Spile

I think the 8” Dobsonian is an ideal balance of aperture and size/weight so for visual, that is what I would recommend. There is lot of Dob oriented content on my website below that you might find helpful.

The thumb screws on the 200P are M4 25mm available from eBay.

I adopt the same strategy. I know some folk replace the springs for stronger ones and remove the lock bolts but like you by tightening each pair of bolts gradually and in turn I don’t have any issues.

A sheet of coloured paper behind the focus tube would make it easier to identify the edge of the secondary...

Spot on...

The zoom, Barlow and wide angle, low power combination works for me. It’s not just the convenience factor, I also appreciate being able to dial in and find the most appropriate magnification without having to guess what that might be.

Visually it looks fine and I personally would not change the secondary any more. As for the guide, what ever makes sense to you. I read a number of them before I wrote something that made sense to me. In its simplest sense for the secondary, the question I ask is, can I see all of it and is it centred under the focuser. Aka…

I like a zoom, Barlow and wide angle combination. Minimalism suits me.

I think it’s good to get a range of views in order to see if anyone’s experiences resonate with you. It’s also good to see a high percentage of users are saying and recommending the same thing. I’ve purposely not recommended a particular type of telescope in this comment because I have done so on plenty of other occasions. 🙂

Ignore the reflectionx2 of the spider vanes. Once you have run through the initial checks* (focuser and spider) then I would deal with the coarse adjustment. First confirm the offset so a=b and then the rotation. With the bolts loosened and the secondary in your palm you should be able to confirm that it’s possible to get the outline of the secondary circular and under the cross hairs. Next go through the fine adjustments. The crosshairs of the sight tube should intersect with the centre mark and the dark offset secondary reflection (x2) should be offset toward the primary mirror. If the checks above are done and the secondary is still slightly oval, I’d ignore it. *I go through the process here https://astro.catshill.com/collimation-guide/

The parallel for me is visiting a place. Yes I can take photographs as a record but most will be not looked at whereas the memory of what hit my retina will stay with me forever.

I recommend the Dobsonian as the ideal telescope for visual (my reasons here https://astro.catshill.com/why-did-i-choose-a-dobsonian/) and I would recommend doing some reading and research in order to get a picture from a range of observers.

After reading the Affinity forums it would appear that Mac versions seem to be crashing more than Windows ones. I fall into the latter camp and have no issues in this respect.

Hi James The biggest annoyance is that the export option and indeed preset does not remember settings and reverts to “All Spreads”. I was hoping that this would have been fixed with the V2 upgrade.

I prefer M45 at 29X but the coat hanger was perfect in my RACI finder.

I’ve used Serif software for over 20 years and I still use all three V2 applications every day but as a visual observer not for AP! I am a regular contributor to the Affinity forums and very pleased with the upgrade. Well apart from the new export submenu and poor contrasting UI.

When I got the Skywatcher 200P, the StellaLyra didn’t exist. It’s a great telescope as my review shows https://astro.catshill.com/skywatcher-200p-review/ but it has cost me over £130 to upgrade the focuser and add the RACI. That’s why I recommend the StellaLyra. It’s extremely well built and had just one downside compared to the SW - it can’t be carried in one piece.

I was looking at the Pleiades last night thinking they looked a little disappointing before I realised that I was looking through my finder instead of my eyepiece. Another senior moment.

The first time observing for a long time last night. Started with Jupiter and Mars but I found them both disappointing and untypically lacking in features. Lots of turbulence so moved on to my saviours - Doubles! In Auriga STF 698 was a lovely Y+B rated at 4* In Taurus the visual pair Theta 1 and 2 were nice in the telescope as it was interesting to compare the colour and magnitude difference 2*. Theta 2 was a difference kettle of fish, extremely close and very difficult to split. I needed maximum power of the zoom but managed it. 2* Finished off with Eridanus 32 (STF 470) and the definitely the best of the night. Quite close but a wonderful Y+G (actually Gold and Green). 5*

Don’t worry about condensation or minimal marks on your mirror, they are not going to affect your views. I would bet that it’s not going to be an issue with collimation either. You definitely need to allow 30-40 minutes for your telescope to cool down outside before you attempt to use it. Views will be affected by conditions and dew can be right pain. But you did the right thing so just enjoy developing your skills.

I’d recommend a Cheshire eyepiece for the secondary and a cap for the primary. The laser can be used to check and fix tilt and rotation errors but it will not identify offset errors. I’ve written a guide which you may find useful https://astro.catshill.com/collimation-guide/

I like a Dobsonian (why? https://astro.catshill.com/why-did-i-choose-a-dobsonian/) for visual and there was a brilliant Skywatcher 200P on sale that deserved snapping up. If you can’t find a used one, I would save a few bob for a Heritage 150P

I would suggest waiting until you have got used to using your Dobsonian before considering upgrades.

Telrad, RACI, Lacerta dual speed focuser, flocked, solar filter, counter weight , carry handle. That’s about it for my 200P. Never thought about changing the bearing as mine moves freely enough with just enough friction for my needs.

I’d recommend a Cheshire eyepiece and sight tube combination tool for alignment of your secondary and a cap for your primary. Neither is going to break the bank and they will be easy to use. Try my guide and see how you get on https://astro.catshill.com/collimation-guide/