Dimitry

Hi all, With the advice I'm getting here, I'm planning to start my hobby with Skywatcher Maksutov 102 telescope. There are several models with this optical design, BUT it looks like they all sold out! Almost all... FLO still could sell a Mak on the older EQ2 mount. https://www.firstlightoptics.com/maksutov/skywatcher-skymax-102-eq2.html What would yo say about this combination - is it an obsolete scope, or the same as modern versions? How it this mount? I gather it can be also used as Alt-As, right? And one more question, with this long focal length I think as a beginner I'm running into an issue of finding objects with it's FoV. What eyepieces would you recommend to add immediately to this scope? A good price/performance would be great! For instance, should I add a 0,5 reducer or a 35-40 mm eyepiece, should I immediately replace 10mm? I've read the great post of @The Warthog, so have an idea what focal lengths I'll need (10, 15, 25, 40). Just want to check your opinion what could be ideal price/performer. Thank you!

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Hello again, what do you think about these offers: StarTravel 102 on EQ1 vs StartQuest 102R on it’s own mount? Which set would you think perform more stable? https://www.teleskop-spezialisten.de/shop/Telescope/Refractor/100-115mm/Skywatcher-Startravel-102-on-EQ1-Mount-Large-Field-Refractor-102mm-500mm-f-5-Telescope::217.html?language=en https://www.firstlightoptics.com/startravel/sky-watcher-starquest-102r-f49-achromatic-refractor-telescope.html they look similar, I’ve just read that EQ1 might be not stable enough. Would newer StarQuest behave better? on the other side, in ST102 a Barlow is included, does it any good or I’ll need anyways another barlow to be able to see some details on the planets with this scope?

I’ve seen the review here on the forum by @Lockie, there the mount was transformed to AltAz thank for for the hint with plastic details - I will try to find a proper review or call the shop

Hi all, As I'm selecting a new scope with a great help and advice from this community! As the optical system is getting clearer, I'm now checking the model. And really puzzled with the new SkyWatcher line: StarQuest. It looks on the paper as exactly the same as the telescopes from the other lines, but costs less. Example: 1. https://www.firstlightoptics.com/sky-watcher-az-eq-avant/sky-watcher-skymax-102-az-eq-avant.htm 2. https://www.firstlightoptics.com/sky-watcher-starquest/sky-watcher-starquest-102mc-f127-maksutov-cassegrain-telescope.html Optical specs look identical, mounts are like twins, yet StarQuest is 20% cheaper. Have you had any experiences with these telescopes, are there any hidden tricks what aren't visible on the paper specs? Does it makes sense to pay extra for a SkyMax on Avant? And a similar question on a StarQuest refractor https://www.firstlightoptics.com/sky-watcher-starquest/sky-watcher-starquest-102r-f49-achromatic-refractor-telescope.html There is no direct comparison, but is the StarQuest is a copy of StarTravel 102 (https://www.firstlightoptics.com/startravel/skywatcher-startravel-102t-ota.html), or it's a different telescope optically and functionally?

Are they so different? All three look very similar. By the appearance I would even assume Avant and StarQuest were developed based on AZ Pronto And Avant and StarQuest visually really look like twins with, you know, different haircuts. what am I missing? Are the Skymax 102 on Avant and 192 StarQuest really different (like mount and the tube)? Thank you for the feedback! And for sure for highlighting the downsides! With this I’m just thinking, how is the Maksutov 102 vs Refractor 102? Maksutov + Reducer 0.5x and StarTravel 102 + Barlow 2x will give more or less the same range of FoVs. What would give more interesting picture? For a newbie, what kind of problem a EQ will create? BTW, this would also mean that mounts like StarQuest or Avant are very cool to start with, as they both support EQ and AltAz positioning.

So as Mak 102 looks like a common recommendation, what would you advice in terms of a mount? FLO offers Mak 102 on Az-EQ: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/sky-watcher-az-eq-avant/sky-watcher-skymax-102-az-eq-avant.html Az Pronto: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/sky-watcher-az-pronto/sky-watcher-skymax-102-az-pronto.html as StarQuest offer (cheapest of them all): https://www.firstlightoptics.com/sky-watcher-starquest/sky-watcher-starquest-102mc-f127-maksutov-cassegrain-telescope.html or something else, like bresser, or ota+mount separately?

