Chased out by stars, and back in by clouds

[Andrew*]

Tonight I got my first real session with my new 8" scope. It's been windy, cloudy, and rainy for a while, as is expected with a new scope, and I've been tired, and up to my neck in work and this and that excuse, but FINALLY I DID IT and got out. I had such a good session with "Turn Left at Orion" by my side. It's such a helpful book, and I found almost everything I tried to. My successes were spitting sigma orionis, Viewing Saturn, M35 and the beehive (M44), and learning some new constellations and names, not to mention getting the hang of using a magnified finder and simply getting to grips with my EQ5 with such a big load.

I'm really enjoying my set-up, and once I get polar alignment sorted permanently (so I can just plonk the mount on the same spots), everything will get much easier, and astrophotography will become a probability.

Eventually cloud rolled over from the north, and I tried to hold on to Orion, Canes Major and Gemini targets, but good old M42 was my last before I called it a night.

What I found annoying, however, was that I found it difficult to up the mag where necessary. I would centre a target in the FOV, but I would just lose it after moving up a power. Finding the object again by browsing was impossible and would lead me astray. It didn't help either that many of my EPs are not parfocal, by any means. This venture made me see the value of a zoom eyepiece. Any suggestions for overcoming this practical matter?

Hope someone else is getting as good a time as I had this nice and freezing cold night!

Andrew

[Kain]

I was the same when I first had my dob, I used to set up the finder to what I though was in line with the OTA, but it never seemed to be.

All I can say, is line the scope up with a bright start or the moon, make sure the image in central in the EP, and then adjust the finder accordantly.

It takes abit of getting used to, but with practise it becomes alot easier.

Kain

[The Warthog]

Sometimes I set up at the lower power with the star in the centre of the FOV, and then move the scope slightly so the star will be moving back into the centre, then change the ep. By the time I finish fussing with putting down the old ep and tightening the screws on the new ep, the object is usually back in the saddle again. It's usually a bit north or south, though, as it is difficult to exactly centre an object, especially in a wider FOV.

[G1ZmO]

Hi Andrew,

It was for this reason that I bought a zoom ep (a 8-24 mm Seben one off eBay) and I'm very hapy with it

I'll try to dig out an url for you.

Paul

[Andrew*]

thanks paul. I've got quite adept at finding eps online! I'm just a little skeptical of zooms. Do you think they work well in fast scopes? I also heard the FOV in very narrow in zooms.

Hijacking my own thread here!

A