Posts Made By: bruce welte

I'm in the process of purchasing my first (and hopefully only) telescope. I want to be able to use the telescope for backyard viewing of planets, the moon, and I guess some of the more prominent stars and nebula, etc. I'd also like to be able to take photos with my Nikon 35mm camera using the telescope (of both nighttime viewing and maybe some of the nature things in my backyard - like baby birds, etc.)

I'd like to get a scope that offers clear, crisp and detailed images of major planets, stars, etc. but I don't want a scope that offers set-up challenges or major calibrations, etc. I want it to be more fun than work but I don't want to be bored with it either in a few years time. I don't want a cheap, beginner scope, but can't afford the more deluxe models either. I'm looking to spend in the neighborhood of $500 to $700 and am looking for suggestions from you folks that have experience with the big 3 brands (Celestron, Meade and Orion).

I was looking at the Orion SkyView Pro 120mm EQ Refractor (Orion is selling it for $598 with dual axis drive, 2 eyepieces - 10mm and 25mm, 6 x 30 finder scope and steel leg tripod.) Anyone have experience with this (either good or bad)? Any other comparable scopes that I should consider in place of this one? If I go with this scope, any suggestions from owners of this scope?

In terms of eyepieces, in addition to the 2 included above, what other ones should I consider getting? What about the filters (moon, basic "4" filters, etc.)? Which ones are "must haves" that I'd definitely need with this scope?

Any other equipment I need in addition to the universal camera mount for my 35mm camera? Any helpful hints or things you have learned that would make this a more satifying hobby?

Any suggestions you folks have would be great appreciated. I've browsed through these web posts and find the information overwhelming and so helpful. If you can email your response to me, I'd greatly appreciate it to: [email protected]

Thanks!!!

I'm in the process of purchasing my first (and hopefully only) telescope. I want to be able to use the telescope for backyard viewing of planets, the moon, and I guess some of the more prominent stars and nebula, etc. I'd also like to be able to take photos with my Nikon 35mm camera using the telescope (of both nighttime viewing and maybe some of the nature things in my backyard - like baby birds, etc.)

I'd like to get a scope that offers clear, crisp and detailed images of major planets, stars, etc. but I don't want a scope that offers set-up challenges or major calibrations, etc. I want it to be more fun than work but I don't want to be bored with it either in a few years time. I don't want a cheap, beginner scope, but can't afford the more deluxe models either. I'm looking to spend in the neighborhood of $500 to $700 and am looking for suggestions from you folks that have experience with the big 3 brands (Celestron, Meade and Orion).

I was looking at the Orion SkyView Pro 120mm EQ Refractor (Orion is selling it for $598 with dual axis drive, 2 eyepieces - 10mm and 25mm, 6 x 30 finder scope and steel leg tripod.) Anyone have experience with this (either good or bad)? Any other comparable scopes that I should consider in place of this one? If I go with this scope, any suggestions from owners of this scope?

In terms of eyepieces, in addition to the 2 included above, what other ones should I consider getting? What about the filters (moon, basic "4" filters, etc.)? Which ones are "must haves" that I'd definitely need with this scope?

Any other equipment I need in addition to the universal camera mount for my 35mm camera? Any helpful hints or things you have learned that would make this a more satifying hobby?

Any suggestions you folks have would be great appreciated. I've browsed through these web posts and find the information overwhelming and so helpful. If you can email your response to me, I'd greatly appreciate it to: [email protected]

Thanks!!!

I'm in the process of purchasing my first (and hopefully only) telescope. I want to be able to use the telescope for backyard viewing of planets, the moon, and I guess some of the more prominent stars and nebula, etc. I'd also like to be able to take photos with my Nikon 35mm camera using the telescope (of both nighttime viewing and maybe some of the nature things in my backyard - like baby birds, etc.)

I'd like to get a scope that offers clear, crisp and detailed images of major planets, stars, etc. but I don't want a scope that offers set-up challenges or major calibrations, etc. I want it to be more fun than work but I don't want to be bored with it either in a few years time. I don't want a cheap, beginner scope, but can't afford the more deluxe models either. I'm looking to spend in the neighborhood of $500 to $700 and am looking for suggestions from you folks that have experience with the big 3 brands (Celestron, Meade and Orion).

I was looking at the Orion SkyView Pro 120mm EQ Refractor (Orion is selling it for $598 with dual axis drive, 2 eyepieces - 10mm and 25mm, 6 x 30 finder scope and steel leg tripod.) Anyone have experience with this (either good or bad)? Any other comparable scopes that I should consider in place of this one? If I go with this scope, any suggestions from owners of this scope?

