New to SGL From Cannock staffs

[wookie1965]

5 hours ago, ALZASCOPE said:

Hi wookie I have a small koi pond yes but my passion is tanks and i do have MTS (multi tank syndrome ) 6x2x2 marine. 9ft x 18 x18 freshwater planted a 2ft giant shrimp tank and a 2ft african shellie tank been keeping fish for 40yrs for my sins 

Thank you for your interest

Well I have not got to a point where I have (multi tank syndrome) yet I have a 3x2x18 tank nothing compared to yours I have no plants in I know I should but the shops here sell plants even after washing them I was inundated with snails. One or two I know are good for algae but I could not see in the tank for them. I run air stones in them,  I am only a Amateur only been keeping 2.5 years.

[haitch]

7 hours ago, mh6081 said:

Cheers Alan, I am only in Wimblebury, yes, just being able to go to a shop and spend an hour picking their brains is worth it and getting a feel for the equipment. I don't know about you, but you feel that you are asking the same SFQ's as a newbie that have been asked a 1000 times on forums and you then spend ages trying to research the subject matter and then find yourself being dragged off onto something completely not what you were looking for and by the time you have realised you ask yourself 'how did I get here and what was I looking for originally' or is that age?? 🤣 All the best

Cycle past your way quite frequently then. Quite a strong local astro community. There's Wolverhampton. Walsall and Rosliston Astro Societies all local once lock down is over and we can meet up again. I'm up the road in Brownhills. Light pollution has got pretty bad here over the years so I'm starting to get more into imaging but I still drag the 14" dob out once in a while.

[mh6081]

23 hours ago, Merlin66 said:

For the novice, eyepieces are a minefield!

IMHO until you've trained your eye to see detail in the object being observed stick with the ones that came with the scope or cheap alternatives.

Do don't need $$$$$ Nike running shoes to enjoy a stroll in the park. By working with what you have, you gain experience and knowledge which later will help guide you to a "better" eyepiece - why? because by then you appreciate the limitations (and what impact they have on you) which you hope to solve.

Softly, softly..........

As Alzoscope said, yes all us beginners try running before walking, so I am deliberating on something like a Celestron  Astro Fi 130mm, Nexstar 130slt or the Skywatcher Explorer 150pds on the EQ3 mount or similar at under £400, but did wonder if worth consideringSky-Watcher Explorer 150P-DS EQ-5 PRO GOTO the obvious difference being the mount which is quite a bit more money but once I have got some experience, start looking at imaging which I believe is where the EQ5 will be beneficial for weight bearing for the camera and the focussing effect of the extra weight. Excuse the highlighted text, I have copied the brands over to save typing and cannot get rid of the highlighting 🤔

[Spanish Tony]

Hi, just up the road in Staffordshire - Welcome to SGL The chase is a favorite spot of mine for photography and MTB and always thought it would make a great location for the telescope.

[SteveWolves]

Hi Wolverhampton A.S is only down the road at wolvas.org.uk with some free talks over the summer we hope.

[ALZASCOPE]

On 27/05/2020 at 13:26, haitch said:

Cycle past your way quite frequently then. Quite a strong local astro community. There's Wolverhampton. Walsall and Rosliston Astro Societies all local once lock down is over and we can meet up again. I'm up the road in Brownhills. Light pollution has got pretty bad here over the years so I'm starting to get more into imaging but I still drag the 14" dob out once in a while.

Hi again small world i lived all my childhood in Brownhills gt charles st to be exact 

14" thats a beast hope to talk again soon

[cletrac1922]

On 25/05/2020 at 19:12, ALZASCOPE said:

Hi guys my name is Alan i am very new to astronomy but always been interested in the sky at night

Im 63 years old i am a very very keen fish keeper which upto now as taken all my spare time and money. I have often come back from a dog walk at 11pm spent more time looking up at the sky rather than what my dog is doing and say to my wife i should get a telescope.

Anyway long and short of it I've bought a telescope ive hovered around your forum for a while getting hints and tips and purchased a sw 250p classic I live very close to Cannock chase forrest so light pollution is not too bad so purchased something i could just manage to manhandle myself.

We've not had good sky's yet but very impressed with what i have achieved at present.

I will asap upgrade the eye peices so will be seeking advice on those very shortly.

