[Chaos-l] introduction, equipment request
john.6.miller at gsk.com
john.6.miller at gsk.com
Fri Jun 15 11:29:32 EDT 2007
Also check out Antlers Optics at:
http://www.geckooptical.com/anttlers_optics/telescopes_dso_8.html
The basic 8" Dobsonian package for $369 + $30 S+H includes an azimuth
bearing upgrade for smoother motion and also a dual speed Crayford focuser
AND and cooling fan as standard equipment. From the reviews I have seen,
people seem very happy with this company. A very hard deal to beat. A bit
less expensive that the analogous Orion 8" Dob also I believe.
John Miller
GlaxoSmithKline
Medicinal Chemistry
5 Moore Drive, Mailstop 3.4214
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
phone: (919) 483-2750
fax: (919) 483-6053
email: john.6.miller at gsk.com
"Steve Meister" <steve.meister at bayercropscience.com>
Sent by: chaos-l-bounces at rtpnet.org
15-Jun-2007 09:10
To
Chaos-l at rtpnet.org, chaos-l-bounces at rtpnet.org
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Subject
Re: [Chaos-l] introduction, equipment request
I would echo - 8 inch Dob would be ideal, or 6 inch if budget does not
allow. Don't forget to budget a bit extra for an extra eyepiece - usually
a 24mm is included, and you may also want a 10-12 mm (plossl or better)
and/or a barlow.
Also, here is a link to a free sky program - I use it all the time in the
field.
http://www.stargazing.net/astropc/index.html
Regards,
Steve Meister
"Jeff Polston" <Jeff.Polston at sas.com>
Sent by: chaos-l-bounces at rtpnet.org
06/15/2007 08:59 AM
To
<Chaos-l at rtpnet.org>
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Subject
Re: [Chaos-l] introduction, equipment request
I thought I'd follow up a little on this excellent advice.
A golden rule I've heard and subscribe to, is to buy the biggest scope you
can, but not so big that you will never use it. Let's face it, if a scope
is big and heavy, or a pain to setup, it's going to be gathering dust most
of the time. That's why so many people recommend a 6" reflector on a
dobsonian mount. It's easy to setup, easy to use, and doesn't bust the
budget. However, if you can swing the little bit extra cost of getting an
8" scope, consider going that route. The 8" scope is not that much
bigger. It will probably be a f/6, so about the same length. The tube
and base will be a fraction bigger, but not by much. The extra light
gathering ability will come in handy as you gain more observing
experience. Don't get me wrong, a 6" scope is still a great scope, but
also consider an 8".
If you're just learning about astronomy another great tool is a
planisphere...those round thingies where you dial in the date and time and
it shows you what's up. They are excellent for learning the
constellations, how the night sky changes, and finding the brighter stars
and deepsky objects.
Welcome to a hobby worth loosing sleep over.
Jeff
http://www.jeffpolston.com
From: chaos-l-bounces at rtpnet.org [mailto:chaos-l-bounces at rtpnet.org] On
Behalf Of Mark South
Sent: Friday, June 15, 2007 8:35 AM
To: Michael Hrivnak
Cc: Chaos-l at rtpnet.org
Subject: Re: [Chaos-l] introduction, equipment request
Michael, I highly recommend the Orion SkyQuest XT 6" Dobsonian as a
beginner scope. I own one myself and it has been a wonderful scope. I
think the current price is around $249. By default you get 2 eyepieces!
(wide-field and narrow-field). The current deal is a free laser
collimator (to align the scope) and a starmap. I bought my scope from
Big Bang Astronomy because I want to support our local dealer. (Speak
with Kendall, the owner). Other considerations: Zhummel or Celestron 6"
Dobsonians (www.telescopes.com).
Click on:
http://www.telescope.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=238462&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=3&iSubCat=334&iProductID=238462
Reasons to buy this scope include the following:
1) As a musician, you can full understand that buying a really, really low
quality instrument will detract from learning how to use the instrument.
In the same way, buying a cheap department store scope will end up in the
closet! The Orion XT's are very good quality scope for the price.
2) A 6" scope is easy to "grab-n-go". Very minimal setup time... no
hard-to-use inaccurate go-to computers. (any scope less than $1000 that
has computer go-to is really bad. spend your cash on the mirror not bad
tripods and go-tos).
3) Look at this scope as a long-term scope. If you decide later to buy a
scope of larger aperture-- 10", 12" and up you will still have this scope
as your small scope. I currently own a larger scope, but guess which
scope I use MOST of the time? The Skyquest 6" scope--- because it's so
easy to use.
4) It has a f/8 f-stop. (Let me get techie on ya). What this means
basically is that it's a nice balance between a wide-field of view and a
narrow field of view. For example, the 5" ETX scopes are f/15. So every
eyepiece will really magnify highly-- kinda like looking through a
port-hole. This is not bad if you want to stick to planets, but not good
for other views of deep sky objects. On the other extreme are small
scopes with f/4. This has great wide-field views, but tough to magnify
the object. So the bottom line, I'm getting at here is that f/8 is a
nice balance for a 6" scope.
Used equipment: Do not buy used from e-bay, but only from a good website
such as "Astromart" Personally, I think it's a hassle to buy a used 6"
scope on-line. I would rather pick up a new one, but that's me.
Accessories:
Always save extra cash for accessories:
Urgent Essentials:
1) Telrad -- makes finding objects a cinch
2) "Turn Left @ Orion" or a good Star map (sky and telescope's Pocket Sky
Atlas)
http://www.amazon.com/Turn-Left-Orion-Hundred-Telescope/dp/0521781906/ref=sr_1_1/102-0200149-1147310?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181910432&sr=8-1
Non-urgent non-essentials for later to consider:
1) Better eyepieces
2) Telrad dew shield (from astrosystems.biz)
2) Teflon pad kit from Astrosystems.biz to make the motions smoother. (the
only negative for this scope is that the motions are rather sticky)
3) Bar-lowed Collimator laser for the ultimate accuracy.
4) A padded case
http://www.telescope.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=408&itemType=PRODUCT&iProductID=408
Stuff to learn:
1) Learn to Collimate your scope. Read the directions cover-to-cover.
2) Learn to use the Telrad for easy targets and Star-hop for more
difficult objects
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/howto/visualobserving/Map_at_the_Telescope.html
Also check out the CHAOS information on getting started with Astronomy
http://www.rtpnet.org/chaos/RA/startingRight.html
Hope this helps!
Mark South
On Jun 14, 2007, at 11:20 PM, Michael Hrivnak wrote:
Greetings from a newbie. I want to get into amateur astronomy, and I
intend to be at the Morehead Planetarium observation session on Saturday
night. I'm moving back to the Triangle to play with the NC Symphony, I
love science and math, and I think it's high time that I learned more
about astronomy.
Now I need a telescope. I've been reading buying guides, etc., and I
think I want a good reflector in the 6-8" range. How easy is it to find
some decent used equipment? I'm thinking to spend maybe a few hundred
dollars. I've checked websites of a couple of local shops (big bang,
oceanside), but there is nothing used that fits my parameters. Advice?
Suggestions? Where should I look? Should I forget about used equipment
and just buy new?
I'm sure that I'll learn a lot more about what equipment I want by going
to some local observation sessions and going to some retailers. In the
mean time, I invite your advice for a novice's first purchase in the
Triangle.
Thanks a lot,
Michael
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