Basic Knowledge: A Review of Backyard Telescope Mounts

[NightClubc]

awesome video truemartian...

[truemartian]

@NightClubc Thanks!

[2JAMMY]

As a first scope I got a 76/700 on an alt-azimuth mount like the first one you showed. It is the best way of putting you off astronomy. The finder scope has 3 screws for 'adjustment' practically useless as it doesn't stay put. Other than looking at the moon - which was great - the mount is so awkward to point and lock. Trying to see any stars and actually focussing on them is a losing battle - every touch on the scope moves it off the target - nothing but frustration. Gonna try a different mount

[truemartian]

@2JAMMY Absolutely know your pain! This is the primary reason why I always recommend a quality dobsonian for beginners.

[albertgooding]

Your the fuckin' man.

[mamanestas]

Thank you so very Much, I will be watching for your next Videos thank you . From Thunder Bay :)

[mamanestas]

Hello From Thunder Bay , Canada. I am interested in purchasing a Telescope. This will be my first Telescope. I was thinking about the 8" Dobsonian , Now I understand that is a great beginner Telescope according to your advice. My question to you is Will I be able to veiw a great deal of the nightsky in clear conditions with this large ApetureTelescope? And do they hold their Value? incase of upgrade.. : ) Thank you I enjoy your videos they are very informative..

[truemartian]

@mamanestas I'm sure you will enjoy an 8 dob. As long as you take care of your scope properly, keeping its dust caps on, and treat the optics with even greater care you shouldn't have a problem reselling if you want to upgrade.

[gcndavidmn]

Your videos are great. I'm looking at getting into astronomy (going to be studying Physics next year at University).

I've had a look around and it would appear that it's an expensive hobby and I don't have loads of space for many telescopes, I also like throwing myself in at the deep end with most things, so would it be a good idea to get an equatorial mounted telescope from the outset? (I'm perfectly willing to have a steep learning curve).

[truemartian]

@gcndavidmn It depends on where you want to take the hobby, this is an important issue. It is expensive and your interests will dictate what sort of equipment you invest your money in. If its imaging, you probably want a setup with a quality equatorial mount. If its casual visual, then a dob will do. Each of these basic options in turn has its own variety of equipment to meet needs you will have to discover. One of the most important parts of amateur astronomy is learning constellations.

[Molhedim]

@truemartian hi , i wonder what telescope can you recomand and where to find it in germany ( at what shop ) i am a begginer , and i want one to see the planets and such . I hope you can help me becouse i dont know anyone else that can. thanks and good video.

[Jules7892]

@gcndavidmn I am really sorry about this question but here goes! Didn't you study 1 year Physics in your Grade 11 Classes & Grades 12 Classes or Grade 13 Ontario, Canada classes or is your Education System have only Physics & Chemistry in your countrie's, Universities???? Also you do NOT need Physics to become an Amateur Astronomer, ALL you need is a "Mature Mind Responsible" and to be Educated in Telescopes by an Adult, say a Father figure at your local ASTRONOMY Club!!!!

[carpeteater12]

would you recommend a (celestron astromaster 114 EQ)????

[truemartian]

@carpeteater12 Celestron is a decent brand and its certainly a good size beginner scope. I typically recommend 4.5 to 8 inch dobs for beginners because of their ease of use but if you cant find one or cant afford it I'm sure the Celestron will do just fine.

[heresatissue]

Hey I subscribed to your channel, I don't do that often. I am getting a telescope for christmas and I haven't came to a decision yet. All I have now is a pair of WW2 binoculars to look at the moon with. My budget is 250-300 dollars and I will be transporting it often to the beach near my house. I would like to know what you would recommend me looking into and researching further to come to a decision! cool videos, I will stay posted.

[truemartian]

For beginners I typicaly recommend a minimum diameter 4 inch reflector or 80-90mm refractor. Preferably a dobsonian over refractors and anything else equatorialy mounted.

