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Thanks, I assumed as much. I used to do a fair bit of observing back in high school at the Veen Observatory , which has been 30 odd years ago now  so I have forgotten much of what I used to know (but was pretty sure the frustration with such a small scope would probably not be worth the cash).What is Telrad? e. one of these? http://www.amazon.ca/Telrad-Finder-Sight/dp/B0000ALKAN Bilirubin fucked around with this message at 21:26 on May 28, 2015 |
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May 28, 2015 20:17
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Is there a good source that shows the relative size of objects in the sky? IE: How big Andromeda galaxy or Orion nebula actually is in the sky? Something that a layperson can wrap there head around, so say compared to the moon?
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May 28, 2015 20:26
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I have a 6" reflector and 12" dob, and I definitely think the sweet spot is 8-10". Unless you have a collapsible dob, the 12" is too heavy and bulky to be easily portable (including the base, mine is ~60lb and 5.5 ft tall) which tends to discourage you from wanting to lug it outside unless it's a really nice night- not something you want in a telescope! The 6", on the other hand, doesn't have enough light gathering power for a lot of faint deep-sky objects unless you're in a fairly dark sky area. It's lighter and easier to carry around, and it's my standard "portable" 'scope, but I'd recommend going for either an 8" or 10" in general.
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May 28, 2015 21:08
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Bilirubin posted:What is Telrad? e. one of these? http://www.amazon.ca/Telrad-Finder-Sight/dp/B0000ALKAN  Inner circle is 1/2 degree, middle is 2 degrees, outer is 4 degrees. I find that I can get to my target much faster with one of these than with a finderscope. It's a reflex sight, so it's very easy to get in line to find what you want to look at. The brightness is very adjustable, so you can use very faint sighting stars. Light is LED and the thing can hold a ton of batteries, so it will last forever. It's very sturdy and holds alignment very well, so you don't have to constantly readjust it. Combined with reference like this http://www.solarius.net/Pages/Articles/dbArticle.aspx?artid=messier_finders or this http://www.buytelescopes.com/sky-spot-finder-charts-of-the-messier-objects and you'll be blazing through finding Messier objects. Edit: Bragging time. My dad's homemade wood truss 10" dob (sturdy as hell but oh god is it heavy) is signed by John Dobson himself. Got to meet the man at a star party. Was a cool guy. EpicPhoton fucked around with this message at 21:49 on May 28, 2015 |
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May 28, 2015 21:44
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Telrads are really nice for getting into the right area of sky quickly, but I would definitely invest in a small finder scope as well. My finder scope got messed up when I was picking it up from the previous owner. Having used a telrad almost exclusively since, I can say if you're visually finding targets the finder scope is a huge help. A lot of starhops (which are really good to learn if you don't have a GoTo system) use stars at the limits of naked-eye vision and they're often hard to pick up with the telrad alone. The extra light and magnification of a finder can be really useful for doing that. Also most GoTo/computerized map aren't good for astrophotography but they aren't bad for visual work. The less you need to move the scope while looking at faint fuzzies, the less chance you have of losing your target. I've accidentally bumped the scope before and lost stuff and then needed to spend the next 5-10 minutes finding it again. It's a convenience thing mostly. It's totally worth the effort learning the sky without the GoTo capability, but I'm not totally sure it makes you a better astronomer. What really makes a person a good astronomer is a good eye for detail. It's what you see, not how you go about seeing it.
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May 28, 2015 22:16
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Thanks guys! I'll fuss with a rental 8" Dobsonian for a few months and decide how I want to spend my money from there. Just bought copies of Left Turn at Orion and Dickinson's Nightwatch spiral bound editions while I was on Amazon looking at the Telrads to get us started more seriously.
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May 28, 2015 22:25
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Very good points. Once you get down to objects that you have to use averted vision to really see, you'll need to make sure your scope is actually pointed in the exact right spot, which you'll need a finder scope for sure. Telrad just helps you get in the right neighborhood quickly, and there are other options, such as red dots. I suppose my gripe with GoTo just comes from the experience I've had with my small crappy Meade. It may just be that it's at the lower end of their offerings, but no matter how much time I've spent calibrating it, it rarely holds calibration, or successfully gets me to my target, even with the more advanced "center on a nearby star, then move to target" options set. (Also, the stillness and peacefullness of the nighttime is somewhat disrupted by the constant eeeeeeeeeee-clickclickclick-eeeeeeeeeeee noise it makes.) My only caution that it's frustrating spending more of your evening trying to calibrate the drat thing than actually looking at anything. If you're willing to spend the $$, there are definitely good options, but I'd advise against the low-budget options. That said, I'm considering building an Equatorial Platform at some point in the future, as not having to adjust the scope every 2 minutes is very nice. Replace "better astronomer" with "knowing the sky better." Knowing where constellations helps tremendously when pointing your scope by hand, and knowing your constellations is great for showing off (and teaching others about astronomy, I suppose). I still struggle to find Hercules almost every single time, though.