In terms of eyepieces, in addition to the 2 included above, what other ones should I consider getting? What about the filters (moon, basic "4" filters, etc.)? Which ones are "must haves" that I'd definitely need with this scope?

Any other equipment I need in addition to the universal camera mount for my 35mm camera? Any helpful hints or things you have learned that would make this a more satifying hobby?

Any suggestions you folks have would be great appreciated. I've browsed through these web posts and find the information overwhelming and so helpful. If you can email your response to me, I'd greatly appreciate it to: [email protected]

Thanks!!!

I'm in the process of purchasing my first (and hopefully only) telescope. I want to be able to use the telescope for backyard viewing of planets, the moon, and I guess some of the more prominent stars and nebula, etc. I'd also like to be able to take photos with my Nikon 35mm camera using the telescope (of both nighttime viewing and maybe some of the nature things in my backyard - like baby birds, etc.)

I'd like to get a scope that offers clear, crisp and detailed images of major planets, stars, etc. but I don't want a scope that offers set-up challenges or major calibrations, etc. I want it to be more fun than work but I don't want to be bored with it either in a few years time. I don't want a cheap, beginner scope, but can't afford the more deluxe models either. I'm looking to spend in the neighborhood of $500 to $700 and am looking for suggestions from you folks that have experience with the big 3 brands (Celestron, Meade and Orion).

I was looking at the Orion SkyView Pro 120mm EQ Refractor (Orion is selling it for $598 with dual axis drive, 2 eyepieces - 10mm and 25mm, 6 x 30 finder scope and steel leg tripod.) Anyone have experience with this (either good or bad)? Any other comparable scopes that I should consider in place of this one? If I go with this scope, any suggestions from owners of this scope?

In terms of eyepieces, in addition to the 2 included above, what other ones should I consider getting? What about the filters (moon, basic "4" filters, etc.)? Which ones are "must haves" that I'd definitely need with this scope?

Any other equipment I need in addition to the universal camera mount for my 35mm camera? Any helpful hints or things you have learned that would make this a more satifying hobby?

Any suggestions you folks have would be great appreciated. I've browsed through these web posts and find the information overwhelming and so helpful. If you can email your response to me, I'd greatly appreciate it to: [email protected]

Thanks!!!

I'm a newbie at all this so excuse my questions if they sound really dumb. But I could use some advice from all of you that have so much more knowledge and experience.

I just got an Orion 120mm Skyview Pro EQ refractor for backyard viewing, including 10mm and 25mm eyepieces. My viewing area does have some street light interference, but taller trees shade most of it. I'm not sure exactly what I should be seeing with this scope and what exactly to expect from it and the eyepieces, plus what I should be purchasing as optional equipment that would enhance my viewing.

The moon has looked great with this scope and EPs. Mars (as of about midnight on Aug. 14 in Pennsylvania) seems to be a dot in the eyepiece, about the size of a pinhead (like the kind of pins with the colored plastic heads). Some of the brighter stars in the sky look more in focus, but are still just bright lights in the EP and really don't look much bigger than viewing without a scope. I haven't found any other planets or tried deep space viewing yet since it's been pretty overcast since I've got the scope.

As a lay person, what other eyepieces/barlows etc. should I get to compliment my viewing of the planets/moon/deep space objects?

My scope takes 1.25" and 2" EPs. What is the advantage to using 2" EPs over 1.25" EPs? Should I use 2" instead? (I wear glasses, but find viewing without them more comfortable).

Using the star diagonal "reverses" the image in centering in the eyepiece. Any way to correct this situation and have viewing of objects the same as my eye sees them, rather than reversed?

I see many photographs of great deep space objects but can't see these things with my eyes or telescope. Is that normal? Do these things become "visible" and "detailed" only when doing long exposures on film/photography? Or is there an eyepiece that would bring these objects into focus and visible through my scope?

I have the basic set of 4 colored filters. I really haven't noticed much benefit of using them, only to notice that the object being viewed gets "darker" and picks up the color of the filter (red, blue, green, yellow). When are these filters best used and on what?

Thanks for your help!

I just purchased the Orion Skyview Pro 120 telescope and equitorial mount with the TrueTrack Dual Axis DC Motor Drive system (#7832).

I'm having a problem with this dual axis drive system and hope all of you more experienced folks can help me in explaining either what I'm doing wrong, or if the product is
defective.

I set up the motor assembly drives per the instructions sent to me with the telescope. Tonight I went out to use the drive for the first time since receiving the drive and telescope. Per the instructions, I balanced the
telescope, then aligned it with Polaris.

I then wanted to view another star through the telescope and track it using the dual axis drive system. Once the star was centered in the eyepiece, the drive would not automatically track the star and keep it aligned in the
center of the eyepiece. Within a few seconds, the star was completely out of the vision of the eyepiece.

