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I'm a newbie here...


Dannomiss

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Hi all, I just joined this community today after a friend recommending it to me. I'm a complete newbie, but it has been a dream to own my own telescope since I was a child. Now I'm 37 and today I bought my first telescope - a skywalker heritage 130p. I read reviews on this forum and on first light optics and I just jumped in the deep end and bought it. 

I don't have a clue what I am doing so this is all new to me, but I look forward to learning more and seeing things I have never witnessed with my eyes 😊

Dan

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Hello and a warm welcome to the SGL. This scope comes highly recommended on this forum and I am sure you have made a good choice. Do not be afraid to ask for help when setting it up. That’s what we are all here for.

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Hi Dan, welcome to SGL.

I think the first thing you need is a celestial guidebook such as turn-left-at-orion

This will show you the basics of using a telescope, has details of hundreds of objects to observe & shows you how to find them by "star-hopping" from naked-eye stars.

Clear skies.

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Hi likewise a newbie with Heritage 130, had it about 5 weeks and have been very impressed. Read so much useful stuff from the knowledgeable people on here it’s been a great help. Learning your way round the sky is a must, great apps to help include SkyView and Stellarium plus one of the many good books.The heritage is quick and easy to set up and use, I read up on collimation,checked mine and found it was only slightly out, worth checking and I found it easy to do. Also I found a couple of wraps of plumbers ptfe tape on the threads of the focused improved it. Take time making sure your red dot finder is accurately aligned, it’s easy to do and worth doing well. 

The mount is easy to use and portable but personally I found a good stable tripod just enhanced things and I prefer standing to sitting next to it on a table.  Wonderful clear skies here recently and still plenty to look at despite the bright skies at 1am!Couple of sessions and you will be back on asking about new eyepieces. 

Hope you enjoy it as much as I am.  

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Welcome aboard Dan! Good scope to start with. I would recommend getting Turn Left at Orion and the Sky and Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas (PSA). Both books will help you explore the cosmos. The PSA will be your roadmap. An option would be to replace the Red Dot Finder on the scope with a Telrad. The Telrad makes star hoping easier and is about £38. Well worth the cost. The PSA also has directions on how to make a ring to use with the PSA to find things. 

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2 hours ago, Timdog said:

Hi likewise a newbie with Heritage 130, had it about 5 weeks and have been very impressed. Read so much useful stuff from the knowledgeable people on here it’s been a great help. Learning your way round the sky is a must, great apps to help include SkyView and Stellarium plus one of the many good books.The heritage is quick and easy to set up and use, I read up on collimation,checked mine and found it was only slightly out, worth checking and I found it easy to do. Also I found a couple of wraps of plumbers ptfe tape on the threads of the focused improved it. Take time making sure your red dot finder is accurately aligned, it’s easy to do and worth doing well. 

The mount is easy to use and portable but personally I found a good stable tripod just enhanced things and I prefer standing to sitting next to it on a table.  Wonderful clear skies here recently and still plenty to look at despite the bright skies at 1am!Couple of sessions and you will be back on asking about new eyepieces. 

Hope you enjoy it as much as I am.  

Thank you so much 😊 and for all the info, very helpful. Super excited 

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2 hours ago, Sunshine said:

Hello! and a big welcome to our little community here at SGL, i can feel the excitement you must feel at the start of your journey into amateur astronomy. 

I am super excited 😁 wish it was hear sooner as tonight would have been a great evening for it. Again don't have a clue in the slightest, so this is going to be an interesting journey indeed 😊 thanks so much for the welcome. 

Here's the moon from my phone 🤣

IMG_20200530_200707.jpg

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30 minutes ago, Dr Strange said:

Welcome aboard Dan! Good scope to start with. I would recommend getting Turn Left at Orion and the Sky and Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas (PSA). Both books will help you explore the cosmos. The PSA will be your roadmap. An option would be to replace the Red Dot Finder on the scope with a Telrad. The Telrad makes star hoping easier and is about £38. Well worth the cost. The PSA also has directions on how to make a ring to use with the PSA to find things. 

