Bought it! so excited!!

[Ptolemy]

Soooooooo excited :) just bought our first scope today! Thanks to all for advice and help in previous posts and for all the really good info in other threads.

So what did we get? ......the Skywatcher Skymax 127. For us, "casual beginner viewers" it just seemed the right entry level scope. We also bought a focal reducer and 2 additional eyepieces - an 8mm as the 10mm included in the package is not too user friendly for us (we wear glasses and LER is a must), and a 32mm to give us a full range. Think all in all we have a decent starter set that will give us good planet views and a reasonable taste of DSO.

Can't wait to get looking through it but have to go out tonight for an Xmas do ......but will most definitely get some viewing in over the weekend.

Once we've got going we'll also post a review of the scope which we hope will help other beginners, and a review of the supplier whom we found brilliant.

Thanks again all .......and does this excitement ever go away:o:)

[kniclander]

Can't wait to get looking through it but have to go out tonight for an Xmas do ......but will most definitely get some viewing in over the weekend.

Thanks again all .......and does this excitement ever go away:o:)

clearly this is your first scope and you have not realised it will now be cloudy for three months.

the excitement goes away when you realise that it's always cloudy

enjoy!

[pvaz]

Yep, new gear = at least a month of clouds!

[Astro_Baby]

Only a month ? I bought an expensive EP three months ago and am STILL waiting to use it

[Cornelius Varley]

Use the cloudy nights to read the manual thoroughly, several times.

Peter

[Dicky de Builder]

Bought my new scope at the begining of last month and it's been the wettest November since 1951. Am now too scared to by any add ons for fear of a lynching

[MishMich]

When I got mine, just over two months ago, apart from one brief interlude one night, I had to wait nearly two weeks before I could use it. And I found it took me a half-dozen evenings to get used to using it. But then one Sunday morning, about 4 a.m. I woke up for some reason, and looked outside, and there was Orion clearly framed by a deep dark sky. That was exciting. And twice now I have stayed up through the night, waiting for Mars to appear then Saturn. And seeing Saturn blew me away more than anything I have seen - even though it looked tiny through my 102 refractor. I've seen it twice now, the second time was with the s/h SPX 200 I bought, and I don't think it was any less exciting than the first time, only I could see more the second time. But, I digress. I got an HEQ5 & SPX 200, as well as an 80 ED - and I couldn't use any of them for a couple of weeks while I put the new kit together, because of the cloud. Now I dread my partner telling me it is clear when I have already been out the night before, because I can't ignore it when I know its all out there waiting for me.

Mish

[russ]

Congrats on the new scope and may i say what a terrific choice

You are going to have some very memorable views i can tell you. Skymax 127 = lots of viewing pleasure

And as i've just in come from a wonderful 2 hours in the garden looking at Mars, Saturn and the moon, you haven't upset the cloud gods too much

Have fun

[Ptolemy]

Thanks for the congrats and encouragement

And as for all you weather doomongers - you'll not put me off,

you may have oodles more experience, equipment to die for and keep the hours of vampires but I have bucket loads of naivity, total ignorance of what bit to fix where (but promise will read the manual ) tons of excitement and lots of OMG first sightings to come - you'll not dampen my keeness, even if the weather

does ....speaking of which, have you seen the forecast for this weekend and early next week - clear frosty nights....yipeeee, just off to make sure the power pack is all snugly wrapped up, just read a thread about them needing lots of TLC

[pvaz]

That's the most important!

Just a piece of advice: A secret to enjoy the hobby is to plan in advance. Pick an area of the sky that will be at a good height for good seeing conditions at the time you plan to observe. Use stellarium to see whats there and plan your targets.

Print some finder charts of the area. You can check these free ones. Or make your own using cartes du ciel.

Oh and dress up properly so you won't freeze!

[dweller25]

Congrats on a great scope. You will need a dewshield for it.

Clear skies.

Soooooooo excited :) just bought our first scope today! Thanks to all for advice and help in previous posts and for all the really good info in other threads.

So what did we get? ......the Skywatcher Skymax 127. For us, "casual beginner viewers" it just seemed the right entry level scope. We also bought a focal reducer and 2 additional eyepieces - an 8mm as the 10mm included in the package is not too user friendly for us (we wear glasses and LER is a must), and a 32mm to give us a full range. Think all in all we have a decent starter set that will give us good planet views and a reasonable taste of DSO.

Can't wait to get looking through it but have to go out tonight for an Xmas do ......but will most definitely get some viewing in over the weekend.

Once we've got going we'll also post a review of the scope which we hope will help other beginners, and a review of the supplier whom we found brilliant.

Thanks again all .......and does this excitement ever go away:o:)

[AWR]

Good choice - hope you find it as much fun as we do (once the cloud clears)!

I'll second that you'll needa dewshield for it but they're not very expensive or you can just make one.

Andrew

[Space Cowboy]

Camping mat makes a prefect dew shield. Good choice of scope btw ;-)

[timefortea]

Hope your 1st light was a much fun as mine was last night!!!!

Ian

[Ptolemy]

Well, as expected first viewing was a WOW event! :) Saw Jupiter and fell in love

Followed the v. helpful advice in previous posts - got a dewshield, which helped a lot, it didn't stop the dew altogether, but performed as expected, which is fine ..... trying to keep expectations realistic.

Also did as suggested and chose just a bit of sky to look at first rather than try and do everything ! Good idea, I was well rewarded with Jupiter. Felt rather silly at one point though, thought crikey, can't see a thing, the eyepiece was just filled with a whit'ish blur, then remembered to fiddle with the focus knob :o and it resolved itself into a lovely greyish ball with darker bits on it. As yet I have no comparisons so not sure if I got a "good" view or not but it was certainly lovely enough for my first attempt

Set up was soooo easy, just did the two bright star alignment (used Altair and the one on the plough....can't remember it's name without going to look it up again:o, Denheb??) Got them both smack in the middle of the finderscope and pressed the OK button and that was it. Aligned first time .

After looking at Jupiter for ages just chose some random stars to test out the scope and away it went, slewed off and found them fine so feeling pretty OK about looking around the sky for other things. Then got cold and had to come in.

So far big thumbs up for the 127 and really looking forward to getting out again.......especially now I've bought some thermals:)