Hello everyone. New member

[Nick1972]

Hi everyone

My names Nick and I currently live in the Biggin Hill area. My partner just bought me a Skywatcher synscan Explorer 130p AZ Goto scope for xmas which I am led to believe is a fairly good scope for a beginner. I have been deeply fascinated by astronomy all my life but only now after 38yrs have I got a scope.

Problem is being new to this I am struggling to set it up with the co-ordinates it requires and then the star alingnment. I would love to come along to one of your monthly meetings in Shire Lane and would be eternally gratefuil for any help you guys could give me with this. I hope setting it up is actually easier than the instructions make it look. Hope to see some of you guys in February and become an active member of your group.

Best wishes
Nick

[mickw]

Hi Nick and welcome.
I think you'll get a lot of fun out of the Explorer and will get some good views of the night sky - when we can actually see it.
There are a couple of members that have the same mount that you have so I'm sure we will be able to get you pointed in the right direction

We did have an observing session last Tuesday but the clouds did no cooperate, so we spent the evening chatting, luckily we meet in the Change of Horses before moving up to High Elms.

We also have regular monthly meetings at the BEECHE centre at High Elms which you are welcome to attend, so pop along and introduce yourself, unfortunately there would not be the facilities to set you're kit up at BEECHE, but I'm sure someone will be able to talk you through the basics of the setup.
The next meeting is on Thursday 27th - Details of all upcoming meetings can be found on our main website - click on the banner at the top of the page.

Look forward to meeting you

[Rick]

Ni Nick. Thanks for introducing yourself. You should now be able to post elsewhere in the forum.

[RobertM]

Welcome Nick, I look forward to meeting you at one of the meetings.

PS. 38 years is an awfully long time to wait, you must be very patient

[Fay]

Hello, Nick, look forward to seeing you

[Mac]

Greetings and welcome.

PS. 38 years is an awfully long time to wait, you must be very patient

Dont tell him as he's just bought a telescope, he's going to have to wait a lot longer for the clear skies

Mac.

[RobertM]

  tell me about it !

[PhilB]

Welcome, Nick. Look forward to meeting you under the umbrella sometime!

[Tony G]

Well Nick, you may become our new mascot if the skies clear.
Welcome aboard.
The other thing not yet mentioned, which you may want to discuss when (or if) you attend the next meeting at Shire Lane is DSC. This is when a few people go down to a dark area of Kent or Sussex, where the skies are not orange, to do observing and astrophotography, and this would be the perfect opportunity to speak to people, ask advice, and see how to get the best out of your particular scope.
Hope to see you at BEECHE or DSC.

Tony G.   

[doug]

     Welcome from another Skywatcher Synscan owner, Nick.  If we ever get the chance to have a peer through the telescope at a cloud free observing session, I will have a go at assisting you with it.  I`m still learning the thing as well; I got mine a couple of years ago, but I do have two other `scopes and I initially had to wait 70 odd years for mine. So we will have to get together and curse gently..........

     Hope you can make the next BEECHE meeting on the 27th January or the next Observing evening on the 15th February and we can have a chat.

     Doug. 

[Carole]

Hi Nick, Welcome to the Forum and hopefully to the group.  Look forward to meeting you.

Carole