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May 28, 2015 22:34
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I also want to get a new telescope, my budget is up to $200, should I get a cheaper dobsonian or a refractor? I really just want to peak at Jupiter and poo poo, nothing fancy. I was considering this refractor telescopes - http://tinyurl.com/p9x5kcn http://tinyurl.com/q5o5qdr I've read the OP but no real suggestions on scopes, would be nice to see a breakdown of whats good/poo poo. Or something like this - http://www.amazon.com/Orion-SpacePr...onian+telescope Sylink fucked around with this message at 04:29 on May 29, 2015 |
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May 29, 2015 04:25
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Sylink posted:I also want to get a new telescope, my budget is up to $200, should I get a cheaper dobsonian or a refractor? I really just want to peak at Jupiter and poo poo, nothing fancy. I got the Orion scope you linked about two-three weeks back; I can't say anything in terms of what you'll see (the weather in southern Texas has been crappy for the last month), but the scope isn't going to be super heavy or difficult to set up/tear down. Hopefully someone will have some first hand experience with it, but from what I've read it's a good scope to see the moon and a few planets with. I plan on getting something a bit better after a couple months puttering around with this beginner scope.
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May 29, 2015 04:38
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The refractors you are looking at don't have much aperture and all of them are on wobbly mounts that will quickly give you the shits (and the reflector has an equatorial mount which is also time consuming to set up). Honestly I'd recommend trying to find a 6 or 8 inch dobsonian reflector second hand. Or if you can stretch your budget to 305 and want something new, skywatcher makes a 6 inch reflector.
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May 29, 2015 04:45
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If you want something nice with that budget, get a good pair of astronomical binoculars and a decent binocular mount. It'll be easy for a beginner to use and set up, and it won't be something you'll quickly get sick of and want to get rid of in favour of something better later on down the line. I own an 8" dob and an 11" SCT, but my pair still gets constant use for wide FOV viewing. Otherwise, yeah, a used 8" dob or stretching your budget by a hundred bucks to get one new.
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May 29, 2015 04:53
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Ok, I found some other suggestions, and I think you are right, go big enough or go home seems to be the standard, I see a lot of recommendations for the Starblast 6, as well - http://www.amazon.com/Orion-10016-S...rds=starblast+6
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May 29, 2015 04:55
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That looks reasonable. Only thing I'd say about it is that it is mounted on one side only, whereas the skywatcher 6 inch is cradled and mounted on both sides of the tube which *may* make it a little more stable. The orion looks more compact if you are worried about hauling bulky stuff around though. Edit: spend the 25 bucks on the night watch book too if you can stretch it. It's pretty good.
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May 29, 2015 05:02
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Tonight I managed to track the ISS for twenty seconds at 80x with my 8" Dobsonian. I could actually resolve the individual solar panels. Jesus loving Christ, what a rush.
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May 31, 2015 07:04
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nice! I had no idea you could do that with a Dob either, going to have to try that
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May 31, 2015 07:41
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Did you see this guy perched on top of it?:
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May 31, 2015 07:48
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I took this with a 10" dob, hand guided using a telrad : International Space Station webcam by Tim Powell, on FlickrI got setup early, spent a decent amount of time getting the finder as close to perfect alignment as possible, focussed on mars I think, then just chased ISS across the sky. I might have gotten something like 30 frames where it was in shot at the end but I was always pleased with the result.
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Jun 1, 2015 23:18
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Jekub posted:I took this with a 10" dob, hand guided using a telrad : wow you can really see a lot of detail with that! I just got my copies of Nightwatch and Left Turn and these seem like they will be excellent references. Also stopped by a shop with the SkyWatch 8" to check out its size and weight and it should do perfectly. What eyepieces should I be considering?