It’s a very cosy image I must tell Are these mounts sold separately? If yes, it might be an option to combine with 127 Mak...

That’s what I also read - 150 is an all-rounder, and I have no idea what will be more interesting for me after I start looking - planets or DSO. I consider 150 because I thought it might serve longer than Mak 102 before I’ll figure out I need a second scope

Thank you! Maks are very interesting indeed. But 127 is out of budget, therefore I am in the choice between 150 reflector and 102 Mak. How would such Mak 102 would be against Newton 150P? I mean, is it worth to play around with a more bulky Newtonian, or image quality of 102 would be somewhat comparable for the beginner?

Hello John Hello LeeHore7 Thank you for the suggestion. I am considering Maksutovs, also thought they might be good fit. However this one is a bit out of my budget (about 100£ more). As a stretch I can go with 400€ what including delivery means about 325£ for the scope and mount.

Dear community! First of all - thank you a lot for the advices you are giving here, this is really helpful to getting started! I'm searching for my first device to observe the night sky. I've read several threads here on the same topic and as I can see that the common recommendation is to consider Dobsonian 6" as a starting device for a budget around 300€. Mostly this one was recommended: a 6" Dobson from Skywatcher e.g. https://www.astroshop.de/teleskope/skywatcher-dobson-teleskop-n-150-1200-skyliner-classic-dob/p,15559 But in my situation (a balcony), I think this device would be rather big, also not very easy to go outside with it. So I'm looking for a bit more compact solution suited for the balcony. And it’s tough to decide between a Newtonian or a refractor as you can imagine. Therefore I hope your experiences will help to clarify some questions I have. As everyone, I am looking for a good value and to get a best possible experience for a given money. Based on several recommendations, there are two prio options for me in the same price range of about 400€ including delivery to Germany: 1) Skywatcher 150P on (EQ3-2) https://www.firstlightoptics.com/reflectors/150eq32-1.html 2) SkyWatcher Evostar 102 (EQ3-2) https://www.firstlightoptics.com/evostar/skywatcher-evostar-102-eq3-2.html I'm living in a small town and I will mostly use it on my south facing balcony, while sometimes I'm planning to pick the telescope and go outside. I would rather prefer the Newtonian 150P because of it's aperture for the € value. But I've read that Newtonians aren't really good for balconies as I'll have to stay near it's front side and therefore would not be able to move it as close to the parapet as possible to get the wider observation field. Because of that, the "rear view" could be better options for the balconies. But moving to the "looking from behind" telescopes in the same price range I'll drop from 150mm to the 102mm and will have the color errors caused by CA. What would you recommend in my case - what will give the better observation experience in my situation - Newton or smaller reflector? Also some other considerations - moving down to 102mm is not a must if I'll go with a 120mm refractor on a simpler mount (https://www.firstlightoptics.com/startravel/skywatcher-startravel-120-az3.html). Would you consider those as good options, or for a beginner "Alt-AZ + color errors of an f5 refractor" would kill the mood? 120 on EQ3 makes it too expensive. And to make it even more complex, in 102 range for an even less money there are Maksutov 102 options (rear view, EQ mount, no CA) like https://www.firstlightoptics.com/sky-watcher-az-eq-avant/sky-watcher-skymax-102-az-eq-avant.html and https://www.firstlightoptics.com/sky-watcher-starquest/sky-watcher-starquest-102mc-f127-maksutov-cassegrain-telescope.html (btw, do not understand what makes starquest so much cheaper). Are these good options in comparison to the above? I mean vs Evostar 102 it'll save me 100€ for the same aperture (can be used for eyepieces, etc.), but will it be stable on the supplied mounts and will I get comparable level of details for the planets and DSO? Sorry for the long post, it’s just a lot to consider for a rookie, so I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on my thinking