Jump to content

Just saying Hello

Kevdan

By Kevdan
in Welcome

Recommended Posts

Kevdan

Kevdan

Posted
Posted

Hello,

Im Kev, Never had a telescope or anything lik ethat, but have always been interested, I have read a few articles but it is still a little bewildering, I read a post earlier and have downloaded Stellarium and am realy impressed with it, it is so easy to use,

Light pollution is a problem where I live but Me and my better half go to South wales quite often to see the grandkids and Im thinking th etop of some of the moutains there will be very good for clear skies.

Havent yet got any equipment yet but was looking at the

meade DS-2114AT-TC any input on this would be greatfully recieved.

Anyway thats it for now. Got a million and one questions for later.

Thanks,

Kev.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 36
  • Created
  • Last Reply
Kevdan

Kevdan

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Hello All,

Thanks for the welcome,

is it a 114 reflecting scope?

It is a 114mm Scope with focal length of 1000mm and focal ratio of f8.8.

I am not entirely sold on this scope and would be open to any information on other beginner scopes however I dont want to get a real begginer scope only to want better in 12 month stime I would rather get a good one to start with. I can probably go up to around the £200 mark. (more if the wife dont find out)

Kev.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
JamesM

JamesM

Posted
Posted

Hi Kev and welcome to the forum.

Your scope is an alt-azimuth Autostar GOTO computerized reflector. From what I've read Meade no longer makes them. The star catalogue linked to the GOTO lists some 1,500 objects and claims a theoretical magnification of x325 which Meade claims will allow you to "checkout the moons of larger distant planets."

First off, a GOTO system can list as many objects as it likes but your ability to 'look' at these objects rather than just seeing them is linked to the aperture of the scope that sits on top of the mount/GOTO system. I once had a similar sized scope and if you add in light pollution, you're not going to see a lot of objects in sufficient detail that will keep you interested in observing in my opinion. This scope will be fine for the Moon, and you will see Jupiter and Saturn but for other objects light galaxies and nebulas known as Deep Sky Objects (DSO's) won't reveal much with that aperture. As for the magnification claim, well if only it were true. In the real world no matter what scope you own, the night sky is at best limited to x250 on a very good night, but which typically is around x150 to x200 due to the turbulence of our atmosphere and therefore is not enough to see any detail in those moons.

If you were looking for something else, then your budget would be best spent entirely on the scope and not on any GOTO capability. £18o' ish will buy you a 6" dobsonian type scope. If you could push the boat out to £270, then you could afford an 8" dobsonian. Ultimately, it is light pollution that will dictate what you can find and see rather than aperture, unless you can get to a dark site which will really allow the suggested scopes above to work to their full potential and show you a lot more than your existing scope.

Clear skies

James

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Kevdan

Kevdan

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Hi and again thanks for the replies,

JBM1165 - Thank you for that info, Yes Light polution is going to be an issue (im presuming most people have problems), The problem is that as I am a noob to scopes having like many other people seem scopes for sale everywhere like mail order catalogs its an uphill battle just to know what to go for, I have looked on lots of forum websites and this one seems to be one of a very few that doesnt seem to be about oneupmanship. Again thanks fo rthe reply much appreciated.

So has anyone got a shortlist of scopes for begginers.

Kev

Link to comment
Share on other sites
JamesM

JamesM

Posted
Posted

Hi Kev,

Given your budget the two scopes I listed (both are skywatcher's) are what I would recommend.

I would definitely avoid buying any scopes from Ebay, mail order catalogues, Argos etc or anyone selling scopes in shopping malls who typical advertise x500 magnification. The reason being, is that they invariable don't sell the proper scopes made by recognized manufacturers like Skywatcher, Meade, Celestron, Orion Optics (I'm thinking reflector type scopes here) They don't provide the after sales service which is so important with astronomical instruments. This is not meant to be an advert for FLO but they are, like one or two others, retailers who provide very good advice, as most of them are run by astronomers themselves. Kit does get damaged in the post, bits do go missing and customers do order kit that is too big or later found not to be unsuitable and so needs to be changed - these retailers WILL support and help you. It's not in their interest to get a quick sell because astronomy doesn't work like that, it is an interest that can last a long time.

Why not give First Light Optics a call to talk about your needs and a budget and ses what they come up. The two scopes I mentioned are good scopes that will help you.

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.