Hello - returning newbie to the hobby

[Trevor-Austin]

Hi people,

Been away from telescopes for about 4 years now and to be honest wasn't much more than a beginner then:)

Had a few of the Meade goto scopes and finally an LX90 which I loved but had to sell due to a business failure.

Just managed to buy a really good Oprion optics Europa 150 for a fantastic price (or at least I think it is!) on what I thought was an EQ5 mount with polar finder, etc. It is marked GEM and I think from some of my enquiries to FLO about a goto conversion it isn't?

The views I have had of Jupiter, etc so far have been really impressive, easily as good as my LX from memory but I'm struggling without goto at the moment.

[oldfruit]

Hi and welcome. I think having to find things yourself is half the fun and a great way to re-aquaint yourself with the night sky. Clear skies.

[Trevor-Austin]

Actually I sort of agree, however I've got a very interested wife too and we both have fairly limited time so with a goto its so easy and quick on the odd good night in the midlands to dash out do a quick align and spend the time looking at the available sights rather than getting her freezing cold and giving up before I've found anything, lol:)

[oldfruit]

I understand what you mean, though you are lucky as my wife is only too keen to dash back into the warmth of the house. She would rather watch tv than a transit by one of Jupiters moons.

[Trevor-Austin]

I've been pleasantly surprised at her wonder at first look through a scope, its made it even more exciting getting it setup and working

[weso]

hi and welcome to the forum trevor

[Trevor-Austin]

hi and welcome to the forum trevor

Thanks:)

[Rusty Strings]

Hi and welcome from me too

[mark7331]

Hello and welcome to the forum from me

[brantuk]

Hi Trevor and welcome to the group

[Bizibilder]

Hello Trevor and welcome to SGL!!

[Trevor-Austin]

what a friendly lot, now if you can just sort the clouds out? ......

[JamesM]

Hi Trevor and welcome to the forum.

I have a Goto now but I had spent ages with a 4" reflector trying to find stuff and looking back, it was a great learning curve. However with that size of scope, I was never sure if it was the case that I couldn't find something, or whether in fact I was in the correct place but with the added 'benefit' of light pollution, couldn't resolve it to know that I had found it. If you've got GOTO, you can always turn it off if you want to 'discover' the object manually, but really it depend on the size of the scope.

Clear skies

James

[Trevor-Austin]

Pretty much how I see it, I'll sadly not have the time to do this properly, just want to make the best of the time i have and get the most fun put if it we can:)

[SeedyF]

Hello from me too.

Now about this interest from the wife, explain that to me again, but slowly......I'm not sure I follow

[Trevor-Austin]

It's got me too:) I said "I think I want to get a scope again, used to have a really nice one before I met you and miss it" and she said, "how exciting I've never looked through one can I pay for half of it" but she's a bit weird, likes football too now and is nearly as excited about playing inter Milan as I am. I think she must have been put together wrong:)

Think I might have been a touch lucky this time;)

[phillc]

Hello Trevor and a warm welcome to SGL.

phillc

[Xaviermarch]

Welcome Trevor - I hope you and your wife enjoy your re-found hobby.

[Guest Andromeda1]

Hello Trevor and welcome to the group

[Pauly]

Hi Trevor, welcome aboard. I'm with you regards the goto and the missus. However, I do try to find stuff on my own whenever I have the time, and it's definately worth the effort.

[Patrick1948]

welcome back Trevor and welcome to SGL from me in Sheffield...clear skies to you and your missis.

[Trevor-Austin]

Agreed. It is fun to find on my own, but more fun with my wife, my thoughts being I can still find on my own with the goto, just an option when it's wanted.

Used to live in Sheffield and now my daughters at uni there so hi back:)

[nobbytate]

Hi and welcome

[carl0s]

hi trevor and welcome to the forum. I'm also just starting to get to grips without the goto,its a challenge at first,but gets alot easier!

[Trevor-Austin]

Looking at prices of goto mounts it does seem a lot for a scope I got for the crazy price of £70!