[jexus23]

@heresatissue i would recomend a ETX 80at bb backpack observatory its a nicee telescope

[cherryemel]

Hi dear, I was wondering if you could help me with sth. My husband has always loved to watch the sky and for a long time wanted to get a telecope. Well, he did get a reflector one two days ago and for some reason we cannot see anything w/ it. Maybe we constructed it wrong? And how do we use the red light and where to place it? Keep in mind that is our first time. Thanks very much and keep up the good work

[truemartian]

Can you email me the model of your telelescope? I believe my email address can be found at the end of any of my videos. I'll do my best to help you out.

[thewisecreator]

ohh pwnd

[PangeaSoftwareInc]

one word: white balance

[truemartian]

That was two words.:D KEY word: amateur

 Hope you dont mind my levity. Clear Skies!

[webadage]

um.... Help me understand this. You said in this video that the new moon is directly between the Earth and the Sun. Wouldn't that be called a solar eclipse?

[truemartian]

Technically yes, thats what happens in a solar eclipse. If you look at the system from above at new moon you would see that it does pass directly between the sun and earth. If you looked at the system from the side however you would see that the moons orbit is slightly inclined and thus the shadow dosent always fall on the earth but sometimes above or below.

[truemartian]

If you want to get technical there are two times a year where the moons inclined orbit passes "directly" between earth and sun along the Z axis. For the sole purpose of illustration in this video we choose to look at the system from above in order to understand the position of the moon at new moon.

[EasyWolf31]

Will do, it's one of my targets for the next night out! thx

[EasyWolf31]

Hey there Truemartian, we spoke like 4 months ago, you helped me choose my XT10. I saw Neptune last night in my XT10 Orion Telescope, cool stuff. I've seen Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune so far. Some Globular clusters, open clusters, no galaxies yet. And 1 nebula, best buy I ever made.

[truemartian]

Hey thanks for that feedback on the XT10! I'm glad you got to see Neptune its quite a challenge! Try for galaxy M51. Its well placed in the evening sky next to the tip of the handle in the big dipper. With a 10 you have a chance to see a hint of its spiral structure under the right sky conditions.

[TheMrlucenec]

thanks :-]

[mercfrogyt]

Thanks!

I'll take your advice and buy a Dobsonian to "warm-up" on :-)

I'm getting tired of "theory" anyway.

Keep up the great videos!!!!!!!!!!

PS: I'm 43 and have been playing webmaster since 94, Astronomy is refreshing for me because it is so new and "unlimited", Internet is getting boring for me :-)

[truemartian]

As they say... the sky is the limit! ;-)

[mercfrogyt]

Hi!

I am armature, but saving since 2 years now for the "Celestron C-14 Schmidt Cassegrain" on a "Go-to" mount. (I am learning and reading in the mean time) is this "ok" or definitely a mistake?

[truemartian]

I wont tell you that saving for a good scope is a mistake. Especially since you have been learning and reading in the meantime. If you are not out under the stars learning to identify the constellations then that is your biggest mistake. Learn those constellations by heart and it will help you when you go to use that new scope. The best scope is always the one you use the most. This varies for everyone.

[Huskyowner2007]

Great post truemartian thanks ^ ^ But I have a question. I want to buy a skyquest xt 4.5 But should I buy it through the internet or a store? Do you know any telescope stores name? Please help thanks

[truemartian]

Thanks for the comment. You would have to do some research to see if there are any camera/telescope shops in your area that carry Orion products. I have always had to order by internet. Orion does have an 800 number to talk to a live sales rep if you are uncomfortable ordering over the net. I might also suggest the XT6 over the XT4.5 simply because it may be more comfortable. The XT4.5 is awesome but it does sit low on the ground. Either one are great scopes. I do not recommend Intelliscope.

[EasyWolf31]

Is it true refractor telescopes are better for stargzaing in the city/suburb?

