What I love about this channel is that although equipment reviews are my favorite content, there's all sorts of astro experiences shared by an experienced astronomer like this one
Ed, I just want to say, I've been doing astronomy and astro-photography in earnest officially for a year now, and I've listened to your words of wisdom and recommendations the whole way through. Thank you for all the information you bring us. I know it's helped me learn so much. Also, I don't know if this is true for all astronomers, but for me personally, just being out under the stars is therapy. Whether I'm doing a long imaging session all night, or just out gazing through my SCT, it's probably the most at peace I've been in my life. Keep up the amazing work, and see you under the stars!
I agree, it is good therapy. Stargazing has brought me much peace, especially when my life has felt anything but. I only wish I could do it more often!
I had the 10 inch version of this kind of Dobsonian and although it was heavier I really liked that it was not only easy to setup, but quite easy to use and very powerful
OMG! I was a huge fan of the Curious George books as a kid. Cool stuff Ed. I really enjoy your content. I think you are a great resource for people who are just starting out, and for those of us who have been enjoying this pursuit for a long time! Keep up the great work!
It was nice you had so many people show up and stay so late. Nice pictures and hotel. Makes me thankful for the Bortle 4 sky 10 minutes away and Bortle two 30 minutes away. My club has a monthly outreach using a Mead 16" donated by the University of NM at a campground just north of town. You can bet folks line up to look through that Mead.
Considering the scopes in the background of your videos I would have guessed that the equipment you take to a starwatch would have started with a 24 foot box truck. Then you said that we wouldn't need more than three or four eyepieces -- and that you have cases of them. Maybe that should have been a 28 foot box truck... My travel scope is the same as my backyard scope - an 8" Zhumell dobsonian with half a dozen eyepieces, a folding lawn chair and a pair of 7x50 binoculars. And your trials with your imaging setup remind me why I have avoided astro photography. 😅
My suggestion would be to replace the tractor battery and inverter with a power station. Currently the best bang for the buck would be the Bluetti EB3A.
Ed, great learning experience from you, and I like how you packed the equipment and your stuff into the car. I just wished you’d shown what it looked like when fully loaded. Keep these great videos coming.😊
Thanks for taking the time to put this together Ed. Love all you videos. It's great to get to see what other people do. You make me worry about my avx mount though 🤣 no problems with it so far thankfully.
My 'goto' scope as far as portability is my trusty old 6" newtonian I made when I was 13-14 yrs old back around 1968 from an Edmund Scientific mirror making kit. It took what seemed like forever to grind and polish down in the basement but it turned out great! I never did get it 'perfect' from what my test results said as far as being parabolic on paper and I eventually gave up trying to 'correct' the wave form but the images it gives are pinpoint stars and no apparent turned edge with exceptional inside and outside of focus ring patterns! Guess I got lucky and had it right after all. :)
Thank you for sharing what you carry to observe and image as well as sharing your images. They inspire me to try harder. Enjoy all your videos and have subscribed.
Portable as in: it fits in the trunk of a compact car, without lowering the back seat (would need to remove the child seats). An 8" dob - tough I love them - does not fit that bill. It's why I have an SCT on an nexstar evo mount (that does fit in my trunk).
Your random photo of a star-field, but geez! An old friend used to say to me that we could turn my 6" Edmund reflector on a bare patch of sky and turn up a star-field... The same idea goes for the Hubble Deep Field (and successors). But your random shot says the same thing in an even more visceral manner. Wow! That is a bunch of stars. I know the Hubble Deep Field shows more, but it doesn't seem that way. Bravo and thanks.
Ed, I bought an XT8 *years* ago... Seriously, probably 20 years ago and it hasn't seen much use since that first year. A few years back (four or five), I did buy a Meade 8.8 mm super-wide eye piece thinking I could re-kindle my interest. I took the scope out one time with that eyepiece and took a few pictures of the moon with my iPhone. It was neat but it still didn't re-kindle my interest. Recently, I've been going through the process of down-sizing / minimizing and saw my old, dusty XT8 in the corner. I thought, "I really should take that thing out or just get rid of it." While thinking I'd just get rid of it (either sell locally or donate), I came across your channel. I've watched a handful of videos and this one and one from two years ago where you recommend telescopes for beginners made me second-guess my decision to get rid of it. That said, that scope is *dusty*. I've not taken the dust cap off but I did notice the focuser dust cover had fallen off. Reading through the manual, it says neither mirror should need cleaning. Is there anything I should look for on either mirror that would necessitate cleaning? Other than "take the freaking scope outside," is there any other advice you'd offer?
My advice? Ignore the dust and just start using the scope. I've been facing a near epidemic recently of people cleaning their optics and ruining the mirrors in the process. They do this even though I tell them not to clean anything. If you must, dump a bucket of sudsy water into the tube and follow it up with more buckets of clean water. Of course, do this outside.
