I Want One

[ZOG]

Came across this while browsing the net

http://tinyurl.com/yfbdf9

I've already started wooing the family for Xmas, I want one so bad. Has anyone used one of these ? any reports ?

[FLO]

The telescope itself is essentially the same as the Skywatcher (http://tinyurl.com/yj9zqn)

Both are made by Synta.

As for the Intelliscope push-to setup, I have never used one but have read mixed reports.

Just a thought: For the cost of an 8" with Intelliscope, you could buy the 10" Skywatcher (http://tinyurl.com/yelcmq) enjoy better views and have enough cash left to buy a quality wide-field eyepiece....

(Really enjoying being able to post links to my own website :mrgreen:)

[ZOG]

Agree with you on the scope Steve, but you know, its that thing about being able to find stuff without having to lie down on the frozen ground thats the big attraction. I'm getting on a bit and the contortions I have to go through to sight on things overhead with my skywatcher are making me feel places I forgot I had. It just seemed a reasonably priced option for a bit of comfort

[FLO]

Its normally refractors that force you into uncomfortable positions. Newtonians are usually much easier. You could always add a second pair of rings to your Newtonian OTA which would allow you to quickly and easily rotate the tube for a better finder position. (The extra rings fit just inside the existing ones so that, with the original rings loosened, the tube can be easily rotated without slipping fore-aft.

Hope that helps

[John]

.... its that thing about being able to find stuff without having to lie down on the frozen ground thats the big attraction. I'm getting on a bit and the contortions I have to go through to sight on things overhead with my skywatcher are making me feel places I forgot I had. It just seemed a reasonably priced option for a bit of comfort

Driven by the same feelings as you express above, I tried a small fork mounted schmidt-cassegrain scope - the Celestron Nexstar 5 which also had a GOTO system. It all worked very well and it was great not to have to stoop and bend and also just to "dial in" what I wanted to look at. I paid £300 for mine so it might be worth looking out for one.

Lately however I have been lured back to refractors (ED refractors) but I now put them on tall tripods so the contortions are not too bad.

John.

[ZOG]

Trouble is, the eyepiece on a reflector is at the top of the scope so, a taller tripod means standing on a ladder. Maybe the best short term solution as suggested by Warthog would be a RA finder. I think I'll give that a shot. BTW, arent lithium batteries supposed to be long lasting ? The one in my red dot finder has went flat after only 2 sessions

[FLO]

The one in my red dot finder has went flat after only 2 sessions

On arrival, there should have been a piece of thin plastic covering the battery that needed removing before it works?

Check also that you are turning it off after each session. It might be that you have turned its intensity down without continuing until it clicks off.

[ZOG]

Ah, just thought I'd ask coz the one on my PC motherboard that runs the clock and holds the cmos has been in there for two and a half years and is still going strong. I didnt think a small LED would draw so much power. Not a prob as its easily replaced. Yeah Steve it did have the small plastic tab. Maybe I wasnt making myself clear earlier, the problem I have is the positions I have to get into to sight through the red dot finder when sighting on objects that are overhead, not in using the eyepiece. Oh, and can someone please explain the difference between a push to and a go to system. :?

[GazOC]

Oh, and can someone please explain the difference between a push to and a go to system. :?

Once aligned and calibrated, a push to system knows how far the scope is from a requested object and informs you which way(s) you should "push" the scope to get to the object.

A go to system is similar to the above but has motors to do the pushing for you.

Once found, a GOTO systems will also use its motors to track an object as it moves across the sky. Push to still require manual tracking.