Newbie looking for Telescope

[zymon]

Hi All you sky gazers!

Wondering whats the cheapest strategy for buying a Telescope in Singapore - dont want to spend loads at first.

Untill then I shall have to stay with my Binos!

Also whats a good place to do some observing, I stay in Mandarin Gardens which does offer nice views towards the South with not so much light Pollution, but I never see the west, east or Noth due to my condo facing haha!

[Gary]

Hi All you sky gazers!

Wondering whats the cheapest strategy for buying a Telescope in Singapore - dont want to spend loads at first.

Untill then I shall have to stay with my Binos!

Also whats a good place to do some observing, I stay in Mandarin Gardens which does offer nice views towards the South with not so much light Pollution, but I never see the west, east or Noth due to my condo facing haha!

Hi Zymon. Welcome to the forum!

You may try observing at Marina Barrage, Labrador Park or any open field near your location.

I have just started a free telescope loan project. Response is good. The queue is up to mid August now. If you are keen, take a look at this: http://www.astro.sg/2013/06/free-loan-o ... omers.html

Do join the public stargazing sessions and get more info and experience about telescopes. Depending on your expectations, the cheapest may not be the best strategy to enjoy this hobby. Perhaps value for money is a better one.

[zymon]

Thanks for your reply!

I have a trip to UK coming up, so I was tollying with the idea of getting a telescope there but seems all the scpoes i see advertised are GOTO celestron ones. I was thinking that lugging a power pack around singapore is not something I want to do, so I was thinking of forgetting the GOTO idea and going "oldfashioned". But that seems a complicated choice - which type, what mount (seems a GOTO is an easier option as the all look the same).

Then I saw another post on here, where someone was recommending using a Manifroto Tripod. I have a quite good one already (cant remember model but about S$400). Can I just get a better scope and mount it to my Manifroto tripod (it has a 3 way mount).???? This would be lighter to carry back on the plane than a scope and tripod combined.

Cheers!

[Mariner]

Hi All you sky gazers!

Wondering whats the cheapest strategy for buying a Telescope in Singapore - dont want to spend loads at first.

Untill then I shall have to stay with my Binos!

Also whats a good place to do some observing, I stay in Mandarin Gardens which does offer nice views towards the South with not so much light Pollution, but I never see the west, east or Noth due to my condo facing haha!

Cheapest strategy is always to buy used. If you can spare a little bit more and cannot afford to wait, the Astro Scientific moving sale is now on.

As for observing, any site that does not have bright street lamps shining over you is a good start. Plus points for not having any bright surrounding lights. Minus points if there are floodlights nearby (ie golf courses, stadiums, etc). Minor plus points would be the presence of public toilets (zero points if need payment) and the lack of pests (roaches ok but definitely minus points for mozzies or sandflies).

Join any of the sidewalk sessions organised and get into the groove

[zymon]

Hi, Using the GOTO handset - Last night I tried to "Identify" some stars around Alpha Centuri and one of the southern Cross stars, but all the brighter adjacent stars that where visible at the same time in my 25mm eyepiece seemed to have the same name (Alpha Centuri etc). I did try to centre them in the eyepiece but no change in name. Surely they must have another name?

[Mariner]

Did you finish the alignment procedure? If you wish to identify stars, it would be better to consult with a sky atlas or one of the many planetarium apps available on smart phones.

[zymon]

Yes the alignment was complete. Maybe they don't have so many stars in the memory. Wondering if I should try to update the firmware?

[cloud_cover]

2 issues:
1. It may be your telescope's catalog only has the most popular bright star, or it may be programmed to have a degree of error and default tot he nearest brightest star, of which A Cen is the brightest. (Incidentally, A Cen, also known as Rigil-Kentarus is a double star and an easy split. Did you see the twin? )
2. You may actually be pointing near A Cen with your 25mm. Its not easy to see the exact center of an EP unless you have a reticle, which is why most finders have cross-hair, or reticle eyepieces. As a side note, its not actually necessary to use one to align especially for visual use but for photography, its a must.

I suggest using a good catalog program such as Steallrium or Skysafari (paid, basic version is $3 I think) to help you identify stars rather than your telescope goto

[zymon]

I have a cross-hair scope on the side of the Tube, which is not very accurate i must say, even after adjusting. Tend to have to slew around for the brightest star I was aiming for when im aligning. (BTW do we have to align everytime we use the scope, I can find any saved location settings?)

This reticule - is it srewwed onto the eyepiece like a filter?

Cheers for your tips BTW!!

[cloud_cover]

Alignment: Do you mean goto alignment or alignment of the finderscope? If goto, yeah, you pretty much have to align at each setup. That's because you're unlikely to aim your scope at the exact angle and elevation as the default (For example, my Alt-z mount wants me to exactly level the scope and aim it dead south. I usually get near but not exact, hence the need for alignment)
For finderscope alignments, they are usually very accurate if done well. For this I find land objects such as a bright light or distinctive landmark more useful than a star. A note: Some finderscope brackets or holders may not be so robust. The best are those which are held by at least 2 sets of 3 screws (Vixen type brackets). Most common ones have only a gasket in front with 2 screws and a spring behind. Usable but prone to moving a bit. An easy way to tell: Give your finder a good shake: Does it move around? Mine are solid enough to carry the scope with (Not a good idea!) If you can't quite get the crosshairs on the target, then consider allowing a little bit of offset. Sometimes if I'm lazy I'll align nearby then remember that my object is a teeny bit (for example) off at 2 o'clock from the center.

Regarding reticle eyepieces: You can buy a reticle insert but most commonly these are simply built in to special reticle eyepieces. Most of the major brands carry one or two.

What scope are you using?