[truemartian]

I've never heard of that suggestion. Its difficult to say but I do know refractors are generally reguarded as better at planets and reflectors better at deep space objects like nebula. That dosent mean either of them suck at what they are not better at.

[EasyWolf31]

Nooooo, now I'm confused lol, ok how about this than, with witch scope would I better be able to see craters on the moon, Mars, Jupiter-Saturn, Uranus-Neptune, a 100mm 400$ Refractor telescope or an Orion XT-8?

Better as in resolution and as closer. Thx, I'm leaning 90% towards buying the Orion XT-8 at the moment.

[truemartian]

Well the XT8 would have better resolution because its much larger. It would probably make you happier too ;-) (trust me on this one). Both telescopes would do just fine but where Uranus is concerned it could be the difference of seeing a tiny pale blue blob or a distince extremely tiny round pale blue period. (this is the difference I see between my XT4.5 and my 10) I don't know if an 8 is large enough to resolve the disk of Uranus but a 10 def is.

[truemartian]

The "better" part of a refractor on planetary bodies is that refractors seem to make planets look sharper and crisper. Like me, as you get into the hobby, you may eventually invest in a refractor and a reflector. I use my 6 inch refractor on an EQ mount primarily for imaging and to track and view planetary bodies on high power for extended periods of time.

[EasyWolf31]

Thx for the answers, I hope you dont mind all the questions. I've also ordered a book called Stargazing With a Telescope just to get as much info as I possibly can on eyepieces, scopes, etc...so that will help too.

Ok, now how about this scenario, let's say there was an asteroid crash like the one on Jupiter in the 90's, and you had to take one telescope with you, either in your back yard or in the field, which would you take? How about Comet Lulin that will be best visible tomorrow?

[EasyWolf31]

(2nd post)

Which scope will you be using for that event? I wish I had a scope, this was probably a once in a lifetime event, to see a nice green comet zooming by. Anyhow, it's so snowy up here (Near Montreal, Canada) that there hasnt been a visible star in 3-4 days so I probably woudnt see it anyhow. Last question, I wear glasses as well, do you recommend a special eyepiece for either a 8 or 10 inch Dobs? Thx again bud.

[EasyWolf31]

(3rd post)

Meant Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, not an asteroid*. Would that have even been visible with a telescope in the 500-2000$ range?

[truemartian]

At the time the comet hit Jupiter, the dark spots where the impacts took place were definitly visible through small backyard telescopes. Unfortunately I missed it. One of the two events I kick myself for missing. The other was comet Halley. I was about 15 when it came around and I missed it too. The sad thing is I gave up without even trying to see either one. So if something spectacular ever comes along always try for it. You just dont know what you will see until you look.

[EasyWolf31]

Yeah, now I know how you feel about missing something rare like that. Last night I was doing some research, ended up installing stellarium, finding my house's lat/longitude and realized Saturn and LEO were just outside my window. First time I noticed a planet btw! I could see a dot next to Saturn (one of its moons maybe?) and knew the comet c/2007 Lulin was right under, but couldnt see it with the naked eye, damn!!!!! Anyways, cant wait for my scope, ill start with the dob 8 or 10 inch for now

[EasyWolf31]

Ha, you never know, we might live until 2061 when Halley comes back again! Thx again for the info bud! Joined a nice astronomy forum also called Cloudy Nights, nice place!

[EasyWolf31]

I use my glasses to see far, -7 on both eyes, horrible, I can see perfect anything under 5-6 inches though, if you can please show me a nice eyepiece for my problem. A refractor 6 inch hmmm sounds good! maybe next year!!

[truemartian]

Are you sure that dot wasnt the comet? Look to see if it has moved. Remember also that Saturn moves you will have to compare the positions of both to nearby stars.

[truemartian]

Some eyepieces have a better eye relief than others. To simplify the meaning, eye relief is simply the distance you have to put your eye up against the eyepiece. A short eye relief means you have to press your eye close, a longer eye relief will give you room for your glasses. To some extent, if you dont have atigmatism, the telescope can focus the image correctly for you without your glasses. Try focusing with and without your glasses. I wear glasses. Sometimes I use them sometimes not.

