paul
Cygnus
Posts: 29
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Post by paul on Jan 1, 2013 12:34:51 GMT
Thank you all for the advice, tips and knowledge a few months ago in Bragan . I was recommended a Dobsonian and after some online detective work I decided the Skyliner 150p was for me. It arrived a few days before Christmas in a Ford Ka (to this day still i have no idea how it managed to fit ). Build quality was great and everything was metal, i'm no engineer but i'm pretty sure that's a good thing. The moon was full that night so all i could look at was the moon which was great and Jupiter which simply blew me away , I never seen the cloud bands before but there they were, along with 4 moons. The next descent, moonless night was New years eve. I was over whelmed with what I saw that night. In the west Lyra, Cygnus and Hercules were setting so I hunted down a few new messier objects. The ring neb' was big, bright and dark in the middle, M13 (another new object for me) was amazing but no stars were resolved i figured this was because it was just above the horizon but could this be a sign of bad collimation? I saw a few open clusters in Perseus, Auriga, Gemini and Cassiopeia with M35, M37 and the double cluster standing out as the nicest ones. I easily found the crab and Orion nebula with the latter having an eerie green glow! But the real highlight of the night was M33 which had 2 blotchy spiral arms.I am really liking this new scope. I have a few questions to...1. how to i know if it needs collimating and 2.It came with a Baader Neodyuim filter, what is it used for. I
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Post by Ronny on Jan 1, 2013 13:41:19 GMT
The filter is supposed to intensify surface details on Mars, Jupiter and Moon – and enhance many Deep Sky galaxies and nebulae against the background sky. I haven't got one so I can't tell you if it works or not but pick a faint object and pop it on.
As for collimation there are loads of pictures as to how to o it but I could never work it out. I bought. Laser collimator which sends a beam from the focusser, through the secondary and to the primary and back up again. The theory being you can adjust primary and secondary so that the beam goes out and ack in the same place. Make sense?
We can easily look at it when you come out observing with us.
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paul
Cygnus
Posts: 29
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Post by paul on Jan 1, 2013 15:33:39 GMT
Thanks Ronny, Ill use the filter next time i'm looking for Bode's galaxy (i can never find it). I saw a helpful video on Youtube I'm still a little confused though, is a laser collimator better than a ''Cheshire collimator'' or one that can be made yourself like this one. www.lymax.com/cosmicone/collimator/
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Post by stevie on Jan 1, 2013 15:40:58 GMT
Congrats on your new scope Paul. You've certainly been putting it to good use already.
The big advantage of a laser collimator is that you can see it in the dark. The Cheshire and the little cap with a hole in it will do the job ok, to a certain extent, but the laser is best if you are trying to collimate when it is dark. It's not too difficult to do, and you soon get used to doing it.
The neodymium filter is to help block out skyglow and light pollution from street lamps. I've never actually used one, but I have used other light pollution filters. They do work to a certain degree, but can reduce the magnitude of objects in the eyepiece, ie objects will look fainter than they actually are. If you don't have much light pollution, then you probably won't need it, but try it anyway to see if it helps (try it on something like M33, which is already very faint. If M33 disappears, then you don't need it :-)). It may also be useful as a Moon filter, or even to cut down the glare a bit on Jupiter (which, being so high in the sky this year, is particularly bright at the moment). If it doesn't really help you much and you don't need it, then sell it on.
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Post by jonathan on Jan 1, 2013 15:58:34 GMT
Hope you have plenty more star filled nights Paul.
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paul
Cygnus
Posts: 29
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Post by paul on Jan 1, 2013 16:02:43 GMT
I have 4 other filters as well as the light pollution filter. One is dark and colourless, i'd imagine this is the moon filter, a blue filter, a red one and a yellow filter. I have tried them all on Jupiter, they seem to change its colour and make looking at it a bit easier on the eyes. While were on the subject of filters is a nebula filter worth getting, do they make galaxies look better or do they only work on nebulae.
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Post by Ronny on Jan 1, 2013 17:22:06 GMT
I only have a Moon filter so I don't know much about others. Just know what they are supposed to do. What I've read is that some love them, some don't like them but most can take or leave. I would like to try some out sometime.
A laser collimator is very simple to use. I found a Cheshire collimator was difficult on my own whereas the laser one is easy to operate on your own.
By the way I built my own from a green laser pointer and the shell of an eyepiece. Fit's perfectly and works well.
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Post by stevie on Jan 1, 2013 20:18:40 GMT
Coloured filters can sometimes help with views of certain planets, enhancing some features. They can be useful when viewing Jupiter or Mars. The darker filter is indeed a moon filter, although it should be a greyish colour. If it is almost black, then it may be one of those dangerous "solar" filters which are still supplied by some companies. Try it on the Moon, and if you cannot see the moon because it is too dark, then please destroy the filter.
Nebulae filters come in two basic types, UHC (ultra high contrast) and O111 (oxygen 3), although there are others. They are very useful for observing things like the Veil nebula, The North American nebula, the Rosette nebula and even M42, the Orion nebula. They are useless for galaxies.
Ronny, make sure to ask Simon or I if you can try them next time out, although I'm sure you saw the Veil through a UHC in Simon's scope last time at Bragan.
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paul
Cygnus
Posts: 29
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Post by paul on Jan 1, 2013 21:27:19 GMT
I can report that it isn't a solar filter:). I think i'll wait a while or maybe try a nebula filter out at an observing session before buying one.
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