Jump to content

Banner.jpg.b89429c566825f6ab32bcafbada449c9.jpg

Alfa Omega say's hello everybody

Alfa Omega

By Alfa Omega
in Welcome

Recommended Posts

Alfa Omega

Alfa Omega

Posted
Posted

Just wanted to say hello to all on stargazers :headbang:iv'e been here a few days looking around at this wonderful new forum i found it's been a revelation and a great help tho i still have no equipment of my own but iv'e been interested in astronomy a very long time but never had more than a pair of bins reallly i know most of the constellations and can find my way around the night sky pretty good so am not a complete begginer but kind of really if you know what i mean. i just cant make up my mind which kind of telescope to buy a reflector or refractor i keep changing my mind several times a day it's making me dizzzy ;) i have been looking and reading a lot of reports and stuff but am still no nearer to making a decision than when i first came here, but am still am having a great time on here i just can't keep away i gotta keep comming back several times a day and looking and reading more stuff it's very very addictive this astronomy lark isn't it :) anyway sorry for the long hello i don't want to write a book just wanted to say hello to everybody and give a bit of history of myself.so that's all for now but i will be back you can count on that :D

Regards. Rob

Link to comment
Share on other sites
li'l john

li'l john

Posted
Posted

Hi Rob, I'm very new as well, just bought my first ever scope a few days ago. I also changed my mind several times a day, the whole thing is bewildering. What helped me a good deal was reading a guy who said that the perfect scope doesn't exist and that I'd almost certainly buy more than one before I'm done. He had a phrase - "paralysis through analysis" to describe this horrible indecision that descibed me well and he said there was a danger of not buying a scope at all. Eek! So I took the plunge, not knowing what I really want, with a small refractor because it's cheap, very light and portable and lots of others seem to start with something like this. It has got me started and I love it! (I felt a great sense of relief as soon as I'd ordered it as well).

You have to really decide what you're looking for in a first scope, only you can tell, a great first scope for you may be very different from my choice. Above all, buy one soon!

Good luck!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
JamesM

JamesM

Posted
Posted

Hi Rob and welcome to the forum.

As said above, there is no 'one' scope that does it all and so you need to look at any one purchase as being only part of your journey into astronomy. This sentiment is not to be confused with 'best value' which in part can be subjective but in the main dependent on available budget. A dobsonian (Newtonian) scope represents the best value for money per inch of aperture. It is easy to use, comes with its own mount and is quick to set up. Clearly most of your money is in the mirror - there is no GOTO or tracking motors, they also appear to need extra modification to reach their maximum performance and will rely on you (some might say 'encourage') to learn the sky to find objects. If you then have designs on deep sky astrophotography, then that decision will set you off into a different direction in which you will need a motorised mount at the very least, which will add to your costs.

In order to stop yourself getting tied up in further analysis, use the internet instead to locate your local astro club/observing group and start eyeballing actual equipment in the field. You'll understand what you can see which is the most important part but also the size if the kit, the length of time to set it all up and whether you can transport it should you need to access a dark site. It will also introduce you to the real dilemma of kit purchase called the 'eyepiece' - but we will leave that for now. I would look through (as I have done) as much different kit as possible before buying anything so that you get a true feel for what you're buying. Try to buy the best you can afford, even if it means saving a little bit longer to avoid the pitfall of endless buying and reselling to get what you want. As they often say, "..there's no rush as the stars aren't gong anywhere."

Less reading and more seeing!

James

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.