Guest Libby's Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Hi, I'm Libby - I live between Derby and Nottingham. Been sky obsessed for a long time but had no idea this site existed. Very happy to find it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan the Plumber Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Hi and welcome to the forum good helpful bunch here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz Type-R Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Hi Libby, welcome to EMS. Hope you enjoy the forum, any questions fire away in the relevant section and somebody will be along shortly. Do you have any kit at all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Libby's Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I've been using 10x50 bins for a long time. Been researching telescopes for years and I'm finally in a position to get one. Just trying to choose what to go for. Think I've got it narrowed down to two but my head feels like it's going to explode when I think about it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawson Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Hello and welcome. James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brantuk Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Hi Libby and a warm welcome to EMS. If you're available tomorrow night we're doing a public event at Wymeswold for the BBC's Stargazing Live. It would be a good chance for you to come and see what we're about and meet/chat with some of the members and join the various astro activities we have planned. You'll also see plenty of different scopes and if the weathers kind to us you'll get a look through them too. Otherwise you'd be welcome to come down and visit one of our observing sessions at Belper or Wymeswold on a normal meeting night - watch the Info and Announcements section ("EMS Meets") for date/time and location of the next one. Good to have you on board and enjoy the forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuckstar Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Hi welcome aboard, guess you must be pretty local to me. There are few members from near here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAZ Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Hi Libby, a warm welcome to the forum. What scopes are you considering buying? As Daz mentioned, feel free to ask questions, it may be that folks on the forum have experience with those scopes and could advise whether they are what you expect. We would sooner you buy a scope that does what it says on the tin, and be happy, I'll put my hand up and say I wasted money on my first purchase and I ended up just giving it away. You are welcome to come to one of the set togethers at one of the darks sites we have, we are at Wymeswold today doing a Star Gazing Live event, but the weather is looking poor. Enjoy the forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T A WOW Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Hello from me. Welcome to EMS. Enjoy the forums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catman161 Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Welcome to EMS Libby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest devil74 Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Hi Libby and welcome to EMS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Libby's Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Thank you for the warm welcome Andy - I'm very local to you. Just 10 minutes from Ilkeston. I follow the Facebook page and every month I hope I'll manage to get down to the museum but mr works away alternate weeks and I have little children so it's difficult. I WILL manage it one day! Hopefully if you have some observing sessions it will a little easier as I don't have to be there by a certain time but I've been to observing sessions in other places and found once I arrive in the dark no one and spoken to me and I ran away! (I'm not good at plucking up enough courage to meet people!). BAZ - I'm trying to decide between the SW Mak 127 and the skyliner 200p. I think I'm leaning towards the skyliner but the idea of collimation intimidates me and I'm a little concerned about it being less portable (though I don't know why because I'm not going to get much opportunity to get out and about with it for some time and I'm quite sure whatever I get I'll be saving up for another one as soon as the first arrives!). It's a minefield! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAZ Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 The Mak is a superb scope, and excels on the Moon and Planets, also the brighter deeps sky objects. The 200P is competent on the Planets and the Moon, but is better for finding the fainter fuzzies, which are further away. This is because it has a bigger light grasp. Collimation is something you would need to do rarely with that scope, and there is loads of help on here. We can show you how to do it, it is a complicated subject, but all you are doing is lining two mirrors up with the focuser so maximum light gets to your eye. Come and have a look through some scopes before you buy, get an idea of what they are capable of, and how big they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red dwalf Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 hi and welcome Libby, i remember the feeling of not knowing what to buy when i was looking for my first scope, none of it made sense so i looked up recommendations and bought a skywatcher 130p autotrack, great little scope and very portable but soon ended up buying something alittle bigger, but both of your choices are nice one, i also know the felling of turning up at a meeting not knowing anyone there at all, even the guy i went with i`d never met before in person ! but we stuck our noses in and tried to fit in but it can be difficult, but i think this is where EMS is different, as we haven`t been going all that long there`s lots of new people in the same position as you having never been to a meet before so it`s very informal and friendly and hopefully very helpfull to new members to make them feel part of the group. it`s also nice to have informal sessions and get to know members in your area. when i first started this hobby i thought i was the only one in the Nottingham area doing this kind of thing but though the forum discovered a guy in the very next street to me and a couple walking distance away so it great for the social side of things when the weathers poor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Libby's Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 That's really good to hear. I don't really know anyone else who has any interest. My husband tries but I drag him out to see Jupiter through the bins and he humphs at the "big star" and complains it's cold. My friends think I'm mad! They all like the idea of it but the reality of the cold and dark and standing around for hours soon puts them off! I need to try and get to the derby/Ilkeston/Nottingham meetings but it is very difficult as my son still needs me to be around to help him to sleep and mr works away every other week. I'm going to try and take my daughter to alvaston park this afternoon - doesn't look like the weather will cooperate but I'm more interested in looking at the telescopes so that doesn't matter. I looked at the 130p for quite a while but I decided seeing as I can manage to afford something bigger I might as well. I want to get something that is going to give me a good couple of years before I want to upgrade. I've been waiting for this telescope since I was 17 (that's 15 years +) and I don't want to end up disappointed with my choice. Not that I can imagine being put off the hobby to be honest - it's stuck for a long time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red dwalf Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 forgot about the Alavaston castle thing today, if there`s a good selection of scopes it would certainly give you a good idea of what to get. certainly if your budget can go further then any of the bigger dobsonian scopes will give you the best bang for buck, also worth checking out astro buy and sell for second hand stuff, i know alot of people get put off by second hand things but most astronomers really do look after there kit as it cost so much in the first place so i could save a few quid allowing you extra for eyepieces and so on, also if you go down the dob route don`t be put off by the collimation issues, lots of folk round about only too willing to set it up correctly for you i`m sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+RonC Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Hi Libby, welcome to the forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brantuk Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 "I've been to observing sessions in other places and found once I arrive in the dark no one and spoken to me and I ran away! (I'm not good at plucking up enough courage to meet people!)" Hi Libby - you won't have to worry about this with EMS. We all look out for newcomers and it's never long before someone comes over to chat with you - and you'll find us one of the most friendly groups in the area (if not the most friendly). Our prime focus is on getting outside, using scopes for observing and imaging, and helping people at all levels of experience from total beginners to experts. I'm sure you'll fell well at ease very quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Hi Libby welcome to EMS. Can't really add much more to what the other members have said but personally I would go with the 8" dobsonian, you will have a lot more fun with it and see a lot more stuff. Hope you make it to one of dark site sessions and believe me when I say, we are a friendly bunch and will make you feel very welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tweedledum Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Hi Libby, Warm welcome to ems. A couple of things to get you started a copy of 'Turn Left At Orion' and download a planetarium program, lots about but try Stellarium its free and can be found here :-- http://www.stellarium.org/ . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Welcome to EMS Libby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Harper. Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 Hi Libby, welcome to EMS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest foundaplanet Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 Welcome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Bino-viewer Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 Hi Libby Welcome to EMS. I'm hoping for a maiden visit to Belper soon......just need the weather to oblige and for me not to be working.... (I belong in the 'all the gear-no idea' category ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest fondofchips Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 Hi Libby & welcome to EMS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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