heritage 100p or 130p

[alro]

Hello again.

thanks for all response you have given me with my search for a grab and go.

i think i will go for either heritage 100p or 130p.

i like the look of the 100 with it being closed but 130 will give me more power and probably wont take any mire space.

any advice on this.

al

[LukeSkywatcher]

I dont know why but i have always thought that the 100 looks a bit like a department store toy. The question is would there be a significant difference in view between both scopes. Maybe the closed OTA of the 100 would make up for the lesser aperture because it wouldnt allow stray light in like the open truss OTA of the 130.

Also, the rack and pinion focuser on the 100 could be easier to use then the focuser on the 130.

[Chris]

Both great for the money, you can't go wrong with either. I can personally vouch for the quality of the 100p but the 130p has a big following also.

I think you're just going to have to pick a side

[Spoon]

id say 130 on the basis of aperture is king!

[LukeSkywatcher]

id say 130 on the basis of aperture is king!

While i agree that aperture is king in most circumstances, there are good reasons to sometimes pick a scope with less. They could be financial, portability, storage, shorter focal ratio, imaging......

I have the 130P, so i am not dismissing it. Ive already said i think the 100 looks a bit like a toy (which it isnt) and pointed out a couple of things in its favour over the 130.

The 130P certainly has a big fan base on SGL. We are all very happy with the scope but know it has issues (the focuser and the fact that most people have to use it on a table of chair). I'm in a wheelchair so i find it works well from a seated position and when the truss tubes are fully extended, i find the EP is at a nice height. My only problem is i cant view objects down low but thats ok because i dont have views of the lower parts of the sky in many directions from my back garden. My Heritage spends most of its time outside pointed almost directly overhead or at an angle greater than 45 degrees.

Its the same for my 8" SCT. I really need to get away from the garden more often. I dont know why but i was under the impression that Al already had a 130P. Maybe thats a good omen.

[Alfian]

The 100p got a pretty decent review in the Sky at Night mag. You can download it from here:

http://www.opticalvision.co.uk/beginners-telescopes/heritage-100p_dobsonian.html

The 100p though at F4 is a very fast scope and the 130p in theory gathers nearly 70% more light. If you were thinking of a 100mm wide field scope you are getting into short refractor territory which might be another option. 

[Spoon]

The heritage is natively a very portable and relatively cheap scope though. What's your budget if you don't mind my asking?

[LukeSkywatcher]

The 100p got a pretty decent review in the Sky at Night mag. You can download it from here:

http://www.opticalvision.co.uk/beginners-telescopes/heritage-100p_dobsonian.html

The 100p though at F4 is a very fast scope and the 130p in theory gathers nearly 70% more light. If you were thinking of a 100mm wide field scope you are getting into short refractor territory which might be another option. 

Speaking of short refractors. I wonder it this is worth consideration?. Its in the price range of both the Heritage scopes (i think!!!!. Mine cost 100 quids).

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/startravel/skywatcher-startravel-80-tabletop-telescope.html

Its compact. Its on an EQ mount, so should allow for some imaging?. 80mm aperture sounds small but small(er) aperture scopes are very capable when used for what they are designed for and then some. My 70mm Travel scope doubles up as a wide field travel scope and also a solar scope. I have a 90mm refractor which i sadly dont use now and was great for observing planets. Mind you it has a FL of 1000mm, so not exactly what you'd call a short refrac.

Sorry Al. I dont mean to confuse, but we all know we start of with an idea of what we want and suggestions we never considered are thrown our way and we often go for something different from what we thought we wanted. Basically you want a grab n go and we can guess your budget/starting point and are sticking to or close to it.

I'm sure the startravel scope i linked to above can be mounted on a tripod which may be more substantial and sturdier if needed. The 130P Dob can even be mounted on an AZ4, and they are highly regarded and not too expensive, while being portable and "grab n Go".

[Warped Drive]

I suppose it depends on how grab and go friendly it needs to be, if it's just to pick it up and bring it out the back garden for a quick session or put it on the back seat of the car and head to a dark site then I think the 130p is the way forward but if you need to put it in a back pack and head off on foot or bike then the 100p looks more likely . I've only see photos of it but it looks like it would fit a back pack or ruck sack, but I wouldn't fancy trying to carry my 130p in one.

[alro]

Thanks guys, some really good advice again here and i aporeciate your time and effort in your replies in trying to steer me in the right direction.

agreed you start looking at one scope and your mind changes after advice. I thought i was getting a skymax 127 and ended up with lx90 acf 8 goto after about 2 months of advice!

Budget, i dont really want to spend more than 200 preferably cheaper and will get new, afterall this is just for a secondry scope when viewing is at short notice and/or when weather not to good and sonething compact to store.

i think with my herd of ep s f5 and above may be better suited.

Thanks again team, look forward to replies.

al

[LukeSkywatcher]

The 130P is certainly a grab n go for taking outside. It isnt one to stick in a back pack and take on a hike up a mountain or on the train or on a bike. In a car or caravan on a holiday.........PERFECT. 

[alro]

Oh dear, started looking at links. I see exploer 130p eq2 is same price as heritage 130p. Excuse my ignorance but would that take long to set up?

al

[LukeSkywatcher]

EQ's do take a bit longer to set up. The only benefit of EQ's is that they allow for imaging. If you have no plans for a grab n go to do imaging............forget about an EQ mount and just go for an Alt-Az.

The Heritage 130P can be taken out of the box and you will be observing within 5 mins.

EQ mounts/tripods/counter weights are not what i personally would call grab n go. 