I tried to manually center the star using the handheld push-button controller that came with the drive. When using the buttons, the RA buttons moved the star at a good pace across my view through the eyepiece, however, when pushing the DEC buttons to center the star, the star barely moved at all. The batteries in the controller battery pack are brand new batteries just purchased.

According to my understanding of how this drive system works, once balanced and polarly aligned, the drive system should automatically keep an object centered in the eyepiece without any manual corrections on my part using the
hand held controller.

Can you help me in advising me what I'm doing wrong, or if the part seems defective to you?

Thank you all in advance for your suggestions and help. This is a terrific forum for newcomers to the astronomy world and I appreciate all advice and help greatly.

I still continue my struggle with my Orion Skyview Pro 120 mm EQ dual axis drive scope. I can't seem to get the drives to track. So I'm backing up from the start here to see if I'm overlooking maybe the simplest solutions to my problem. Any help and advice anyone can provide will be greatly appreciated.

So I get the scope and RA axis polar aligned. The tripod and scope and RA axis are all pointing north and polaris is in view in the eyepiece. At this point, I still don't have the drives turned on. At what point do I turn the drives on? I know to keep the switch on the drive on the "N" position, the clutches are engaged, the gears aren't too tight, and fresh batteries are in the powerpack.

Now I want to move my view from sighting Polaris to looking at Arcturus or any other star that is 90 degrees from my view of Polaris. To do this, I have to move my optical tube 90 degrees from its current sighting of Polaris. How do I do this without "ruining" my polar alignment and how do the tracking drives know what to keep in alignment and that the view has changed from Polaris to Arcturus or any other star?

I just don't seem to understand what mechanism is telling the drive to actually "start" and that it was aligned with Polaris but now it's pointing to Arcturus and that it now must keep Arcturus in the center of the eyepiece.

As it is now, the automatic tracking of the drives aren't working for me, but the manual "push buttons" on the controller do move the RA and DEC axis when I push the controller buttons. My problem seems to be with the alignment issue, the principle behind it and how it relates to the dual axis drives operations, and how to get it to actually track something that isn't pointed north.

I know this must seem like a really dumb question, but I can guarantee you that as I learn more about this wonderful hobby, I'll come up with even more spectacular dumb questions.

Thanks in advance for all your help and suggestions.

I just recently purchased an Orion Skyview Pro 120 EQ refractor. I'm still learning about the scope and viewing, since I'm brand new to this wonderful hobby. I find the folks on this board amazingly friendly and helpful. Perhaps you all can advise me on something.

I find viewing incredibly uncomfortable. I've just ordered a "right angle" spotting scope to help some, but I find myself contorting into some acrobatic positions for viewing stars, especially the closer I get toward zenith. Last night I was practically laid out on the ground to view with my neck cranked in the most uncomfortable position. While in the summer in Pittsburgh this might not be too bad, come the winter, in snow, this is going to be very uncomfortable and unpleasant.

What do you all do to view items close to zenith and still remain somewhat upright? I find the steel legs on the Skyview Pro tripod only extend about 12 inches, which does little to help. Unlike my camera's tripod, the center support of this tripod does not crank up several feet to raise the whole mount and scope into more comfortable viewing.

Does anyone have suggestions how to make viewing more comfortable (and upright) for me?

On another issue, I'm still having some troubles accurately polar aligning the scope. I didn't purchase the optional polar alignment scope and now I'm wondering if I should have. Does anyone know if I should have purchsed this optional alignment scope? Any helpful hints or suggestions in accurately polar aligning my specific scope with Polaris?

Many thanks in advance.

I have an Orion Skyview Pro 120 EQ Refractor. Tonight while viewing, somehow I managed to snap the plastic slow motion control knob on the RA axis control. Now I can't control that axis unless I use the true track drive motors.

Does anyone know where I can find a replacement knob for this? I looked on Orion's website but couldn't find any knobs for sale.

Thanks for your help and suggestions.

I have a Skyview Pro EQ 120 refractor from Orion. I'm new to astronomy too.

The scope and mount are only about a month old. I've noticed some movement in the mount itself and wondered if I just don't understand something about it, or if something broke on it.

When I have the mount in the "polar aligned" position with the scope assembled (OTA mounted), I have the two lock levers for the DEC and RA axis locked in place. However, when I apply some slight pressure on the tube, the upper portion of the EQ mount rotates from side to side (about 1/2 inch movement). When I apply this pressure and the movement occurs, the RA motor and its slow motion knob also move side to side about 1/4 inch.

Everything is tightened (as far as the mount to the tripod), levers, locks, etc. Is this movement normal to have? Or does it sound like something is broken in the mount?

Thanks in advance for your help and suggestions.