I feel I have wasted $1000 dollars :(

RichA wrote:
On Thu, 27 Jan 2005 04:38:05 GMT, Johnny Lightning
wrote:


Help!

I purchased a Meade ETX-125EC. I also purchase a few eyepieces and
now have the following: Super Plossl 26mm LP, PL 5 mm, Super Plossl
12.4 mm, Super Plossl 9.7 mm, WA 18 mm, and a 2X telenegative Barlow.

What am I doing wrong? I look at Saturn and it is no more than 1/4" in
size, not at all what was described to me. I think I could have spent $100
on a scope and seen this much. Do I have the wrong eyepieces? What do I
need to buy to see a planet fill up my field of view?


Do any of you characters EVER bother reading or doing any homework
before jumping into the hobby? I can't believe the sheer
"observational ignorance" of some people. Unless you're willing to
do some WORK to LEARN what's possible, you might as well pack it in.
Good thing is, someone (who hopefully knows something) will pay you
almost 90% of what you spent on your scope when you sell it used!
So you aren't out any real money. Then you can go pursue a hobby
you can understand, like video games.
-Rich

Another compassionate conservative being helpful.

Clear Skies,
Uncle Bob

What am I doing wrong? I look at Saturn and it is no more than 1/4"
in size, not at all what was described to me. I think I could have
spent $100 on a scope and seen this much. Do I have the wrong
eyepieces? What do I need to buy to see a planet fill up my field
of view? And what do I need to see a constellation in its entirety
in my field of view? Please help me..I have a 6 year old who is
dying to see the solar system up close.

I'm amazed at the negativity you're getting from some of the
respondents. Anyway...

The unfortunate fact is that Saturn is incredibly far away and it would
take a magnification of perhaps 500x or more to bring it to a size that
most beginning observers would consider comfortably large. However, a
sharp image at that magnification requires an excellent 10" or larger
telescope in combination with extremely stable atmospheric conditions.

Even those of us with large telescopes are usually limited to 300x or
less, due to the atmosphere. This is a huge variable. Two months ago
I observed Saturn through my 14.5" and had a difficult time making out
Cassini's Division. Then two weeks ago Saturn was the best I'd ever
seen it, sharp at 398x and I'd have gone higher if I'd had tracking.

With your 5" scope you'll need to deal with an image that's smaller
than you'd initially like, but rest assured that there's still plenty
to see there. With practice you'll adapt and begin to appreciate what
you're seeing. Have patience and look for the following:

Cassini's Division
Shading variations in the B ring
The faint C ring
The Equatorial Belt
The dusky polar region
Shadow of the planet on the rings
Several moons

Cheers,
Ritesh

wrote in message
oups.com...
Bigger is not always better.

That's right, it's not.

Why buy a larger scope if it will get less use than what he has? Of
all the scopes I have, from an 8" SCT to the Orion 80mm ST, the 80mm
gets the most use. It's grab and go. Big scopes are a pain to setup,
as I was warned in this group 10 years ago when I was shopping for the
8". As predicted I favor the smaller, lighter scopes. The 8" has its
place, and it gets use, but not often.

That's why I suggested that he research first before jumping into the hobby.
My sense is though that he has already had the ETX too long and is now stuck
with it. However, that doesn't mean he can't use it, but he will have to
find material appropriate for that size of telescope. The "sketch" drawings
submitted by amateurs I mentioned previously can still be of tremendous help
in that regard. I do recall many such sketches being made with scopes in
the 3-6" range.

I think the scope he has is the right size for the aspiring amateur
who's main interest is planetary views. If he add's a pair of good
binoculars for sweeping the sky he'll be set.

I agree, especially with the point about binoculars. EVERY amateur should
start out with binoculars. I myself used a pair of Focal (that's right-
Kmart!) 20x60's for at least 7 years before getting my first scope. There's
no better way to learn the sky, IMO. And with the tremendous cost savings
these days of the Synta binoculars, he can pick up a pair with great
aperture at a great price. However, if he just gets a pair of 10x50's that
would be all he would need right now.

I would add a good low power EP, 32mm perhaps. It's my most used EP
with my 8" SCT, but wider field views are my preference.

For many DSO's, wide field is a must. He'll benefit from a low power
eyepiece.

John

Andy

"Sketcher" wrote in message
...
Hi Johnny!

That telescope you have is capable of showing you quite a bit of this
universe. Many of the early astronomers would have been amazed by
such a telescope!

OK, so Saturn isn't as large as you were expecting it to be; but could
you see the ring? With a bit of patience, practice and good seeing
conditions you will see more in that tiny planetary image. At times
you'll be able to see 1 or more of Saturn's moons. There's the
Cassini Division -- a dark gap separating the A and B rings. There's
the shadow of the planet on the rings. Even some subtle detail on the
disk of the planet is within reach of your telescope.

Be sure to check out the moon! The full moon can be interesting; but
you'll see *far* more detail on the moon when it isn't full. From
night to night as the moon goes through its phases you'll see
different craters, mountains, etc. The moon is a wonderful target for
backyard observing sessions.

