ArkansasMaverick
member
Reged: 05/26/07
Posts: 78
Loc: Eureka Springs AR
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---I am working out the details on purchasing a used 8" Orion Dob with COL. Needless to say I am quite excited . I am slowly compiling my wish list and have a couple of questions that I hope you all can help me with.
---1: Laptop vs COL: I have a laptop I bought for the sole purpose to use with a scope. What advantages will I have using it instead of the handheld COL? Can I use the laptop as an electronic eyepiece and see images? I need to decide if it is worth it so I can decide if I need to buy the RS232 adaptor or not.
---2: I don't have the cash to by a Stardust chair right now. However I have read that their are instructions on how to build a viewing chair out there. Can someone point the way to where I can find the instructions?
---Thanks for all the help everyone!
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Eureka Springs AR.
N 36° 29.777 W 093° 43.800
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d1anderson
sage
Reged: 10/11/07
Posts: 268
Loc: North Central Texas
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Here's A web site for the Denver Observers Chair. There is another chair out there that is essentially a box that you rotate for three different heights but I don't recall the name of the chair or the web address.
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Dewayne
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Z12 dob
MEADE DS2130AT NEWT 494goto
MEADE NG60 REFRACTOR
A Bunch of supplied Eye Pieces
The more you look the more you'll see! 
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smasraum
sage
Reged: 01/13/08
Posts: 492
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My guess is that it's easier to use the included controller for the COL. If it was a GEM mounted GOTO or tracking scope, I'd say, "use the laptop" but since it's a "push to" with no motors, it's probably just as easy to use the included controller (if it's possible to use the laptop at all).
For some sort of remote viewing, you'd need more, expensive equipment. I think the most common remote viewing is through a Mallincam which I think runs twice what an Orion 8" XTi costs.
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Steve
Houston (Friendswood), TX
 Space Center Houston
8" Zhumell Dob - Woo Hoo!!
Celestron C102 f/5 - Thanks Tim!
21mm, 13mm Hyperion
2.5x TV Powermate
Canon Rebel XT
Nikon 7x35
Bushnell 10x50
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smasraum
sage
Reged: 01/13/08
Posts: 492
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As far as plans to build your own chair. I went to Google and typed in "astronomy chair plans" and got a ton of hits.
astronomy chair plans.
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Steve
Houston (Friendswood), TX
Space Center Houston
8" Zhumell Dob - Woo Hoo!!
Celestron C102 f/5 - Thanks Tim!
21mm, 13mm Hyperion
2.5x TV Powermate
Canon Rebel XT
Nikon 7x35
Bushnell 10x50
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TexBiker
super member
Reged: 12/18/07
Posts: 130
Loc: North Texas
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Quote:
---1: Laptop vs COL: I have a laptop I bought for the sole purpose to use with a scope. What advantages will I have using it instead of the handheld COL? Can I use the laptop as an electronic eyepiece and see images? I need to decide if it is worth it so I can decide if I need to buy the RS232 adaptor or not.
The handheld COL on the Intelliscopes is only used to find objects. It's a manual "push-to" system, so you just move the scope until the readout shows you're pointed in the right direction. It has nothing to do with remote viewing. You need to purchase a CCD camera system to view scope images with your laptop.
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Michael
Dallas, TX
Orion 127mm Mak-Cass
Orion 10" Dob
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ArkansasMaverick
member
Reged: 05/26/07
Posts: 78
Loc: Eureka Springs AR
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---Yes I understand that, I was merely asking what can you do with a lap top and a push to Dob (with or without add-on accessories). What functions does the Starry Night application have in conjunction with the COL? It must have some, otherwise they wouldn't include it.
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Eureka Springs AR.
N 36° 29.777 W 093° 43.800
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calibos
sage
Reged: 11/18/07
Posts: 401
Loc: Ireland
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Quote:
---Yes I understand that, I was merely asking what can you do with a lap top and a push to Dob (with or without add-on accessories). What functions does the Starry Night application have in conjunction with the COL? It must have some, otherwise they wouldn't include it.