Hi Ed, best wishes from Arizona. You are looking good. Thanks for putting this together, and thanks for the memories of Waterville Valley and the Cottage. I'll put in a plug for the Skywatcher 10" collapsible go-to dob for public outreach, specifically because it has the the ability to track objects. It is also portable and the pieces are still light enough to lift into an SUV or minivan. It does require a collimation tweak each time it is set up, but with a laser collimator this takes about 2 minutes. The tracking frees me up to answer questions. I will join you as a fan of the TeleVue 13mm Type 6, but my 24mm Panoptic still gets the most use during skywatches. Clear skies!
Ed, I had to smile at your title and first comment into the video. 'EDC' or 'Every Day Carry, for many of us, refers not to the astro gear we carry, but our personal protection, i.e., usually a pistol and some kind of a knife. Don't be surprised if you get comments looking to see if you carry a semi-automatic or a revolver. :p :) Now that I've gone back and watched the rest of the video, I have to ask you, why are you using AVX mounts? I bought one, my first mount, and didn't have anything but trouble with it, horrible tracking, stupid, unilluminated polar alignment scope that is next to useless, and just a pain. A few years ago, I found a page on the web where a gentleman disassembled his AVX and reassembled it (he also installed a bearing in it), and I took out the wheel bearing grease and replaced it with white lithium grease. Before replacing the grease, the mount wouldn't balance, I could move my telescope and camera rig in the saddle and nothing would happen. After relubricating the mount, I had to be very careful where I put the mount and telescope because it would easily rotate. Unfortunately, I ran into some serious financial difficulty, I lost much of my A/P gear, and what I have left is in storage, including my mount. Maybe someday I'll be able to get it out again, after I get the controller, power cables, a new guide camera, guide scope, etc. But, knowing what I know now, I wouldn't buy another AVX. Most likely go with an iOptron, but maybe a Skywatcher.
All those electronic mounts are the same. They all come from the same place. They *all* eventually die. It doesn't matter who makes it. So just pick your poison and run with it until it keels over.
Some observations from my experience: Cut up a pool noodle for those springs. Should keep them quiet. I also use a moving van packing blanket to pack things on (I have a couple cheap Walmart folding camping tables that are perfect for holding things but make too much noise in the back of the truck). I suspect the dob would like that. I also have an old surplus army canvas sheet that's about 8x8 or so that is my ground cloth. Today you'd have to settle for a painters drop cloth. Really good for catching things that fall. And makes a reasonable "floor" to set up since I'm typically limited to desert dirt. Most of the time I'm using my 11" SCT and I'm packed up in under ten minutes - typically closer to 5. But dang it, that dob is really so much faster! The older I get the less I use that 11" and drag out one of the refractors.
Great video! I never imagined you would use an 8” dob. Refreshing. As for the portability of that scope…..”two twenty pound objects”. Nice visual, very helpful. As I age refractors are becoming problematic. This offers a solution.
Great video Ed. If the AVXs are so unreliable why d'ya keep buying them? What would you recommend for a reliable mid size mount ? Keep up the good work Ed, love your posts!
All those electronic mounts are the same. They all eventually die. It doesn't matter who makes it. So just pick one and run with it until it keels over.
Yup, I have the 8 inch DOB as well. Packed it easily in my car without even folding the rear seats and drove 120km to show it to my friend. I always say, it is the swiss army knife version for Telescopes. It can do everything with a respectable performance. Friends will be wowed and at the same time experienced astronomers are not going to point me in the 'right direction' to get a 'real telescope' :D. But there are two kinds of portability. There is the portability of me, myself and my Telescope going for a road trip to visit a friend... or the portability of me, my wife, my tolder and its stroller and my daughter going for a summer vacation or anywhere else. An 8 inch DOB quickly becomes an impossibility to tag along. So I bought also a spotting scope 100mm.. should make everyone happy during the day and night.
Hi @Ed Ting. Good to see that I am not the only one that owns and uses the TeleVue 13mm Nagler type 1 & 6. 👍😁 Question: Have you done a review of ‘old’ and ‘new’ Nagler’s on the channel ? 😉 Wishing you and everyone clear skies from GB/UK. 🇬🇧
Hello Ed. I’m recently retired and have always been fascinated by astronomy. Now that I find myself with more time than money I discover your channel, and based on your recommendation I bought the Orion 8” dob to be my only scope. I’m not interested in astrophotography, I just want to explore the night sky with little to no fuss. I’ve had it for about two months and have brought it out to my backyard (SE LA) almost every night and it’s been amazing, just with the supplied eye pieces. I’m ready to bring it out to where there is a lot less light pollution so could you please recommend a well rounded 2” eyepiece that would work well with this scope? Again, thank you for all that you do.
I'd still hold off buying anything. The eyepiece is rarely your bottleneck in the beginning. If you must, the 27mm Panoptic is my favorite general purpose eyepiece.
