Dark Vader

+1 for taking the Barlow off. It's effectively making the zoom a 10.5 - 3.5 and might not be helping. I have a Starguider 7-21 zoom. It doesn't Barlow very well and the FOV at the 21mm end is a lot smaller. It is easier to look through at the higher power end. The fixed focal length Starguiders are a really good upgrade for the money to the stock EPs. Andy

First thing to do is take it outside. Viewing through a window open or closed won't help. Forget about the erecting EP for Astronomy, put your 20mm in. Align your finderscope, assuming it came with one.(best done in daylight). For now, forget about the Barlow as well. All they do is increase magnification by the amount shown e.g. 2x or 3x. Only try the other EPs once you've been able to find what you want to see and focus on it.

It's easy to get tied up in the search for perfection. Just to help put your mind at ease a bit, here's my 200p through a collimation cap. Yours doesn't look much different at all to me. If your happy with the views and star test then just enjoy

That is nothing to be concerned about. Another recommendation for BST Starguiders - I got the 15mm and the 5mm. The 15 in particular is a beauty, pop one of those in, aim at the moon and prepare to be blown away!

Did quite well this year....

Managed 15 minutes through monopod mounted 10x50s after a heavy shower and between clouds. My SW view consists of a bright orange streetlight and a garden fence and they were already below "scope height". I even managed to extract my boy from his tech long enough for him to get a look through his bins. Lovely looking moon complete with earth shine as well.

I got one of those, along with a premium Cheshire from FLO. Does the job.

^^^^ what he said It will be worth waiting for.

No problem at all. It's a lower mag image with the 15 but the clarity is better so more detail visible when the conditions allow.

Have a look here https://skys-the-limit-108154.square.site/shop/1-25-bst-starguider-ed/8 looks like they still have some... Tbh i find the 5mm is pushing it a bit most nights. The difference between that and the 3.2? - it will push your magnification up by 135x and very often at the expense of clarity. I've seen more detail on Jupiter with the 15mm than the 5.

I only had the 25 and 10 that came with my 200p, and apart from a 21-7 zoom, I got 2 BST Starguiders - the 15 and 5mm. The 15mm may only give 80x but it's a great bit of "budget" kit. The 5mm gives 240x and I've had good views of Mars with it, but even 240x is on the limit of "useful" magnification most nights. Both are great on the moon, I much prefer the clarity of the 15mm. It Barlows well too. Sometimes less can be more. They do a 3.2mm that would push your scope up to 375x but only when conditions allow, and in the UK that won't be often.

Just had one of these drop through the letterbox - has a magnetic base so sticks nicely to the 200p.

Personally I'd wait for the 200p but that just me. When mine arrived I didn't say " I wish I bought a smaller scope" A 9mm eyepiece is a medium high magnification and will give 133x in the 200p. Wide angle (degrees) and magnification (mm) are different. Low magnification for DSOs I think something 25 - 35mm and 60 - 82° FOV might be more use to you. Andy

I put the scope out about 5pm on the off chance the fog warnings were wrong. Managed to get out from 6-8 until that horrible damp cold got the better of me. Some nice views of Mars though. I got up to 240x with the 5mm Starguider (as high as I've got). Switched to the moon, nice sharp views along the terminator. Then a change to the 15mm Starguider giving 80x. The clarity was astonishingly good and this EP is fast becoming a favourite. Anyone looking to upgrade from stock EP's - these BST's are great for the money. Andy

I'm in a Bortle 6 area in suburban north Bristol. The council in their infinite wisdom sited bright orange street lights at East, South and West all within 10-25 yards of my "orange" back garden. One of the houses opposite has a 500w "insecurity" light that comes on if a cat coughs within 30 yards of it, and it is angled 90° to the vertical so I never have problems finding eyepieces in the dark! I have the 200p and can recommend it for viewing in pretty bad light pollution. I'm still quite new to this and not the best at finding my way around the fainter objects, including Uranus and Nep