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Skywatcher130

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Hi, 

Been browsing the forum for weeks so thought I'd join up and say hi. 

My son has started to be interested in space  and the ISS which rekindled  my own childhood interest in astronomy.  

As my name suggests,  I bought a second hand Sky-Watcher 130p AZ goto a couple of months ago,  which luckily came with a few extras and lots of reading literature.  I have found it really easy to set up and use and have been outside every clear night since basically looking and learning and getting a feel for where things are in relation to the star charts and apps. My husband has a DSLR so may have a dabble with that in the future but for the moment happy just observing. 

I'm on a tight budget so I will have to make do with this set up for a good while,  maybe upgrading some of the eyepieces as I can afford to.  I'm also bit limited by neighbour's trees and buildings as to what I can see but have a relatively clear South /Southeast view.  I also have access to a dark sky area when we go to visit relatives, so I will be taking my kit along with me. 

I am well and truly hooked  and my son can now point out Mars and some of the constellations and loved telling his class last week that he saw the ISS flying over his house!  ?

Regards, 

Deb 

 

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Hi, Deb, and welcome to SGL.

I think it is good to use the equipment you have and only add to it when you know why you are buying an upgrade.

If you decide to do some imaging, be aware that some newtonian scopes (which yours is) have a problem bringing a DSLR into focus - you can't screw the focusser far enough in. I'm not sure if this applies to the standard focusser on the 130 (others may be able to advise) and there are solutions (including moving the primary mirror, replacing the focusser or chopping a bit off the focusser!) on which you can get advice here as/when you need it.

Enjoy the journey.

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Thank you all for the welcome. 

Yes,  my husband did have a quick look and said he didn't think that he would be able to bring it into focus and that we should do a bit of research on the subject first. I'm sure it will all become clear (or maybe not!)  in good time. 

Deb 

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Hi Deb, a warm welcome from me too, there is so much you can see with that telescope. I wish we had a southerly view but we bought our house 14 years ago, before we were interested in astonomy and so instead we have a westerly view from the back garden, which is not great, but easterly from the front so quite a bit better.  Have fun!

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On 08/02/2019 at 06:11, Skywatcher130 said:

I am well and truly hooked  and my son can now point out Mars and some of the constellations and loved telling his class last week that he saw the ISS flying over his house!  ?

Regards, 

Deb 

 

Some of life's most vivid memories come from the eyepiece of a telescope!

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Hello, Deb, and a warm welcome from a German stargazer and happy owner of a Heritage 130 P Flextube!

No need to upgrade too soon; it's a very capable and versatile scope, that will give you and your family years of pleasure. A clear view to the S/SW and access to a dark sky place is much more valuable than a lot of accessories. You will be surprised, what it will show under dark skies.

Did it come with a Barlow and perhaps filters? (A shorty Barlow, e.g. the Baader turret Barlow 2.25x, and a UHC filter would be my suggestions, if some money is left).

Enjoy the journey; and

Clear skies

Stephan

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Thanks Stephan. Yes,  it came with a nice case full of goodies: 2x and a 3x barlow and a few filters. Also a laser collimator and a T ring adapter plus the scope is fitted with an auto-focusser.  Everything works fine so got a good deal really - just need some more clear nights to practice! 

Deb

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Hi. Sorry to be late in saying hello. (I've not been very good at doing that just lately!). But couldn't help noticing and loving the avatar! I had that exact Lego spaceship when I was a child. Anyway, welcome to the forum and have fun with the new telescope.

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11 hours ago, Skywatcher130 said:

I still have all of my old Lego sets, including my two little spaceships which I have now passed onto my boys. Happy days!

Oooh. I'm going to have to dig all my old Corgi and Dinky space toys out of the loft now! (I passed all my Lego on to my Son too. He's 21 now. Maybe I need to have a sort through and see what's left!).

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