[Chris]

 The only benefit of EQ's is that they allow for imaging. If you have no plans for a grab n go to do imaging............forget about an EQ mount and just go for an Alt-Az.

Well Paul, it's not the only benefit They do allow for smooth tracking of an object at high mags. I'm fairly sure EQ mounts predate imaging

On the other hand, I'm not sure how stable an EQ2 would be? It would be light that's for sure. The 130p dob would have a stable mount if it's anything like the 100p I had.

[Chris]

Well there's a 130p eq2 on clearence at FLO for 100 quid. 

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/clearance/clearance_skywatcher-explorer-130_26502.html

Great price yes, but bare in mind also that eq mounts and Newtonians can equal a bad back as the focuser goes in all sorts of positions.

It's not going to be as super compact as a 100p or 130p dob either, or as stable. 

Still a lot of scope for the money mind

[LukeSkywatcher]

Well Paul, it's not the only benefit They do allow for smooth tracking of an object at high mags. I'm fairly sure EQ mounts predate imaging

On the other hand, I'm not sure how stable an EQ2 would be? It would be light that's for sure. The 130p dob would have a stable mount if it's anything like the 100p I had.

Motorised EQ mounts do. Certainly a manual EQ mount with slo-mo controls doesnt allow for smooth tracking.  

[Chris]

Motorised EQ mounts do. Certainly a manual EQ mount with slo-mo controls doesnt allow for smooth tracking.  

We'll have to agree to disagree on that one, mine track well, which eq mount do you have paul?

[LukeSkywatcher]

We'll have to agree to disagree on that one, mine track well, which eq mount do you have paul?

The only EQ mount i have came with my 90mm refractor Celestron Firstscope. I bought it about 2008. I'm thinking the mount/tripod is an EQ1. The tripod was a bit wobbly but not to bad. The slo-mo controls were a bit of a nightmare. In fairness i only used the scope for about 6 months before i totally lost faith in it. It was too too big and heavy for me to move and use being in a wheelchair. Observing became a chore rather then a hobby. 

Many people see EQ mounts as difficult. I prefer the ease of use that Alt-AZ offer.

I'd like to remind that the opening poster is looking for a grab n go set up which doesnt take up much storage and he is on a budget. That to me does not say EQ.

[Chris]

I'm thinking the mount/tripod is an EQ1. The tripod was a bit wobbly but not to bad. The slo-mo controls were a bit of a nightmare.

Right I see, I hope I can assure you that not all EQ mounts perform the same as an EQ1  

I've used a few, EQ3, CG4 and EQ5's manually, so I'm not sure about the EQ2 we're debating for the OP. As I said above I think the Dob would be more stable so that gets my vote I think. 

I just don't wan't anyone new looking at this thread thinking all EQ mounts don't track smoothly when that should be their point! You turn the RA slowly to keep the object centred instead of nudging in both axis as done with a dob. 

I think EQ mounts have there place, pretty good for fracs, maks and SCT's at high mag. I've been there and got the T-shirt when it comes to Newts on EQ's, I wouldn't recommend that particularly.

[Chris]

I'd like to remind that the opening poster is looking for a grab n go set up which doesnt take up much storage and he is on a budget. That to me does not say EQ.

Hi Paul, I think you might have missed the OP's post? They were asking specifically about the 130p on the EQ2 mount:

Edit: no you must have seen it because you replied to it???

Oh dear, started looking at links. I see exploer 130p eq2 is same price as heritage 130p. Excuse my ignorance but would that take long to set up?

al

 As I've been saying, I'd go with one of the mini Dob's, Well, unless the OP doesn't have a garden table or bar stool etc to plonk it on

[Chris]

Hi Air, if you want to save a bit of dosh, you can buy the Heritage mount and OTA hear:

http://www.astroboot.co.uk/AstroBoot

They have a mount for 34 and the OTA for 45

[Alfian]

Hi again, The Heritage mini-dob mount is, as others have said, very quick to deploy, or put in the car, but the shape of it is not conducive to putting it in backpack. Even allowing for cool down, you can be out observing in no time. Since I last posted, I've been out with mine again and the views are very good. 

EQ wise I wouldn't consider an EQ1 at all. The EQ2 which is essentially similar to my CG3 is OK but is on the limit with the standard 130mm scopes which makes it a bit frustrating to use at times. The Heritage though is lighter (it certainly looks and feels it anyway) so would possibly be a better match. Regarding tracking, my CG3, may have its issues, but in terms of tracking it was certainly smooth enough for visual work, but AP may be another matter. However portability/grab n' go wise, in  my book the EQ2 is a non starter. With mount and counter weights its too clumsy to cart around and deploy quickly. Yes it will go in a car, and with time you can get it set up, but you can say that about just as well with a 150p Dob.

Chris's tip above is excactly how I bought mine - big saving!  The Mini-dob mount will also take others scopes. My 102 Mak goes on it a treat. No slow-mo tracking of course but its OK. Something like an ST80 would work well with it.

[happy-kat]

I have also used it as a tripod for my dslr with the bracket that fits the mount so for me it's heritage, dslr and st80 oh and c70 on mine (one at a time) and I added setting circles and wixey.

[LukeSkywatcher]

"Hi Paul, I think you might have missed the OP's post? They were asking specifically about the 130p on the EQ2 mount:

 

Edit: no you must have seen it because you replied to it???".

 

The OP was asking about a Heritage 100P and a Heritage 130P. Both are on a Dob base. Theres no mention of an EQ2. 

 

Sorry there is a mention of EQ2 in Al's third post.

[alro]

Hello again all, how does orion starblast 4.5 compare to heritage?

al