Plumb71

I am exactly the same, had my scope for 4 weeks now and it does get better, i have a manual mount so i just star hope, get yourself a sky atlas and pick a constellation and just use the fine adjustments, this is what i do and have found a few nebulas and clusters.

It is disheartening at first, but with the invaluable advice i had from on here it will get better

Hi All

After getting my Skywatcher Explorer 150p 3 weeks ago, after a great start with the planets thought i would attempt at andromeda and nebula , brought sky atlas, over the last 2 weeks had quite a few clear nights, and thinking i was the next Patrick Moore, couldnt find anything although i had found the ring nebula as a tiny spec.

Started getting disheartened came back on here, found that eyepieces supplied with the scope are not the best, so after reading thread after thread decided to get a BST Starguider 8mm. Set everything up and took my breath away, so much clearer and sharper, had another go at Andromeda and ....... there it was a grey foggy blob,  fantastic,  remember from reading on here about light pollution ect, to look slightly away and could see a bit  more, i was like a kid at Christmas.

Looked for the Ring nebula again and found it, to be fair it wasnt the best view in the world but could make out the ring was slightly different colour. I had been looking in the right place priviously but with the supplier super 10 just a small dot even with the barlow which was in the telescope package the BST Starguider was so much better. 

Now going to buy a couple more im thinking the 5mm and either the 12mm or 15mm, would it be worth me getting the BST barlow as well?

Without this forum i think i would have given up, so thanks to everyone on here for advice either direct of indirect

Hi, im after simlar sizes to replace the one that came with the scope, those being a Super 10 and Super 25

Hi All

Whats your views on the following 

BST Starguider 25mm and the 12mm? Or what would you recommend????

Im using Skywatcher Explorer 150p

Thanks

Hi All

Been inspired by this thread, some really good ideas, especially the diy dew shield to eliminate stray light poolution (i have a neighbour who's bathroom light which they leave on all night is more like a lighthouse) i attempted to make one but my craft skill aint good, and thouht i would buy one, although i have been told (by Harrisons) there is not one that will fit my Skywatcher Explorer 150p? Surely there must be one, again im new to all this and have probably asked some stupid questions before, but i would have thought that being as there are dew shields available for other makes that are 150mm one must be compatible?

20 hours ago, Ships and Stars said:

Plumb71, I went through something similar early this year when I developed a severe case of the astronomy bug and started in earnest. It can be overwhelming at first finding your way around the sky and I'm still learning. I have GOTO on one of my scopes but have never used it yet, wanted to learn the basics first. Make sure your finder scope is adjusted properly first if you haven't checked. I pick a star like Vega that's exceptionally bright and use that to align the finderscope, but as mentioned, you have to move quickly between the eyepiece so it doesn't move out of view too quickly. This might take a few tries before you get it dialled in accurately.

Also everything is upside down through the eyepiece, so that's another bit to get used to. Right is left, etc etc

Another recommendation here for Sky & Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlas. I have the jumbo version, spiral bound. It's excellent.

A relatively cheap but decent pair of binos are a quick and handy way to learn the sky as well. 

I also use two phone apps which have helped me greatly - absolutely brilliant ways to start learning your way around.  

The first phone app is SkyView and the second on which I use the most now is SkySafari. With SkySafari, I can advance the clock to see where my preferred target will be at say, 11pm tonight, and I can set up my scope to try and pick it up from there as the night sky gets darker. Skyview had a handy quick identify feature as well. I wish they'd combine the best features from both, but that's a different discussion.

Can you use 2" eyepieces to gain a wider field of view and show more sky? Regarding eyepieces, I started out with the 2" 28mm skywatcher eyepiece which is really good for the money - cheap as chips as they say. I have an older 200p that requires the funky bevelled adaptor for 2" eyepieces, don't know if yours is the same. 

I've also used a 21mm Televue Ethos with a 100 degree field of view in a 130PDS which is kind of like cracking a walnut with a (very expensive) sledgehammer, but the low mag views around 37x (I think) and 100 degree field of view were simply astounding for this little scope.

Maybe an eyepiece in the 20-30mm range with a wider field of view (66-82 degree) over a plossl (52 degree normally I believe?) will help show more sky and let you get your bearings easier? Plus the wider field is just nice to have, full stop. There's the Baader Morpheus line at 76 degree FOV, Explore Scientific 82 degree, etc etc. I find looking through my 25mm SW 52deg eyepiece is fairly limited, like looking down a pipe, and I don't use the 10mm plossl, never got on with it. The 28mm 2" plossl is brilliant by the way.

Just to make the exit pupil police cringe, I have a 55mm TV plossl I've used in a large f4 dob, giving an exit pupil the size of a mini roundabout. It probably wouldn't even work in a 150, too little mag. However, I originally bought it to adapt to a night vision tube which I'm slowly in the process of sorting. This eyepiece gets a lot of flak, but in a big scope I think it offers great views on it's own and is just razor sharp. You are reducing the effective aperture considerably in a fast scope however.

Anyway, align finderscope really well, use phone apps, Sky Atlas, etc to learn your way around - these have all helped me.

It's like moving to a new town when you really start stargazing, you have to learn the streets. 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the reply, i have aligned the finder scope, which is pretty accurate (to me) i have ordered sky atlas, i do have the 2019 sky guide which is fine when using the finder scope, but once i look through the eyepiece i go beyond the initial stars which is where im getting lost, hopefully the sky atlas will help me with that, im going to hold off getting another eyepiece at the moment. Im slowly getting used to everything being upsidedown and round the wrong way, which at first blew my mind.

