41 replies to this topic

[northernmike]

I ,my name is Mike , i'm a newbie here and the reason i joigned this forum is that i just bought my first telescope an hour ago.

With a $600 budget (can) and after spending days on reviews , i went for a Orion space probe  130 ST .

I live near Mt Tremblant , in Quebec Canada , wich is a good place for viewing , away from light pollution.

The reviews said that the parabolic miror on the space probe is of very good quality fro the price range.I also bought a Celestron

6mm omni serie lens and a Neewer 2X Barlow lens to complete my kit for deep space probing.

Also , i can buy later on a computorized base if i really like astronomy.

Is ther any additional equipement that i should be considering?

Did i made a good choice of telescope and lens?

Looking forward to exchange with you guys!

I'm not  100% bilingual , so if i make any mistakes in my writing , sorry about it , but working on it   , and here is a good place to practice.

[Dave Mitsky]

A 50-degree apparent field of view 6mm Plössl like the Celestron Omni is going to have very tight eye relief.

https://www.celestro...ossary-of-terms
 

You may want to get something like a 60-degree AFOV 5mm or 7mm Celestron X-Cel LX to replace it, either of which will have a much longer eye relief of 16mm and will be much more comfortable to use.

https://www.celestro...ossary-of-terms

 

[mystang52]

"Additional equipment."  Definitely get an Observer Chair.  This link shows what I have, but there are others: https://www.highpoin...IQaAo9GEALw_wcB

[Anony]

For inexpensive eyepieces I like the 7-21 zoom (when a coupon is offered):

 

https://www.amazon.c...s/dp/B07Z64NK65

 

If you don't have anything for wide, a 32mm plossl may be handy. Although if it

came with a 25mm plossl that may be fine too.

 

I'm not a fan of 6mm plossls myself, so if that can be returned you may wish to consider it. Teensy peep hole (short eye relief)... sort of annoying to use.

Edited by Anony, 11 September 2023 - 02:41 PM.

[vtornado]

Barlowing a 6mm eyepiece is probably too much magnification.

 

red beam flashlight is very handy to have.

 

you will need some maps (could be a phone app)

 

What eyepieces are bundled with this scope?

 

You will need something to collimate this scope.  Maybe it comes with a collimation cap?

 

In your cool climate, this scope will need to acclimate a bit before use.  You can't take the scope out of a warm house to a chilli evening and get a sharp view.  Set the scope outside before use.

Edited by vtornado, 11 September 2023 - 02:43 PM.

[SeattleScott]

"Additional equipment." Definitely get an Observer Chair. This link shows what I have, but there are others: https://www.highpoin...IQaAo9GEALw_wcB

I believe the scope is on an equatorial mount, which is not as accommodating of seated observing. It is certainly a possibility but I would hold off for the moment and see if a chair would be beneficial.

[SeattleScott]

Collimation tool.

You will want a medium power eyepiece, maybe 10-12mm, if the scope didn’t come with one.

The 6mm Plossl can be difficult to use but you can try it for now.

The barlow, a good barlow can be a value add, a cheap barlow can make a good eyepiece look bad. I have no experience with that brand. If it cost around $50 it is probably ok. If it was more like $20 it could be garbage. If it performs well, you could barlow your low power eyepiece to get medium power.

[sevenofnine]

Welcome to C/N! 

 

Usually enough stuff comes with a new telescope to get you started. Read the manual (oh, no!)   Then come here and as specific questions about the scope, eyepieces, finder or other topic. C/N members are much better with specific questions than ones that are too broad or matter of opinion. "The Backyard Astronomer's Guide 4th ed." by T. Dickinson will answer many questions and give you a good foundation for learning this hobby. Best of luck to you! 

[northernmike]

The scope comes with a 10mm and 25mm lens.
I just cancelled my Celestron 6mm eyepiece piece , thanks for the advice.
My Neewer Barlow 2X eyepiece was only $27 and the reviews where not that bad for the Price. Maybe i'll get a 3X if you think i should.
So if i get this right, a 2x barlow combined with a 10mm should be enoug.
Adding a 3x with the 10mm eyepiece would be better than using a 6mm piece, even a good one ?

I also found a store in Montreal , LMDA (la maison de l'astronomie) and they sell a EQ 2 ascencion motor for $60 (can). Maybe an ad-on to my kit?

This is the scope that i bought.I will receive it in the next 3 days.

https://www.amazon.c...aba3271009&th=1

Edited by northernmike, 11 September 2023 - 05:41 PM.

[star acres]

Oooh I like that Orion. Sharp parabola. I have something a little smaller:    About those eyepieces. My favorites are my 55 degree Zhumells. I have no barlows. 3 MM and 12.5 MM.     If I can run a 3 MM, you can too. I wouldn't get anything over a 20 MM as you get a smudgy center watching the moon and for daylight viewing. I do a lot of daylight viewing. 

Edited by star acres, 11 September 2023 - 06:15 PM.

[star acres]

I'd steer clear of most eyepieces with 4 or less lenses. Mine range from 5 to 7 glass lenses. Big bulbulous and heavy is good. 

[star acres]

Another thing I have for my telescope:  Osybz color CCD camera. 700TVL . It's an NTSC plain Jane old TV camera that runs off 12 volts.    You can unscrew the lens and put on a C adapter to 1 n 1/4 piece and put it in place of an eyepiece. It has digital controls and will go from crappy to fantastic color, when set right. Oh, Ebay $42

Edited by star acres, 11 September 2023 - 06:03 PM.

[star acres]

SvBony Red Band eyepieces... 68 degrees in 6 and 9 MM.

Edited by star acres, 11 September 2023 - 06:06 PM.

[dnrmilspec]

Welcome to the hobby.  You are in for a lifetime of fun and not a little bit of wonder.

