Christmas Tree 4871 Posted January 30, 2012 Author Share Posted January 30, 2012 I know you've posted a pic but what model / make did you get in the end, CT? if you don't mind my asking. Its called a Skywatcher Skymax 102 goto. I only spent several hours researching but still feel it was good enough and portable enough to suit my needs. One of the nice features is that once you have done the initial set up, you just type in what you want to see and it automatically whizzes into the right position. Got it at Bonsers in Newcastle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 What did it cost, roughly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CleeToonFan 1 Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 My Dad's a surveyor and has loads of stuff like this for his job and that. Also made me realise how hard that job is. He tried teaching me the maths involved and I think it was 30 seconds before I gave up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christmas Tree 4871 Posted January 30, 2012 Author Share Posted January 30, 2012 What did it cost, roughly? £329 Could have got it £40 or £50 cheaper buying from the Internet but I wanted it there and then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 What did it cost, roughly? £329 Could have got it £40 or £50 cheaper buying from the Internet but I wanted it there and then! Cheers, mate. Let me know how you get on with it and what you think of it etc. if you don't mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christmas Tree 4871 Posted January 30, 2012 Author Share Posted January 30, 2012 What did it cost, roughly? £329 Could have got it £40 or £50 cheaper buying from the Internet but I wanted it there and then! Cheers, mate. Let me know how you get on with it and what you think of it etc. if you don't mind. I'll probably sell you it in a week or so! I'll let you know how it does, although its already blown me away seeing Jupiter and the four moons. I havent also figured out all the different lenses etc that come with it. If you are considering one then I cant recommend that astronomy forum enough. Very helpful with advice. Even if you dont want to sign up you will see lots of advice re kit in the beginners section. http://stargazerslounge.com/ There is also a company that sponsors that forum that seem very reasonable and have quite a bit of stuff on their website. http://www.firstlightoptics.com/telescopes.html They will all tell you that your budget comes first. Once you have a spend in mind you fit kit to the spend. (Some of them are even building their own observatories I also picked up that most of the board hero worship a model called Tal 100rs which is £249 for the scope only (no mount) a decent mount was sending the price to over £500 which was out of my budget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@yourservice 67 Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Wouldn't mind a go of this but with one of those camera adaptors so I can take shots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christmas Tree 4871 Posted January 30, 2012 Author Share Posted January 30, 2012 Wouldn't mind a go of this but with one of those camera adaptors so I can take shots. You need a very good mount for this. Something to do with long exposures??? so the telescope has to move with the stars. (apparently) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 I'll probably sell you it in a week or so! I'll let you know how it does, although its already blown me away seeing Jupiter and the four moons. I havent also figured out all the different lenses etc that come with it. If you are considering one then I cant recommend that astronomy forum enough. Very helpful with advice. Even if you dont want to sign up you will see lots of advice re kit in the beginners section. http://stargazerslounge.com/ There is also a company that sponsors that forum that seem very reasonable and have quite a bit of stuff on their website. http://www.firstligh...telescopes.html They will all tell you that your budget comes first. Once you have a spend in mind you fit kit to the spend. (Some of them are even building their own observatories I also picked up that most of the board hero worship a model called Tal 100rs which is £249 for the scope only (no mount) a decent mount was sending the price to over £500 which was out of my budget. Thanks very much, CT. Let me know if it's going cheap. Is it fairly portable btw? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christmas Tree 4871 Posted January 30, 2012 Author Share Posted January 30, 2012 I'll probably sell you it in a week or so! I'll let you know how it does, although its already blown me away seeing Jupiter and the four moons. I havent also figured out all the different lenses etc that come with it. If you are considering one then I cant recommend that astronomy forum enough. Very helpful with advice. Even if you dont want to sign up you will see lots of advice re kit in the beginners section. http://stargazerslounge.com/ There is also a company that sponsors that forum that seem very reasonable and have quite a bit of stuff on their website. http://www.firstligh...telescopes.html They will all tell you that your budget comes first. Once you have a spend in mind you fit kit to the spend. (Some of them are even building their own observatories I also picked up that most of the board hero worship a model called Tal 100rs which is £249 for the scope only (no mount) a decent mount was sending the price to over £500 which was out of my budget. Thanks very much, CT. Let me know if it's going cheap. Is it fairly portable btw? Fairly compared to some of them. The legs on the tripod retract and the scope part itself is about the same size as a loaf of bread. This is the one quite a few of them were recommending to me and as you can see its quite a chunk. (£270) http://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-skyliner-200p-dobsonian.html There are also two youtube vids about my scope. One talks you through the different models and the other demonstrates the automatic goto system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@yourservice 67 Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 I never knew Rolf Harris was into Astronomy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christmas Tree 4871 Posted February 21, 2012 Author Share Posted