First telescope advice please

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Re: First telescope advice please

#41

Post by GCoyote »


Lady Fraktor wrote: Mon Jun 28, 2021 5:58 am ...

For a binocular holder I would avoid the plastic ones that have been shown previously and look at one of these: https://agenaastro.com/farpoint-far-sig ... acket.html
A bit more expensive but will handle any set that you want to mount on it as well as a red dot finder.
It will also last a lifetime of use.
Now that is interesting. I might have to try to replicate that.
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Re: First telescope advice please

#42

Post by turboscrew »


I have this, but I'm not sure if FLO has it.
https://www.astroshop.eu/adaptors/omego ... al-/p,4983
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Re: First telescope advice please

#43

Post by Lady Fraktor »


With the Farpoint you can mount a finder and it is the sturdiest one I have used.
All of the single post ones vibrate to a certain degree as there is not any real stability other than straight down.
https://www.astroshop.eu/adaptors/farpo ... nt/p,16360
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Re: First telescope advice please

#44

Post by Butterfly Maiden »


turboscrew wrote: Mon Jun 28, 2021 5:06 pm I have this, but I'm not sure if FLO has it.
https://www.astroshop.eu/adaptors/omego ... al-/p,4983
Wow. That is spooky :eek:

Just this afternoon I ordered the very same model of binocular adaptor from Firstlight Optics for the price of £11.00.

Great minds think alike I reckon :lol:
Vanessa

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Olympus DPS-1 10x50 binoculars.
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Re: First telescope advice please

#45

Post by John Baars »


Lady Fraktor wrote: Mon Jun 28, 2021 5:58 am(...)For the eye/ brain to see a significant difference you need around a 20mm jump in aperture so you should be looking at a 100mm-102mm refractor.
If you want a sky sweeper then a short tube will do well, if more for planetary/ lunar/ double stars I would be looking at f/7 or slower. (...)
My thoughts exactly. The slower one can do a lot of sweeping too, no problem. With the right eyepiece a f/9 can cover fields more than two degrees easily. There are few DSO's that are much bigger than that, and if so they are great targets for your Nikon telescope at low magnification too.
For the wanted upgrade you more or less described it is time for the bigger lens.
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Re: First telescope advice please

#46

Post by Don Alvarez »


Lady Fraktor wrote: Mon Jun 28, 2021 5:58 amPersonally I would love to rid the world of ST80s but that is just my opinion. ;)
What!?!? Rid the world of its most glorious invention since mankind decided to take a blade to a loaf of bread? Thats a bit rash... :lol:
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Re: First telescope advice please

#47

Post by ARock »


Does the spotting scope have a rotating diagonal (probably not) or can the OTA be rotated with respect to the dovetail (tripod attachment)?
If not, an EQ mount is not a good idea, as the eyepiece view will be at odd angles depending on where you point in the sky.

Given that you have a 80mm ED,if you still want another portable scope, something like a AWB Onesky, or Skywatcher Heritage 130 a collapsible tabletop reflector might be another option. It does need a table, but you can use a folding stool for that purpose.
Last edited by ARock on Tue Jun 29, 2021 4:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: First telescope advice please

#48

Post by SkyHiker »


Ditto about the nice 80 mm that you have already. If your goal is to see the constellations you need an even wider field scope so think 50 or 60 mm. The 102 mm would be better for DSOs and some planets (but that's a very limited goal, just 2 basically and not now). The field scope will work nicely on the Tiltall that I recommended earlier. For constellations and wide field motorized tracking is not that important. If your goal is simplicity and not DSOs as you mentioned, the 102 mm or higher is probably not what you want. Though I would encourage you to try it, on a motorized mount.
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Re: First telescope advice please

#49

Post by Butterfly Maiden »


ARock wrote: Tue Jun 29, 2021 4:08 pm Does the spotting scope have a rotating diagonal (probably not) or can the OTA be rotated with respect to the dovetail (tripod attachment)?
If not, an EQ mount is not a good idea, as the eyepiece view will be at odd angles depending on where you point in the sky.

Given that you have a 80mm ED,if you still want another portable scope, something like a AWB Onesky, or Skywatcher Heritage 130 a collapsible tabletop reflector might be another option. It does need a table, but you can use a folding stool for that purpose.
The eyepieces are fixed. One of them is straight, the other is 45 degrees.

The info regarding the OTA I didn't understand at all :veryconfused:

Basically, we are quite happy just using the fieldscopes as they are without needing to have any sky tracking attachments for them.

If we eventually decide to go for a proper telescope then we may then consider some form of EQ or Alt-Az mount.
Vanessa

Nikon D82 Fieldscope with 30x/45x/56x angled eyepiece.
Olympus DPS-1 10x50 binoculars.
Leica 8x32BN binoculars.
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Re: First telescope advice please

#50

Post by ARock »


On EQ mounts diagonal EPs can sometimes point towards the ground depending on where you are pointed at the sky.
You need to either be able to rotate the diagonal to make it point up, and if that is not possible rotate the scope to have the EP point up.

