Hello from NE Scotland

[Ships and Stars]

Hi everyone, I recently bought some observation binos for ship-spotting and instead became totally obsessed with astronomy! I spent around three months researching telescopes etc for visual observation after deciding going straight into astrophotography would be too time consuming and distract from direct viewing. I jumped in the deep end and just bought a Stargate 20" dobsonian as I'm not getting any younger and decided I might as well go for it. I haven't assembled it yet, but powered up the Synscan/GOTO and inspected mirrors, etc and all seems ok. I'm under Bortle 4 skies at home, but Bortle 3 is 15-20min away in my van and really solid Bortle 2 is an hour's drive, so am looking forward to some amazing sights. I'm sure I'll have a few questions over the summer regarding fun with potential synscan/GOTO alignment and tracking issues, and the other Stargate 20 mods, etc to secure the primary mirror from changing collimation when adjusting scope altitude. Shall keep you all posted how a newbie gets on with this half-metre dob!  

[RiponJas]

Hello there and welcome. Impressive starter scope. Prepare to be amazed!! ? 

[saac]

Welcome to SGL you will be well supported here with tips and advice.  Have a trial (daytime)  assembly of your scope before you go out and use it and put together a list of things to take.   Have fun.  

Jim 

[Ships and Stars]

Thanks, yes got a bit carried away with the scope, haha, but figured I'd go for it while I'm still able to move the lump around! I'll mig weld up a wheelbarrow fork this summer to move the base and mirror around onsite in Autumn so I don't hae to rethread the drive cable for the GOTO, but the rest is actually pretty light. I will get the hang of assembly in daylight, before I'm tripping over cables and poles at night. I'll grease everything up and check threads/nuts etc, might replace them with some A4 stainless if there is no corrosion issues from mixed metals. I've read about some common issues with primary mirrors, collimation and GOTO accuracy with these, so will do a quick observation session before the nights get too short and see if things are acceptable, though I've no real benchmark to compare it too, other than the 25x100 binos. First, I need to explain to my wife what it is, and how good a deal I got ? she hasn't seen it yet!! 

[PeterCPC]

Hello and welcome.

Peter

[laudropb]

Hello and a warm welcome to the SGL.

[Floater]

Welcome. I’m not sure exactly where you are but if you have Bortle 4 it won’t be in Aberdeen, where I am.

If within reasonable distance, come and join us at Aberdeen Astronomical Society in Newtonhill. (See online.) Some very knowledgable people there, we’re all very friendly - and, not least, we may get the chance to ooh and aah over your Stargate!

Have fun. ?

[Ships and Stars]

Thanks Peter and laudropb, very excited, although not the best time of year now with the longer days. Two months ago I was in the Cairngorms camping on a very cold (-16C) calm and crystal clear night - the memory of the stars visible with just the naked eye will keep me going over the summer, imagining what that will look like through the 500p. Now I am wondering what I can see with the scope going into short-night summer? I'll definitely look at the moon, maybe some planets are worth viewing, but hoping there will be a slight window of acceptable darkness at 56-58N to view some other objects? Thanks again everyone.

[Ships and Stars]

Just now, Floater said:

Welcome. I’m not sure exactly where you are but if you have Bortle 4 it won’t be in Aberdeen, where I am.

If within reasonable distance, come and join us at Aberdeen Astronomical Society in Newtonhill. (See online.) Some very knowledgable people there, we’re all very friendly - and, not least, we may get the chance to ooh and aah over your Stargate!

Have fun. ?

Hi Floater! I'm south of Newtonhill, I'd love for the club members to check out the Stargate, it should be quite a view I'm hoping. I'd probably lug it over, my place has some bad light pollution from streetlights and a business nearby, but am working on improving that (the closest streetlight is out, I'm in no rush for the council to sort it!) I will definitely have a look at the website now. Thanks for the hello! Shall be in touch!

[mark81]

Welcome to the forum!

A 20" inch Dob for your first scope?  Well Done That Man ?

[Ships and Stars]

9 minutes ago, mark81 said:

Welcome to the forum!

A 20" inch Dob for your first scope?  Well Done That Man ?

Haha, thanks! After years of amateur DSLR wildlife photography with fairly large tele lenses, I've had aperture fever before, so when a good deal came up, I sold some things, saved a little and went for it while my back can still manage to shift it. Go big as they say!

[Ships and Stars]

19 minutes ago, Floater said:

Welcome. I’m not sure exactly where you are but if you have Bortle 4 it won’t be in Aberdeen, where I am.

If within reasonable distance, come and join us at Aberdeen Astronomical Society in Newtonhill. (See online.) Some very knowledgable people there, we’re all very friendly - and, not least, we may get the chance to ooh and aah over your Stargate!

Have fun. ?

PS Floater - I'll try and make the APR 16 AAS meeting at Robert Gordon, I'll be working in Dundee but will try and slip away a bit early that afternoon. Thanks again!

[banjaxed]

Hi and welcome from a fellow newbie.

[Ships and Stars]

Just now, banjaxed said:

Hi and welcome from a fellow newbie.

Thanks banjaxed, welcome as well! I've a lot to learn without breaking anything, haha. Fingers crossed.

