The Journey begins...

[Razz]

I'm not sure if this is the right place for this but I figured I'd start a thread to document my start into astronomy. I recently ordered everything that I think I'll need to get started. Tonight I got home from work and had a package on my doorstep. Now, it was too small to be the telescope or mount but I was excited anyway. I opened it up and it was just the red light flashlight I ordered...talk about a slow start...LOL...anyway, not to be deterred, I grabbed a beer and went into my backyard and amused myself with it for about an hour...I checked the tracking on everything else and it seems that the polarizing lens I ordered to view the moon will be next. Imagine a 56 year old man outside with a red flashlight and polarizing lens...lol...not sure what that will do...on a more serious note, I'm realistic about what I can do. Ultimately, my biggest interest is in DSOs but I'm gonna start slow with the moon. The scope I ordered is an Orion ST80. As I mentioned, I ordered a variable polarizing filter. Are there any other filters I should get? It's been suggested to me to get a #8 yellow and/or a moon and sky glow filter. Not sure about the #8 but what I have read about the moon and sky glow is that it's mainly to cut the light from LP as well as the moon...Is that correct? BTW the polarizing filter is a Celestron #94107...

[10538]

Hello Razz. I have a whole box of filters that I rarely use. My biggest interest is also DSOs and I’ve tried expensive Nebula filters and others that in my opinion did not improve my views at all. I much prefer to see the unfiltered light from galaxies in beautiful star fields, open clusters, planetary nebulas and globular clusters. I do believe a variable polarizing filter for the moon once in a while and maybe an 82A for Jupiter could be beneficial at some point. While waiting on my scope I loaded up on all kinds of accessories like filters, eyepieces, telrads, observing chairs and more that I never or hardly ever use. Go slow purchasing too much until you get some experience with your scope. If possible join an astronomy club and hopefully get some firsthand guidance and see what others are doing with their equipment. There are lots of people on this forum that have the ST80 and can guide you in the right direction on what accessories that you will actually use rather than collect dust in your eyepiece case. Beware of Sets of eyepieces and filters!

[gregl]

... I grabbed a beer and went into my backyard and amused myself with it for about an hour...

Congrats on making a beer last an hour!

Seriously, do follow the advice above and don't buy stuff until you have had a chance to borrow from someone and try it first. I think all of us have ended up with stuff we don't use because it looks good and other folks have it. I've got some 14 or so eyepieces and I only really use three or four of them. I spent a lot of money on a zoom and I just don't like it. Filters, meh. But it's all very personal, so go slow and be sure you really need it. (My dad once said, "There is a difference between what you want and what you need.")

[Razz]

Thanks for the replies...any opinions on the #8 yellow filter and the moon and skyglow filters? Are they useful? Am I correct about the use for the moon and skyglow filter?

[gregl]

I bought polarizing filters for the moon but find I don't need them. The only time I'm looking at the moon is from the light polluted city and the brightness of the moon is not so much that I need to fiddle with the filters. When I'm at a dark site, it's almost always during the new moon. I suppose there are folks who are trying to tease out lunar details and need filters, but I'd recommend waiting to see if that's something you get into. My solution to sky glow is to get out of town, which may not be practical for you. Perhaps those who have them will comment.

[10538]

The #8 is a light yellow filter for use on the cloud bands and GRS of Jupiter and to bring out some details on Mars. The 80A is a medium blue that basically is supposed to do the same thing. To me it’s just a matter of which you like best. I’ve tried them both on Jupiter and Mars and I was so impressed that I never bother to take them out of the case anymore. Buy one and try it. It may work for you. Just don’t buy a set of them like I did! As for the SkyGlow filter, I bought an Ultrablock from Orion supposedly used to block stray light from street lights and other light pollution. It darkens the background too much for me and blocks out many faint stars and galaxies. I don’t care for it. I don’t have a SkyGlow filter because I don’t do photography.

