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Phil
member
Reged: 09/30/03
Posts: 37
Loc: London
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Hi, I've been loitering around the group for a while, as I am a complete beginner who was going to buy myself an ETX125. Well, the expense of moving in with the girlfriend put that idea on hold, so I thought I'd learn astronomy 'by the book' and get myself some bino's and learn a bit first.
Just got myself a pair of Pentax 16x50 for £65 on Amazon. I'm not sure how the experts would rate them. For all I know they might be rubbish, but I've got to say I love them. First night out last night - saw the Pleiades and the Orion nebula, all for the first time. It was amazing seeing things for real that I'd only ever seen in books. I don't care that the Orion nebula was a small grey smudge - it was MY small grey smudge! I never thought the Pleiades would be that impressive, but how wrong was I?.
Living in West London, not far from Heathrow airport, I have a 'healthy' orange glow on the horizon, but straight up looked OK to me. Slightly daunted by the prospect of learning the constellations though - I had trouble locating much else from my 'Astronomy Now' star chart. Still,I am hooked - and that is only with Binoculars! Next objective - the Rosetta nebula... 
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Beginner
ETX 125
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EdZ
Professor EdZ
Reged: 02/15/02
Posts: 12601
Loc: Cumberland, R I , USA42N71.4W
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I've been trying for the Rosette nebula for about five years. Hundreds of attempts with 20 differnt instruments ranging from 80mm binocs to a 6" refractor. I think I may have actually seen it once, using a pair of 10x70 Fujinons! good luck and happy hunting.
edz
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Teach a kid something today. The feeling you'll get is one of life's greatest rewards.
member#21
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Phil
member
Reged: 09/30/03
Posts: 37
Loc: London
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Oh - that may take me some time then! I'll settle for finding anything that starts with the letter 'M'.
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Beginner
ETX 125
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lighttrap
Reged: 02/06/04
Posts: 3833
Loc: cloudy, foggy, humid NC, US
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I've never tried the Pentax 16x50s, but if you want to see my review of the 16x60s, it's here:
http://www.astronomyforum.net/forum.html?db=&topic_number=558&lastpost=2001-09-1608:28:39
I thought those were a good value, and a capable instrument, but eventually sold them due to the narrow FOV, and my relative inability to use them effectively in daylight or at night without a mount.
I agree with Ed, that the Rosette Nebula might be a bit too ambitious. I've seen it exactly once in an 8" reflector, and that required a nebula filter. I'd suggest starting off with the easier M objects on Appendix A from this site:
http://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/binomess/binomesa.html
The Pleiades are really impressive in 16x binox, aren't they? They're like glittering jewels on velvet, and relatively few scopes can give you that same view.
Enjoy, and keep us posted on how you're making out,
Mike Swaim
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18" Starsplitter II f/4.5
8" Hardin Dob f/6
C5 workhorse mini SCT f/10 or f/6.3
70mm TV Ranger dual purpose birding/astro
77mm Leica Televid APO
16x70 Fujinons on UA Deluxe Mt.
12x50 Nikon SE
8x30 Nikon E2s
and many others
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KennyJ
Reged: 04/27/03
Posts: 10163
Loc: Lancashire UK
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Phil ,
Welcome to the "pleasuredome" for bino nuts from a fellow "True -Brit" !
I suspect your Pentax could be the XCF 16 x 50s , which are a completely different "animal" to the ones Mike reviewed.
If I'm right then yours have an extra -wide field of view and the same models are available in 10x and 12x , the latter of which I was almost tempted by myself about a year ago, until I discovered they have small eyecups not unlike most compact binos , which are unsuitable for me.
I do know of other people who are happy with theirs though and the best binocular is the one you have in your hands if you have no others at all.
It's interesting how we all have our elusive targets.
My personal little "holy grail" is far easier to resolve than the Rosette nebula but I STILL cannot say that I've ever postively identified it.
It is the North American nebula.
I know EXACTLY where it ought to be and have a good idea what it looks like, and have looked for it from some of the darkest-sky sites in Britain , near Snowdonia in Wales ,with 7 x 42 , 10 x 50 and 15 x 70 binoculars and through my 102mm scope at 20x , 25x , 33x and 40x , but for some reason, for the life of me , I just can't get it.
It's like another one of my terrestrial targets , which is the Isle of Man from a hilltop a mile from my home , which I've managed ONCE in almost forty years of trying !
As is the case with many astro -targets , I suppose the conditions need to be just right.
Enjoy your binos --and keep in touch with us all.
Kenny.
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If everyone is thinking the same thing , no-one is thinking - General George S.Patton
Zeiss 7 x 42 BGAT
Captain's Helmsman 7 x 50
Nikon 10 x 42 Superior E
Swift Audubon Kestrel 10 x 50
Helios 15 x 70 Observation
Strathspey 20 x 90
Televue 76 APO
Zeiss 85 Diascope
Helios 102 f5 refractor
Various eyepieces barlows tripods mounts etc.
Panasonic Lumix DMC - TZ5 digital camera
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Diego
super member
Reged: 07/29/03
Posts: 179
Loc: Argentina South America
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Speaking of the Rosette, I think I've actually seen the OC in the nebula. I can see it naked eye with adverted vision. No sight of the nebula through the 80mm scope. I have my hopes up with the 20x90. Will putting a nebula filter in one of the eyepieces of the binos make any sense?
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Diego
Celestron 80 mm f11.4
Oberwerk 20x90
6" f7.8 Reflector
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Phil
member
Reged: 09/30/03
Posts: 37
Loc: London
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Thanks for the feedback. Yes Kenny, they are indeed the XCF. I didn't realise they had an extra wide field of view -seems I got lucky. And Yes Mike, the pleiades are fantastic at 16x.
Seems I was a bit ambitious with the Rosette Nebula. I think it was in the recommended 'Binocular Object of the month' in Astronomy Now, so thats why I thought it would be easy!! Perhaps they meant something else, I seem to remember a bit about an associated star cluster? Hmm, I'll double check when I get home. I think I might try Saturn too.
Anyway, I'm off on holiday to Lapland, Finland in a couple of weeks, so hopefully will get to try them somewhere really dark.
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Beginner
ETX 125
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