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LAN_403

Part Scavenger

Tue Oct 10 2006, 01:41AM

Registered Member #79 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 11:35AM
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 673

Ok, all you stargazers. I'm a serious noobie to astronomy, although I've been interested all my life. After much frustration with the equipment I have, I've got some questions.

First of all, I want to be able to see galaxies, planets, nebulae and the like and have them look like something other than a bouncing annoying dot. That's my goal. I also want to photograph them and I don't want to spend a buttload of money.

1. So, already I have pretty much everything I need to make a 200mm Newtonian reflector, and I'm going to make the mirror's speed somewhere around f/5 to f/6. Should this be a good scope provided I build it correctly? Any suggestions?

2. I've got a Wal-Mart refractor (something like 2"-2.5" lens f/ must be around 10.) It seems to be useless for looking at anything other than the moon (I think I prefer my binos), am I correct or am I just using it improperly? Is there anything cool I can look at with it while I'm building my "biggin'"?

3. Does anyone know a good place to get my mirror aluminized? Unfortunately, my vacuum chamber doesn't go that low.

4. Finally, what's the coolest stuff to look at?

Thanks!

HV Enthusiast

Tue Oct 10 2006, 12:01PM

Registered Member #15 Joined: Thu Feb 02 2006, 01:11PM
Location:
Posts: 3068

wrote ...

First of all, I want to be able to see galaxies, planets, nebulae and the like and have them look like something other than a bouncing annoying dot. That's my goal. I also want to photograph them and I don't want to spend a buttload of money.

To be honest, if thats your goal, you'll need to do solely astrophotography. Even a 30" scope will merely show galaxies and nebulas as bouncing grey fuzzies with the exception of the few brightest nebula / galaxies. To see color and detail, you'll need to do astrophotography.

And sorry to say, if you want to shoot galaxies, nebulas, it really is one of those hobbies where you'll definitely need to spend a "boatload" of money and time, and the learning curve is probably the steepest of any hobby i've ever done. Of course, its super fun!

However, if you are interested in astrophotography, the best way to start is shooting regular shots on a fixed tripod or even build a homemade barndoor mount which tracks the sky for widefield shots.

wrote ...

1. So, already I have pretty much everything I need to make a 200mm Newtonian reflector, and I'm going to make the mirror's speed somewhere around f/5 to f/6. Should this be a good scope provided I build it correctly? Any suggestions?

By 200mm, i assume you mean the aperture size. At f/5 this would give you a focal length of about 1000mm. This should be a good scope. Also, don't limit yourself to a newtonian. A dobsian would be a good choice as well.

Now, if you don't wish to build one, Orion Telescopes makes some VERY HIGH QUALITY for the price scopes which are an excellent deal for newbie astronomers. For example, you can get a complete 6" aperture Dobsian with mount for $259.00 ! ! ! And its a QUALITY scope. They are chinese made, but they rivial performance of scopes costing 10x as much.

http://www.telescope.com

wrote ...

2. I've got a Wal-Mart refractor (something like 2"-2.5" lens f/ must be around 10.) It seems to be useless for looking at anything other than the moon (I think I prefer my binos), am I correct or am I just using it improperly? Is there anything cool I can look at with it while I'm building my "biggin'"?

You are DEFINITELY using the scope incorrectly. The correct way to use this Wal-Mart refractor is . . .

1. Grab scope by end
2. Raise over head
3. Smash on ground as hard as possible

I'm not joking either. Get rid of it - its a piece of trash and will leave you more frustrated than anything.

wrote ...

3. Does anyone know a good place to get my mirror aluminized? Unfortunately, my vacuum chamber doesn't go that low.

Check some telescope building forums such as Cloudy Nights forum.

wrote ...

4. Finally, what's the coolest stuff to look at?

Well, without a doubt the coolest thing to look at is of course the Moon. But make sure its NOT full otherwise you won't see many surface features.

Next, the planets. Jupiter (which is basically out of season now), but Saturn is rising a bit after midnight now

Here is a list of the FALL OBJECTS which should be most spectacular (northern hemisphere of course)

Trifid Nebula, Lagoon Nebula, Eagle Nebula
M13 Globular in Hercules
Epsylon Lyrae - the famous Double-Double star (definitely a MUST)
M57 Ring Nebula in Lyrae
Pleiades Cluster
Double Cluster in Perseus (a gem to behold)
M31, M32, M110 Galaxies in Andromeda
Dumbell Nebula

For WINTER OBJECTS

M41, Orion Nebula
Pleiades
M81, M82
Crab Nebula
Several clusters in Auriga

I won't tell you where they are, you'll have to find them yourself as thats the most fun of it!

Good luck!

...

Tue Oct 10 2006, 03:05PM

Registered Member #56 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:02AM
Location: Southern Califorina, USA
Posts: 2445

I can vouch for those telecsope.com scopes, I have a (I believe) 5" refelctor that has served me well for many years. I can say that their tracking motors are teh sux0r. We spent >20 hours messing with it trying to get it to do its alignemnt when we finaly called celestron to complain, and then they notified us that they have the wrong scale value for the motor and to type in this code. After that it sorta works, but it doesn't know that it isn't allowed to point strait up/down, so if you pick the wrong star it jams and you have to start over. But even when it is woring correctly the t-scope has to be perfectly ballanced on the gymbal or it can't move on the slow speed, it slowly drifts off the target, and it has a ton of backlash in the gears (like a while field of view at high mag).

It works great for looking at saturn, you can clearley see the rings etc. I haven't really had much luck loking at really distant objects, and with the poor tracking I think you will run into trouble doing the uber long exposures...

Have fun!

Part Scavenger

Wed Oct 11 2006, 12:01AM

Registered Member #79 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 11:35AM
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 673

Thanks guys!!! You answered alot of my questions, even some I didn't ask!

Ah, so Saturn can look like something!

I won't tell you where they are, you'll have to find them yourself as thats the most fun of it!

Hey, no tutorial needed! A nudge in the right direction is wonderful! Thanks for the ideas.

HV Enthusiast

Wed Oct 11 2006, 12:30AM

Registered Member #15 Joined: Thu Feb 02 2006, 01:11PM
Location:
Posts: 3068

Saturn looks spectacular.

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