[chris_g]

Welcome aboard, I was where you are at about a year ago. I ended up buying a couple of items I don't use. My passion is AP and DSOs, so I can speak a little about filters. Filtesr really only do you good for AP as that was previously mentioned. You might want to get an LP filter, Sky Glow, but it's been said that truly is a preference of the user and depends on your sky. Check out your location to figure out your bortle rating is, just how polluted your sky is. You can do that at https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/ You'll need your GPS coordinates, you can use your cell phone and an app from your version of the Play store.

Don't go down the rabbit hole as this hobby can get expensive extremely fast. Research, research and more research once you figure out what you really want to do. And you've found the best place, IMHO, to ask those questions.

Clear Skies!

[sdbodin]

Save your money, filters are for imaging only, visually not worth it. Except the var polarizer, good on the bright moon.
I too have two boxes full of visual filter, all have not seen the light of 'night' for at least 20 years.

Clear skies,
Steve

[Lady Fraktor]

Filters have their place but the list of useful ones is short.
I would not buy anymore than the polarizer for now and you may even find you do not need it.
A lot of people complain about the brightness but they are usually dark adapted which you do not need to be for lunar and planetary viewing.

[Razz]

Thanks for the opinions. It's appreciated. According to Clear Outside, I'm under Bortle 4 skies. I think the best idea, based on these replies, is to wait and see if I will, in fact, need any filters. Eventually, I'd like to get into AP but that will be a long time from now. Gotta learn to walk before I run...

[chris_g]

Bortle 4, not bad skies. My primary location is under bortle 5. I started without any filters and only really use two now, both are for imaging and that was so I could enhance what I was getting. IMHO, you really don't need any ffilters for visual with those skies and not really for imaging either unless you specialize. Save your money for what you really want once you figure that out.

[turboscrew]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but for visual use on not-so-bright targets, LP filters don't work well with that small telescopes. They tend to block too much light.

[Bigzmey]

Filters are useful tools but they come later when you gather some experience. Your next purchase most likely will be some EPs, maybe barlow. I have upgraded focuser on my ST80 and that was a big improvement. Better diagonal. The list keeps going.

[gregl]

Once I did see the value of an OIII narrowband filter. We were up at 8000 ft. altitude in the Sierra Nevada mountains on a particularly stable night. It's about as dark as it gets up there. One of our comrades had a huge Obsession (18 or 20-inch?). We were looking at the Swan nebula, and the filter made a noticeable difference, darkening the sky and enhancing the elements of the Swan. The view was spectacular. I don't know how much difference it would have made in my 8-inch SCT but at about $100 I'm going to get along with what I have, and hope that I get to look through that scope again sometime.

[chris_g]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but for visual use on not-so-bright targets, LP filters don't work well with that small telescopes. They tend to block too much light.

No need to be corrected, my ED80 is a pain to platesolve with my Optolong filters. I have to crank up my ISO setting and exposure,
can't do that with your eyes,

[messier 111]

to tss .

[Razz]

I cancelled my order from Orion. I ordered 4 things that showed in stock, then suddenly one becomes unavailable and 2 are on backorder. I'm thinking about buying the SVBONY SV503 telescope. Any thoughts?

[Bigzmey]

I cancelled my order from Orion. I ordered 4 things that showed in stock, then suddenly one becomes unavailable and 2 are on backorder. I'm thinking about buying the SVBONY SV503 telescope. Any thoughts?

I don't have a personal experience with it, but it looks like a well made scope. I have a few accessories from SVBONY the quality is on pair with products from Orion, Celestron,etc.

[Razz]

Well, I just ordered it. We'll see how it goes...

[chris_g]

I cancelled my order from Orion. I ordered 4 things that showed in stock, then suddenly one becomes unavailable and 2 are on backorder. I'm thinking about buying the SVBONY SV503 telescope. Any thoughts?

I had issues with Orion when I first ordered equipment last February, in stock then not in stock, more in stock in 14 days, then changing to extended backorder. I had ordered from Opt, they confirmed that Orion's web site stock levels were jacked up. I ended up cancelling most of my order with them too and went with SkyWatcher. Thought they would have had it fixed by now. I use Agena Astro almost exclusively now. They seem to get stuff in faster and more reliably than the other sites.

Good luck!