8" Lightbridge Dob - first light

[hairymunky]

Finally after all the waiting and peering out the window every two minutes, I eventually

got the chance to use my 8" LB last night!!

Not good at writing reviews and not really had a lot of observing experience, but here we go...

Collimation - When the LB arrived, I think it had been "bounce-mailed", which in effect

had screwed the collimation well up! Thanks to the guys on the yahoo lightbridge mailing

list I managed to get it done roughly (I haven't managed to get myself a Cheshire yet -

but thats first on the list!!).

So last night I left the LB out the back with its fan connected to cool the mirror quicker,

as I was eager (dying in fact) to see what this chappy was going to be like!!!!

After about a hour, out I went. The LED finder can be a bit fiddly, but it does its job.

First target of the night M45. Found it in the finder (with the LED intensity down low)

Started to focus with the 2" widefield eyepiece thats supplied with the LB .... nothing! All I could see was

some out-of-focus "blobs" in my EP. At this point panic set in, thinking it was broke.

After standing about scratching my head I had an idea - I loosened the EP and moved it out

of the drawtube so that the EP was "just" in the drawtube.... focus (again).... perfect!!

M45 was crystal clear, and in perfect focus (for a yet uncollimated DOB).

All the stars in the field-of-view were in sharp focus and there were no strange colour around

any of the stars. At this point I remembered why I love astronomy, and went in search of my

next target... Orion's Nebula. This showed up "ghastly grey" and seemed to take up a fair chunk

of the FOV.

Sadly that was all I got, as the clouds sneaked in and started to blanket everything!!!

So far I'm impressed with the LB. Its good value for money and is of sturdy construction.

I don't know if the focus problem is common with all LBs, but it seems with the 26mm

widefield EP fully inserted in the drawtube, the focuser can't extend enough to pull the image

into focus.

It gave nice sharp images when focused, and was easy to setup, and maneuver.

The only real bad thing (I think) is that it is supplied with a plastic dust cover that sits directly onto

the primary mirror - which I thought was 'sacred' and should not be touched. I think I will do away

with this cover and make a new one which covers the end of the bottom tube, and goes nowhere

near the mirror.

Would I recommend it to a friend? After a worrying start to the night - Yes.

Although if like me your starting from scratch again, you'll need

to save some of those beer tokens to buy some extra EPs, and a tool for collimation..

(Birthday this weekend... hmmmm wonder what the wife's got me!?!?!?!)

[FLO]

Good review HM

It isn't unusual for low-mag/wide-field eyepieces to need an extension-tube on the Lightbridge.

At this point I remembered why I love astronomy...

No better accolade 8)

[GordonCopestake]

Great stuff HM. I also managed first light tonight with my 12" Lightbridge. Gotta love it

[hairymunky]

Just read your review, nice one

God I hate that mirror cover - think it'll be over to B&Q this weekend, time

for some "Bodge-it-myself" (I'd better get some plasters from ASDA just incase)!!!!!

[geppetto]

Nice report HM and confirming what Gordon said about great optics in

the Lightbridges with the odd bit and bob to alter/modify.

Hope you get plenty more clear skies for it to look at