This is a professional presentation, something you no longer see on TV, as star trek data once said about TV: I'm afraid that form of entertainment did not last much past 2030. (or was it 40).
fantastic video love the content here I randomly happened to stumble upon your channel and im glad I did the next night I took some pictures of the moon and stars with my phone or I tried I also got to take a picture of orions belt and sword it was not a very good picture but it looked so cool at the same time im hoping to get a telescope soon cant wait for that
Just ordered a OneSky. Sure hope I actually get it and that the quality hasn't suffered since all the 10 year old reviews 🙄 It was that or a secondhand XT8, but figured Id actually use the OneSky.
Thanks Ed for the nice video. It’s a good reminder to try to keep it simple when doing public outreach. That being said, I just can’t seem to follow this advice and usually go way overboard multiplying the probability that something will go wrong. One time I was helping out at a star party at an elementary school running 3 scopes simultaneously. Seriously, what was I thinking? About the AVX with the year 2000 issue, have you tried reflashing it? With the others, it sounds like you might have to pull out your soldering iron. Thanks again.
Hi, yeah, I've tried reflashing/updating the firmware but it doesn't do any good. That mount also requires a factory reset more often than the others. It's on its way out I'm afraid...
@@edting Wow! A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. At least you have a bunch of AVX’s with which you can do board/hand controller swaps and a supportive community to troubleshoot with. As much as I love my AVX mount, it definitely has a personality and the plastic bits on it always seem one misstep from snapping off so I recently lucked into a used Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro (belt drive) mount for small beer. The plan Is to put this on a pedestal in my back yard so I can just toss an optical tube on it and go. The HEQ5 Pro is a sweet piece of engineering and might be a good choice if you ever decide to wean yourself away from your AVX’s for a portable mid sized mount. Cheers and thanks again for another informative and entertaining video!
You always inspire me to get shopping for a new telescope. I want to try a high performance refractor but not with all the computer gizmos. . Looking at a Tele Vue 85 on an alt az mount. Others I should consider?
I don't think that Amazon is a good retailer for the Sky Watcher 8'' every recant review is about how costumers have been receiving the scope but not the mount. Unfortunately I went through this and wouldn't want anyone else too
Come on can you please give me any of the telescope or equatorial goto mount that you don't need because I want to start astrophotography and can't even afford a dslr
Hi ED we are living in United Kingdom and my son Ethan wants a telescope I have watched your you tube channel and suggested a beginner’s telescope the one I’m looking at is a Sky-Watcher Skyliner-200P Dobsonian Telescope would this be alright cheers
Lens assembly which you use to actually see the celestial objects. Rest of the telescope is just bending light rays. It's only when you put an eyepiece to its place that those rays make an image
@@himanshus9335 Sorry, it's called sarcasm, nobody these days use them, mine are somewhere or use one 15mm just to focus the guide scope to stars. Cheers and regards, this Ed Ting guy is one of the best out there, thanks for the lecture.
Your photos are so amazing! They always remind me of one of my favorite Bible verses showing God's power. Gen 1:16 Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. Uncountable millions of stars. Also. Lol
Ed.... Why dont you talk about the moon?!?! what you see on it we are not blind. you just talk about your gear like all the typicals... be diffrent we watching greetz Lima
It's pretty amazing helping someone find their way around the sky for the first (or second or third) time. I teach astronomy to high schoolers, and a couple of weeks ago we had our first night sky viewing of the year. We're in northeast lower Michigan and went to a dark sky preserve (Rockport State Rec Area, if you're ever in the area, though Thomson's Harbor a bit farther north is even darker if that's why you're making the trip) on a moonless night, so it was truly, deeply dark. The weather played along wonderfully. I had one scope tracking Jupiter, one tracking Saturn, and a third looking at whatever the kids wanted to see (Hercules, Andromeda, and the Pleiades, mostly.) Additionally there was a bunch of naked eye viewing for the kids. It went remarkably well - some of the stillest air I've ever had. Several of the kids asked if I would be doing it again any time soon, which was gratifying. Even though the kids live literal minutes away from very dark skies (Bortle 2) I was surprised at how many had never really seen the Milky Way.
Thanks again Ed, viva la 8" dob! I've got my 24mm panoptic now shipped, to go with my 12mm and 8mm delos set...... Thanks again for a great video, always appreciate the effort you make in your content ❤️
It's been called a Star Party as long as I can remember but now it's a Sky Watch? When did this happen and who decides these things?...probably the same bunch that decided Pluto isn't a planet anymore 👎
Just by shear dumb luck my first scope was a orion xt8 dobsonian. I had the mirrors recoated with better aluminum and I got spectacular views. You might not believe it but I could see the outer gap in the rings of Saturn. What is nice about a newtonian scope is that you can recoat the mirror and VALLA! you have a new scope. I get what your saying about eye pieces but when orion came out with the expanse 66 degree eye pieces I had to buy all 4 even though what I already had was sufficient. I was born in 1956 and I remember curious George as a kid. I found M 81 and 82 by accident. I didn't think an 8 inch scope would show them so good. I listen to classic music like Bach and Beethoven while observing. While not observing I never listen to it.
