First time stargazer, need help purchasing telescope

[Ignoro]

Heritage 130 is great and small, and you can see stuff with it. I use it and it got me hooked, no problem... 

Bigger is better, but it's quite a bit bigger and in my opinion for a first scope not so much better as much as bigger... 😋

Edit: Binoculars are also a good idea, but for 20x you need some stand/tripod

Edited September 17, 2019 by Ignoro

[LILYDENISE]

20 hours ago, cletrac1922 said:

Lily

Welcome from across the ditch, Pacific Ocean

Portability is a big issue, and also depending on where you want to just view, of further down the track, venture into Astrophotography 

For viewing cannot go pass a small Celestron, though Skywatcher 8" flex Dob, be ideal as well, depending on type of vehicle you have, and whether you also camping out under the stars, as well, and have lot of camping gear to transport as well

Attached pic is of my 10" flex Dob

The scope in background is 8" flex Dob, and one in the middle is a Meade LX90

If you both ever make it across the ditch, only too happy show you both around, and view overhead, where I am

John

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the picture! That gave us a nice idea on scale. Whats the maintenance like on the 8'' Flex Dob? 

If we ever make it across the ditch, you'll be the first we contact  and likewise, if you ever make it over here, hopefully i'll have some idea on what i'm doing at that time. haha

[cletrac1922]

1 hour ago, LILYDENISE said:

Thanks for the picture! That gave us a nice idea on scale. Whats the maintenance like on the 8'' Flex Dob? 

If we ever make it across the ditch, you'll be the first we contact  and likewise, if you ever make it over here, hopefully i'll have some idea on what i'm doing at that time. haha

 

I am out a couple of times per month doing presentations in primary schools, space badge joey/cubs, scout movement

Occasionally I have to do collimation of primary and secondary mirrors, alignment, and I use a laser collimator to do that, and only takes a couple of minutes

As you see from the pic, the base of the Dob is made from chipboard, and you can disassemble to transport

I use a small tarp under the base, to protect from moisture, dirt, under the mount

My youngest daughter and her partner has just returned from over there

Went to west coast US, Canada, cruise through Alaska, for 3 weeks on their honeymoon

My other club is https://sas.org.au/

Click on event horizon, which is clubs monthly magazine

You both can private chat me to know more

John

 

[Rob Sellent]

[cletrac1922]

3 hours ago, LILYDENISE said:

Thanks for the picture! That gave us a nice idea on scale. Whats the maintenance like on the 8'' Flex Dob? 

If we ever make it across the ditch, you'll be the first we contact  and likewise, if you ever make it over here, hopefully i'll have some idea on what i'm doing at that time. haha

Lily

Forget to add to my previous

With the Dob, can also use for solar viewing

All you do is with hard plastic cover, there is a small detachable cap

Underside of the cap, is sticky tape some Baader visual film, and attached hard cover above the secondary mirror

Have also attached pic of my SW ED80 on a EQ5pro mount

You can also now get a WiFi adapter for SW SynScan controller

Takes the guess work out of setting up SynScan controller, GPS, Date/Time, as sets automatically from your mobile device

John

[LILYDENISE]

2 hours ago, Rob Sellent said:

THANKS!!! 😍