Hello from Cumbria

[Jay_B]

Hello from a newbie from Cumbria. I started 2 years ago and have made steady if unspectacular progress. Am using a Skywatcher 102mm achromatic refractor and a Skywatcher 102mm Maksutov. Maybe the achromatic refractor was a typical newbie mistake? Both telescopes upgraded with Williams optics diagonals and a Rigel Quickfinder plus a right-angled e/p finderscope. I decided to avoid as much electronics and GOTO capability as possible until I had much better overview of the pros and cons. Fifty years ago my father made a very basic refractor telescope and we saw the rings of Saturn which I have always remembered...

[wookie1965]

A 4" achromatic refractor is a brilliant scope I have two brilliant on the moon planets clusters and double and multiple stars. 

I have been doing this 10 years and had  6" and 8" reflectors I do more observing with a 4" refractor then any of them. 

Edited January 15, 2022 by wookie1965

[banjaxed]

Hi Jay, welcome to SGL.

[PeterCPC]

Hello and welcome.

[Dave Lloyd]

Hi Jay, welcome. 

[Starwatcher2001]

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

Good call on the lack of electronics. Learning to find your way around first is very useful.

Are the skies in Cumbria as good as they sound?

[Floater]

Welcome. Hope you have lots of fun. 🙂

[barbulo]

Welcome to the Lounge

[Jay_B]

16 hours ago, Starwatcher2001 said:

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

Good call on the lack of electronics. Learning to find your way around first is very useful.

Are the skies in Cumbria as good as they sound?

Yes, Cumbria is quite good for dark skies although the Lake District inevitably tends to act as a "cloud magnet"....

[Pete Presland]

Hi welcome to SGL from Pete in Bedfordshire 🙂