I should put together a classical playlist while observing. The opening aria from Bach's Goldberg Variations. Erik Satie's minimalist, ambient Gymnopedie No. 1 would work well. Like Ed, I play piano and thus I favor piano music. Oh, and I hate to be that guy, but it's "voila," a French word (the accent is missing). Pronounced: vwah-lah. Just trying to be helpful. Clear skies!
I recently had my SBIG ST-i repaired by Bill Lynch. One of the boards had died. It wasn't cheap and perhaps it would be better to source a newer camera but it is an option.
Great video Ed I used to do a lot of Solar outreach before the pandemic & I just haven't got round to doing any more since, I really should start to get back out there again
"Theres always a kind of peace that decends over the world"..Love this, you've described it beautifully. I also prefer observing if I dont have the spectre of work the next day to interrupt my thoughts.
I thought I would add my 2 cents....AD 10 inch Dob, AstroTech 50 mm RACI, Baader zoom, TV type IV 22 mm, TV Delos 6 and 10 mm, Lumicon UHC, cheap Wratten filters, red light, iPad/SkySafari, cheap dew heater, paper & pencil.
You gave reply to my last question, i am very thankful to you for that. I am a beginner, please suggest me which telescope should i buy GSO 6"Dobsonian or GSO 8" Dobsonian , in terms of price, portability, ease of use and durability. both of them have metal focessor on them
Just started sky watching with my granddaughter with the celestron starsense 130 dx. It's a wonderful beginner telescope. I will be buying a celestron starsense 10 inch Dob for keep at my home. Thank you your videos have been most helpful. The whole family is enjoying the stars now.
I just got my first telescope. It arrived yesterday and it's still in the box. I wish I had someone like you close to me to help me get started. Sadly, there is no club close to me and I know no one that has a telescope. I enjoy watching your videos. Keep posting them!
Ed that was great, I really enjoyed learning about the history of Curious George and the Rey family, it's very similar to my own family leaving Germany actually. I appreciate your desire to push to stay up late and image, you were able to gather some great data. BTW I sold you a CGE polar scope and illuminator a few years back, I hope that project turned out well.
@@edting very kind to answer. I asked because… Very quickly, I’m visual amateur with an FS60cb and recently looked through the f8 20-inch DFM Engineering Ritchey Chrétien at the Johns Hopkins Homewood campus, Jupiter and Saturn and the little Tak has similar views, Hopkins scope a little biggger image but Tak may well have been cleaner clearer image.
"I'm showing this to you because, you know what, I spent time taking this photo ... you're going to see it" I just love it 👍
What I love about this channel is that although equipment reviews are my favorite content, there's all sorts of astro experiences shared by an experienced astronomer like this one
Ed, I just want to say, I've been doing astronomy and astro-photography in earnest officially for a year now, and I've listened to your words of wisdom and recommendations the whole way through. Thank you for all the information you bring us. I know it's helped me learn so much. Also, I don't know if this is true for all astronomers, but for me personally, just being out under the stars is therapy. Whether I'm doing a long imaging session all night, or just out gazing through my SCT, it's probably the most at peace I've been in my life. Keep up the amazing work, and see you under the stars!
I agree, it is good therapy. Stargazing has brought me much peace, especially when my life has felt anything but. I only wish I could do it more often!
My "travel" grab-and-go is an Equinox 80ED on a Stellarvue M2. Watching you hurl that 8" about with ease is making me rethink my travel kit.
I had the 10 inch version of this kind of Dobsonian and although it was heavier I really liked that it was not only easy to setup, but quite easy to use and very powerful
OMG! I was a huge fan of the Curious George books as a kid. Cool stuff Ed. I really enjoy your content. I think you are a great resource for people who are just starting out, and for those of us who have been enjoying this pursuit for a long time! Keep up the great work!
It was nice you had so many people show up and stay so late. Nice pictures and hotel.
Makes me thankful for the Bortle 4 sky 10 minutes away and Bortle two 30 minutes away. My club has a monthly outreach using a Mead 16" donated by the University of NM at a campground just north of town. You can bet folks line up to look through that Mead.
I think by portable people mean things you don't need a car for, I personally went for something much smaller so that I can actually hike with it.
Considering the scopes in the background of your videos I would have guessed that the equipment you take to a starwatch would have started with a 24 foot box truck. Then you said that we wouldn't need more than three or four eyepieces -- and that you have cases of them.
Maybe that should have been a 28 foot box truck...
My travel scope is the same as my backyard scope - an 8" Zhumell dobsonian with half a dozen eyepieces, a folding lawn chair and a pair of 7x50 binoculars. And your trials with your imaging setup remind me why I have avoided astro photography.
😅
Ed stays strapped with that Orion XT8.
Thank you Ed, for taking us along with you on your trip. I yearn for dark skies but can no longer drive due to health reasons.
My suggestion would be to replace the tractor battery and inverter with a power station. Currently the best bang for the buck would be the Bluetti EB3A.
Ed, great learning experience from you, and I like how you packed the equipment and your stuff into the car. I just wished you’d shown what it looked like when fully loaded. Keep these great videos coming.😊
Excellent and informative, as always! Your mention of an inverter solved my problem of how to get power to astrophotography equipment in the field.