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Jun 3, 2015 15:29
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I posted in this thread a year ago describing my first forays into viewing and astrophotography. My equipment at the moment includes:
It's time to upgrade, and at the moment my hard budget limit is $1,000. My main goal is to do visual observation of the planets and DSOs. Ideally, I would also like to (A) attach a camera for some basic astrophotography, and (B) install a motor drive for tracking. I don't think I have any need for GoTo at this time. Portability is a concern, as well: dark skies are at least a half hour drive away, and ideally require an overnight trip. for that reason apertures above 8" are probably too big for our small car. I've been reading a lot and it seems like I have a few options:
I would like an equatorial mount, not only for adaptability and photography, but also because I think they're cool, and built a mock-up tracking mount with an Arduino, some K'Nex, and Stellarium so I could learn the principles. It's also important to me that whatever I buy remain usable in the future. This seems to favor the SkyView Pro 8, as I could always upgrade to a Sirius or Atlas mount later and use the old mount for my small refractor (or something else). Obviously, any astrophotography I do now will be extremely basic, as I lack either a webcam, SLR, or tracking. I file this under "dabble now, make it a real goal in the future." Does it seem like I'm on the right track, here, or am I missing an obvious and better alternative? I'm sure that whatever I get, it will be night and day with what I'm working with now.
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Jun 3, 2015 19:25
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I have an odd question, and I can't seem to find the right place to ask it. I swear there used to be a geology thread somewhere, but I can't find it. How do you preserve meteorite fragments or slices? I'm thinking about getting one, and I keep reading about how rust-prone they are, being that they're mostly iron. Some sources say to clean it with alcohol every month and coat it with oil and keep it in a dehumidified environment (using desiccant or something). That seems like a crapload of effort. What about immersing it in oil? I'm imagining a display case filled with mineral oil or something to keep the air off it. Not something huge, more of something slightly larger than the fragment or slice...basically something like those plastic coin holders, except gasketed and filled with oil.
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Jun 4, 2015 03:39
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Geology thread is here. Probably won't be of much help, though, it's mostly unemployed goons complaining about the terrible job market. Cleaning your meteorite with alcohol monthly is just to keep the dust off of it, since the oil will trap dirt. Really, you should be fine just dabbing on some mineral oil every few months, then giving it an alcohol bath whenever it gets really dusty or you want to show it off to friends. I've got the same problem with galena and pyrite, the summer humidity absolutely destroys them if you don't keep them coated in mineral oil. I lost a couple of pyrite suns that way, and unfortunately the mine they came from isn't open anymore so the supply is gone. I'd also avoid getting a Nantan meteorite, they're notorious for rusting quickly even with stabilization measures. They basically sat out in the subtropical elements for 500 years, so the weathering process is well underway even with cleaned pieces. Anyway, I wandered over to give everyone a heads' up that Sky Publishing is having a 40% off sale through Sunday, so it's a good opportunity to pick up a star atlas or one of their small-press books cheaper than you would otherwise. Not sure if it's US-only though.
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Jun 4, 2015 04:09
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Equatorial Newtonians are a major PITA to use visually because the eyepiece always winds up in the most awkward angle. Speaking from experience here. That mount doesn't have a motor drive either, so you don't get the main benefit of EQ mounts for photography, the lack of field rotation. I have the Nexstar 6SE and it's pretty awesome. One tip if you do get it: go on EBay and purchase some 12V Lithium Ion battery packs. They're rechargeable and much smaller and lighter than anything else on the market.
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Jun 4, 2015 06:04
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INTJ Mastermind posted:Equatorial Newtonians are a major PITA to use visually because the eyepiece always winds up in the most awkward angle. Speaking from experience here. That's why you always invest in rotating tube rings. Or build your own set.
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Jun 4, 2015 14:57
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I am thinking of upgrading my mount from an iOptron ZEQ25 to either an Atlas Pro or a Losmandy G11. The G11 is a couple hundred dollars more (without Gemini 2) but has more payload and seems better machined. Without Gemini 2 though, I lose go-to. The downside is that to add go-to is another $1000. I'd be using this for AP. I live in Oklahoma and the wind gets really really crazy, so I need something that is super super stable. Last night we had some 15mph winds out at our dark site and my ZEQ25 just could not handle it. Actually, my ZEQ25 has never been able to handle anything AP-wise. I mount an Orion ED80 and a Nikon d7000 to the mount and I can never seem to get anything usable out of it. It's not tracking or alignment issues I'm pretty sure. Anyone have any thoughts or experiences with either of those two mounts (or similar), especially in high winds? Thanks!
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Jun 7, 2015 17:30
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I volunteer as a summer camp counselor for a few weeks every summer and this year, I think it would be cool to give the kids some kind of night time astronomy action. We are at 6k feet in the Sierra's so its crystal freaking clear. I'm looking for a way to give handfuls of kids (6-10 at a time) the chance to see the moon, some of the brighter stars, maybe a planet or two? I need something that is either cheap enough to afford multiple copies of or is easy to allow kids to quickly see through it. I don't want to find a star for a kid, have him see it and then have to spend 2 minutes focusing it or finding it again for the next kid. The galileoscope seems like it might be a good option, along with good binoculars. A single big scope could work as long as it was easy for the kids to look through and not hard to adjust or setup. Any thoughts?
