Re: ATM First light found! Need help

["Bill Kocken" <wmkocken@hotmail.com>]

Congrats on finishing the scope.

Some hints:

First: By all means, the first thing you need to do is check that your scope 
is well collimated.  I had my 8"F6 out last weekend and the views were very 
poor.  I fixed my collimaton and it made all the difference in the world.  
There are many resources and discussions about collimation.

Second, you may want to consider using an eyepiece with a focal length 
between your 27 and your 6.  The 6 is pretty high power, especially if the 
seeing isn't good or the collimation is off.

Another good test of resolution is double or multiple stars.  Look at the 
Orion nebula and find the Trapezium.  It will be hard to separate them in 
the 27MM, but you should easily be able to see the 4 stars with your 6MM ( 
if your scope is collimated.)

The image size has only to do with your magnification.  Jupiter and Saturn 
will be pretty small in the 27mm, but "fair" sized in the 6mm.

The amount of detail you can see depends on the "seeing" which is how steady 
the air is.  It also helps to make sure the objects are well up above the 
horizon.

Experience at the eyepiece also matters.  As your eye gets trained, you will 
see more and more. Details don't jump out at you.  It takes practice.

Don't worry about your focal length only being 47".  If you can reach focus 
with your eyepieces, that's all that counts at this point.


>From: <Vibhu.Veerabadrappa@synopsys.com>
>Reply-To: <Vibhu.Veerabadrappa@synopsys.com>
>To: atm@shore.net
>Subject: ATM First light found! Need help
>Date: Mon, 6 Jan 2003 10:28:38 -0800 (PST)
>
>This may be a repeat posting because I had problems with my email....sorry.
>
>Hi,
>
>With help from many people in this group (and Ray Cash), I completed
>my 8" f/6 Dobsonian mounted Newtonian. Thanks a lot to everyone.
>
>I have never looked through a telescope, and so I do not know what to
>expect I am able to see Saturn with its rings.
>But the image is not too big. Even with high power, I do not see the
>cassini division. Also, with high power, the image is slightly blurred
>than with the low power.
>
>Jupiter: I was able to see Jupiter with its 4 moons (two on each side).
>With high power, I was able to see two faint bands across the planet. 
>Nothing colorful. In "Nightwatch",
>it was mentioned that with a 8", the colors will be visible.
>
>In terms of resolution, I think I see lot more details. When I point
>the telescope to an area where the naked eye sees almost no stars, the
>telescope shows lots of them.
>
>
>I experimentally estimated the primary's focal length to be 47". This
>*may* be incorrect, and hence the eyepiece may be closer to primary by 1".
>BUT, I have enough ply in the helical focuser to be able to focus
>properly. So I doubt if this is causing any problems. There...all the
>cards are on the table.
>


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