If you have a detachable 45 degree EP, it is likely that you can rotate the diagonal EP.

Do you know if normal astro 1.25" EPs can be used with the scope, maybe with an adapter?
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Re: First telescope advice please

#51

Post by Butterfly Maiden »


Thank you for the advice you have offered so far, much of which I don't fully understand.

However, we primarily use the scopes for birdwatching so we don't really want to be adapting them for anything else. Having to change the setup each time from one session to the other would not be useful for us.

We are able to get good views of the sky with those scopes set up as they are, so we are quite happy with them.
Vanessa

Nikon D82 Fieldscope with 30x/45x/56x angled eyepiece.
Olympus DPS-1 10x50 binoculars.
Leica 8x32BN binoculars.
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Re: First telescope advice please

#52

Post by GCoyote »


Hi Vanessa, If you have a program like Stellarium on your PC or other device, you can see simulated views of different celestial objects for various telescope and eyepiece combinations. That might help you to estimate how much scope you need for your next upgrade. I'm playing with it now and it allows me pick from a menu of common scopes and eyepieces or set up my own.

Good luck and clear skies!
Any metaphor will tear if stretched over too much reality.
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Celestron Astro Master 130mm f5 Newtonian GEM
Meade 114-EQ-DH f7.9 Newtonian w/ manual GEM
Bushnell 90mm f13.9 Catadioptric
Gskyer 80mm f5 Alt/Az refractor
Jason 10x50 Binoculars
Celestron 7x50 Binoculars
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(And a bunch of stuff I'm still trying to fix or find parts for.)
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Re: First telescope advice please

#53

Post by Butterfly Maiden »


GCoyote wrote: Tue Jun 29, 2021 10:53 pm Hi Vanessa, If you have a program like Stellarium on your PC or other device, you can see simulated views of different celestial objects for various telescope and eyepiece combinations. That might help you to estimate how much scope you need for your next upgrade. I'm playing with it now and it allows me pick from a menu of common scopes and eyepieces or set up my own.

Good luck and clear skies!
Hi Gary, I did actually download Stellarium onto my smartphone a couple of weeks ago, after seeing it mentioned several times on here.

I haven't had chance to really look at it yet though. Work plus other things have kept me busy, but I will get around to it at some point :roll:
Vanessa

Nikon D82 Fieldscope with 30x/45x/56x angled eyepiece.
Olympus DPS-1 10x50 binoculars.
Leica 8x32BN binoculars.
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Re: First telescope advice please

#54

Post by OzEclipse »


Hi Vanessa, lot's of good advice so far. i have to agree with Andrey that the ST80 (I have one) won't do any better, probably worse than the spotting scopes you already have. As I was reading those recommendations, I was thinking, haven't they seen your sig. The ST80 is a decent spotting scope. Quite good for a low power scanning of the Milky Way but very average for viewing the Moon. I'd suggest you also consider, as nFA suggested, a Maksutov or SCT. They are short, light very portable and the smaller ones can be plopped on a camera tripod or a telescope mounting.

The VMC110 that nFA mentioned have a good rep, though I've never personally seen through one. I have an Orion Apex 102 which is also excellent and very cheap at around USD260 and light at only 2.5 kg. It sits easily on a decent photographic tripod like a Manfrotto 090 with an 804 head. I assume the Orion Apex 127 is probably equally good quality and value at USD400 although I have not looked through one. They are a bit heavier at 4kg and would definitely need a telescope mount.

If you want to stay very portable, I would think you could look at any Mak or SCT up to 5 inch aperture. These scopes are also OK for planet viewing. Jupiter and Saturn are well south in declination at the moment so it will be a few years before you can see them high in the north sky from your latitude. These scopes are long focal length and are more forgiving of eyepiece designs so you can use cheaper eyepiece designs without too much loss of definition.

I would also echo the point that was made earlier by others that you don't need an equatorial mounting to track. So many beginners get confused doing polar alignment. I am not familiar with the ALT AZ mounts that have been mentioned so I'll bow to the experience of those that recommended them.

Good luck
Joe
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Re: First telescope advice please

#55

Post by Butterfly Maiden »


Thank you Joe.

Yourself, and a few others, have kept the advice to me very simple. That is great, as I and not very technically minded and a lot of the astronomy terminology goes way over my head. It gets really confusing at times.

I had to feel a little sorry for our member Arock. He was trying so hard to be helpful to get my Nikon Fieldscope adapted for sky viewing, but that wasn't what I was looking for. As it is, the scope does a great job for viewing the Moon and nearby Constellations, but I still just wanted to take it out for our birdwatching sessions, without having to alter the configuration of the scope every time.

As our Fieldscope has been regarded by lots of members here as a good quality optical device for astronomy, then we will continue to use it as such alongside our birdwatching sessions. If, some time in the future, we eventually decide to go for a telescope to view more distant objects then we will use the advice we have been given so far.
Vanessa

Nikon D82 Fieldscope with 30x/45x/56x angled eyepiece.
Olympus DPS-1 10x50 binoculars.
Leica 8x32BN binoculars.
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Re: First telescope advice please

#56

Post by Jnicholes »


Hi there,

I’m glad you’re getting a lot of help. Currently, my refractor‘s mount is broken. I can’t exactly do astronomy until I get a new one. Until then, I thought I’d come here and help you out a little bit with what you need.