Thanks for taking the time to put this together Ed. Love all you videos. It's great to get to see what other people do. You make me worry about my avx mount though 🤣 no problems with it so far thankfully.
My 'goto' scope as far as portability is my trusty old 6" newtonian I made when I was 13-14 yrs old back around 1968 from an Edmund Scientific mirror making kit. It took what seemed like forever to grind and polish down in the basement but it turned out great! I never did get it 'perfect' from what my test results said as far as being parabolic on paper and I eventually gave up trying to 'correct' the wave form but the images it gives are pinpoint stars and no apparent turned edge with exceptional inside and outside of focus ring patterns! Guess I got lucky and had it right after all. :)
Nice job Ed! I wish I was that organized! 👍
Thank you for sharing what you carry to observe and image as well as sharing your images. They inspire me to try harder. Enjoy all your videos and have subscribed.
Ed , great channel and content. Thank you
I love the fact the Dob is such a 1,2,3 and we're observing kind of telescope. I wish my 102mm Vixen was that simple.
Portable as in: it fits in the trunk of a compact car, without lowering the back seat (would need to remove the child seats). An 8" dob - tough I love them - does not fit that bill. It's why I have an SCT on an nexstar evo mount (that does fit in my trunk).
Your random photo of a star-field, but geez!
An old friend used to say to me that we could turn my 6" Edmund reflector on a bare patch of sky and turn up a star-field...
The same idea goes for the Hubble Deep Field (and successors).
But your random shot says the same thing in an even more visceral manner.
Wow! That is a bunch of stars. I know the Hubble Deep Field shows more, but it doesn't seem that way.
Bravo and thanks.
Simply AMAZING!!!! video... thanks for that
Ed,
I bought an XT8 *years* ago... Seriously, probably 20 years ago and it hasn't seen much use since that first year. A few years back (four or five), I did buy a Meade 8.8 mm super-wide eye piece thinking I could re-kindle my interest. I took the scope out one time with that eyepiece and took a few pictures of the moon with my iPhone. It was neat but it still didn't re-kindle my interest.
Recently, I've been going through the process of down-sizing / minimizing and saw my old, dusty XT8 in the corner. I thought, "I really should take that thing out or just get rid of it."
While thinking I'd just get rid of it (either sell locally or donate), I came across your channel. I've watched a handful of videos and this one and one from two years ago where you recommend telescopes for beginners made me second-guess my decision to get rid of it.
That said, that scope is *dusty*. I've not taken the dust cap off but I did notice the focuser dust cover had fallen off. Reading through the manual, it says neither mirror should need cleaning. Is there anything I should look for on either mirror that would necessitate cleaning? Other than "take the freaking scope outside," is there any other advice you'd offer?
My advice? Ignore the dust and just start using the scope. I've been facing a near epidemic recently of people cleaning their optics and ruining the mirrors in the process. They do this even though I tell them not to clean anything. If you must, dump a bucket of sudsy water into the tube and follow it up with more buckets of clean water. Of course, do this outside.
Definately entertaining ! Keep up the good work Ed!
Hi Ed, best wishes from Arizona. You are looking good. Thanks for putting this together, and thanks for the memories of Waterville Valley and the Cottage. I'll put in a plug for the Skywatcher 10" collapsible go-to dob for public outreach, specifically because it has the the ability to track objects. It is also portable and the pieces are still light enough to lift into an SUV or minivan. It does require a collimation tweak each time it is set up, but with a laser collimator this takes about 2 minutes. The tracking frees me up to answer questions. I will join you as a fan of the TeleVue 13mm Type 6, but my 24mm Panoptic still gets the most use during skywatches. Clear skies!
Ed, I had to smile at your title and first comment into the video. 'EDC' or 'Every Day Carry, for many of us, refers not to the astro gear we carry, but our personal protection, i.e., usually a pistol and some kind of a knife. Don't be surprised if you get comments looking to see if you carry a semi-automatic or a revolver. :p :)
Now that I've gone back and watched the rest of the video, I have to ask you, why are you using AVX mounts? I bought one, my first mount, and didn't have anything but trouble with it, horrible tracking, stupid, unilluminated polar alignment scope that is next to useless, and just a pain. A few years ago, I found a page on the web where a gentleman disassembled his AVX and reassembled it (he also installed a bearing in it), and I took out the wheel bearing grease and replaced it with white lithium grease. Before replacing the grease, the mount wouldn't balance, I could move my telescope and camera rig in the saddle and nothing would happen. After relubricating the mount, I had to be very careful where I put the mount and telescope because it would easily rotate.
Unfortunately, I ran into some serious financial difficulty, I lost much of my A/P gear, and what I have left is in storage, including my mount. Maybe someday I'll be able to get it out again, after I get the controller, power cables, a new guide camera, guide scope, etc. But, knowing what I know now, I wouldn't buy another AVX. Most likely go with an iOptron, but maybe a Skywatcher.
