Hello from Belgium

[SkyDave]

Hello,

I just joined SG and wanted to say hi to the community.

Living in a fairly light polluted area, I still want to make the best of a hobby I have for over 25 years: stargazing.
At around my 16th birthday, I bought a Meade 4500 (4.5" reflector of about then 250 euro's (well, still paying in Belgian Francs though) AND I STILL USE IT! I'm 39 right now 🙂 

The Meade 4500 is now at the end of its life: the focusser rail is crumbling, the rails on the mount idem, so it's wobbly and creeky, ... but it gave me 25 years of joy watching the Moon, Jupiter and Saturn. I attach my EOS500D trying to make some images of the moon, and once tried filming Jupiter and making a picture out of it (with Deep Sky Stacker if I remember well).

Anyway, it's time to revive my hobby a little bit. Step one is joining this forum. Step two will be asking some advise for a new OTA and mount. Step three will be sharing...

Clear skies!

Dave

[JRM]

Dave, sounds like you have had a great time with the 4.5, I have a bushnell  4.5 that I bought 19 years ago, still remember my first views with it, great telescope, collecting dust these day but was sure fun to use,welcome to the lounge and keep looking up.

 

Rick

[Mr Spock]

Hi Dave, welcome to SGL

[Wouter1981]

Welcome fellow Belgian!

[ronl]

Hello Dave, and welcome to the community, hope you enjoy your time with us,

see you around the forums.

Clear Sky's.

[Floater]

Welcome to step one. Have fun as you form and find the next steps and questions ...

But mostly, have fun. 🙂

[laudropb]

Hello and a warm welcome to the SGL.

[Demonperformer]

Hi, Dave, and welcome to SGL.

As to advice on what to get next, it depends on what you wish to achieve. A common suggestion is a 200mm dob, but that will severely limit you for any imaging (with care it is possible to get 'snapshots' of solar system objects, but it is a lot of effort). If you got a solid-tube dob, you could later buy a tracking mount and attach the ota by means of tube rings and dovetail bar. But take this advice with the caveat above - knowing little of what you want to achieve.

[PeterCPC]

Hello Dave and welcome.

Peter

[Miguel1983]

Hello Dave !

Is het goedendag ou bonjour ?

[Dave Lloyd]

Hi fellow Dave, welcome. 

[banjaxed]

Hi Dave, welcome to SGL.

[sloz1664]

Hi Dave, and a very warm welcome to the Lounge 😁

Steve

[cletrac1922]

Dave

Welcome from Land Down Under

You travel the universe in this forum

John

[des anderson]

A warm welcome from Essex. Des

[Pete Presland]

Hi welcome to SGL from Peter in Bedfordshire 🙂

[SkyDave]

Thanks everybody for the greetings & first advise!
And happy to see a lively community!

C U around...

 

 

On 26/05/2019 at 09:00, Miguel1983 said:

Hello Dave !

Is het goedendag ou bonjour ?

Het is goedendag!

[Ruud]

Oh,  Dave.