[truemartian]

Since I do planetary imaging with my 6 inch refractor you can bet that if another comet smashed into Jupiter I would be imaging with it. Its the only scope I have capable of tracking the object and imaging properly.

[jamieball]

thanks.. you helped me alot with my telescope mount.. your videos are very helpful...

[yammo12]

Hi True thanks for you speedy reply i never heard of an laser collimator. It takes all guess work out of setting up the mirror once again im a lot wiser thanks for the information. Eamonn Dunne {Dublin Ireland }

[yammo12]

Hi True

I have my telescope three years and I never had a clue about how to align the mount you,re video was very interesting im a lot wiser thanks to you can you help me I took out the primary mirror to clean I don't know if I have it aligned properly can you give me advice on how to align it, or perhaps you could add a video on the subject I have a five and a half niche reflector and any help would be great.

Keep up the good work I have learned a lot from you.

Eamonn Dunne {Dublin Ireland}

[truemartian]

Hi thanks so much for watching and commenting. I would love to do a collimation video but I dont feel that my current understanding of the subject is good enough yet. I can tell you that there are several devices available on the market that help with the process. I myself use a laser collimator.

[Nkatsikanis]

got this reflector here, takes a while to figure all this out

[lair333]

Yah, later on that night I was reading and figured out how they came up with "0" hour. And I figured the same thing. Just look at stellarium, find something I know and set circles like that. Probably the easiest way.

[lair333]

Anyway, Concerning equitorial mounts, Im wondering how to read the RA and declination readings. Do you know what I'm talking about? For instance, I have a list of messier objects that are listed like this: M57 RA=18h 52mins Dec.+32 degrees 58 ??(feet?) Can you make a video describing that? The graph thingy on my telescope spins, so I'm guessing that when I set it to polaris, that becomes 0??? Anyway, any light you can shed on this would be helpful. And thanks for your guidance.

[truemartian]

The "graph thingys" are called setting circles. Once you polar align the scope you can home in on a bright star with a known coordinant(not Polaris) and align the setting circles to match the coordinats of the star you home in on. Theoretically you can then find any object using its coordinates and the aligned setting circles.

[lair333]

Hello again truemartian, Well, I bought a telescope. I decided to go with a cheap one. It is serving its purpose. I have learned alot from it. It is a galileo 118 mm that I got for $100.00 from ebay. It even has an equitorial mount (kinda cheap though). But I have learned from that exactly what I want. I definitely need dual-axis motors to be able to move around without shaking the hell out of the telescope. And an electronic focuser for the very same reason. I have another comment,...

[manzunis]

great work!

[gjilani98]

wooooooow dude u have got so much telescopes

[monsterboy1985]

is an orion starblast 4.5 EQ Reflector any good?

[truemartian]

See my video entitled "What kind of telescope should I buy?" for my personal recommendation.

[niiittthhhiiinnn1997]

ya!very good

[gattling1980]

hahhahhahhahhhaha

[selfbecome]

I have been interested in Astronomy ever since I can remember. Its my goal to school and do something that has to do with astronomy for a living. Truemartian, how long did you go to school for to be able to learn so much? You're an inspiration to me, no doubt about it. Good luck and keep the videos coming.

[truemartian]

Thanks so much for the kind comment. I am not a professional by any means, thus I retain the title of AMATEUR astronomer ;-) Astronomy is not my gift, it is my hobby. Everything I know about astronomy I have read and tought myself out of pure love of the subject. I am a teacher at heart and a grocer by night. You dont have to be professional to do astronomy but if you are inspired to do professional work then by all means; someday I may be educating the general public on your discoveries!

[Juan65]

I wanted to ask you if a Dobsonian can be used for astrophotography, because it won't be suitable to use with a clock drive to track an object ?

Thanks in advance!