February 21, 2012 Watch The International Space Station Fly Over This Evening With Your Naked Eye. At approx 18.27 tonight the ISS will be very bright as it flys over the UK. According to the weatherman, best chance for clear skies are in the East. For updates etc and pictures you can follow this fella on twitter @VirtualAstro. This site will also give you some info about watching the ISS for beginners. http://www.universetoday.com/93584/beginners-guide-to-seeing-the-the-international-space-station-iss/ This site lets you enter your village into a database and let you know exactly what time to look in the sky, what direction and how far up into the sky from the horizon. http://www.heavens-above.com/ For those of you with cameras, this site tells you how to take photos like this.... http://www.universetoday.com/93588/a-beginners-guide-to-photographing-the-international-space-station-iss/ And over egglestone abbey last night... http://www.northnews.co.uk/article/337 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toonraider 0 Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 Get that telescope out tonight CT!! http://earthsky.org/tonight/moon-jupiter-and-venus-light-up-evening-sky-on-february-26 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christmas Tree 4871 Posted February 26, 2012 Author Share Posted February 26, 2012 Get that telescope out tonight CT!! http://earthsky.org/...-on-february-26 Aye looked pretty good last night, especially as the space station whizzed in between all three! Space station will do it again as well tonight at exactly 18.31pm. Worth a look. (You dont need a telescope as it will be extremely bright tonight. Even our lass thought it looked canny cool). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkeys Fist 43285 Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 As I was taking my 4 yr old swimming this morning she rattled off the planets, which on its own impressed me, but when she listed the last three as " Jupiter, Uwamus, and Penus " I nearly crashed the car. I'll show her the Moon and J&P tonight out the window. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toonraider 0 Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 Get that telescope out tonight CT!! http://earthsky.org/...-on-february-26 Aye looked pretty good last night, especially as the space station whizzed in between all three! Space station will do it again as well tonight at exactly 18.31pm. Worth a look. (You dont need a telescope as it will be extremely bright tonight. Even our lass thought it looked canny cool). Excellent...I love it. Its fairly dark where I live too, but best place to view is on Dartmoor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ewerk 31286 Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 The fly over has been cancelled due to fears that the station could collide with Charlie Adam's penalty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkeys Fist 43285 Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Manson 0 Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 The fly over has been cancelled due to fears that the station could collide with Charlie Adam's penalty. Bah, I was just going to post telling CT to get his telescope out and have a look for Adam's shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christmas Tree 4871 Posted April 16, 2012 Author Share Posted April 16, 2012 I bet you're a fucking nightmare for getting carried away with things and wasting money in them, CT. Have fun with it though, there's worse hobbies. Sold today on Ebay Strange how the most obvious things dont get considered when you really, really want something. 1. The only time I can use it is outside when its dark and freezing. 2. Once you've looked at the moon and a few planets its dawns on you that these are not going to change any time soon. Ah well. Next Hobby please step forward Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkeys Fist 43285 Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 next! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemmill 46388 Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 I bet you're a fucking nightmare for getting carried away with things and wasting money in them, CT. Have fun with it though, there's worse hobbies. Sold today on Ebay Strange how the most obvious things dont get considered when you really, really want something. 1. The only time I can use it is outside when its dark and freezing. 2. Once you've looked at the moon and a few planets its dawns on you that these are not going to change any time soon. Ah well. Next Hobby please step forward Learn a musical instrument. It's an investment in your future and your kids' too potentially. Plus imagine being able to sit under the patio heater singing Elton John songs with your guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Manson 0 Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Blatantly saw that the moon wasn't made of cheese so packed the whole astronomy thing in there and then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christmas Tree 4871 Posted April 16, 2012 Author Share Posted April 16, 2012 I bet you're a fucking nightmare for getting carried away with things and wasting money in them, CT. Have fun with it though, there's worse hobbies. Sold today on Ebay Strange how the most obvious things dont get considered when you really, really want something. 1. The only time I can use it is outside when its dark and freezing. 2. Once you've looked at the moon and a few planets its dawns on you that these are not going to change any time soon. Ah well. Next Hobby please step forward Learn a musical instrument. It's an investment in your future and your kids' too potentially. Plus imagine being able to sit under the patio heater singing Elton John songs with your guitar. Done. Been through the electric guitar phase (could only ever play a bad rendition of the chorus from Smoke on the water) and many organ phases from massive double deck / foot pedal jobbies to various Yamaha / Casio ones. Come to think of it I have an awful photo somewhere of me and my large organ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemmill 46388 Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Online poker? Street dance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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