can dim the brightness down with a variable polariser... https://galileotelescope.com/filters/orion-variable-polarizing-filter-1-25-round-mounted.html Of course, when using it to dim the Sun, the solar filter at the front must be in place. The solar filter that you ordered looks to be identical with this one sold in the States... http://agenaastro.com/agena-140mm-visual-baader-solar-filter.html In studying the images from that listing and the eBay listing, they appear to be identical, down to the lettering about the rim. Still, I would contact the eBay seller to confirm that it is indeed made with Baader-brand AstroSolar Safety film, and before using. Take no chances with your eyesight. The book you selected is excellent, and will be of great help in your journey skyward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
positron Posted December 19, 2016 Author Share Posted December 19, 2016 Thank you all. When i first came to sgl i never thought this community will be this much supporting... I've got a feeling I'll be using the site a lot more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laudropb Posted December 19, 2016 Share Posted December 19, 2016 Feel free to ask as many questions as you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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