All those electronic mounts are the same. They all come from the same place. They *all* eventually die. It doesn't matter who makes it. So just pick your poison and run with it until it keels over.
Nice images, Ed. Looks like Cygnus was right above you. Did you image with an Ha modified camera?
Yes, it's a HuTech modded 5D Mk3. I need to update this with a newer model soon.
Some observations from my experience: Cut up a pool noodle for those springs. Should keep them quiet. I also use a moving van packing blanket to pack things on (I have a couple cheap Walmart folding camping tables that are perfect for holding things but make too much noise in the back of the truck). I suspect the dob would like that. I also have an old surplus army canvas sheet that's about 8x8 or so that is my ground cloth. Today you'd have to settle for a painters drop cloth. Really good for catching things that fall. And makes a reasonable "floor" to set up since I'm typically limited to desert dirt.
Most of the time I'm using my 11" SCT and I'm packed up in under ten minutes - typically closer to 5. But dang it, that dob is really so much faster! The older I get the less I use that 11" and drag out one of the refractors.
Great video! I never imagined you would use an 8” dob. Refreshing. As for the portability of that scope…..”two twenty pound objects”. Nice visual, very helpful. As I age refractors are becoming problematic. This offers a solution.
How about a more detailed video of your imaging setup? Also, a video about the Takahashi Mounts would be nice since there are no good ones available.
Ed is the Marty Schwartz of telescopes.
Love your work Ed, Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
You’re the best!
Ed what is the model and manufacturer of your observing chair? Enjoyed this video a lot thanks for sharing.
Great video Ed. If the AVXs are so unreliable why d'ya keep buying them? What would you recommend for a reliable mid size mount ? Keep up the good work Ed, love your posts!
All those electronic mounts are the same. They all eventually die. It doesn't matter who makes it. So just pick one and run with it until it keels over.
Yup, I have the 8 inch DOB as well. Packed it easily in my car without even folding the rear seats and drove 120km to show it to my friend. I always say, it is the swiss army knife version for Telescopes. It can do everything with a respectable performance. Friends will be wowed and at the same time experienced astronomers are not going to point me in the 'right direction' to get a 'real telescope' :D.
But there are two kinds of portability. There is the portability of me, myself and my Telescope going for a road trip to visit a friend... or the portability of me, my wife, my tolder and its stroller and my daughter going for a summer vacation or anywhere else. An 8 inch DOB quickly becomes an impossibility to tag along. So I bought also a spotting scope 100mm.. should make everyone happy during the day and night.
I’m always intrigued by people who can spend an evening just looking at the night sky. I need more, I need to take photos, just me I guess.
Hi @Ed Ting.
Good to see that I am not the only one that owns and uses the TeleVue 13mm Nagler type 1 & 6. 👍😁
Question: Have you done a review of ‘old’ and ‘new’ Nagler’s on the channel ? 😉
Wishing you and everyone clear skies from GB/UK. 🇬🇧
Hello Ed. I’m recently retired and have always been fascinated by astronomy. Now that I find myself with more time than money I discover your channel, and based on your recommendation I bought the Orion 8” dob to be my only scope. I’m not interested in astrophotography, I just want to explore the night sky with little to no fuss. I’ve had it for about two months and have brought it out to my backyard (SE LA) almost every night and it’s been amazing, just with the supplied eye pieces. I’m ready to bring it out to where there is a lot less light pollution so could you please recommend a well rounded 2” eyepiece that would work well with this scope? Again, thank you for all that you do.
I'd still hold off buying anything. The eyepiece is rarely your bottleneck in the beginning. If you must, the 27mm Panoptic is my favorite general purpose eyepiece.
@@edting - thank you for the reply, I will hold off as you suggest. Great channel, so glad I found it!
This is a professional presentation, something you no longer see on TV, as star trek data once said about TV: I'm afraid that form of entertainment did not last much past 2030. (or was it 40).
(1:45) Would you be able to do a video on the different folding observing chairs?
fantastic video love the content here I randomly happened to stumble upon your channel and im glad I did the next night I took some pictures of the moon and stars with my phone or I tried I also got to take a picture of orions belt and sword it was not a very good picture but it looked so cool at the same time im hoping to get a telescope soon cant wait for that
Just ordered a OneSky. Sure hope I actually get it and that the quality hasn't suffered since all the 10 year old reviews 🙄
It was that or a secondhand XT8, but figured Id actually use the OneSky.
Thank you.
Thanks Ed for the nice video. It’s a good reminder to try to keep it simple when doing public outreach. That being said, I just can’t seem to follow this advice and usually go way overboard multiplying the probability that something will go wrong. One time I was helping out at a star party at an elementary school running 3 scopes simultaneously. Seriously, what was I thinking? About the AVX with the year 2000 issue, have you tried reflashing it? With the others, it sounds like you might have to pull out your soldering iron. Thanks again.
Hi, yeah, I've tried reflashing/updating the firmware but it doesn't do any good. That mount also requires a factory reset more often than the others. It's on its way out I'm afraid...
