Taken the Plunge!!!

[NightLaw]

Hello All,

Firstly, thank you all for your help and support whilst I was tearing my hair out with the old 'which scope do I buy' Question.

This is my first scope for myself and my Son (8yr old) to enjoy and have gone for the Skywatcher Skyliner 150P Dob!

I am looking for the required accessories now i.e. 2 x Barlow Lens, another EP, red Light Torch, books/sky guides etc.....

So questions,

- do I need a Moon Filter?

- I read the Sticky on EP's and calculated a 6mm (f/7.84) would give me Max. Mag. Is this correct? Initially to get warmed up starting off with good old Planets/Moon and Doubles..

- Or should I be looking at something a little less (supplied with 10mm and 25mm - but not sure how good they actually are!!)

- Is the Skywatcher Deluxe 2 x Barlow worth getting or should I be spending a bit more and getting a 'keeper' (note getting with the lingo!).

Thanks to Paulo as he has PM'd me a few times with suggestions on various topics...a great help!!

I live North Manchester - anyone know anywhere to get some good dark sky and not be alone......or driving to the tops (moors) which maybe windy and a bit scary on your own! been the odd murder up there....

Cheers

keith

[russ]

Hi Keith,

Consider Buying an ND filter instead of a moon filter. They just reduce the glare and do not alter the colour. I find they work better and they are dirt cheap. Well i thought they were Or at least they are here:

http://www.telescopehouse.com/acatalog/Revelation_ND96_Premium_Moon_Filter_1_25__.html

The Skywatcher Deluxe barlow that comes with the scope is half decent and I couldn't see any improvement with the Tal 2x. I would hold off changing this.

The eyepieces on the other hand are not great. The 25mm is okay but the 10mm is poor. Perhaps look for something on the secondhand market that is better quality but cheap. I do have something for sale in this range (hehe an unashamed plug )

6mm will give the max useful magnification (200x), although the scope itself can handle a lot more with ease. But an 8mm will be more useable more of the time. Secondhand Ortho's are cheap but superb high power lunar/planetary eyepieces.

[NightLaw]

Thanks Russ, will look at the link.

As far as I can the the Dob doesn't come with a Barlow lens, so guidance on a decent one would be good.

So, should I have a max. res. EP? i.e. for Mars etc and if so what mm?

PM'd you too.

Cheers

Keith

[russ]

So far i have found Mars needs 200x + for a decent view. But you could do it by grabbing a good 12mm eyepiece and the barlow.

I would recommend the Tal 2x and 3x but i've been less than impressed with my Tal barlows lately. I find my lower power eyepieces do not like being mated to the Tal, all suffer blackout when barlowed with them. Yet they love being barlowed with my ultra cheap GSO barlow or more expensive Celestron Ultima. And as i said in the previous post, the Skywatcher is every bit as good anyway. The Skywatcher sells for a tenner secondhand and they are normally unused, sold as soon as the scope arrives.

On top of that, Tal have made the barrel over sized and it simply will not fit in any of the diagonals i own.

[pvaz]

Great news, now all you need is clear skies and warm cloths and beverages!

The extra mag, around 200x, will come in handy now that Mars is closer to Earth and it won't be this close for another 3 years or so. Other then that I wouldn't buy any extras other then a red dot finder (IMHO vital for a dob user), a decent atlas and a cheap neutral density filter for the moon. It's better that you find out what you like/need so you can make the right add ons then spend money on stuff you won't use much. 2nd hand is a good way to go. People usually take good care of their gear and once they upgrade you can get decent items for a bargain price.

Most UK observers complain about dew forming on the gear. A cheap hair drier may be of use too so you can have longer sessions before the scope gets all wet and frosty. Most nights I can observe for 2/3 hours before I get any dew but climate here is different.