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Jun 7, 2015 17:45
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Getting my car packed to leave for the Rocky Mountain Star Stare on Tuesday morning. http://rmss.org Just me, my scope, pristine dark skies and 300 fellow astronerds. Gonna be loving awesome.
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Jun 7, 2015 19:42
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cheese posted:I volunteer as a summer camp counselor for a few weeks every summer and this year, I think it would be cool to give the kids some kind of night time astronomy action. We are at 6k feet in the Sierra's so its crystal freaking clear. I'm looking for a way to give handfuls of kids (6-10 at a time) the chance to see the moon, some of the brighter stars, maybe a planet or two? I need something that is either cheap enough to afford multiple copies of or is easy to allow kids to quickly see through it. I don't want to find a star for a kid, have him see it and then have to spend 2 minutes focusing it or finding it again for the next kid. Are there any astronomical societies or clubs in your area? Lots of them do outreach and would love to help out with that sort of thing. I volunteer for it whenever I can, and I only charge for gas and a sheet of red filter gel for everyone's flashlights. The equipment you get would be much better than if you rolled your own, since the tracking mounts that would mitigate having to constantly do adjustments are really costly. One of the First Nations bands up here spent a good chunk of change on a really nice large aperture scope with tracking, and travels to all of the northern communities in the province that would like presentations. The time I helped them out with it, it seemed to be a good time for the kids. Coxswain Balls fucked around with this message at 20:24 on Jun 7, 2015 |
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Jun 7, 2015 20:22
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Just over a month to go before I leave for a week of astronomy on La Palma in the Canary Islands, 8k feet up with my Tak FS60 and QSI at one of the worlds best astronomy locations. We also have tours booked for the William Hershel and GTC telescopes which should be interesting. I think I will be aiming for a mosaic image of the Lagoon region as my primary target, not sure if that will be narrowband or RGB yet though, maybe both, why not.
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Jun 8, 2015 16:58
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There is an Orion Skyquest XT8 on craigslist for an impossibly low price about 80 miles from my house. The seller claims it's in excellent condition. Are there any red flags I should look for (aside the impossibly low price) in case it's some sort of scam? Needless to say, but... Dibs. GutBomb fucked around with this message at 22:44 on Jun 13, 2015 |
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Jun 13, 2015 22:37
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Got a link/screenshot?
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Jun 13, 2015 22:45
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Jun 13, 2015 22:52
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Since they're naming the eyepieces with "magnification" instead of correctly by focal length, it seems like they may not know exactly what they're selling. If you can get more pics and don't mind a drive out I'd say it's worth a look, especially for fifty bucks. Any pics of the primary/secondary mirror, focuser and so on?
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Jun 13, 2015 22:58
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Nah the other pictures are just a close-up of the label, a close-up of the focuser, and another angle of the whole unit. Nothing looks amiss.
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Jun 13, 2015 23:00
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Just watch out for angry exes...though the rolled up carpet may suggest they're moving and just want to get rid of it.
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Jun 13, 2015 23:49
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Well, I bought it. It was an old couple moving out of their house and into a retirement community. They just needed the stuff gone. It came with a few books, some really nice Orion optiluxe eyepieces, the eyepiece it came with, some filters, and a laser collimator. $50. Unbelievable.
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Jun 14, 2015 17:26
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What a steal, you lucky bastard. I've been meaning to do some more photography, especially of the astro variety. I just love big ol' starfield shots. I just need nice weather to line up with the weekend out here so I can drive out to dark skies and use the ol' barn door tracker. I've been meaning to upgrade the barn door tracker. I plan to use a gear ratio that lets me turn the crank one rotation every 6 seconds instead of every 60. It's a lot easier to keep that going steady. Also plan on adding a flexible shaft so my lack of motor control doesn't shake everything to poo poo. It might not be the best mount, but I do love making stuff, so whatever. I'm havin' fun. Rotten Cookies fucked around with this message at 17:49 on Jun 14, 2015 |
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Jun 14, 2015 17:46
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Why isn't it dark yet?!
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Jun 14, 2015 22:15
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That's an awesome score, especially for $50. Congrats, man!
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Jun 14, 2015 22:20
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I picked up a used XT8 for $75 last year. They're awesome scopes.
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Jun 14, 2015 22:32
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I love my XT8. Even when buying it new for over 5x the price years ago its was still a good deal.
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