introduction

QuantumGravity · Post by **QuantumGravity** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 3:05 pm

Hi all, would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself.

I'm only a miserable 14 year old, only about 2 to 3 years into astro. Just like newbgalore, i'm more to the theory side and not really sure about observation. i also took part in competitions since the start of this yr (NYP, NJC, NTU-NUS) and won 2 of them (u all should know where i'm from now).

i have a very cheap 114mm telescope at home, bought in china at a mere $200+. However, it's tripod is directly attached to the telescope and very unstable.

I currently use starry night and redshift as softwares to help me during my obs. Hopefully i get to learn more about obs from this forum =)

Post by **weixing** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 3:35 pm

Hi,

i have a very cheap 114mm telescope at home, bought in china at a mere $200+. However, it's tripod is directly attached to the telescope and very unstable.

Hmm... 114mm from china at $200+... Then it must be a 114mm newtonian... is that right??? May be you can remove the tripod and mount it on a good camera tripod... of course you need a tube ring with camera tripod adapter.

Anyway, Welcome to SingAstro... which part of Singapore did you leave in?? May be you join in one of the observation session near your place.

Have a nice day.

QuantumGravity · Post by **QuantumGravity** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 3:56 pm

yup... a newtonian...

hmm... about joining obs... i'll probably join the ones in my sch then when i have enough experience, i'll join u guys.

Post by **weixing** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 5:05 pm

Hi,
You don't need to have enough experience to join us... just come and join in the fun.... May be we should put the line "Experience is not required!" when we post our observation session... Ha Ha...

Have a nice day.

kingkong · Post by **kingkong** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 5:24 pm

Weixing, better make sure the young astronomers get consent from parents before they join you for a night time obs session.
or, bring the parents - if they get interested, someone will finance a new scope.

MooEy · Post by **MooEy** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 5:57 pm

"hmm... about joining obs... i'll probably join the ones in my sch then when i have enough experience, i'll join u guys."

no need la, come join us and gain some experience, then go back sch and teach

~MooEy~

QuantumGravity · Post by **QuantumGravity** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 6:18 pm

well, that is possible but... cmon... i'm only a 14 yr old... how to teach? anyway, it would be hard to me to join u guys anytime soon - got to concentrate on my sch's astronomy team.

newbgalore2 · Post by **newbgalore2** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 9:00 pm

he, quantum gravity, youre from victoria rite? cos you won prizes in NYP and NJ but lost in NTU-NUS...

As for observation, I'll consider. If i have extra time, maybe can join you guys, cos having O's this year.

Eh thnx weixing. A better way to put it, would be to imagine that you are lying down and looking up. If stand erect however, left shld be east.

Abt parents, hmm... no one around me cares about astro anyway. In fact, my school doesnt give a hoot abt astro. Everything is self-studied and self-learnt. lolz.(shld know wad school i from now) Win prize quite ok liaoz. Just for everyone info, at woodlands library near where i live, no one actually bothers to browse thru the astro shelf and the astro magz. Thats why i was actually able to see beneath the magazine rack the whole collection of Sky and telescope from june 2001 to march 2004. lolz.

I dont quite like newtonians. My school's newtonian doesnt have an erect prism nor does it have a lateral inverting prism(dunno how you call it). I find it awkward to use newtonians, though its cheap. Can someone recommend a lightweight telescope thats non-newtonian for beginners? Prefably not a wooden tripod. Thnx!

QuantumGravity · Post by **QuantumGravity** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 9:59 pm

hmm...?! well, what i can say is that i'm not from VS... heh

if you consider getting fourth and receiving planispheres as winning then i would say that i have won all 3 competitions this year =) ok lah... make it easy... i'm from bp. and i suppose you're from either RI or CHS?

My parents don't really mind me doing astro as long as it is educational. However, my sch DOES care abt astro, for we have quite a good reputation for winning quite a number of competitions =)

Post by **weixing** » Tue Jun 15, 2004 10:07 pm

Hi,

I dont quite like newtonians. My school's newtonian doesnt have an erect prism nor does it have a lateral inverting prism(dunno how you call it). I find it awkward to use newtonians, though its cheap. Can someone recommend a lightweight telescope thats non-newtonian for beginners? Prefably not a wooden tripod. Thnx!

I think your school is not using newtonian... newtonian don't use any prism... Also, I think newtonian is the only scope design that won't give you any awkwards observation position... I think your school scope may be a SCT. Also, inverting or non erect image is not a concern for Astronomy because there is no up, down, left or right in space. Most scope for Astronomy will not give a correct image.

Anyway, you may consider a 80mm Short Tube Refractor, a 102mm Short Tube Refractor or a 5" MCT depend on your budget... light enough to mount on a good camera tripod.

By the way, I think most people will prefer wooden tripod, because more stable and smaller damping time. The only disadvantage of wooden tripod is quite heavy and costly. I think those "Department Store Telescope" lousy wooden tripod make you think that wooden tripod are not good.

Have a nice day.