[Startinez]

Welcome to the site.

 

Already jealous of your backyard Bortle 4 and 20" Dob! I'm sure you'll have some absolutely incredible views at those 3 & 2 skies... I have backyard 6 but moving to Derbyshire where it's looking like a 5, with a 4 an hour away. Enjoy the skies and the site, they're lovely and friendly here.

[banjaxed]

2 minutes ago, Ships and Stars said:

Thanks banjaxed, welcome as well! I've a lot to learn without breaking anything, haha. Fingers crossed.

You couldn't have joined a better forum than SGL.

[Ships and Stars]

33 minutes ago, Startinez said:

Welcome to the site.

 

Already jealous of your backyard Bortle 4 and 20" Dob! I'm sure you'll have some absolutely incredible views at those 3 & 2 skies... I have backyard 6 but moving to Derbyshire where it's looking like a 5, with a 4 an hour away. Enjoy the skies and the site, they're lovely and friendly here.

 

32 minutes ago, banjaxed said:

You couldn't have joined a better forum than SGL.

Thanks all, I'm hoping for good results from home, it says Bortle 4 on the map, but with a small business next door that never shuts off outside lights and a row of street lights on the other side, I'd lean more towards a 7! I've been reading the forum here for a few months when trying to figure out what to go for, and it's already been a big help. Given my binocular background, I eventually want to get some binoviewers and affordable eyepieces, but really want to sort the basic first. I'm hoping other stargazers in the area can have a look through the dob when conditions are right, I reckon people would enjoy it. 

[Mr Spock]

Hi, welcome to SGL

[Ships and Stars]

2 hours ago, Mr Spock said:

Hi, welcome to SGL

Than you Mr Spock! I feel like I've learned a lot here already, looking forward to more.  Excellent forum.

 

[Mr Spock]

30 minutes ago, Ships and Stars said:

Excellent forum

I like to think so. No negative waves here... ?

[Ships and Stars]

45 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

I like to think so. No negative waves here... ?

Haha, excellent, Oddball is great. Still one of my top films! ?

[scarp15]

5 hours ago, Ships and Stars said:

 Two months ago I was in the Cairngorms camping on a very cold (-16C) calm and crystal clear night - the memory of the stars visible with just the naked eye will keep me going over the summer, imagining what that will look like through the 500p. Now I am wondering what I can see with the scope going into short-night summer? I'll definitely look at the moon, maybe some planets are worth viewing, but hoping there will be a slight window of acceptable darkness at 56-58N to view some other objects? Thanks again everyone.

Hello and welcome and get exactly what you mean, that camping experience must have been awesome but yep understandably very cold. Well that would be a very interesting scope for you to share your experiences with on the forum, as you gradually become accustom and familiar with its use. I go to dark sky places in Northumberland so just over 55 degrees North, if a late start and morning finish is possible then even getting a short period between twilight and sun rise can be rewarding. There are the brighter globular and open clusters to explore in such circumstances. It can be about gaining opportunities when the weather conditions are clear with good transparency, which particularly when you have a working life and untold other circumstances that might evolve around family and so forth, time to go stargazing can become occasional - at least venturing to a non light polluted location. Spring into late Spring can be good, less layers to wear, there are some remarks about only needing to wear a T-shirt, the NE perhaps becoming more about shedding the full down jacket replacing with a down vest ( and a few less layers). 

Summer might be OK for Lunar and particularly binoculars, too much light and if not breezy midge hell might otherwise be off putting. Look forward to hearing about your astro journey.

[Ships and Stars]

5 minutes ago, scarp15 said:

Hello and welcome and get exactly what you mean, that camping experience must have been awesome but yep understandably very cold. Well that would be a very interesting scope for you to share your experiences with on the forum, as you gradually become accustom and familiar with its use. I go to dark sky places in Northumberland so just over 55 degrees North, if a late start and morning finish is possible then even getting a short period between twilight and sun rise can be rewarding. There are the brighter globular and open clusters to explore in such circumstances. It can be about gaining opportunities when the weather conditions are clear with good transparency, which particularly when you have a working life and untold other circumstances that might evolve around family and so forth, time to go stargazing can become occasional - at least venturing to a non light polluted location. Spring into late Spring can be good, less layers to wear, there are some remarks about only needing to wear a T-shirt, the NE perhaps becoming more about shedding the full down jacket replacing with a down vest ( and a few less layers). 

Summer might be OK for Lunar and particularly binoculars, too much light and if not breezy midge hell might otherwise be off putting. Look forward to hearing about your astro journey.

Thanks Scarp! I'll attach a couple really high-ISO landscape shots from that night in the Cairngorms with a f/1.8 lens on a Nikon, no filters etc, gives you some idea of the visibility than evening.   I think there was some airglow apparent, and Andromeda was visible, unless that's another galaxy? Still some hope then to get some summer time use in, so that's good news. I'll also get some use out of the binos this summer as well. I prefer cold over midges any day though. I'll update when I get a chance with the big dob!

[Ships and Stars]

Here's one more. It was -16.7C on the digital freezer thermometer I use in winter, and warmed up to a balmy -4C by morning when another front passed through!

[Dave Lloyd]

Hi there, welcome.