What was it you were looking for again? Was it a scope or binoculars? I can’t seem to remember.
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Re: First telescope advice please

#57

Post by Butterfly Maiden »


Jnicholes wrote: Wed Jun 30, 2021 8:57 pm Hi there,

I’m glad you’re getting a lot of help. Currently, my refractor‘s mount is broken. I can’t exactly do astronomy until I get a new one. Until then, I thought I’d come here and help you out a little bit with what you need.

What was it you were looking for again? Was it a scope or binoculars? I can’t seem to remember.
Originally, I was looking for a light-weight and easily transportable telescope, mainly for viewing the Moon and nearby Constellations.

If you check out my Signature, you will see the optics I currently own. Several members noticed the Nikon Fieldscope which has an 80mm lens, and said that it was essentially as good as, or if not better than, an 80mm telescope.

That pretty much changed my decision to not continue looking for a telescope at the moment. Basically, I had the equipment to view the sky objects that we are interested in.

So for now, I have made a note of the advice I have been given for any future purchase of a larger telescope to view more distant objects.

I am really grateful for the advice offered so far, from our super brilliant members :romance-grouphug:

Thank you for the offer to help, but for now I think I am okay :smile:
Vanessa

Nikon D82 Fieldscope with 30x/45x/56x angled eyepiece.
Olympus DPS-1 10x50 binoculars.
Leica 8x32BN binoculars.
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Re: First telescope advice please

#58

Post by Lady Fraktor »


Don Alvarez wrote: Tue Jun 29, 2021 1:13 pm
Lady Fraktor wrote: Mon Jun 28, 2021 5:58 amPersonally I would love to rid the world of ST80s but that is just my opinion. ;)
What!?!? Rid the world of its most glorious invention since mankind decided to take a blade to a loaf of bread? Thats a bit rash... :lol:
I already call refractors that, a ST80 is half a set of binoculars and then they charge you more because they call it a refractor. :D
See Far Sticks: Antares Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser BV 127/1200, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885
EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, AXJ, AXD
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Re: First telescope advice please

#59

Post by Jnicholes »


Butterfly Maiden wrote: Thu Jul 01, 2021 6:31 am
Jnicholes wrote: Wed Jun 30, 2021 8:57 pm Hi there,

I’m glad you’re getting a lot of help. Currently, my refractor‘s mount is broken. I can’t exactly do astronomy until I get a new one. Until then, I thought I’d come here and help you out a little bit with what you need.

What was it you were looking for again? Was it a scope or binoculars? I can’t seem to remember.
Originally, I was looking for a light-weight and easily transportable telescope, mainly for viewing the Moon and nearby Constellations.

If you check out my Signature, you will see the optics I currently own. Several members noticed the Nikon Fieldscope which has an 80mm lens, and said that it was essentially as good as, or if not better than, an 80mm telescope.

That pretty much changed my decision to not continue looking for a telescope at the moment. Basically, I had the equipment to view the sky objects that we are interested in.

So for now, I have made a note of the advice I have been given for any future purchase of a larger telescope to view more distant objects.

I am really grateful for the advice offered so far, from our super brilliant members :romance-grouphug:

Thank you for the offer to help, but for now I think I am okay :smile:
Understood, glad you got the help you needed.
Celestron Nexstar 8SE Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope
25mm plossl Eyepiece
Goto mount
Iphone 11 Nightcap app Camera

"Our minds are finite, and yet even in these circumstances of finitude we are surrounded by possibilities that are infinite, and the purpose of life is to grasp as much as we can out of that infinitude."

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Re: First telescope advice please

#60

Post by Don Alvarez »


Lady Fraktor wrote: Thu Jul 01, 2021 6:53 pm I already call refractors that, a ST80 is half a set of binoculars and then they charge you more because they call it a refractor. :D
Harsh, milady.
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borrowing that logic, that a motorcycle is just half of an automobile? :animals-dogrun:
Telescopes: 10" SkyLine Dobsonian, 6" Apertura F5 Newt, Celestron Nextar GT90, Meade Infinity 80
EP: 5.5mm, 8.8mm, 14mm, 20mm, 24mm Meade 5000 UWA's, BCO's w/ Q-Turret, 26mm, 32mm, 40mm Meade 4000 Plossls, Orion Expanse, 30mm, 20mm, 15mm GSO Superview, Various others.
Binocs: 15x70 Celestron Skymaster, 10x50 Levenhuk Karma Pro, 10x42 Bushnell, 8x42 Sans & Streiffe
Mounts: Meade LX70 with dual axis motors, Celestron GT, More miscellaneous tripods than a Martian invasion.

"The heavens themselves, the planets, and this center observe degree, priority, and place,
Insisture, course, proportion, season, form, office, and custom, in all line of order.”
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