Observing with a 10" Dob

[Rocket Pooch]

Hi,

I had a bit of fun last night and got out my 10" Dob and did some visual observing for a change.

Apart form the complete lack of quality of the focuser and secondary support, of yes and the completely rubbish dob mount (if anyone is interested this is an Orion Optics 10" F6.3 Dob).  The optics in the scope are excellent, buy ruined by everything around it, anyway that will get remedied this year.

So I have a look at the veil nebula at through an O3 CLS filter, with a black cloth over my head to get rid of some of the light pollution, and I could just make out the fuzziness around central star, mag 3 I think.  This was a 1st.

Then onto M27, took me ages to find, I'm used to finding it with an 80mm scope with a 10x50 finder, using a 250mm scope with a rubbish finder was not easy.  Anyway, after 20 minutes I got it, and then could not believe it was what I found, I could see the dumbbell, but I could clearly see the stars through the nebula.  Again a first for me.

Ok, so now M31, easy yea, no its was not easy to find, again 15 minutes to find it and I thought that the light pollution was casing a problem, I had removed the O3 and put on a neodium filter, M31 looked like a small sharp fuzzy, blob.  Oh well not good, so I moved the telescope and the 26mm eyepiece filled up with M31, what I had been looking at was NGC205 or M110 if you like.

Anyway M31 filled the eyepiece with just about some banding in the cloud.

Finally with my back aching, I tried M15, this took me 30 minutes to find, but when I finally got it I popped in a 6mm eye piece and could clearly resolve hundreds of individual stars.

Ok so I picked on bight objects but it still amazes me what you can see with larger apertures.

Chris



P.S. Do not buy one of these dobs unless you have upgraded the focuser.

[Fay]

Chris,

the dob I looked thru at Fieldview had a red bullseye finder on the side. Have they all got this or not?

I went straight to everything I was looking for in a couple of seconds.



Fay

[Rocket Pooch]

Hi,

Na my one has a 8x30 finder and is quite useless, you can point it at very bright stars but thats about it.  A Red dot or 10x50 would be much better and easier to use.

Also the scope's has a focal length of 1.5meter which is in my opinon too long for this kinda work, I'd rather use and F4 or F5 scope and a wide angle eyepiece.

Chris