@@edting Wow! A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. At least you have a bunch of AVX’s with which you can do board/hand controller swaps and a supportive community to troubleshoot with. As much as I love my AVX mount, it definitely has a personality and the plastic bits on it always seem one misstep from snapping off so I recently lucked into a used Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro (belt drive) mount for small beer. The plan Is to put this on a pedestal in my back yard so I can just toss an optical tube on it and go. The HEQ5 Pro is a sweet piece of engineering and might be a good choice if you ever decide to wean yourself away from your AVX’s for a portable mid sized mount. Cheers and thanks again for another informative and entertaining video!
Where did you get the observing chair?
Thanks to your recommendation we got the 8"Orion Dobsonian. We are loving it! What 3 or 4 lenses would you recommend?
Interesting info.... would like to get a Dob, but I've never learned how to align the mirror to one of those.
Don't worry about that. Just get the scope.
great video
thanks
You always inspire me to get shopping for a new telescope. I want to try a high performance refractor but not with all the computer gizmos. . Looking at a Tele Vue 85 on an alt az mount. Others I should consider?
Ed, a 13mm Nagler type 1, definitely not my first choice. How does that work for outreach? I always found it to be very picky for eye placement.
Was your astromy presentation recorded? Would love to watch it!
I actually dislike being recorded so there aren't a lot of videos of me speaking.
Wonderful piece…I am wondering where to get that portable observing chair ?
I got that years ago. It is a rolling airport luggage carrier that converts to a chair. I would like to meet the guy who came up with that idea...
❤
Why are imaging scopes such small aperture?
I always imagined you'd have a Volvo.
Is a multi MM eyepiece good? I’m currently looking at some and not sure if i should get it.
Is that TAL mount behind?
ed greetings, I wonder what your thoughts are about takahashi 150b and 130ns vs apm150/apm140 for visual use mainly
All of those scopes are world class. It comes down to brand preference, and where you can get the best deal.
Wow, I’m the opposite when going out to star parties, give me my 8” dob and my TSA-102 on my alt/az mount and I’m in heaven.
Ed, what was the focus of your talk? I bet a lot of us are curious.
I did a talk on the history of astrophotography. I might do a video on this topic soon.
I guess traveling by air is out of the question.
People do figure out how to travel with their scopes. This is an art form in itself.
Do you do EAA?
Thanks Ed. Which AP scope is directly behind you? Thanks.
AP130GTX
I don't think that Amazon is a good retailer for the Sky Watcher 8'' every recant review is about how costumers have been receiving the scope but not the mount. Unfortunately I went through this and wouldn't want anyone else too
Come on can you please give me any of the telescope or equatorial goto mount that you don't need because I want to start astrophotography and can't even afford a dslr
Hi ED we are living in United Kingdom and my son Ethan wants a telescope I have watched your you tube channel and suggested a beginner’s telescope the one I’m looking at is a Sky-Watcher Skyliner-200P Dobsonian Telescope would this be alright cheers
Yes, any of the 8" Dobs should be fine.
Eyepieces? what are those?
Lens assembly which you use to actually see the celestial objects. Rest of the telescope is just bending light rays. It's only when you put an eyepiece to its place that those rays make an image
@@himanshus9335 Sorry, it's called sarcasm, nobody these days use them, mine are somewhere or use one 15mm just to focus the guide scope to stars. Cheers and regards, this Ed Ting guy is one of the best out there, thanks for the lecture.
@@astrodojo1 certainly didn't see that one coming.
Your photos are so amazing! They always remind me of one of my favorite Bible verses showing God's power. Gen 1:16 Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also.
Uncountable millions of stars. Also. Lol
Ed.... Why dont you talk about the moon?!?! what you see on it we are not blind. you just talk about your gear like all the typicals... be diffrent we watching greetz Lima
you're a fantastic guy ed, well done for all your hard work and diligence, and for sharing your experiance with us , it's most appreciated 👍👍
It's pretty amazing helping someone find their way around the sky for the first (or second or third) time. I teach astronomy to high schoolers, and a couple of weeks ago we had our first night sky viewing of the year.
We're in northeast lower Michigan and went to a dark sky preserve (Rockport State Rec Area, if you're ever in the area, though Thomson's Harbor a bit farther north is even darker if that's why you're making the trip) on a moonless night, so it was truly, deeply dark. The weather played along wonderfully. I had one scope tracking Jupiter, one tracking Saturn, and a third looking at whatever the kids wanted to see (Hercules, Andromeda, and the Pleiades, mostly.) Additionally there was a bunch of naked eye viewing for the kids.
It went remarkably well - some of the stillest air I've ever had. Several of the kids asked if I would be doing it again any time soon, which was gratifying. Even though the kids live literal minutes away from very dark skies (Bortle 2) I was surprised at how many had never really seen the Milky Way.
Thanks again Ed, viva la 8" dob!
I've got my 24mm panoptic now shipped, to go with my 12mm and 8mm delos set......