Its not worth the effort. I too thought this would be cool. It sounded like a great idea on paper but in practice its very frustrating. I found that the cursor on screen in Starry Night Pro lagged behind the actual movements of the scope. It was great seeing the view on SNP pan as I pushed my scope like a giant mouse, but when it came to actually using the SNP view to align the scope on an object, it was an excercise in frustration as one would constantly overshoot and even when I would stop moving the scope the cursor would move around a little without settling down in one place.
Now while my laptop is a powerful model, I did wonder was the lag caused by SNP being very resource intensive, so I tried the 'Scope Control' functions in the Free Stellarium and Microsoft Virtual Telescope planetarium programs. Sure enough the cursor lagged less but it did still lag enough to make aligning on objects a pain.
Then I realised that lagging and cursor movement would be less of an issue when actually zoomed in on an object. Sure enough I could roughly align, zoom in the SNP view a bit, refine the alignment, zoom in a bit, refine some more and eventually I would be bang on and look in the eyepeice and have the object in the FOV........
..........eh, or I could just look at SNP, decide on an object and key in the Catalogue number into the handset and located the object in a few seconds with the handset.
Not wanting to think I had wasted my money on the cables, I though, "Hey, I can pan around the SNP view with the scope. at least then my scope will always be pointing in the direction of the SNP view and the SNP view will always show the direction the scope is pointing etc etc. Pick my object and then use the handset......No go!! When the handset is connected to SNP, if you then try and key in an object on the handset it breaks the connection with SNP!!
I couldn't win!!
So there you have it. Sounds like a cool idea but it just doesn't work in practice.
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Keith D.
Orion SkyQuest XT12i
Moonlite CR Focusser with Rigel motofocus
Brian Reed 'RoundTable' Equatorial Platform
Howie Glatter Holograhic Collimator and Blug
Baader Hyperion 21/32mm,17mm,13mm,8mm,5mm,3.5mm EP
TS 15x70 Binoculars
[img]http://7timer.y234.cn/exe/apanel.php?country=EI&adm=EI31&site=92&en[/img]
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Joe Lalumia
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/24/07
Posts: 2572
Loc: Rockwall, Texas, USA
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I have the XT10i and a laptop-- just too much hassle to drag everything outside just so you can CLICK on an object in the star chart on the laptop-- then get up and move the telescope by hand. You do not need the computer cable in my opinion.
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LX90 8" LNT, SV Nighthawk & TelePOD, SV 80/9D & M4 mount, ETX 90, Orion XT10i, 20x80 binoculars, SV-BV3s.
"The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax." - Albert Einstein
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TexBiker
super member
Reged: 12/18/07
Posts: 130
Loc: North Texas
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Quote:
What functions does the Starry Night application have in conjunction with the COL? It must have some, otherwise they wouldn't include it.
Just so you know, Orion includes the Starry Night software with all their scopes...regardless of whether they have a COL or not.
Like the other posters stated, it's not worth the effort to use the software with the scope. I only use Starry Night to see what's above the horizon in my location when I'm viewing and to locate satellites. Saves me from trying use the COL to find an object that can't be seen.
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Michael
Dallas, TX
Orion 127mm Mak-Cass
Orion 10" Dob
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ArkansasMaverick
member
Reged: 05/26/07
Posts: 78
Loc: Eureka Springs AR
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AAAhhhh I see said the blind man as he picked up his hammer and saw. I dl'ed Stellarium today and seem very found of it. Maybe I will just use it instead.
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Eureka Springs AR.
N 36° 29.777 W 093° 43.800
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xfile101
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/08/07
Posts: 739
Loc: Ocean Gate, NJ
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Quote:
I dl'ed Stellarium today and seem very found of it
I have a number of astronomy programs (Celestron The Sky, Starry Night, STellarium etc) and quite honestly, I think Stellarium is the best of the bunch both for easy of use and memory use. Plus you can't beat the price 
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Orion XT8I
Celestron 114EQ Firstscope
Meade 70mm
Astroscan
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ArkansasMaverick
member
Reged: 05/26/07
Posts: 78
Loc: Eureka Springs AR
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Up to what magnitude should I be able to see with this scope? What is the equation to determine what a scope can see?
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Eureka Springs AR.
