Now the fun begins

[Sorarse]

Well, I purchased a mount on Saturday just gone, and the tube I ordered yesterday turned up this morning (excellent service).

All I've got to do now is learn how to set it all up and use it.

For anyone who hasn't seen my previous threads asking all sorts of inane questions, I've ended up with a Celestron 9.25" with XLT coating and an EQ6 PRO mount. I'll try and post a pic of it when I've manged to put it together and taken a picture of it.

I'm already thinking of extras I can buy, like additional eyepieces, maybe a 2" diagonal, definitely a dew cap, and of course a T-ring and mount for putting my camera on it.

Let the fun begin.

[Adrena1in]

Do you have enough to at least get started with viewing? Eyepieces and stuff?

I will pray for clear skies, though as all astronomers know, the day you buy a new piece of kit usually starts a spell of bad weather. The length of the spell of bad weather is also directly proportional to the amount of money you spent, and multiplied by what's known as the "excitement factor"...if you're really keen to get out and try it, we're looking at, I'm guessing, at least 32 days of cloud!! ;)

You can always practise Drift-Alignment on this natty website I found a while back.

http://www.petesastrophotography.com/

It really works.

[Sorarse]

A single 25mm eyepiece! Though having said that, I have some cheap and cheerful eyepieces lying around that came with the Tal I used to use.

Cloudy skies here at the moment! :(

[renderwerks]

Congrats on your new gear!! :D

I set mine up for the first time last night in the front yard (not such a good location) and just played around with the hand controller, going through the menus and such.

When you get your camera adapter, remember to shoot the moon (our "duck") and post it for good luck!

Have fun and clear skies!

[Adrena1in]

Hope it's as clear in Kent as it is in Hampshire...pretty much as good as it gets here. I've just been trying a time-lapse thing, but the lens just gets covered in dew within minutes. Darn this English weather!! :mad:

[Sorarse]

Yep. Just achieved first light, and all I can say is WOW.

Didn't bother with power supplies and motorising everything - just did a rough polar alignment and then moved everything manually.

Haven't even lined the finder up with the main tube properly, which made finding things interesting. There are just so many stars visible when looking through the main tube, it makes it difficult to know which is which.

[Nightop]

Get the dew sheild!!! All that glass loves to collect moisture.

[Sorarse]

That's definitely on the top of the list of things to get.

[Nighthound]

First light is the best. I miss my SCT for those nice views and the object scale.

Start thinking about a Dew Heater and strap. The shield will help but only delay a wet corrector plate.

[Nightop]

Start thinking about a Dew Heater and strap. The shield will help but only delay a wet corrector plate.


Totally agree!!

[Adrena1in]

I just bought a £4.99 bed-roll from a camping shop, and cut it up to make extra dew-shields for my scopes, but I still want to investigate a dew-strap-heater thing...not sure where to get one.

[Nighthound]

I just bought a £4.99 bed-roll from a camping shop, and cut it up to make extra dew-shields for my scopes, but I still want to investigate a dew-strap-heater thing...not sure where to get one.


I use the Thousand Oaks Heater with Kendrick straps. Dew Buster is another popular unit. The multi channel designs are great in which ever brand you get. Very nice to be able to adjust power independently to different scopes, eyepieces or lenses on your rig.
http://www.skiesunlimited.net/index.php?ProductID=492

[Adrena1in]

Thanks for the link Steve. (I had to double-take, because "skiesunlimited" is the eBay name of the chap I get most of my stuff from, and I'm sure it was his domain name until he changed it to skysthelimit.org.uk!)