My first kit - Dark Star 10" / 1300mm Dobsonian

[RobertK]

First kit and I feel like I'm starting with the biggest setup I can own. Picked up from astrobuysell.com for £125 including a 40mm and 25mm Celestron E-Lux. Finder scope will be replaced with right angle. It has a Telrad mount (as I found out by accident) and I've alreadyt found cheap one on FB so should have that soon.

Next pieces to get will be WA 6mm and 15mm.

There's a small mark on the main mirror, but it doesn't seem to affect the view, and at that price I can't complain. The base also needed some attention. Vertical movement is smooth, but horizontal rotation was hindered by the bottom board being slightly bent, and rubbing the corners against the telescope base. I have added some washers between the teflon pads and it's much better. Not buttery-smooth, but I feel like that would make it too sensitive to movement, In the current condition it lets me track Jupiter easily. I guess the real test will be when I get the 6mm piece

Collimating laser is also coming to make sure the mirrors are aligned after haling it home for 40 miles.

Other than that it doesn't seem like it needs any serious work, so for a 20-30 year old telescope this is amazing.

[Stu]

Nice one Robert. I saw that one for sale and it looked a decent buy for £125. Have fun with it!

[RobertK]

Thanks! I'm giddy like a child just thinking about having another session with it tonight (if the weather holds up).

[John]

That's a whole lot of aperture for very few £'s

The views will be superb if the clouds allow. Globular clusters in a 10 inch scope look amazing !

 

[NGC 1502]

Cracking good buy for £125 👍 unless someone gifts you something best bargain you’ll ever have.

Back in the day the Dark Star Dobs were very well thought of. My first visit to a good sky was at Field View astronomy B&B in north Norfolk, they had exactly the same 10” Dark Star.  Later they got a 14” Dark Star solid tube Dob, it was a beast to move but worth it. In 2003 I did an all nighter with the 14” at the historic close Mars opposition.  The 10” was much more user friendly and my personal choice for avoiding a bad back.

I also saw it on Astrobuysell and thought someone will grab a bargain.  BTW and not wishing to interfere, but a 6mm may give too high a power for something like Jupiter & Saturn very low in the south from UK just now.  Smaller and sharper beats bigger and fuzzier. You can safely ignore the mirror mark.

The Dark Star Dobs originally came with a 1.25” focuser, looks like someone’s fitted a 2” 👍

Ed.

[RobertK]

Thanks guys

Yes I saw the 2" focuser and I guess I am wondering if 2" eyepieces offer more than 1.25"? 

I have a dillema about the focal length of the eyepiece I should get next. Obviously I want to see it as big as I can  but don't want to go below the point where it all becomes a fuzzy mess. I've been recommended 6mm 66 degrees eyepiece for planetary viewing, but wondering if getting something like a standard FOV Celestron Zoom would be best for me newbie to see the difference in what I can see at different magnifications on my scope. Then again, I need to keep in mind that Zoom is slightly worse than 'fixed' focal eyepieces, and also wide angle lens should give me better view at that zoom? Of course I may be very wrong here as it's all new to me and I've only just began to learn about how the optics on telescopes work, so please feel free to set me straight

I can get a Celestron kit of 5 lenses, 2x barlow and planetary filters for £90. Or I can get a Zoom (which being honest seems to me like a good idea) for maybe half of that price.

 

Oh, and last night I pointed the 25mm piece at Saturn. Could see the rings very clearly, as well as Titan shining nearby. Can't wait for more magnification

 

 

Edited July 29, 2020 by RobertK

[PaulM]

Enjoy sure you will, looks like a bargain

[Starwatcher2001]

That's a very capable scope for the money.  Is that a Telrad base?  I've always found them easier to star-hop than finders.

 

[RobertK]

19 minutes ago, Starwatcher2001 said:

That's a very capable scope for the money.  Is that a Telrad base?  I've always found them easier to star-hop than finders.

 

From the limited amount of videos I've watched, it does look like a Telrad base. Actually bought one already on FB marketplace so will find out soon once it arrives. That finder scope I have right now will be going off. It's so awkward to use it's spoiling half of the fun.

[NGC 1502]

That’s definitely a Telrad base.  The Telrad itself attaches easily.  You’ll get different advice from various sources.  I can tell you what suits me but it might not suit you.

With the above in mind  - I’m fine with a Telrad on its own, simple intuitive - but in cold and damp conditions the window will dew up. A simple home made cover in place between uses helps. My own has a DIY dew heater, or commercial ones are available.   2” Eyepieces are mainly for low power with a wide field of view, this is for viewing large objects or finding smaller ones before increasing power for a better view. With my own 10” Dob 1200mm focal length, I often use an 8mm eyepiece for 150x on planets. As said smaller and sharper beats large and fuzzy. On really good nights 200x or more for planets, double stars, tiny nebula, globular clusters etc. At the other end of the scale I use a 27mm eyepiece for 44x amd wide field. 14mm bridges the gap between low and high.  Eyepiece choice is a big subject, best not to worry about that, just have a few sessions and see how you get on.  A 10” Dob could very easily be a lifetime scope.

Enjoy, Ed.

 

[Starwatcher2001]

Good tip, Ed.  My Telrad looks like an old truck, with it's DIY duct tape covered plastic appendage. Certainly keeps the dew off. The cutouts at the back so I can get to the adjusters.

[RobertK]

@NGC 1502I guess I need a range of 6-15mm eyepieces for different purposes and conditions. Which would be easy to get at a decent price as a Celestron kit, but I am then worried if I should try to get the smaller eyepieces as Wide Angle, or just not bother with that for now and get the Celestron kit?

The Telrad will for now replace the awkward finder scope, but I'm planning on having both at the later stage.

@Starwatcher2001That's a coll looking trucks  I like a bit of DIY and as this will most likely be our telescope for life, I don't mind it looking a bit 'original'.

[NGC 1502]

1 hour ago, RobertK said:

@NGC 1502I guess I need a range of 6-15mm eyepieces for different purposes and conditions. Which would be easy to get at a decent price as a Celestron kit, but I am then worried if I should try to get the smaller eyepieces as Wide Angle, or just not bother with that for now and get the Celestron kit?

As already mentioned eyepiece choice is a big subject.  However what I’ve found over the years is that 3 or 4 good eyepieces is better than loads of cheaper ones.  With an undriven scope like a basic Dob many would prefer wide angle eyepieces - at low power this helps to find objects before using greater magnification to view them - or simply to view large objects, or perhaps in areas of the sky you may spot several galaxies in a single view. At higher power a wider angle means less nudges of the scope to keep the object within the field of view.

Another factor is eye relief - how close your eye has to be to view the whole field of view - if you need glasses to observe then longer eye relief is best.

If you read up on reviews and astronomy forums this can help to make your choices.

Ed.

[RobertK]

I've read a lot of reviews and have decided. Few upgrades happening in the next few days then  I hope those will last me for a while without a need for any other eyepieces etc.

- Telrad
- Right-angle erect image Sky-watcher 9x50 Finder Scope with a William Optics finder shoe
- Baader Hyperion Zoom 8x-24x
- Baader 2.25x Barlow
- Eyepiece mounted phone holder for some simple photography

EXCITED! 🤩

Needles to say I've spent 3 times as much as I did on the scope with those orders, but I think it will be worth it. Down the rabbit hole we go ...