Getting started

[AllanK]

It’s a bit of a minefield for the new person. I’m finding the low power eyepieces much easier to use and if the wider FOV give a similar experience in terms of eye relief, then I may look at some of those suggested with a wider FOV for higher power. I was thinking filters to try some DSO but should probably get out more for lunar and planetary - I’m in a Bortle 7 area and light pollution is a definite issue. The set up I’ve got is portable so I should really head out to some lower LP areas and have a proper go before deciding what I need next.

[Alan64]

On 06/04/2021 at 06:42, AllanK said:

It’s a bit of a minefield for the new person. I’m finding the low power eyepieces much easier to use and if the wider FOV give a similar experience in terms of eye relief, then I may look at some of those suggested with a wider FOV for higher power. I was thinking filters to try some DSO but should probably get out more for lunar and planetary - I’m in a Bortle 7 area and light pollution is a definite issue. The set up I’ve got is portable so I should really head out to some lower LP areas and have a proper go before deciding what I need next.

Yes, low-power observations are easiest, the lower the easier, but a telescope, in the first place, is for seeing faraway objects up close, else you would use a pair of binoculars.    Per its focal-length, your C5 is ideal for observing at the higher powers.  It's at the higher and highest powers where "Wow!" and "Look at that!" are exclaimed aloud, and where you see what few people have ever seen.

I use the lower powers to scan areas of the sky, for hunting.  Once I think I've found an object of interest, I increase the power.  But when you increase the power, the view of the sky narrows.  Also, the object moves more quickly out of view when looking through the eyepiece, which is why wider-field eyepieces are preferred.  In addition, the views are less steady at the higher powers.  Bumps and knocks are also magnified, along with the object, and to where it looks as though an earthquake is occurring.

Ideally, the telescope should be mounted rock-steady, to minimise those effects; on a go-to mount even.  I can't use a go-to, as I have far too many trees where I live.  My 127mm Maksutov is at f/15, and with a whopping 1900mm focal-length.  Even a 40mm or 32mm eyepiece provides a narrow view with that one, but I'm planning on mounting a large optical finder on it, and to help the telescope "see" better, for as it arrived it's blind as a bat.

Edited April 9, 2021 by Alan64