Finally taken the plunge...

[Dark Vader]

Well I've finally jumped in the deep end and ordered my 1st scope after spending the last 18 months exploring the sky with bins and desperately trying to understand scope collimation. 🤪

The chap next door had 2 nearly 'house sized' trees and just last week has had them taken down, opening up a large area of previously obscured sky at Vader towers. Mrs. V. authorised a budget so I went for it before she changed her mind. 😀

I've gone for the Skyliner 200p, a premium Cheshire, a SW right angled erect image finderscope and an astro essentials 2x Barlow (with the supplied 25mm and 10mm EPs). I couldn't quite stretch the budget to a BST barlow or an EP, although some BST Starguiders will be done as soon as funding allows.

There will be a water butt stand coming soon.

Have I missed anything that I'll need to get going for now?

T.I.A.

Andy

PS. Sorry about the weather 🙄

[Waddensky]

Excellent, congratulations! Can't go wrong with the 8" Skyliner, a great scope for a lifetime of observing. The supplied eyepieces and the barlow are decent enough to get started and to discover the things you like to observe the most. Your next purchases will then be based on these experiences. But first of all just enjoy!

Quote

Have I missed anything that I'll need to get going for now?

A good, detailed atlas or app will help a lot with star hopping to find your way around.

Edited July 5, 2020 by Waddensky

[Dark Vader]

7 minutes ago, Waddensky said:

Excellent, congratulations! Can't go wrong with the 8" Skyliner, a great scope for a lifetime of observing. The supplied eyepieces and the barlow are decent enough to get started and to discover the things you like to observe the most. Your next purchases will then be based on these experiences. But first of all just enjoy!

A good, detailed atlas or app will help a lot with star hopping to find your way around.

Thanks, got that sorted with the latest Stellarium on the laptop and Sky Safari 6plus and Lunar map hd on the mobile. 👍 now to get used to seeing things backwards 😀

 

[Swoop1]

50 minutes ago, Dark Vader said:

Have I missed anything that I'll need to get going for now?

T.I.A.

Andy

PS. Sorry about the weather 🙄


 

Yup, a water butt to put on the stand and a big brolly to stand under whilst the butt fills up........ 😉

[Dark Vader]

Never a truer word spoken in jest...at least the bottom of the clouds will look a lot closer. 😀

[niallk]

Congrats!

In terms of anything else: a Telrad is well worth it!! (Yes, no end of stuff to spend on.. 😁)

[Ally8446]

You may want to shell out for a red light torch/headtorch. But not a really bright one. The only other thing I'd suggest is a flask for your preferred hot beverage, it can get really rather cold standing still for hours on end. 

Al

[Neil H]

Well done your going to have so many WOW moments with an 8 inch scope ,I am still having them now , have you looked in to a zoom eyepiece 8 to 24 add a Barlow you have 8 eyepieces and are not bad price I just got a Celestron one for £70 on flea bay that may help you out till you get fixed focal eyepieces BST are really nice for the price I have there Barlow 

[Jiggy 67]

8 hours ago, Neil H said:

Well done your going to have so many WOW moments with an 8 inch scope ,I am still having them now , have you looked in to a zoom eyepiece 8 to 24 add a Barlow you have 8 eyepieces and are not bad price I just got a Celestron one for £70 on flea bay that may help you out till you get fixed focal eyepieces BST are really nice for the price I have there Barlow 

+1 for the zoom, a great way of obtaining multiple focal lengths in one foul swoop, they are also great fun, zooming in on objects like double stars and actually watching the stars split. I’d recommend the Baader Hyperion Zoom. Although more expensive than the Celestron above, it is great quality and if you can get a Mark 111 rather than the Mark 1V it will be cheaper. The only difference between the two is that the Mark 1V is lighter, there’s no difference in the optics 

Edited July 7, 2020 by Jiggy 67

[Dark Vader]

Aargh, my replies notifications had turned off...

