Hello from Coventry

[Mark - Coventry]

Hello all,

I've just joined after a few months of browsing. Having rediscovered my love of astronomy from my schooldays many years ago I'm planning to launch into astrophotography (on a budget if that is possible!) I've acquired my first GOTO mount, an Explore Scientific PMC-Eight iEXOS 100, and after a week of wrangling I think I have got my head around it. I will be using an Astroberry with Kstars/Ekos/INDI and am trying to impose some discipline on myself by sticking with my current Celestron Astromaster EQ130 reflector before getting a small refractor. I find working with what you have rather than what is perfect to be a good learning experience. Or maybe I just like wearing hair shirts...

Looking forward to being part of the community here.

Mark

[Mr Spock]

Hi Mark, welcome to SGL 

[SStanford]

Hi Mark, welcome! 

AP on a budget is a tricky business but there is plenty of guidance on here for value equipment. Also worth while checking the classifieds section here for bargains. 

[banjaxed]

Hi Mark, welcome to SGL, enjoy the ride.

[Floater]

Welcome. Have fun with it all. 🙂

[teoria_del_big_bang]

Welcome to SGL

Steve

[Dave Lloyd]

Hi Mark, welcome. 

[laudropb]

Hello and a warm welcome to the SGL.

[PeterCPC]

Hello Mark and welcome.

[rwilkey]

Hi Mark, a very warm welcome from me too.  Good luck & clear skies!

[F15Rules]

Hi Mark,

Welcome to SGL👍.

I'm from Coventry myself originally (Whitmore Park), although now live in Lincolnshire.

Good luck with your AP plans..I don't like hair shirts, so am visual and refractors only😊!

All the best,

Dave

[sloz1664]

Hi Mark, and a very warm welcome to the Lounge

Steve 

[varius21]

Hello and welcome to SGL

[Pete Presland]

Hi welcome to SGL from Pete in Bedfordshire  🙂

[Mark - Coventry]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone. I have decided to ditch the hair shirt already. The red dot finder of the Astromaster (Useless with a capital U) and after a frustrating evening of gyrations and lying in the frost beneath it in an attempt to get it aligned, I purchased today a Skywatcher 80ED refractor. It arrives tomorrow and I am doing my clear skies dance already in anticipation...

Edited January 7, 2021 by Mark - Coventry

[MercianDabbler]

20 minutes ago, Mark - Coventry said:

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone. I have decided to ditch the hair shirt already. The red dot finder of the Astromaster (Useless with a capital U) and a frustrating evening of gyrations and lying in the frost beneath it in an attempt to get it aligned, I purchased today a Skywatcher 80ED refractor. It arrives tomorrow and I am doing my clear skies dance already in anticipation...

Yes, it was pretty cold last night wasn't it? Saturday is supposed to be clear... allegedly... and cold again. Maybe we will have some nice comfortable snow to lie down on by then?

Welcome BTW.