Hello from Sweden

[Shimonu]

Hello!

I noticed I had forgotten to introduce myself and I had a question regarding the forum so why not combine them.

My name is Simon, I'm 30 years young and live in southern Sweden(very relative term!). I'm sure like most of you I've had an interest for the sky and space since I was young. I've always loved good sci-fi, I remember seeing Hale-Bopp which my father showed me when I was very young and it's just fascinating to think about the huge vastness that is space. For some reason I never really realized how available the cosmos was, through telescopes or cameras. I was given a small refractor telescope when I was little but it was the cheap supermarket type with plastic lenses. So I guess my conclusion was that you'd need something super professional and expensive to really see anything. That was until about this spring when someone brought up astronomy on another forum and they were sharing pictures. Sure, they had mounts and telescopes for a lot of money but it got me wondering and I realized I could probably just point my DSLR at the sky and see how many stars I get in an image. The research started, bought a tripod, a lot of late nights manually clicking away with an IR-remote and learning some basic post processing. I was hooked! Since then I've basically become a sponge, trying to get as much information I can about how you do more serious AP, what gear is necessary and how it works in theory as well as practice. I've now bought an SW NEQ6 second hand and I'm looking to get a modified DSLR and a small wide-field refractor(Trevor is right, it's a good place to start). I want to rip my hair off after trying to figure out the right camera-telescope combination, managing budget, finding out stuff is out of stock and clicking through so many damn pages of adapters, trying to figure out what fits how and where in which combination. But I'm still as excited, if not more, as when I came home those late nights and couldn't put the RAWs into DSS fast enough.

Oh yeah. Since I realized that I'm not really going to be imaging during the summer in Sweden, with us pretty much only having civil twilight(if you're lucky) during the nights, I very impulsively bought a small 4" Mak-Cass. It's not the choice I would have gone with now but it has shown me beautiful views of the moon and I've seen Jupiter and Saturn with my own eyes. That was quite a night! I still don't even have a mount for that, I actually put that 1300 mm thing on my tripod... with a ball-head.. and managed to aim it somehow.

Anyways, so my wallet is pretty much empty and any time I buy anything the sky gets SO CLOUDY! This is the best hobby ever!

Now my very unrelated question. I'm using firefox and sometimes the SGL forum tab gets like a pause-sign, like two thick bars. I figured it was trying to tell me I had a notification or something but every time I go to the tab I don't have a notification and I can't really see anything. What does it mean!?

This seems like a fantastic forum by the way! Hope to bother you all with my questions in the future.

[Floater]

Glad you said hello. Sorry I can’t answer your question but hope someone can.

Stay excited! 🙂

[laudropb]

Hello and a warm welcome to the SGL. Sorry I can’t help with your query.

[Dave Lloyd]

Hi Simon, welcome. 

[Slingshot]

Hello,

I too am new  to this forum and to Astrology. Just bought a Skycatcher Explorer 130P to begin my adventures, Not evern sure if it will be a good choice telescope as the choice is so overwhelming for a beginner. However, I live is an almost totally dark sky environment here in SW Ireland. So i will be bumbling through and hoepfully asking for help.

Slingshot

[Mr Spock]

Hi Simon, welcome to SGL

[wimvb]

Välkommen till SGL.

Generally, you will get better answers to any questions you may have, but I also can’t help you with your question.

9 hours ago, Slingshot said:

Hello,

I too am new  to this forum and to Astrology

A great welcome to you! (But are you sure you’re on the right forum? 😉)

[wimvb]

9 hours ago, Slingshot said:

Just bought a Skycatcher Explorer 130P to begin my adventures, Not evern sure if it will be a good choice telescope as the choice is so overwhelming for a beginner.

I’m sure you’ll have lots of fun with this scope. Expect a little tinkering with it, as reflectors need occasional collimation. But that isn’t difficult to learn.

[George Gearless]

Good to have another Scandi on the forum. I'm from Denmark.

Indeed the long summernights are a problem for guys like us. Luckily, the moon does present itself regularly and poses a very good target. Particularly with the maksutov telescope you impulsively bought. As you, I too find myself in limbo half of the year. I've recently gotten myself into sun watching and photographing for that very reason. 

The mount you bought should serve you well for many years. It will serve you at your current beginners level as well as leave loads of room for growth and expansion. I think you've made a good choice there. For a beginner, the inclination is to go and buy a massive and expensive telescope, only to realize that you've got nothing to put it on, thus rendering it more or less useless. Trust me, in that respect I know what I'm talking about :).

Btw, welcome to SGL.

 

[PeterCPC]

Hello and welcome.

Peter

[banjaxed]

Hi Simon, welcome to SGL.

[sloz1664]

Hi Simon and a very warm welcome to the Lounge 

Steve

[davhei]

Hi Simon, a warm welcome to SGL from practically a next door neighbour.

[johngm]

Hi Simon, And welcome to SGL.

Regarding your Mak, you could measure the diameter and purchase some tube rings and Dovetail, then you will be able to mount it on you NEQ6

John 

[Xsubmariner]

Hi and welcome to the SGL forum.  Enjoy your new hobby.

[Starwatcher2001]

Welcome to SGL Simon. Gotta love that enthusiasm, man!

[Pete Presland]

Hi welcome to SGL from Peter in Bedfordshire 🙂