Good shout on the zoom EP, it's not something I'd thought about. I'm hearing that the standard 25 and 10mm included aren't the best and the BST range are well thought of towards the "cheaper" end of the money pit I just jumped into 😀

At this point I'm still looking for tutorials on collimation by Cheshire. Most of the YouTube stuff seems to be oriented towards lasers. I'm sure it will get easier with a bit of practice but it's the main thing I've had difficulty understanding so far. I've seen Astrobaby's guide highly recommended and have read it to a point where its beginning to sink in 🤪

Red torch and hip flask sorted 👍

Thanks everyone 

Andy

[Pixies]

Yep - as already stated, a non-magnifying finder: like a Telrad, Rigel or a simple RDF.

With a RACI finderscope like you'll have, it will take a little practise getting the scope in the correct direction in the first place. Having a simple finder like a Telrad will get you close enough to the target, that you can then use the RACI to fine-tune or star-hop.

[IB20]

I recently purchased a 200p Skyliner and am delighted with it. I’ve added a telrad and have the full set of BST Starguiders. From the short time I’ve been able to use them they’ve really made a difference. 

Elevating it will really help and it’s something I’m looking into now. Along with a trolley platform so I can move it around my kitchen for indoor viewing of some lower targets. 

You’re going to love it! I was gobsmacked when I saw M57 for the first time. 

[DeathWarpedUp]

On 06/07/2020 at 21:40, Ally8446 said:

You may want to shell out for a red light torch/headtorch. But not a really bright one.

Straight off the bay though, all the way from sunny China, don't waste your money on these kinds of accessories with a particular brand name on them.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UK-Red-Light-LED-Flashlight-3Modes-Red-Torch-Lamp-Astronomy-Night-Vision-Camping/293348750855?var=592198841127&hash=item444cf2b607:g:SyoAAOSwJcNd3LY6

 

 

[Carbon Brush]

I agree very much with most, if not all, of the above.

Were woolly hat and fingerless gloves mentioned?

Seriously though I think you should go out and enjoy the scope before shelling out more money.
If you come back after an evening saying 'if I had more magnification' or 'I want a zero magnification finder' that is the time to spend more.

Some time back I spent a lot of money buying accessories and extras that, at the time, looked useful or even essential.
Some where good and do get used. Others have been gathering dust for years.

Enjoy the (excellent) scope.

David.

[Daf1983]

I bought the same telescope about 2 months ago. I've managed to spend a lot of money since on various eyepieces, books etc. (I was warned this hobby is a money pit!), but as stated above, the Telrad is the best piece of equipment I've bought. I found it to be a game changer, made finding things a LOT easier, and made the experience a lot less frustrating and a lot more pleasurable

[DeathWarpedUp]

22 hours ago, Carbon Brush said:

Seriously though I think you should go out and enjoy the scope before shelling out more money.
If you come back after an evening saying 'if I had more magnification' or 'I want a zero magnification finder' that is the time to spend more.

 

If you take one thing from this entire thread, let it be this.

[Dark Vader]

Excellent advice, thanks all.

The telrad is certainly something I need to look into 🤣 (ugh)

Seriously contemplating the zoom ep as well, but as long as I got enough to start off it'll all come together in time. And a few more paydays...

Andy

 

[DeathWarpedUp]

11 minutes ago, Dark Vader said:

Excellent advice, thanks all.

The telrad is certainly something I need to look into 🤣 (ugh)

Seriously contemplating the zoom ep as well, but as long as I got enough to start off it'll all come together in time. And a few more paydays...

Andy

 

A zoom is something I totally recommend. Its handy for things you didnt even realise were making your life more difficult.

Theres a few other threads on here that people mention zooms, the Hyperflex is supposedly good and cheapish (£85 on flo) another of a smiliarish  price range is  the celestron, I have the more expensive Baader hyperion one which I love.

For me since getting it, its an essential and as said, its a good way of trying lots of peices.

**I still subscribe to the earlier comment of getting out there 1st a few times and getting a bit of experience with your set up, working out the kinks, limitations and what yu like/dont like. Its no rush, the skys not going anywhere

Edited July 10, 2020 by DeathWarpedUp