 

You made a good choice for a first scope.  I agree with SevenofNine that you have all you need to get started and even use for quite awhile.  Dickson's book is also a great suggestion.

 

I would not jump into buying a lot of equipment for now.  See what you think.  Then give us a shout when you have questions.  And you will have them. 

 

I would also tell you, (I am a bit of a contrarian) to feel free to download one of the free astronomy aps and use it to help you find stuff.  Starting out it is more fun looking at things than looking for things. 

 

We would all really enjoy hearing about your journey in astronomy, particularly your initial impressions of the new scope.  Don't stress too much about collimation for now.  Just check what the manual says and get close.  Try the scope first to see if it even really needs collimation right out of the box. 

 

Enjoy your new scope and let us know how it is going.

[northernmike]

after reading some of the comments , i also cancelled the Neewer barlow 2X and went for the Orion 08711 Shorty.

Looks like a nice choice according to a lot af reviews.

Can't wait to receive my packages!

[gene 4181]

 Welcome to Cloudy Nights ! 

[Skyfisher]

Welcome!  Before you buy more you might benefit from "The Backyard Astronomer's Guide" which explains eyepiece and Barlow choices well..  To me, good starting eyepiece focal lengths are 7mm, 9mm 15mm, 25mm, 32mm  more or less.  Have some fun and "Keep looking up" !!!

[hlee]

Hi, welcome to CN.

 

I have the Zhumell Z130, which is supposedly the same scope as the SpaceProbe, except mine is on a Tabletop base.

 

There's a black metal plate covering the bottom of the tube that they recommend that you permanently remove because it keeps the mirror from acclimating to outdoor temperatures quickly and will also block access to the collimation screws.

 

I find that the highest magnification eyepiece that I can use on good nights is a 4mm TMB (clone).  As Star Acres suggests, you could try a 6mm Svbony Redline (also same as the Svbony Goldline) or later, a 9mm Redline (both 6 and 9 are not Plossls) to maybe replace the 10mm Plossl that came with your scope.  A 32mm Plossl will be good for wide views.

 

EDIT:

 

I just took a look at the scope you bought through the link you provided.  It looks like they redesigned the SpaceProbe to get rid of the black metal plate.  There's collimation thumbscrews too, which is better than the Phillips screws that I had on mine (which needed a screwdriver to collimate).

 

Hold off on further eyepiece purchases until you get more time with your scope and see what you need.  Same with the 3x Barlow.

Edited by hlee, 11 September 2023 - 10:49 PM.

[UnityLover]

I have the same scope! the 10mm plossl works, just works. The 25mm is amazing. 52 degrees looks like much more! I have to move my eye to the left or right to see the field stop. Has shown many clusters and galaxies in amazing detail. Orion BLEW me away in bortle 5, it was very bright and had tons of detail.

 

           I reccomend getting a svbony 7-21mm zoom as an upgrade, which is great at high and mid power. Showed dark spots on mars during opposition, cassini division on saturn last year, jupiters bands, the moons, and a transit.  75x is all you need for planets on this scope. The barlow helps on the moon though, so its an optional upgrade.

Edited by UnityLover, 12 September 2023 - 08:31 AM.

[UnityLover]

Collimation tool.

You will want a medium power eyepiece, maybe 10-12mm, if the scope didn’t come with one.

The 6mm Plossl can be difficult to use but you can try it for now.

The barlow, a good barlow can be a value add, a cheap barlow can make a good eyepiece look bad. I have no experience with that brand. If it cost around $50 it is probably ok. If it was more like $20 it could be garbage. If it performs well, you could barlow your low power eyepiece to get medium power.

No need for collimation tool. the cap it comes with works fine. ive had it for almost a year!

[SeattleScott]

For now I think a 2x barlow with 10mm is fine. As the planets come back and you get comfortable with collimation, you can consider a 3mm eyepiece or a 3x barlow.

[Anony]

after reading some of the comments , i also cancelled the Neewer barlow 2X and went for the Orion 08711 Shorty.

Looks like a nice choice according to a lot af reviews.

Can't wait to receive my packages!

I have the shorty and it seems decent to me. One plus is that the bottom element can be removed and attached to an eyepiece, turning it into 1.5x if need be.

[Michael Tomich]

Welcome, looks like a fine choice for a telescope. Get out there and use whatever eyepieces it comes with or that you have. You seem to believe you'll enjoy higher power and higher magnification eyepieces and increasing that with barlows. Those may work well on planets in the very best of weather conditions. You'll likely find that the thousand other objects to look at like galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters often require lower power and a wider field of view to be enjoyed. I do most observing through 17mm and 10mm. Ocassionally I'll go down to my 6mm. I've yet to be impressed putting a 2X Barlow on the 6mm. I do wider often enough for larger objects, just so they fit in the view comfortably. Have fun.

[PNW]

Mike, welcome to CN. I'd take your new scope out and start enjoying the night sky. I'd cruise through Cygnus, starting at Albireo at the head and ending at Omicron 1, at the tail. There are many double stars, clusters and nebula on that journey. Don't forget about Saturn, Jupiter, and the Moon. Then, you can start thinking about upgrades. I'm sure they will become obvious.

[tturtle]

This is a fairly short focal length scope at 600mm so you may struggle to view things that are conducive to high magnification like the planets. It doesn’t mean you can’t view planets, just that they will inevitably be somewhat small. This type of scope shines more with large celestial objects that favor a wide field, like the Orion Nebulla.  Another point is that, not knowing where you are located, I assume you are limited like most of us, to favorable weather. An iPhone app that I use to tell me whether the upcoming evening will be good for stargazing is called “Good to Stargaze” look for it in the App Store. Highly recommended.