Jonny_H

I have attached a photo of the old and new scopes in the hope that it will put my question into context. The old original scope is the 'frosted' finish and the new replacement has the 'mirrored' finish. Thanks, Jon

Yes i fear that i have fallen victim to this However whilst I have only given the replacement a quick once over - this difference starred at me in the face...literally (only it was my face starring right back at me) I guess i am checking to see if it is typical to have a mirrored back of if indeed it should be frosted like the original scope.

Hi all, I hope everyone is keeping well. After what felt like an absolute age - I have just taken delivery of my replacement 150pds. I haven't set it up yet but at first appearance it looks fine and more importantly the secondary mirror isnt chipped :) Anyhow, just an observation - the primary mirror end of the OTA on the new scope is a mirrored reflective surface whereas the old scope had a frosted finish (this probably isnt the technical term but the best way to describe it). Could I ask what the difference is? I assume not a lot as it's the inside of the OTA that's important but curiosity is getting the better of me! 🤓 Thanks all, Jon

Hi Simon, I recently purchased an Oklop bag for my 150 PDS and I am happy with it. I am pretty sure they do a 130/650 newtonian bag which should fit your 130 PDS. Regards, Jon

Hello mate, Good to see you signed-up 🙂 As mentioned there is a wealth of knowledge available on here so let the learning curve begin for us both!

Thanks John. I will take a look. Regards, Jon

Hi all, I hope everyone is keeping well. Whilst i am waiting for my scope to be replaced (issue with secondary mirror damage on new scope) I am looking at getting myself one or maybe a couple of better eyepieces. I understand that the standard 28mm that comes with the scope isn't great. Anyhow - I am not looking to spend an absolute fortune but have been looking at the Baader Hyperion range. Perhaps a 5mm to give me 150x mag and possibly another - say a 13 or 17mm to give me a bit of a variant. This in addition to the standard 28mm. Any suggestions/thoughts are welcomed. Best regards, Jon

Hi all, Just a quick update. The scope is going to be replaced, however it is currently out of stock - expected back in stock mid-May. So I have to sit tight and play the waiting game. It will be worth it in the end though. Regards, Jon

Hi all, Thanks for everyone's comments so far. I didn't notice any debris in the tube or the packaging and as this appears to be a localised chip I cant imagine this would have been caused by something in transit so I can only assume it occurred at the factory.....but who knows. It is just a little disheartening on a brand new scope as you mention. On a brighter note - I should be getting the scope collected and a new one re-distributed in due course so hopefully I will be back on-track soon. I just hope the next one is all ok 🙄 For now I can just stare at my HEQ5 Regards, Jon

Thanks for your comments so far. I have emailed the company requesting for a replacement scope as I think it is definitely the best route to go down - especially after reading your shared concerns also. I will keep you posted on progress etc... Thanks, Jon

Hi all, I hope everyone is well. Some advice needed if I may. I took delivery of my new scope yesterday (SW 150P-DS) and upon setting-up the scope in the evening I noticed that the secondary mirror has a small chip at the top rear edge. I have attached some photos. I have emailed the company who I purchased the scope from and they have been brilliant throughout the entire pre, during and post purchasing process who suggested that they can contact SW to see if they could send a replacement mirror but likelihood is that they wont and it will have to be a complete scope replacement. I haven't had a chance to use the scope yet so do not know if the chip will impact the view etc... however what would you guys do? Any views appreciated. Best regards, Jon

Hi Karen, I too have decided to take my long-time interest of the night sky to the next level resulting from the current lockdown and have recently purchased a set-up. I cannot wait for it to arrive Anyhow - welcome and hope you enjoy your stay here. Most of my research has been on this forum. A wealth of knowledge and very friendly. Regards, Jon

Hi all, I hope everyone is keeping well during these turbulent times! Anyhow, I wondered if someone could provide some advise on a coma corrector and other accessories I may need with it. As a bit of context - I am in the process of setting myself up to enter the world of astrophotography with a SW 150P-DS, HEQ5 mount and t-ring adaptor for my Canon 400D DSLR. However one piece of equipment that I have not yet purchased is a coma corrector - something that a lot of research has told me is vital. One thing that I am struggling with though is whether it is a case of purchasing just the coma corrector (I have been eyeing up the Baader Mark-III MPCC) or whether I need to purchase additional adaptors to get the best out of it and/or to even 'work' with my set-up. I wondered if anyone could give some advise on this. Thanks in advance. Jon

Thank you for the warm welcomes everyone. I will post back once I receive my scope and other accessories. Hi Alan, I am just down the road to you so hello from Leigh. Thanks, Jon

Hi all, I thought I would sign-up and say hello after lurking on here for a while gathering knowledge. I am new to this hobby but have been interested in the night sky for a number of years. Whilst being in lock-down it has encouraged/triggered me to finally invest in some equipment so that I can begin my adventure into the world of Astronomy and astrophotography. After many hours of research and reading (mostly on here) - I final purchased a SW 150P-DS, HEQ5 GOTO mount, premium Cheshire Collimating eyepiece and a few other accessories such as power supply and camera t-ring to affix my DSLR....just to get me started. I was originally looking to get the EQ5 mount but after research I decided to go for the better mount. I cannot wait for the gear to arrive Anyhow....I thought I would say hello and hoping to continue to gain knowledge from this community for years to come! Regards, Jon