N 36° 29.777 W 093° 43.800
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smasraum
sage
Reged: 01/13/08
Posts: 492
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I've got Stellarium, SNP, Cartes du Ceil, TUBA and WinStars 2.0. I like some of the features available in SNP (seeing satellites and determining angular separation), but other than that, I prefer Stellarium as well above all of the others.
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Steve
Houston (Friendswood), TX
Space Center Houston
8" Zhumell Dob - Woo Hoo!!
Celestron C102 f/5 - Thanks Tim!
21mm, 13mm Hyperion
2.5x TV Powermate
Canon Rebel XT
Nikon 7x35
Bushnell 10x50
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xfile101
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/08/07
Posts: 739
Loc: Ocean Gate, NJ
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Quote:
Up to what magnitude should I be able to see with this scope?
Here's the specs page:
Orion XT8I
Limiting mag is 14.2.
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Orion XT8I
Celestron 114EQ Firstscope
Meade 70mm
Astroscan
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Bob Griffiths
Post Laureate
Reged: 10/10/05
Posts: 4195
Loc: Frederick Maryland
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Quote:
I've got Stellarium, SNP, Cartes du Ceil, TUBA and WinStars 2.0. I like some of the features available in SNP (seeing satellites and determining angular separation), but other than that, I prefer Stellarium as well above all of the others.
I have all of the above loaded on my computer in my observatory also with the except on of TUBA and I prefer Cartes Du Ceil....However I do not control my scopes via the computer...just too much work for this old lazy guy...
Bob G.
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CPC1100
Nexstar 8i + GPS & Rays Brackets
Denk S1 power switch
Orion 100 mm Refractor
Meade LXD 55 ...AR-5 127 mm Refractor
Exploradome Observatory S.I.E. (Smiling Irish Eyes)
39*21'03" N
77*28'12" W
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TexBiker
super member
Reged: 12/18/07
Posts: 130
Loc: North Texas
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Quote:
Up to what magnitude should I be able to see with this scope? What is the equation to determine what a scope can see?
Although the theoretical limit is 14.2, you'll need perfectly dark skies to reach that potential. I haven't been able to get close to that with my 10" yet. Maybe when I get down to Big Bend this fall...
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Michael
Dallas, TX
Orion 127mm Mak-Cass
Orion 10" Dob
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ArkansasMaverick
member
Reged: 05/26/07
Posts: 78
Loc: Eureka Springs AR
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I am hoping I can see Neptune and Uranus for some odd reason. As for dark skies I live where it's a 3 to 4 on the Bortle scale. SO for the most part really nice skies. Not to mention the field I will be viewing in has no visible house/yard lights at all.
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Eureka Springs AR.
N 36° 29.777 W 093° 43.800
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smasraum
sage
Reged: 01/13/08
Posts: 492
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I don't think you'll have any problem seeing Uranus and Neptune (once you find them). According to Stellarium they are 5.9 and 7.8 or sometwhere around there. With my old 4" refractor short tube, I could see down to mag 10. The new 8" dob definitely goes deeper than that. I haven't searched those two out yet (but I'd love to), but they should definitely show up in an 8" dob.
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Steve
Houston (Friendswood), TX
Space Center Houston
8" Zhumell Dob - Woo Hoo!!
Celestron C102 f/5 - Thanks Tim!
21mm, 13mm Hyperion
2.5x TV Powermate
Canon Rebel XT
Nikon 7x35
Bushnell 10x50
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Snickersnee
member
Reged: 08/29/08
Posts: 19
Loc: California
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These two are easy to spot. I've seen them as points of light in 7x35 binocs.
An 8" will definitely reveal them as disks.
Enjoy.
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Look’d up in perfect silence at the stars
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John Lacey
member
Reged: 03/12/08
Posts: 55
Loc: Central Coast, CA
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Hmm. I couldn't get a disk out of Neptune at all the other night (my first view of Neptune, I should add). On the other hand, I could see it just fine even in the finder, which isn't nearly as good as my binos. Of course, I wondered, and I suppose I still wonder if somehow I was looking at the wrong thing, but it's a pretty easy star field to pinpoint it in, next to 42, 44, and 45 Cap.
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John L
Orion XT8i "Jetson", Q70 32mm, Hyperion 17mm, 8mm
Orion 10x50 UltraView
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