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robmac_melb - Greetings
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robmac_melb
Joined: 08 Jan 2007
Posts: 3
Location: Melbourne Australia
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 Posted: Mon Jan 08, 2007 10:05 pm Post subject: robmac_melb - Greetings |
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Hi everyone,
I have recently (in the last 6 months) purchased a 10 inch Dobsonian from Andrews Communications in NSW Australia. Unfortunately I haven't had many opportunities to get out and use it (as we have moved recently as well).
Certain parts of Melbourne are very good for viewing but as with any major city, light pollution is always an issue to be reckoned with. Of course if you are lucky enough to be able to go for a quick drive, you can find some truely amazing locations that will allow unpolluted viewing pleasure. I am also a member of the ASV (Astronomical Society of Victoria - www.asv.org.au). There are some great people here and there is a wealth of information available as well as some truely amazing photos - well worth a look.
Anyway, here's hoping for some great assistance from those with the knowledge at this astronomical community and consequently some great viewing through my telescope - fingers are crossed!!
All the best.
Cheers,
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Rob Macpherson
Melbourne, Australia |
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Rodstar
Joined: 19 Nov 2006
Posts: 4
Location: Central Coast, NSW, Australia
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 5:10 am Post subject: |
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Hi there, again, Rob! I think I read your posts in reverse order!
A 10 inch dob is an EXCELLENT starting point. It means you have serious aperture, but portability at the same time.
As a present to yourself, after you have learnt the basics, you should take yourself away from the city lights, and observe under some truly dark skies. You will be amazed with what you can see. You will probably have learnt by now that the sky provides far better contrast near New Moon. At Full Moon, observing is a bit of a waste of time, unless of course you are happy having your eyeballs seared by the brightness of the moon itself!
You should get to the know the people at the Victorian Society, and observe with them as often as possible. That way, you will learn 10x as fast as trying to work it out by yourself.
I bought my first scope about 2 years ago. I was lucky enough to hook up with some other amateurs in my area at the very beginning, which meant that at least once per month I have had the company and encouragement of others. It makes a world of difference.
What is your favourite object so far? Have you tried to track down the new Comet McNaught?
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20 inch SDM truss style dobsonian with Argo Navis, triple Moonlite focuser and Moonlite filter slide, Skywatcher ED80 on EQ3-2 mount |
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G4LED
Joined: 24 Nov 2006
Posts: 24
Location: Holmfirth UK
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| Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 8:41 pm Post subject: |
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A sound purchase Rob. I too have a similar 10" dob with the benefit of the Orion Intelliscope system which assists with my memory difficulties. A useful device is a redspot finder since pointing the OTA is more tricky than you expect; the Telrad offers a similar advantage but was a little bulky for me. The second best improvement was a wide-field eyepiece. My local dealer recommended a Hyperion 8mm modular eyepiece with a 68 degree field. It is distributed by Baadar Planetarium and used now more than all the other eyepieces. It is particularly good for spectacle wearers and guest viewers who find the larger 'screen' more familiar and comfortable than conventional optics. The Baadar laser collimator is also simplicity to operate especially in daylight.
Naturally I yearn for a 12" dob but one has to be practical. A complete 10" dob is portable in one big hug; taking under a minute to set down/dismantle. A two-star align takes a couple of minutes more. So it gets used a lot.
Ian VK6ZGA from Perth recently visited and considers we have real cloudy skies over here. Regards and , of course, clear skies.
g4led
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"Holme Valley Weather" Davis Vantage Pro+ station; XT10 Orion Intelliscope(frontspiece) |
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