[truemartian]

Dobsonians can be used for a limited amount of astrophotography. Primarily on bright objects like the moon and sun, depending on the solar filter you have. (MUST USE A SOLAR FILTER!).

[jakeroyle]

Thanks for the reply, isent a super 10mm better then a 5mm? what lens can see really close up to the moon i mean like close up to the craters so you can see detail? thanks again mate keep up the good work.

[truemartian]

Not sure I undrstnd what a "super" 10mm eyepece is vs a 5mm. Magnification is calculatd by dividng the telescops focal length by the focal lngth of the eyepece. Ex: My 6" refractr has a focal lngth of 1200mm. I have found my view of Saturn is optimizd when usng a 3.8mm Orion Ultrascopic eyepece with the 6". Amazngly everyone in my astronomy club agrees it even beats the view of Saturn through the clubs 14inch schmit-cass!

[truemartian]

1200mm div by 3.8mm gives a mag. of 316X. Try various eyepeces with your equipment to see what works best for you. Sometimes a lower mag is better. Depends on the equipment and the object observed.

[jakeroyle]

Hey truemartian, thanks for the videos ive watched alot of them and admire you :) i just bought a (Skywatcher 150mm)my first telescope are they good for start clusters and nebulas and the moon? What is a good Lens for deep space and moon closeups and whats prices for good lense,(£) i got a super 10mm and a super25 wide angle lens that came with the scope, i was thinking like a 30mm lense or something?. Thanks man keep up the good work looking forward to your reply :).

[truemartian]

Hey thanks for watching. For now stick with the two eyepieces you have. Take a look around the sky first and see how you like the views. At most you might want to invest in a 5mm eyepiece. It depends on how much magnification your scope can take and still be useful. 30mm might be ok as well it would give you a wider field of view. If you have opportunity to try another amateurs eyepieces at a club somewhere do so.

[justanotherfakiename]

hello, truemartian. I'm going to buy my first scope, Skywatcher Dobsonian 150 6". What do you think about? is it good for moon and planets? thanks

[truemartian]

Dont know much about skywatcher as a brand but a 6inch is a good size for a beginner. All telescopes will show you the moon and bright planets. Make sure you learn your constellations. They are your road map to the sky.

[UndauntedSpark]

It is so nice to be able to find some good educational information on the u tube...thank you.

[brucepiano]

Hi True Martian,

Great Videos! I bought a Skyquest 4.5 about a year ago and I am not sure if it is collimated.

When I look through the eyepiece holder without a eyepiece the scope looks collimated. However,with the collimation cap in place the primary mirror is collimated, but the "gray circular area is not centered in the spider vanes. Suggestions?

Bruce

[truemartian]

Bruce, Collimation is tricky buisness. BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE! I'm not even sure I can help you here. My hope is that sometime in the near future I can do a video on it. Its so much easier to show you than to type an explanation.

Jason

[faisal0077]

thanks for ur demostration. just 2days back i got my first telescope "SEMBEN 150,1400mm). But Still I could not get any interseting thing through it!!!! SAD HELP ME.I have 6.5mm,24mm Eyepiece. 1.5x,2x Bawlow but still I could not see any interesting stuff!!

[truemartian]

Start out using your 24mm eyepiece. Also make sure your finderscope is aligned with what you see in the telescope (see part 4 video). The moon will be coming up soon. Practice with it. Also try for Venus, the brightest star in the morning before sunrise.

[Foret777]

Thanks TrueMartian, my first telescope just arrived yesterday, was so excited, too bad its only 5 degrees outside though ; ;

I got the Meade ETX-80

[jacksparrowlol]

how much cost this telescop ?

[truemartian]

Which telescope?

[Maxsapd]

Thank you very much, that helped.

Is a 4 inch reflector okay for a beginner?

[truemartian]

A 4 inch is probably the best minimum size for a beginner.

[Maxsapd]

Okay

[mdhelm09]

Ok thank you very much!!

