DON'T Use Autostar

[@thehoneybadger9262]

This title makes me laugh. I went to Fort Davis as a relative newbie, and was up at the Indian Lodge observing area, where it was so dark you couldn't see in front of your face (in fact during one session, I dropped my glasses and could not find them again- drove home without glasses). Late that night (or early morning), some guys with a 6" refractor came up and were trying to observe Messier objects. They hardly found any, but kept coming over to my 'beginner' Meade LX-90, and being very impressed by the image, and also the fact that I saw probably 50 Messier objects that night compared to their half-dozen or so. At my age, I prefer my time to be spent as efficiently as possible ;)

[@gettingpast4391]

I used to believe this too, until I went thru it myself as a beginner. Then I watched a number of beginners (friends of mine) buy a big dob, get tired of seeing a couple planets, the moon, and M42, sell their scope. Some never touched it again after a month of messing around. It's not easy to star hop in light polluted skies and it can be really frustrating in the summer when it's hot and wet, and in the winter when it's freezing cold. Some people just want to see the stuff not spend hours or hunting and failing in poor skies. For that reason I now recommend goto scopes for beginners, or at a minimum an older equatorial mount with good setting circles. Nobody wants to come home from work with an hour of free time before dinner, to hunt hunt hunt, come in sweaty and mosquito bitten and have looked at very little. Large setting circles provide the thrill of the hunt with a good chance of actually finding your target.

[@therising1]

Couldn't agree more. If you're not going with a go-to or push-to system, good setting circles really make the experience a lot of fun coupled with a capable sky map app. I have 4 kids and I could imagine whipping out my old leather bound star maps and my homemade telrad finder to star hop 15 minutes just to find an object through an 8" dob. I get what he's saying though. A solid knowledge of the night sky IS worth the endeavor.

[@stephanbamps9265]

I understand that all of you young guys want to go starhunting.....i am too old for this....(54 yrs ). I just setup autostar and this thing goes straight to these stars...wonderfull...no time to loose ...

[@gadgetmanbowen3081]

Unless you want to star hop, read star maps and learn about the night sky and as you say, Treasurer hunt, using manual telescopes; a computerized GOTO telescope can aid one with those hard-to-find objects better, especially if imaging. But now there is Plate Solving also. I have used different brands of hand controllers, and all have a setting for an accurate GOTO. AutoStar hand controllers have a “high precision” selection; under “Setup” then select “Telescope” scroll to “high precision” and turn it ON. If you are star-aligned well, this setting will take you to a star near the object you selected, you center on that star, hit Enter, then it slews to the object you want to see. The object is most always in the field of view of a lower power eyepiece. Some other brands call the option “precise”. NexStar has the “Precise GOTO”. SyncScan has a feature but requires more effort to sync.

[@charlesburks3988]

I spent a week looking in with a 10in dob one time a single object. After finding it was extremely exciting. Got into astrophotography and sold it for other equipment. All in all I missed the hunt. I ended up buy another 10in dob. There is nothing like a good ole fashion night of simple (hunting)

[@frankskeen1310]

Liked your video and it reminds me of what I tell my son about how years ago I use to go out with a book and open the pages where I would see objects named, and information as to what constellation they were in, it's magnitude, what kind of object it was and sometimes even a photo along with coordinates in dec & ra. Then after setting my scope up to the north celestial pole and finding a bright star, I would set my setting circles. I would use my setting circles to find the object, some I found like you say because I knew they were close to a known star. It was a thrill to find them ( hard and some times very difficult ) but exciting. No with go-to it's much easier and since I am more in a hurry with life and being short of time plus wanting to do more astrophotography mostly than visual it has become go-to all the time. But I do miss those times and the thrill of the hunt and catching the big one !!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for your video.

[@szaki]

When I first started out, asked people what telescope to buy, most recommended an 8' DOB, but I went against it and bought a used 8" LX200. It was great in my back yard, light pollution etc..., learned how to aligned it and goto many objects to see. But than one day went to a school's star party, took my shiny LX-200 scop,e set it up and after pushing a few buttons, slewing it, the scope went dead. No what? No power, the fuse were blown and I didn't have another. No problem, pushed the scope manually to bright planet Saturn and showed the kids. But they want it to see galaxies, I got embarassed because I didn't now how to find or where they were without GOTO. It was a good lesson, learn the sky first before getting a computerized telescope., Goto can show you many things, but leave you dumb. It's like using calculator for everything, but not knowing math. Next 6 months, I took my binoculars, red light and a star map, went to a nearby dark sight and I was hunting for what ever was visible for my bino. 2 years later went to Europe visit relatives, took my 80 mm bino with me and was very proud to be able to show them the planets and some bright DSO's just by using my binocular, even thought them how to star hop to find them.

[@TheRentalJourney]

Your Polish? I was born in Poland but moved to Canada when I was 3 years old. Still speak Polish though.

[@szaki]

@@TheRentalJourney No! Hungarian! But close!

[@davidbrandenburg8029]

beware of the meade etx 60's and 70's and 80's, if you buy one used make sure they have never dropped it onto the lens end, because the focuser can be damaged very easily as the adjustment rod is anchored in plastic!.

[@stevehardy4546]

I agree with you 100%. I have a go to Meade LX200 12" but I really do miss that thrill of the hunt with my binoculars. Well said.

[@TheRentalJourney]

Glad someone shares in that "thrill of the hunt" feeling/experience.

[@StarkweatherVision]

I'm like a human GOTO, can whip the scope into the area I want to search and star hop to my target. I get impatient listening to the Autostar gizmo slewing to the target while I would usually be observing before it gets there. Still, if it helps someone get enjoyment and avoids frustration, that's a good thing.

[@athensboy123]

Very interesting sir.. thanks for telling me but I am very new at this can someone please tell me a good telescope that I can see with? I been looking on Facebook marketplace but I don't understand what to look for

[@Rodzilla5332]

I could never get the damn thing to be lined up anyway so fuck it.

[@joelocke9241]

That's a nice table you've got in the background.

[@andrewmount5135]

I could not agree more. Thank you for such an honest video.

[@TheRentalJourney]

Thanks Andrew! Did you see the lunar eclipse yesterday?

[@andrewmount5135]

Gorothbalion Thank you. I did image the lunar eclipse yesterday by revolution imager 2 mounted on the prime focus of a basic 60 mm refractor. It was awesome and I am currently reducing the data.

[@TheRentalJourney]

That's awesome! You should send it my way, or upload it somewhere - love to see it!

[@andrewmount5135]

Gorothbalion Send me an email address I will send you a montage of the eclipse

[@TheRentalJourney]

[e-mail]

[@Goearthtour]

Good point.

[@TylorDoesThings]

The earth is flat

[@kenhawes3837]

yes and the sky has a ceiling where all the objects are located.....

[@TylorDoesThings]

@@kenhawes3837 yes, definitely

[@davidbrandenburg8029]

no only your head!

[@Weloveants]

No the earth is round and we all know that

[@maxwellssilverhammer]

HeReS tHe sCoOp

[@Vegasman77704]

change your title to beginners dont use autostar. go to setups are great for beginers with no patience

[@davidbrandenburg8029]

some people dont have the time to take the long way to learning where the stars are!, personally I think your doing a dis service to astronomy!. tracking software allows people to find stars they normally wouldn't find!.

[@frankskeen1310]

It's not a disservice to learn the sky first so you dont look like a fool when the electric hardware fails and you have to quit and go home.