When you're at the telescope relax, take a deep breath, erase
expectations from your mind, look into the eyepiece and see what you
can see. Study that view. Take your time -- and you'll see more.
Concentrate on what you *can* see -- not on what you once thought you
should see.

Books from a library or bookstore are highly recommended. Look for
books geared toward the backyard observer. Such books will give you a
lot of valuable information.

When looking through an eyepiece I like the philosophy: "Expect
nothing. Be happy with anything!"

Astronomy can be a wonderful hobby -- you just have to give it a
chance!

P.S. The naked eye is the best instrument for constellation study.
Different telescopes have different strengths and weaknesses. Your
telescope is as good as any for getting your feet wet in this hobby.
Feel free to comment on anything you see in this newsgroup and feel
free to ask questions. Everyone here once had a first telescope, etc.
Sketcher
To sketch is to see.

Well said!

--
Jan Owen

To reach me directly, remove the Z, if one appears in my e-mail address...
Latitude: 33.662
Longitude: -112.3272

Johnny Lightning wrote:
Help!

Call me a heartless sceptic, but I think Johnny's a troll.

Discard, return, or sell the scope and find another hobby. You are too
expectant to deserve a telescope. Try baseball or another sport. Who
knows, your son may end up being playing pro if you start now.

Good luck,
Ace

"Johnny Lightning" wrote in message
...
Help!

I purchased a Meade ETX-125EC. I also purchase a few eyepieces and
now have the following: Super Plossl 26mm LP, PL 5 mm, Super Plossl
12.4 mm, Super Plossl 9.7 mm, WA 18 mm, and a 2X telenegative Barlow.

What am I doing wrong? I look at Saturn and it is no more than 1/4"
in
size, not at all what was described to me. I think I could have spent $100
on a scope and seen this much. Do I have the wrong eyepieces? What do I
need to buy to see a planet fill up my field of view? And what do I need
to see a constellation in its entirety in my field of view? Please help
me..I have a 6 year old who is dying to see the solar system up close.

Johnny Lightning wrote:

Help!

I purchased a Meade ETX-125EC. I also purchase a few eyepieces and
now have the following: Super Plossl 26mm LP, PL 5 mm, Super Plossl
12.4 mm, Super Plossl 9.7 mm, WA 18 mm, and a 2X telenegative Barlow.

What am I doing wrong? I look at Saturn and it is no more than 1/4" in
size

You need to stand closer to Saturn.


Tim
--
This is not my signature.

Me too, just payed my taxes! (o:
JS

"Johnny Lightning" wrote in message
...
Help!

I purchased a Meade ETX-125EC. I also purchase a few eyepieces and
now have the following: Super Plossl 26mm LP, PL 5 mm, Super Plossl
12.4 mm, Super Plossl 9.7 mm, WA 18 mm, and a 2X telenegative Barlow.

What am I doing wrong? I look at Saturn and it is no more than 1/4" in
size, not at all what was described to me. I think I could have spent $100
on a scope and seen this much. Do I have the wrong eyepieces? What do I
need to buy to see a planet fill up my field of view? And what do I need
to see a constellation in its entirety in my field of view? Please help
me..I have a 6 year old who is dying to see the solar system up close.

"JJK" wrote:
I won't argue against the obvious benefits of increased aperture, but
isn't it the focal length of the telescope that defines the
magnification of a
given EP?

Ian Robelot wrote:
Yes, but the image will look a lot brighter in the larger apertures. It's
a
tradeoff... the image will look larger and brighter in a larger aperture
scope, but will be much more influenced by seeing conditions than a scope
of
smaller aperture. I think that's most often why people observing with the
smaller apertures feel much more satisfied with the views because they are
a
lot more stable.

The virtue of smaller aperture scopes w/turbulent overhead is sometimes true
here.

For my aging eyes (47 going on 70), I find that I prefer at least a 130mm of
clear aperture for Jupiter and about 150mm for Saturn (more aperture is
preferable). That said, I still have fun using even smaller scopes on these
objects.

On Thu, 27 Jan 2005 04:38:05 GMT, Johnny Lightning
wrote:

Help!

I purchased a Meade ETX-125EC. I also purchase a few eyepieces and
now have the following: Super Plossl 26mm LP, PL 5 mm, Super Plossl
12.4 mm, Super Plossl 9.7 mm, WA 18 mm, and a 2X telenegative Barlow.

What am I doing wrong? I look at Saturn and it is no more than 1/4" in
size, not at all what was described to me. I think I could have spent $100
on a scope and seen this much. Do I have the wrong eyepieces? What do I
need to buy to see a planet fill up my field of view? And what do I need
to see a constellation in its entirety in my field of view? Please help
me..I have a 6 year old who is dying to see the solar system up close.

And what does he think? When I was 6, I would have thought the fuzzy
image of Saturn gleaned from a small telescope was the coolest thing
in the world.

The plus side of this is that if you want a bigger telescope for a
better image, those eyepieces will still fit.

--
My e-mail addres isn't real. Remove the bofh for better results.