Jump to content

Banner.jpg.b89429c566825f6ab32bcafbada449c9.jpg

GoTo Rocks!!!!!

saturn5

By saturn5
in Discussions - Cameras

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 67
  • Created
  • Last Reply
Astro_Baby

Astro_Baby

Posted
Posted
the problem with GOTO mounts .. especially with smaller scopes... is that they will (if setup and used properly) point the scope at things you just cannot see...

Billy...

But thats true of any scope really, they can all point to objects you cant see, even a 14"

Let me give you a simple problem, your task is to find 10 messier objects but none of the easy ones like M45 which are naked eye and easy to find. But you have only one day a month to do it, on top of that you have to nominate the day you will be observing on 1 week in advance. On the night you have chosen if its clear you have to wait 2 hours before starting to use the telescope and your observing time is limited to 90 minutes. You have to stay outside for the whole 90 minutes and have no access to mains power or a PC. If at anytime after the initial two hour wait to observe is started it gets cloudy you still have to wait 90 minutes to simulate observing time you might have had.

At the end kf the 90 minutes whether its been cloudy or clear you have to wait two hours before you can go back inside. There are no toilet facilities after you commence observing.

Given the vagaries of the UK weather you may find you have spent upwards of five and a half hours on nothing.

Oh I forgot sometihing, prior to observing and at the end you are required to carry a 15 kg load up sixty steps and back again to a total of six times.

Let me know how long you think it would take to find and observe 10 messiers under those conditions, this assumes no rior sky knowlefge beyond two constellations.

That in effect is me.....thats my observing regime. Think yourself through it and ask yourself how much fun you would get seeking objects if you had ro spend five and a half hours minimum commitment irrespective of weather.

THATS precisely why I have GoTo, my time is tight, my total observing nights last year where I had good seeing was maybe six nights, i cant afford to waste them on easter egg hunts with no results.

But I do see the non-GoTo people point of view and next year i shall observe in a hair shirt using a polished copper spherical mirror in a 3" inch telescope because I'd hate to let technology get in the way. I might possibly grind my own 1/2 wave 1" objective so I can observe with less glass between me and the object and might well stick pins in my eyes to make it harder cos I wouldng want to miss the fun of finding stuff the hard way :eek:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Earl

Earl

Posted
Posted
But thats true of any scope really, they can all point to objects you cant see, even a 14"

Let me give you a simple problem, your task is to find 10 messier objects but none of the easy ones like M45 which are naked eye and easy to find. But you have only one day a month to do it, on top of that you have to nominate the day you will be observing on 1 week in advance. On the night you have chosen if its clear you have to wait 2 hours before starting to use the telescope and your observing time is limited to 90 minutes. You have to stay outside for the whole 90 minutes and have no access to mains power or a PC. If at anytime after the initial two hour wait to observe is started it gets cloudy you still have to wait 90 minutes to simulate observing time you might have had.

At the end kf the 90 minutes whether its been cloudy or clear you have to wait two hours before you can go back inside. There are no toilet facilities after you commence observing.

Given the vagaries of the UK weather you may find you have spent upwards of five and a half hours on nothing.

Oh I forgot sometihing, prior to observing and at the end you are required to carry a 15 kg load up sixty steps and back again to a total of six times.

Let me know how long you think it would take to find and observe 10 messiers under those conditions, this assumes no rior sky knowlefge beyond two constellations.

That in effect is me.....thats my observing regime. Think yourself through it and ask yourself how much fun you would get seeking objects if you had ro spend five and a half hours minimum commitment irrespective of weather.

THATS precisely why I have GoTo, my time is tight, my total observing nights last year where I had good seeing was maybe six nights, i cant afford to waste them on easter egg hunts with no results.

But I do see the non-GoTo people point of view and next year i shall observe in a hair shirt using a polished copper spherical mirror in a 3" inch telescope because I'd hate to let technology get in the way. I might possibly grind my own 1/2 wave 1" objective so I can observe with less glass between me and the object and might well stick pins in my eyes to make it harder cos I wouldng want to miss the fun of finding stuff the hard way :)

With your shoe laces tied together :eek:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
NickK

NickK

Posted
Posted
Well i'm off to the Indian for a Vindaloo :cya:before things get to hot.....:)

Will catch up later.

Queue joke about GOTO toilet and rings around Uranus.. On a more serious note - I've grown my own Dorset Naga chillis for the last two years. :D

I decided to go with a simple mount initially so that I force myself to look at the sky and not the technology. It hasn't stopped me from planning a DIY mount but for between now and then I'll star hop.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
pvaz

pvaz

Posted
Posted

I'm in the visual, mostly non-goto, corner. Eventually I'll cross into the dark side... maybe when I have 30 years of astronomy on my back. :)

saturn5, I'm glad you're enjoying it and I hope it helps you to get data quicker.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Telescope40

Telescope40

Posted
Posted

Hi. Here's my Ha'penny worth.

I can only echo Astro Baby's example. I wuddnt be without the Goto these days. Done the searching for hours on end over the years and the feeling of finding something yourself is great. It didnt really offset some of the frustration tho.

However to be able to see an object of choice within a fairly short space of time really makes the most of our fantastic weather patterns.

Each to your own tho.

John

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cgarry

cgarry

Posted
Posted
Which is exactly what I do (did?) ... :)

Just realised you only joined in late october 2010 ... which has been duiring the weather induced imaging "vacation"... :D

Billy...

Oh yes, the weather does seem to hate me and if anything seems to be getting worse. I am not sure what other people do at times of bad weather, I have resorted to spending my time buying more astro kit that I am unable to use because of the weather...

Chris

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Kef9

Kef9

Posted
Posted
I'm in the visual, mostly non-goto, corner. Eventually I'll cross into the dark side... maybe when I have 30 years of astronomy on my back. :)

saturn5, I'm glad you're enjoying it and I hope it helps you to get data quicker.

So am I but I will never cross to the dark side.

The beauty of visual is that the photons are hitting your own eyes.

Personally I just cant see the point of imaging something that someone else can do alot better although I can imagine feeling chuffed at producing a good image but theres not much point to it really. Oooops

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Kef9

Kef9

Posted
Posted
Why would i spend a small fortune on imaging when i can just look at your images for free.

Touche.

LOL.

LOL. Exactly! :)

Back on topic though but I don't have GOTO because I want to learn the sky and also because I cant be arsed lugging powertanks around etc. I just want to set up and go.

I might invest in the future because most of the bigger mounts have it anyway but for now I'm fine.

I'm glad you like it though Saturn5 and are pleased with it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
lukebl

lukebl

Posted
Posted

Don't quite see why there is this 'us-and-them' view when it comes to visual vs. imaging, and manual vs. goto!

I do visual AND imaging. As for GOTO, for me it's a bit like cars. When I was younger I used to spend ages underneath them getting them to work properly. Nowadays, I pay someone to do it, while I sit back and enjoy the ride. I've earnt it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

Posted
Posted
Don't quite see why there is this 'us-and-them' view when it comes to visual vs. imaging, and manual vs. goto!

I do visual AND imaging. As for GOTO, for me it's a bit like cars. When I was younger I used to spend ages underneath them getting them to work properly. Nowadays, I pay someone to do it, while I sit back and enjoy the ride. I've earnt it!

There isnt REALLY an "us and them". It's just one topic that always gets a huge response and is usually just friendly banter of trying to score points against the other side.

Its astronomical football,LOL.

It always ends in a draw.

That's how i see it anyway.

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.