Hello from Essex

[M40]

Hello all, I am the usual long term lurker, but recently I have visited many times for information so thought it time I signed up and said thanks for all the help.

For my birthday, my wife bought me a really nice telescope, my first goto telescope. A skymax 180 on an HEQ5 pro mount. I have had a Dob for some while but it was getting a little heavy to move around, it's now the Grandson's pride and joy.

Oh how I thought a goto mount would be easy, how wrong could you be........ i.e. what's polar alignment? Just where is home position? you can all see where this is going.... Talk about learning all the time.

Looking forward to talking to you all in the future

Les

[NGC 1502]

Hi Les welcome to SGL from another Essex member.  Lots of folk on here to share your hobby with so hope you enjoy being a part of the fun.

I’m a long time low-tech observer with a Dob so you need someone else to help with go-to, however -

Polar alignment is lining the polar axis of an equatorial mount with the pole of the sky, very close to Polaris. That’s part of setting up so the mount can find objects with the onboard go-to system.

Cheers from Ed.

[Alan White]

Hello Les, nice to see you out in the open and no longer lurking, big step taken.

Another Essex member here, I observe with Ed above via our club CPAC,
when we are allowed to within Covid rules.

Just like Ed, like low tech, but I have sneaked in a Push to System for the dob,
so slightly more tech than I have had.

Good luck with the change to Go-To, a steep curve I am sure after no tech.

[M40]

Hello Gents, bit of a common theme - Essex and Dobs 😁 I would still have mine if I could carry it, but I could see me dropping it at some point, then there would be tears, so before that happened, got the high tech lighter (albeit not that much lighter)  version. Hopefully when this thing is out of the way, I will get a chance to meet up. CPAC, Castle Point? 

[Mr Spock]

Hi Les, welcome to SGL 

[banjaxed]

Hi Les , welcome to SGL. I have the same trouble as you so I built a platform trolley which makes moving the Dob painless.

[laudropb]

Hello and a warm welcome to the SGL.

[NGC 1502]

8 hours ago, M40 said:

Hello Gents, bit of a common theme - Essex and Dobs 😁 I would still have mine if I could carry it, but I could see me dropping it at some point, then there would be tears, so before that happened, got the high tech lighter (albeit not that much lighter)  version. Hopefully when this thing is out of the way, I will get a chance to meet up. CPAC, Castle Point? 

Hi again Les, indeed Alan and myself are both with CPAC. Several astronomy clubs in Essex, but of course CPAC is the best 😁 we are of course currently meeting online, and when we can at one of our dark sites, maximum of 6 members just now. 

Ed.

[cletrac1922]

Les

Welcome from Land Down Under

The HEQ5 mount gets easier with practice

I don't bother with Polar Alignment, just do a two star alignment 

John

[Saganite]

Welcome Les....

[PeterCPC]

Hello Les and welcome.

Peter

[Dave Lloyd]

Hi Les, welcome. 

[Floater]

Welcome. Glad you said hello. Hope you have lots of fun on the learning curve. 🙂

[Starwatcher2001]

Welcome aboard SGL Les. Good to have you with us.

 

[sloz1664]

Hi Les and a very warm welcome to the Lounge

Steve

[M40]

Many thanks for the welcome all😎 Normally when I lurk, I look for a specific thing, I cant believe how big this site is, going to take a while to learn this site let alone the telescope.

12 hours ago, cletrac1922 said:

Les

Welcome from Land Down Under

The HEQ5 mount gets easier with practice

I don't bother with Polar Alignment, just do a two star alignment 

John

no no no no no, you can't say its that easy..... I bought a synscan wifi dongle and for the first time I managed to polar align the thing 😉😁. Cant get it to go to the correct place but thats for a different post when I can find where to post it 🤣

[NGC 1502]

Go-to is loved by some, hated by others. It’s a matter of finding what works best for you.

One issue with go-to not often mentioned - if I used it I’d have to align it several times during a typical observing session at home. That’s because I shift the scope to different parts of my garden to avoid obstructions, trees, my own house etc. At either of my clubs dark sites that doesn’t apply because of good all round low horizons.

At home, I can pick up the dob as one unit, moments later carry on observing, works great (for me).

Ed.

[cletrac1922]

12 hours ago, M40 said:

Many thanks for the welcome all😎 Normally when I lurk, I look for a specific thing, I cant believe how big this site is, going to take a while to learn this site let alone the telescope.

no no no no no, you can't say its that easy..... I bought a synscan wifi dongle and for the first time I managed to polar align the thing 😉😁. Cant get it to go to the correct place but thats for a different post when I can find where to post it 🤣

 

Les

I have the SynScan Wi-Fi adapter as well, and downloaded the SynScan App

I am still struggling to save first star when doing two star alignment

Instruction say right then up to save

John

 

 

 

[Pete Presland]

Hi welcome to SGL from Peter in Bedfordshire 🙂

[M40]

3 hours ago, NGC 1502 said:

Go-to is loved by some, hated by others. It’s a matter of finding what works best for you.

One issue with go-to not often mentioned - if I used it I’d have to align it several times during a typical observing session at home. That’s because I shift the scope to different parts of my garden to avoid obstructions, trees, my own house etc. At either of my clubs dark sites that doesn’t apply because of good all round low horizons.

At home, I can pick up the dob as one unit, moments later carry on observing, works great (for me).

Ed.

I have a similar challenge, one of the penalties of an established garden I suppose. I have the added challenge of a garden that slopes dramatically, not a problem for the Dob but now I have to think about it. I have built a platform with adjustable legs so that I can make the platform level at any place and time, so I pick a target for the night, point is roughly North, level the platform and when the time is good, plonk the mount on the platform and its good to go 🤞

[M40]

3 hours ago, cletrac1922 said:

 

Les

I have the SynScan Wi-Fi adapter as well, and downloaded the SynScan App

I am still struggling to save first star when doing two star alignment

Instruction say right then up to save

John

 

Indeed. What I can't understand is why I can't get it to do the same thing twice 🤔 To be honest, this site actually saved my phone from a severe reprimand 🤣 ..... when I know Venus is up and the app sends the scope down, the phone got a right severe looking at, then after, looking at this site for a solution and realising others have the same struggle, the phone lived to annoy me another day 🤣