I started out with a C8 that had encoders. It was a good choice for that
scope because it was extremely awkard to point the darned thing being so low
to the ground ( I had to get under the mount to look straight up).
It wasn't long before I decided that big aperture was in order and out went
the check for a big truss dob. I can remember the first night that I had it
out at a big Messier Marathon at Coe. I was terrified that I wouldn't be
able to find anything without the encoders and DSC. I was astonished that
night. I found more objects that night than I had ever done. It was easy!
With the Dob, it is very easy to point the scope, look through the red dot
finder, and find the brighter objects. Okay... I wasn't star hopping... I
was pointing the scope in the general direction and panning around. But it
worked.... in fact, I really hesitate to admit it, but that's how most of my
observing has gone for years. No star hopping, just recognizing asterisms
in the sky and point my scope with the red dot finder. I did most of the
Herschel list this way.
It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I mounted a finder on my dob.
Now I can honestly say that I still don't star hop! The finder just gives me
a secondary step to the place where I pan around.
Okay, okay, maybe this IS star hopping. I'm just yanking chains.
So for those of you wondering if you need that fancy DSC set up. If you are
really wondering, then don't consider it. For the first several viewing
sessions you'll be fiddling with gear instead of enjoying the sky.
Michelle Stone
Custom Telescopes by Plettstone
http://www.plettstone.com/telescopes
-----Original Message-----
From: sf-bay-tac-bounces@No-Spam [mailto:sf-bay-tac-bounces@No-Spam]On
Behalf Of Rob Hawley
Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2003 3:45 PM
To: The Astronomy Connection
Subject: RE: [TAC] Galileo telescope.
Also don’t get sucked into a high tech sounding go to scope. That was the
mistake I made.
Borrowing an SJAA scope is good advice. You should also visit the Houge
Park star parties and talk with the folks that own small dobs. It takes
some practice to star hop, but it is a rewarding skill once learned.
A newer, compromise approach is to use a scope with digital setting circles
such as the new Orion scopes. These help you with the object locating, but
don’t automatically track.
S&T had a write-up on this product in the latest issue. I have yet to see
one in the field.
Rob Hawley