Anyway you seem a very nice knowledgeable bunch of people and hopefully we will talk soon

Thank you for reading this

Regards Alan

 

Alan

First of all welcome from Land Down Under

Great choice of scope

You get solid tube or flex tube

I have had my flex tube 10" Dob now for over 10 years, and still my first weapon of choice

A couple of other tips

Did you also get a right angle finderscope

Saves laying on the ground, to view objects overhead

As the mount is made of chip board material, good idea to place a small waterproof tarp under the base, to prevent moisture in the ground damaging the mount over period of time

Have enclosed pic of my 10" Dob, taken a club public viewing night last last year

Can see the right angle finderscope, and ground sheet

John

 

[ALZASCOPE]

7 minutes ago, cletrac1922 said:

 

Alan

First of all welcome from Land Down Under

Great choice of scope

You get solid tube or flex tube

I have had my flex tube 10" Dob now for over 10 years, and still my first weapon of choice

A couple of other tips

Did you also get a right angle finderscope

Saves laying on the ground, to view objects overhead

As the mount is made of chip board material, good idea to place a small waterproof tarp under the base, to prevent moisture in the ground damaging the mount over period of time

Have enclosed pic of my 10" Dob, taken a club public viewing night last last year

Can see the right angle finderscope, and ground sheet

John

 

Hi John. Thank you from down under my scope is classic solid tube many thanks for the great tips and advice hopefully stay intouch and talk again

Alan

[haitch]

On 30/05/2020 at 06:07, ALZASCOPE said:

Hi again small world i lived all my childhood in Brownhills gt charles st to be exact 

14" thats a beast hope to talk again soon

I've got a friend in Burntwood with a 20" 😮

[RobST]

On 25/05/2020 at 10:12, ALZASCOPE said:

Hi guys my name is Alan i am very new to astronomy but always been interested in the sky at night

Im 63 years old i am a very very keen fish keeper which upto now as taken all my spare time and money. I have often come back from a dog walk at 11pm spent more time looking up at the sky rather than what my dog is doing and say to my wife i should get a telescope.

Anyway long and short of it I've bought a telescope ive hovered around your forum for a while getting hints and tips and purchased a sw 250p classic I live very close to Cannock chase forrest so light pollution is not too bad so purchased something i could just manage to manhandle myself.

We've not had good sky's yet but very impressed with what i have achieved at present.

I will asap upgrade the eye peices so will be seeking advice on those very shortly.

Anyway you seem a very nice knowledgeable bunch of people and hopefully we will talk soon

Thank you for reading this

Regards Alan

Welcome Alan

I have also joined today and live in north staffs 😁

I also keep marine fish 😄

I will have to pop down to cannock when all this is over 😁

Thanks Rob

[ALZASCOPE]

19 minutes ago, RobST said:

Welcome Alan

I have also joined today and live in north staffs 😁

I also keep marine fish 😄

I will have to pop down to cannock when all this is over 😁

Thanks Rob

Hi Rob thanks for the welcome your more than welcome my friend

Alan

[Drifty_T]

On 26/05/2020 at 21:06, mh6081 said:

Hi Alan, like you also a newbie this week to SGL and also live in Cannock The only difference being I ain't bought no kit yet. I'm one of those getting led down different paths however I am now thinking something around either a Sky-Watcher Explorer 130ps AZ GTi or a Celestron Astro Fi 130mm. From what I can make out they both appear to be similar so any help from anyone would be helpful. Once I get round to understanding things plan is to add a CCD camera

Hello Alan, I'm also brand new to this and live in Great Wyrley! I've yet to kit up too but I've a partner in crime who has recently purchased a SW 102 mak and we've been playing around like kids at every opportunity. Hoping to dip our feet into observing and ap, so I'm after a larger aperture reflector. 

Does anyone know of a club or meet around here?  Would be nice to talk to some others about this stuff once this lock down has blown over... 

Anyway, nice to meet you all, best of luck Alan. 

Joe

[mh6081]

1 hour ago, Drifty_T said:

Hello Alan, I'm also brand new to this and live in Great Wyrley! I've yet to kit up too but I've a partner in crime who has recently purchased a SW 102 mak and we've been playing around like kids at every opportunity. Hoping to dip our feet into observing and ap, so I'm after a larger aperture reflector. 

Does anyone know of a club or meet around here?  Would be nice to talk to some others about this stuff once this lock down has blown over... 

Anyway, nice to meet you all, best of luck Alan. 

Joe

Hi Joe,

There is a society in Wolverhampton, I think One of their members quoted in the thread above that Alan started and I believe there is one in Walsall who meet in Rushall/Shelfield area. Should be easy to google.  I will be ordering something soon and I am leaning towards the Skywatcher Explorer 150pd-s. Probably a little more that I wanted to spend especially if I go for the eq5 goto mount, but at the risk of running before I walk thinking might as well go with it..... maybe 🤔

[Demonperformer]

Hi, Alan, and welcome to SGL.

Enjoy the journey.

[SteveWolves]

Hi Wolverhampton A.S is only down the road at wolvas.org.uk with some free talks over the summer we hope.

I also help run an astro group at Staffordshires Perton Library once a month when we can of course.