My new scope

[Adrianf]

It finally arrived, my new GSO 10" dobsonian is finally here.:eartoear: It came with a couple of eyepices (25mm and 9mm) but it should have 4 eyepices I will talk to the supplier tomorrow and find out whats going on.
Anyway here is 4 photos of the scope in order are finished scope (took about 1 hour to put together) close up of the focuser, putting the finder scope on and the bits and pieces that came with the scope (including the laser collimator).
Now would you believe we have horrible weather here at the moment thunder, lightening and rain.
My wife wants to know where I intend keeping the scope, fortunately Margaret likes star gazing and as it turns out we have 2 others in the same street that like stargazing as well. Looks like I will have to work out how the laser collimater works as well as it appears that it needs collimating.

Adrian

[Radar]

Great stuff Adrian. That's a nice sized scope. First light will be awesome. One of the best times in astronomy is starting off with a new scope and learning the sky. It's very addictive.

I feel your pain with the weather, we've had nothing but wind and rain here as well.

If you have any issues with the collimation or anything else, just fire away mate.

Cheers

Ray

[Adrianf]

Thanks for that Yes I probably will need advice about the collimation. I was hopeful that the skies would clear for tonight it looked promising for awhile but its starting to cloud over again and very humid.
Spoke to the supplier this morning and he is going to supply the missing eyepieces. I have the 9mm and 25mm and he is sending me the 15mm and 6mm eyepieces.
I am having problems understanding how the laser collimater works I set it into the focuser and turned the laser on I had a look down the tube and noticed the laser is in the middle of the mirror according to the circle on the primary but the laser doesnt return to the centre of the laser window. I will have a look at the collimation movie again and see what gives.

Adrian

[AstroBob]

nice buy mate. i'll be interested to read your feedback with this scope. i think dobs are very handy scopes. sorry, can't help with the collimation, still learning to.

:pipethinker:

[Adrianf]

First impressions are good! I have just watched the Collimation movie at
http://www.andysshotglass.com/introduction.html and have managed to get the collimation right (I hope) using the laser collimater, wont know for sure until I can get to try it out. Still overcast here with lightning east and west of here and a slight drizzle. Some things I have seen that need improvement are the secondary mirror adjustment need to be changed from phillips head to allen screws which I will do ASAP. The phillips head screws are soft and none of my screw drivers fit it properly, will go to the hardware store tomorrow and see what I can get. Will also go to the sheep farm and see if I can get a lamb to sacrifice to the weather gods ;).

Adrian

[Radar]

First impressions are good! I have just watched the Collimation movie at
http://www.andysshotglass.com/introduction.html and have managed to get the collimation right (I hope) using the laser collimater, wont know for sure until I can get to try it out.

Well done Adrian, collimating if not the easiest thing to do. I've never used a laser collimater so I can't comment.



Some things I have seen that need improvement are the secondary mirror adjustment need to be changed from phillips head to allen screws which I will do ASAP. The phillips head screws are soft and none of my screw drivers fit it properly, will go to the hardware store tomorrow and see what I can get.

Whatever you decide to use make sure that it is something easy to use in darkness and damp conditions. I personally find allen keys difficult.



Will also go to the sheep farm and see if I can get a lamb to sacrifice to the weather gods ;).


Please do, because the weather here is shocking too. :thumbsupmate:

All the best mate.

Ray

[CanisMajorTom]

new toys for big boys. you are going to love using that. :thumbsupmate:

[rmcpb]

Great scope and you can just send some of that rain down here if its a problem.

For your collimation, if the secondary is centred in the focuser then get the laser dot to hit the primary in the centre (take care with this as the secondary holder is plastic so don't get too carried away with the screwdriver or you will cause problems, I just use my fingers to adjust this and it is more than sufficient). Once the laser is hitting the primary in the middle adjust the primary so the beam is returned on itself and disappears back up the hole in the laser it comes out of. If you achieve that you will have a reasonable collimation for starters.

One problem with the GS primary springs is that they are too weak, it replaced mine with Bobs Knobs heavy springs for the 12" and now I NEVER user the lock nuts to hold collimation, they are used to hold the fan baffle on now.

Keep looking up :)

[Tenacious Del]

had a chance to use it yet? :thumbsupmate:

[Adrianf]

No not yet too much rain. Forecast for clear skies friday!!!!! Heres hoping. Will post findings ASAP.

Adrian

[Adrianf]

Looks like the sacrificial lamb chop I had for dinner last night might have worked, we have 60% blue sky this morning. Maybe first light tonight. Fingers crossed.

Adrian

[Adrianf]

Finally clear skies. I have had a quick look through the scope but I think the mirrors need cleaning too many bright spots ;). Pointed at the Southern Cross and waiting for the light to fade further.

Adrian

[Radar]

I'd be surprised if the mirrors needed cleaning already. I think this could be something else, maybe dust on the eyepiece.

A good area to slew to scope around at this time of year is through scorpius. Just after dark, probably right over head and a little to the North (to the left of Jupiter), there is a tonne of nebula and open clusters to view. So if that lamb chop extends into tomorrow night, once twilight finishes point it at Jupiter and then slew the scope upwards and then just around that general area, there is a tonne of stuff to see there. The Lagoon, Trifid, Ptolemy's Cluster, M16 The Eagle Nebula, The Omega Nebula.

Next to Jupiter (on the left) is an orange star called Antares, there is a globular cluster very close to it called M4. That book you have would have all this info but sometimes it's easier if someone tells you to.

Keep us posted on your progress mate.

Regards

Ray

[Adrianf]

OK the mirror does not need cleaning I was making a joke too many stars to look at compared to my previous toy. I set the scope up on my verandah and pointed in the general direction of the Southern Cross just to get light into the scope and there were so many stars that I had not even seen before! Too many to count, and this is on dusk. I left the scope set up and went for dinner and when I came out to the scope we had lightning in the west and south, the views from my verandah. Tried to look through the scope but the lightning was a bit bright and didnt make for good viewing. Will try again tonight this time I will move to the garden where I have views of the north, west and east.

Adrian

[Radar]

OK the mirror does not need cleaning I was making a joke

Woops! :duh:

If you are up around 1a.m, Orion is up, lots of stuff to see there.

[rmcpb]

Do you hav good northern horizons? If so have a go at Andromeda Galaxy, I picked it up last week and it was worth the dodging of the trees and the light pollution I even get from this far from Sydney.