Hello all!

[aldous84]

Hello there everyone!

I've just joined the forum after buying my first telescope (the 8" Revelation Dobsonian from Telescope House) at the start of the week. Unfortunately the weather has been rubbish (I do live in Scotland..) every night since then, accept one, in which I learnt that we won't be privy to astronomical darkness in the UK for a while yet! The planets/moon don't seem terribly well placed at the moment either! Never mind eh?

This forum has already proved invaluable in the choice of my first scope, so I wanted to join and say hi. Also I was wondering - eyepiece choice looms ahead, and while I was going to pick up the odd Meade and Celestron second hand, I see Telescope House are selling a Revelation eyepiece set ( http://www.telescopehouse.co.uk/page.aspx?theLang=001lngdef&pointerid=773639091B2B42D29A29131B16DF9F02&action=lnk ) for £99, a real bargain! This would probably contain everything that I would need (except maybe a barlow) for a while, although at that price it seems rather too good to be true. Does anyone know about the quality of these Revelation plossl eyepieces? Generally I would have been wary of such an offer, but the Revelation scope was good quality at a good price.. If they are inferior I would pick up one or two second hand elsewhere.

[Grant]

Hi there, welcome to the forums, I'm sure we have some members with experience with those particular eyepieces who will be along to help you out

[daz]

Welcome Aldous!

That's a great scope you have purchased, you'll get some fantastic views through it!

As for the EP's (you're gonna get a lot of answers on this one!) I would start with something like a 32 or 40mm (Meade Series 4000, Celestron X-Cel, etc), a 15mm or 10mm (15 if you have the 40mm, 10 if you have the 32) and a good barlow.

This will give you 40,20,15,7.5 or 32,16,10,5 eypiece range.

This would be plenty to get you going until you decide the time is right to spend lots and lots. Trouble is, eyepiece choice is a very personal thing, much more than the scope, IMHO.

Others will no doubt add their opinions soon enough

Cheers

[geppetto]

Welcome aboard Aldous from another 8" Revelation user.

Enjoy your stay

I'll second what Daz said, a couple of decent eyepieces with a barlow

and your up and running.

There are some nice ones at the Moonfish Group (see ad link at top of page)

Enjoy your scope and come back to tell us what first light was like.

[tom.yates]

Welcome to stargazers.

[MartinB]

Welcome along Aldous. Forecast looking good so you should be able to see some things with that dob despite the light skies. How about trying M13 for starters

[OXO]

Welcome to the Forum Aldous.

James

[FLO]

Welcome aboard Aldous

I'll also second Daz's comments about the eyepiece's.

[Albireo380]

Hi Aldous - Welcome to SGL. Lots of experienced people here who can answer your questions. I have heard that the Moonfish 30mm is a good EP, although I haven't tried one myself. I have a friend with a 10" Revelation Dob - He is over the moon with it (almost literally). I have had a little use of it and am impressed with the quality of both the optics and the general finish. A good piece of Kit. You will get lots of great observing with yours.

What part of "sunny" Scotland are you in? - I am in Glasgow (it rains almost all the time).

I know what you mean about poor weather AND about light Summer nights. It is still light at midnight and only the Moon and Jupiter are worth looking at - everything else is almost impossible due to the bright sky. Roll on August - then it starts to get better - by September you are laughing and (as you know) we get 18 hours of darkness in the Winter - great for getting home from work, getting the 'scope out and having a ball.

Tom

[aldous84]

Thanks everyone for the warm reception - what a friendly community!

Im glad to hear that Ive purchased a good telescope, it was something of a concern at the time. No first light with the dob yet tho, as its clouded over here for the last few days. However, Ive been gradually accumulating the requisite kit, and I am now prepared for some real observing with a good starmap and atlas, a red astro torch (truely invaluable I feel), and some eyepieces (finally the ability to look closer than 48x!!). First chance Ill be out and post how I get on, and cheers Martin, M13 will be the first thing I look for.

Thanks Tom for informing me of the astronomical good side of living in scotland (the 18 hours of darkness), I hadn't thought of that yet - cheered me right up. In answer to your qn, I to have been living in Glasgow for the past 3 years, and can't imagine that it would be great for observing, for light pollution as well as for weather. Luckily Im in the more rural Falkirk area (polmont) for the next few months, which is rather more accomodating. Still, terrible seeing at the moment..