Thanks again for a great video, always appreciate the effort you make in your content ❤️
I remember checking out that book when I was a kid in school, Maybe Jr,High, Now at 64, Some time ago
Nice to know that about them ,,,Thanks ☄☄
It's been called a Star Party as long as I can remember but now it's a Sky Watch?
When did this happen and who decides these things?...probably the same bunch that decided Pluto isn't a planet anymore 👎
Just by shear dumb luck my first scope was a orion xt8 dobsonian. I had the mirrors recoated with better aluminum and I got spectacular views. You might not believe it but I could see the outer gap in the rings of Saturn. What is nice about a newtonian scope is that you can recoat the mirror and VALLA! you have a new scope. I get what your saying about eye pieces but when orion came out with the expanse 66 degree eye pieces I had to buy all 4 even though what I already had was sufficient. I was born in 1956 and I remember curious George as a kid. I found M 81 and 82 by accident. I didn't think an 8 inch scope would show them so good. I listen to classic music like Bach and Beethoven while observing. While not observing I never listen to it.
I should put together a classical playlist while observing. The opening aria from Bach's Goldberg Variations. Erik Satie's minimalist, ambient Gymnopedie No. 1 would work well. Like Ed, I play piano and thus I favor piano music. Oh, and I hate to be that guy, but it's "voila," a French word (the accent is missing). Pronounced: vwah-lah. Just trying to be helpful. Clear skies!
@@davidsussman7476 whoever did the opening music on 2001 a space odyssey would be perfect. I listen to KING FM in seattle which is all classical.
@@davidsussman7476 by the by I tried AC DC and it just didn't work.
@@johnwright291 try late 70s Rush
I recently had my SBIG ST-i repaired by Bill Lynch. One of the boards had died. It wasn't cheap and perhaps it would be better to source a newer camera but it is an option.
Another great video Ed. Well done Sir. Thank you for all of your efforts. Dustin Morrison. Southern California.
Great video Ed I used to do a lot of Solar outreach before the pandemic & I just haven't got round to doing any more since, I really should start to get back out there again
"Theres always a kind of peace that decends over the world"..Love this, you've described it beautifully. I also prefer observing if I dont have the spectre of work the next day to interrupt my thoughts.
They know about you using the electric now😂
awesome!
I thought I would add my 2 cents....AD 10 inch Dob, AstroTech 50 mm RACI, Baader zoom, TV type IV 22 mm, TV Delos 6 and 10 mm, Lumicon UHC, cheap Wratten filters, red light, iPad/SkySafari, cheap dew heater, paper & pencil.
Wonderful content Ed, as always. Dr B from Manitoba, Canada 🇨🇦
You gave reply to my last question, i am very thankful to you for that.
I am a beginner, please suggest me which telescope should i buy GSO 6"Dobsonian or GSO 8" Dobsonian , in terms of price, portability, ease of use and durability.
both of them have metal focessor on them
Thank you Ed, appreciate your efforts to bring this video...
Just started sky watching with my granddaughter with the celestron starsense 130 dx. It's a wonderful beginner telescope. I will be buying a celestron starsense 10 inch Dob for keep at my home. Thank you your videos have been most helpful. The whole family is enjoying the stars now.
I just got my first telescope. It arrived yesterday and it's still in the box. I wish I had someone like you close to me to help me get started. Sadly, there is no club close to me and I know no one that has a telescope. I enjoy watching your videos. Keep posting them!
Please use a sine wave inverter for electronics. Better yet, use the battery 12 Volts directly into the equipment where possible.
Ed that was great, I really enjoyed learning about the history of Curious George and the Rey family, it's very similar to my own family leaving Germany actually. I appreciate your desire to push to stay up late and image, you were able to gather some great data. BTW I sold you a CGE polar scope and illuminator a few years back, I hope that project turned out well.
Man that 1 2 motion really highlights portability I can imagine finding higher spots to view very near me
Excellent Ed! Greatly enjoyed this and many more.
Oh wow, "The Stars" is such a great book! What a nice connection!
Awesome, need more of these adventure videos Ed :)
🎉
@ 8:49 untill now . Its always to ask for forgiveness than permission 😆
...and if you wait until after midnight when everyone is gone, you don't even have to ask permission!
@@edting this is true😁
omg yes !!!
Windows XP? really? !!
The computer barely boots up and will sometimes, but not always, run xp.
Were all the astro shots from the Tak 60mm ?
Yes, the FS60 is my most used imaging scope.
@@edting very kind to answer. I asked because…
Very quickly, I’m visual amateur with an FS60cb and recently looked through the f8 20-inch DFM Engineering Ritchey Chrétien at the Johns Hopkins Homewood campus, Jupiter and Saturn and the little Tak has similar views, Hopkins scope a little biggger image but Tak may well have been cleaner clearer image.
Glock, spare mag, two knives… oh wait, daily driver scope? AT102ED on a CG4.
Ruger, Kershaw 3", De-forked ETX-80 or ETX-90 RA