Thank you so much 😁 ah yes a Friend of my recommended turn left at the orion. I'll have a look at upgrading options after I've had it a while but thanks so much for great suggestions 👍

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3 hours ago, laudropb said:

Hello and a warm welcome to the SGL. This scope comes highly recommended on this forum and I am sure you have made a good choice. Do not be afraid to ask for help when setting it up. That’s what we are all here for.

Thanks so much. 😁👍 I can't drive because of my eyes (which is ironic as I'm now getting a telescope lol) and a friend recommended this scope for portability. And from what I've read it looks like a fantastic telescope and the reviews are mostly all positive 

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3 hours ago, lenscap said:

Hi Dan, welcome to SGL.

I think the first thing you need is a celestial guidebook such as turn-left-at-orion

This will show you the basics of using a telescope, has details of hundreds of objects to observe & shows you how to find them by "star-hopping" from naked-eye stars.

Clear skies.

Thank you so much for the welcome 😁 yes that book has been recommended so I'll definitely be getting that for sure. I don't have a clue in the slightest so I need some guidence 😂

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3 hours ago, Timdog said:

Hi likewise a newbie with Heritage 130, had it about 5 weeks and have been very impressed. Read so much useful stuff from the knowledgeable people on here it’s been a great help. Learning your way round the sky is a must, great apps to help include SkyView and Stellarium plus one of the many good books.The heritage is quick and easy to set up and use, I read up on collimation,checked mine and found it was only slightly out, worth checking and I found it easy to do. Also I found a couple of wraps of plumbers ptfe tape on the threads of the focused improved it. Take time making sure your red dot finder is accurately aligned, it’s easy to do and worth doing well. 

The mount is easy to use and portable but personally I found a good stable tripod just enhanced things and I prefer standing to sitting next to it on a table.  Wonderful clear skies here recently and still plenty to look at despite the bright skies at 1am!Couple of sessions and you will be back on asking about new eyepieces. 

Hope you enjoy it as much as I am.  

Thanks so much for the welcome and helpful advice. It's going to be a journey for sure 😁 as I don't know anything in this area. Super excited. Always wanted a telescope and nows the time for sure. 

Regarding new eyepieces. Why would you need them? For what purpose. Like I said I don't know anything lol

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Hi and welcome to SGL and your new hobby. 

I am relatively new myself but such a welcoming and supportive bunch of enthusiasts here. 

Best of luck with your new scope! 

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3 hours ago, Dr Strange said:

Welcome aboard Dan! Good scope to start with. I would recommend getting Turn Left at Orion and the Sky and Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas (PSA). Both books will help you explore the cosmos. The PSA will be your roadmap. An option would be to replace the Red Dot Finder on the scope with a Telrad. The Telrad makes star hoping easier and is about £38. Well worth the cost. The PSA also has directions on how to make a ring to use with the PSA to find things. 

Is this the telrad? 

Screenshot_20200531_003931_com.android.chrome.jpg

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7 hours ago, Dannomiss said:

Hi all, I just joined this community today after a friend recommending it to me. I'm a complete newbie, but it has been a dream to own my own telescope since I was a child. Now I'm 37 and today I bought my first telescope - a skywalker heritage 130p. I read reviews on this forum and on first light optics and I just jumped in the deep end and bought it. 

I don't have a clue what I am doing so this is all new to me, but I look forward to learning more and seeing things I have never witnessed with my eyes 😊

Dan

Screenshot_20200530_133416_com.android.chrome.jpg

 

Dan

Welcome from Land Down Under

If you are in more light polluted area, then might be worth investing in a shroud for your scope

With the base been chip board construction, also recommend using a small water proof tarp under the base to protect from moisture coming out of the ground

Have enclosed a pic of my 10" flex Dob, taken at a public viewing night with my club late last year, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic

The Dob in the background is a 8" flex as well, with shroud fitted

John

 

 

Skywatcher 10in Dob.jpg

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9 hours ago, Dannomiss said:

Is this the telrad? 

Screenshot_20200531_003931_com.android.chrome.jpg

Hi Dan, a warm welcome from me here in the south west.  Just a quick comment, I don't think the Telrad will be suitable for your telescope, it will be too big, the suggestion of the Rigel Quickfinder is a better one.  Clear skies!

Edited by rwilkey
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