Once again thanks for the advice, i will let you know how i get on

Hi All

Im still asking lots of questions, i am new to all of this and need help on a new eyepiece.

I know the constellations, when viewing through the finder scope, all is well, once i look through my lowest mag eyepiece, im lost.

My lowest mag eyepiece at the moment is 25mm, would it be better for me to use a 32mm or 40mm eyepiece first to coordinate myself and then use stronger mag to, as it were, zoom in? (Reading this back to myself im not sure if i make sense or not) hopefully someone get the gist of what im trying to say.

I understand the easiest way would be to follow coordinates out of books, but im not sure if my mount is up to it, im using a Skywatcher 150p on a EQ3-2 mount.

Once again thanks for the time

Thanks for your replies, i am at the moment not that interested in the photography side yet, i still too eager to try and see everything at once, and will probably be like that for sometime

Hi all probably another stupid question, do i need a Polar Scope? Or is it just as good using my finder scope? My equipment is a Skywatcher Explorer 150p on a EQ3-2 mount

Thanks

Hi All

Firstly many thanks for all the advice given over the last couple of weeks, finally took the plunge and brought a Explorer 150p.

Arrived yesterday set up not too bad, pretty quick, whilst building noticed that Jupiter and Saturn both in a clear sky although not completely dark, amazed that i had actually set up the finder scope well, a little focus and wow Jupiter along with its moons, dont know what i was exactly expecting but the sight was great, quickly went over to Saturn the detail took my breath away, and not even pitch black yet.

I suppose being a complete novice wanted to look at everything at once, checked the time, gone midnight could have stayed out there all night, but for work.

Does anyone have suggestions on what to look for? 

Once again thanks to everyone for their help

10 hours ago, Alan64 said:

For a ready-made, you will need to measure the diameter of the telescope's white cowling there at the front.  Do not rely on the stated aperture of 150mm as a measurement.  It appears to be the "174-184 mm (150mm Newt):  £68" within this listing...

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/solar-filters/astrozap-baader-solar-filter.html

But for peace of mind before placing an order, measure the diameter of the cowling...

You can measure the diameter along the spider-vanes as shown.  Make certain that the diameter is within that of the filter: 174mm to 184mm, and you're good to go.

As I understand now, you're considering a 150mm f/5 rather.  The same applies nonetheless.

Thanks for the help, yes i finally ordered a Explorer 150p f5

Thanks for all your replies, much appreciate you all giving your advice to a newcomer, i have decided to go for the Explorer 150p. With a new telescope do i need to purchase a collimator? 

8 hours ago, John said:

I think the original poster is interested in the physical lengths of the scopes rather than their optical focal lengths.

 

Yes indeed i do wish to know the overall lengths rather that focal lengths, i find it strange that these dimensions on most telescopes are not given, considering that the explorers that i am interested in,500mm is quite a big difference.

To everyone who has replied thanks for you input. Although i am still clueless about which one to get, they both tick boxes for me, i am interested in both planetary and deep space. Would a 150p with a more powerfull eyepiece suffice or a 150pl with a less powerfull eyepiece do the same as the 150p

Im very confused ( i think i have had information overdose) 

Once again thanks for the help

Hi all just recieved an email back from Harrison Telescopes and they say the 150pl is 250mm longer than the 150p this seems to contradict some replies???

Hi 

Does anyone know the overall length of the Skywatcher Explorer 150p and the 150pl please, i have emailed Telescopes shops and they give me either the focal length,  that the 150pl is 250mm longer? I need to know before i buy for storage reasons thanks

Hi

Finally decided to buy a Skywatcher Explorer 150pl on advice from the forums, many thanks for that, what solar filter do i need?

3 minutes ago, AKB said:

These different focal lengths would give you a different magnification and field of view for any given eyepiece.  So, yes, quite some difference. 

So which one would be better?

What a fantastic site, very helpful, especially with novices like myself whom knows absolutely nothing, the replies i have recieved have been very informative, eventhough my questions probably have obvious answers. Everyone seems friendly and willing to assist

Hi,

In relation to my earlier posts, is there much difference between the explorer 150p and the explorer 150PL, apart from the length, PL is f8 and the P is f5 would these differences be that noticable to a novice?

Whats a green scope?

Hi All

Firstly thanks for the advice given on my other post, i  have decided to get a Skywatcher Explorer but i have not got a clue which one, either 130 or 150, i dont know what the letters after the number mean. After quite a bit of research i know i need a decent mount, i also want a smart phone adaptor and a solar filter, based on a Bresser Pollux 150/750 which originally caught my attention, but the reviews of this were poor. Thanks for the time in reading this

I have not got a clue about telescopes, but want one that i can use a smart phone to take pictures,  can also use to look at the sun, i have been looking at the Bresser pollux 150/750  as this seems to have everything im after, but as mentioned earlier, aint got a clue as to if it is any good, im open to suggestions, i am looking to pay up tp £350

Thanks for your responses, i am hoping to use smart phone to take pictures, thats what caught my attention with the Bresser, is 150 Dobsonian compatible for use with a smart phone?

Im very new to all this, dont know which to buy either Bresser Pollux 150/750 or Skywatcher 130 or 150

Please help