Ricochet

On 24/09/2016 at 21:41, Singlin said:

Great looking scopes guys!

I am new to the Dob scene after finishing my 16" 1760. Telekit with John Nichols mirrors and Hi lux coatings

I use a Parcorr and skycommander.

 

I don't know whether to be more envious of the scope or the location. Great but of kit you've got there. 

I don't think there is really going to be any extra strain having the Bresser laid down across the back seat/in the boot of a car than there is when it is sitting in the rocker box with all the weight through those same bearings. It it definitely easier to change finders on the Skyliner as there are many options to fit a Synta shoe. 

The finder shoes on the Bresser only fit the finder foot on the included RDF. I don't know if a Meade type shoe would fit the same holes but a Synta shoe doesn't fit (the holes are the wrong orientation). I fitted a Synta shoe next to one of the the RDF shoes which required drilling a couple of new holes (after removing the mirrors of course).

Crayford focusers are better than cheap rack and pinion focusers but the Bresser hexafoc is absolutely solid with no slop or backlash. The Skywatcher on the other hand has a bit of notoriety for focuser slop, hence the regularity with which you see them with upgraded focusers. Neither are dual speed like the Revelation but you can buy a 10:1 gear ratio for the Bresser, although the single speed is good enough that I haven't got around to it yet. 

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/adapters/bresser-messier-1-10-gear-set-for-hex-focuser.html

14 hours ago, mattnedgus said:

IBut I'd like to know whether it's the opinion of more experienced users that these pro's and con's add up to being worth the extra £60 on top of the Skyliner 200P Dob?  

I would say so, for the focuser alone. The additional initial outlay plus the cost of a  RACI and probably comes out under the cost of a replacement focuser for the Skyliner. I've seen quite a few threads about the Skyliner focusers since I bought he Bresser and have never regretted the extra outlay.

14 hours ago, mattnedgus said:

Someday I might like to try photography

Not with this scope really. Technically you can but the size of the mount required to hold it steady enough for photography means it would probably be cheaper to buy a second smaller scope and mount specifically for the task.

14 hours ago, mattnedgus said:

I'm a little unsure of the Bresser's MDF box using MFI/Ikea style fasteners (I've always found them on the weak side) and although the large semi-circular bearings look great, they don't appear to fasten the telescope as securely to the base (could you knock it enough to have it come completely out of the base?).

I've just given mine a bit of a test and side to side the whole base will rock without any sign of the bearings coming away. The other way of course the tube will just rotate up or down. I haven't had any issues with the construction of the base, although I have only ever taken it apart once to fit a riser so as not to damage it through repeated assembly/disassembly. 

Having to fit a riser to allow more rearward movement for balancing was not something I thought would/should be necessary so a bit of a design flaw but not a massive issue with a bit of diy and some spare wood. I also tried the alternative method of adding weight to the rear of the OTA  (as would be required in a similar situation with the Skyliner)  and it actually made quite a significant difference to the ease of getting the scope out and did reduce my use of the scope until I took them off and fitted the riser instead.

Despite the slightly flimsy mechanics of the RDF I'm still using it with no real issues. It has a nice range of brightness settings and coupled with the additional RACI I haven't felt the need (yet?) to upgrade it.

When I was choosing a scope I had to make almost the same choice, except I also had the 10" Skywatcher in the mix. The difference in quality was enough  to make me chose the Bresser.

Bresser Pros:

• Much better focuser
• Smoother alt/az movements
• Secondary mirror edges blacked
• 6 point vs 3 point primary mirror cell
• Primary mirror collimation via knobs not screws (I think the Skyliners still come with screws?)
• Balance can be adjusted by moving OTA up/down tube rings

Now it's not all plain sailing with the Bresser. Firstly, if you want to add a magnifying finder, there is no quick release plate fitted to the tube so you'll have to fit one yourself. Secondly, my last "pro" is hampered by the fact that the mount actually isn't high enough to slide the tube backwards in the rings (for instance after fitting a RACI finder) and so I've had to add a 10cm riser between the circular base plate and the supplied side panels.

Nice mods, is the carbon wrap part of the same Wilko's range as the interior flocking? Also, if you've changed the screws over, make sure you've blackened any part that protrudes into the interior. I hope you get your true first light soon.

2" with the adaptor for 1.25" is the sane way to go.

I agree with the post above, your best option is to buy the scope on its own first. Once you own the scope you can test it out for both terrestrial and astronomical use and determine what is needed to improve it rather than trying to guess now and buying accessories that you don't actually need.

Nice. How long do they take to assemble/dismantle?