[mdhelm09]

Orion StarBlast 4.5 EQ Reflector. It is an telescope that I could afford.

[truemartian]

Your new telescope will do fine. Remember to learn your constellations. They are your guide to deep space objects. If you're game, try getting up early in the morning and look for Saturn and Venus just before sunrise.

[mdhelm09]

Iam an beginner, and I bought a telescope from Orion...And they always show a good picture of Mars with good detail..and it is the same telescope I have..But I don't see the same thing...I just see a tiny dot..And I have clear skies...........What do I do?

[truemartian]

It sounds like you are seeing exactly what you are supposed to be seeing. Mars will be best around Dec 18 but even at that it will not be as close as it has been in the past. You rarely see through the telescope what you see in pictures. What model telescope do you have?

[dolemite5000]

I'd like to buy a telescope powerful enough to see Saturn's rings. Is there a super bid difference between an 8 and 10 inch reflector telescope?

[truemartian]

You can see Saturns rings through a 4.5 inch and even smaller.

[Dakakata]

have u seen any ufos yet?

[truemartian]

Nothing I couldnt identify as a satellite or airplane.

[lisalov4]

everybody can buy a telescope and tell what type of ones it is.

lets go to the point where you describe us your accoplishments.maybe your very special photos you made.your contributions to the field of astronomie.did you at least maybe catch the shadow of a solar eclipse on jupiter.or the rare moment when mercury passes exatctly between sun and earth?

[nova747]

I have to disagree with you there. Getting a telescope for the first time can be very confusing. Shops want to sell their products and mose won't care about selling the telescope thats right for you. You first encounter reflectors and refractors, then you have 2 diffrent mounts to choose from and then you will need to decided on the specs of it.

[nova747]

I had no idea what to choose when I got my first telescope and watching these videos then would have helped me get my telescope over a much shorter time span, rather than searching through webpages to get the best idea of what to buy.

[bloodspila2]

thanks alot! your video's are very helpful!!

[jadedgreendayexperie]

Thank you for your videos.I am an aspiring amateur and researching all the fundamentals.I am primarily interested in the Andromeda galaxy as well as our own planetary system.

In a weeks time i am buying a equatorial Celestron Advanced series C6N,also buying 2 seperate eye pieces for better magnification.

The guy told me this would be a great starting telescope,what do you say?

Anyway great videos and i look forward to the next part!

Jamie

[truemartian]

How much experience do you have with a telescope? Do you know your constellations yet?

[bedbugg1]

i found a dobsonian telescope and i think it has a equatorial mount but it also has a small motor on it and doesnt go up and down what is it?

[truemartian]

Do you have a picture of it on the internet somewhere?

[jadedgreendayexperie]

I have looked by i am affraid i cannot find it!

Just sky watching tonight with my binoculars and came across the constellation of Delphinus-that was really cool! but not as cool as when i seen the Milky Way :)

Anyways thanks for replying and hopefully see a new film by you soon?

Maybe you could talk a little about deep sky watching-Andromeda for example?

[swankyapenarcotic]

thanks, that helped me fully understand how to use an equatorial mount. Im looking to buy one...at a nice student price though, because my dobsonian mount for my 8 inch reflector is very bad for photography :(

[geogenerated]

I think I have identified somekind of worm-hole on Google.sky by pure random browsing of a particular section of space. PM me if you want coordinates and maybe you could explain what it is for me. thanks.

[dimepicker]

I found a worm hole in the space inside my pants!

[shooter1k]

You found yourself? great accomplishment

[guitarrlp6969]

your vids are very helpful im planning to buy a bigger telescope soon.

[mrmups]

brilliant stuff!!!

[nickeax]

Excellent, thank you very much for your help.

- Nick

[iglolights2]

I have an old sears discovery telescope(old), that needs work. Let me know if you could possibly help me. Thanks.

[truemartian]

What kind of work does it need?

[ANDROID697]

MY EYES ARE AS POWERFUL AS HST THANKS FOR your supa galatic imformation a keen observer

[cmessier51]

for the person with the question about moon phases (not trying to say you didn't do a good job explaining martian just for practical observation)watch the moon through one cycle you'll see that when it's a very thin crescent it's low on the horizon and appears very close or immediately after sunset and

[cmessier51]

every day at the same time after that it progressively moves higher up and more of it becomes illuminated. exact movement across the sky depends on your latitude but you can see that during the full moon it is directly to the east where during the new moon it is directly to the west

[lood123]

On amazon dotcom they got a telescope called the "Celestron NexStar 8 SE Telescope", its the most expensive one there, is it worth the cost?  Can you view far away objects that are out of our solar system on that telescope without it being fuzzy?

[truemartian]

While Ive never used this telescope and thus cannot give you advice on its performance, I can say that it probably performs to its expectations of a telescope of its size and type. We often expect to see objects through a telescope just like the pictures. The truth is the human eye has its limitatations. The camera's that make these pictures are 1000's of times more sensitive.

[truemartian]

The earth's atmosphere also plays a significant role in how you see an object. There are some nights you will see better than others because the atmosphere is calmer. The bottom line is to never expect to see through a telescope what you see in pictures .

[bstep13]

i've finally earned enough money to buy a 12 inch Classic Meade LX200 Telescope how good is that telescope??? i've been a beginner for years now i'm ready to advance to a bigger telescope i've been seeing galaxies as little fuzzy spots now i'm ready for the real deal new comets and planets i think the galaxy arp 82 will be really cool.

[truemartian]

Hi thanks for watching and writing in. Having no experience with the LX200 or the Series 5000 I must defer the question to someone who may see this message and can answer based on their own experience with this equipment. At best I can only recommend that you read any reviews you may find out there.

[truemartian]

I would also recommend going to one of the larger star parties around to see if you can find someone who owns this equipment and will be willing to let you experience it for yourself before you buy. Star parties are a great resource for advanced amateur astronomy.

[bstep13]

how good is a Meade 34MM Super wide angle lens Series 5000????

[samuel588]

My Dads an astronomer. And he built his oberservatory on top of our house. If you have google earth you can see it. The post code is DA27RT

[engeladam409]

Do many dobsonians have alt azmith readings on them?

[truemartian]

I dont think I know of any dobs that have "readings" on them. Some have computers attached to show you where you are pointed in the sky. I personnally would not ever have a dob with a computer attached. You can save yourself money evantually by building a map of where things are in your head.

[engeladam409]

I plan to get a computer attaced, but not for a while. i dont want one until i can find my way around the sky first.

[truemartian]

A wise money saving choice ;-)

[engeladam409]

I am soon to get a dobsonian, and i was wondering what one like your would be best for looking at?

[truemartian]

Dobs are great because they are simple to set up. The reason we build larger telescopes is to see more detail in the objects we view. We call a dob a dob only because of its mount. Otherwise its just a newtonian reflector. I would start off with a 4-6 inch dob. I bought a 10" because I wanted to see galaxies better. You can still see galaxies under dark enough skies with a 6 inch.

[truemartian]

A 4-6 inch will be easier to carry with you. My 10 inch weighs 80lbs. Even so I still use it more than my equatorial mounted refractor because its easier to set up.

[bankeh]

Love the video... im an amature, whos just starting astrophotography... seeing your eq act like that makes me thank god, i went with the etx on the old fork instead :-p

[HearWa]

ARE YOU CALLING ME A NEWB!?

Heh... that's a nice collection of telescopes you have there.

[truemartian]

Thanks they are my pride-n-joy! :D

[mathproblems]

JaalaJ

Thanks for sending me this video It iwas informative. I dont own any telescope but am very interested in spacae and the sky

[JaalaJ]

Mine is an equatorial, and mine also refuses to cooperate!

[mixael2006]

another informative video. thx