Soligor Rob

Hi Paul, Fabulous picture, I was also out with my new setup A Canon 60D "Unmodified" coupled to a Sky Watcher 200P Dobsonian, I have just fitted the Dual-Speed Crayford Low Profile Focuser which has made a massive difference to taking photos. Being a beginner at this photography I am well pleased with the results, I took this photo around 5-30pm so still daylight unfortunately the clouds moved in and I had to pack up. I played around in Photoshop for second photo.

Point taken, with the reaching focus range I have decided to purchase the Low Profile Dual Speed Crayford Focuser, Alex from FLO recommended this a few weeks ago. Also like you mentioned in the video I don't like the adaptor that holds the eye piece with those screws, I hoping the new focuser comes with a compression type fitting, I have also ordered a Bahtinov mask so that should help my focussing. Thanks for the tips and also for making me think.

Excellent Post Lockie, I have just taken ownership of a Sky Watcher Dobsonian 200P and have learnt so much from this, I'm currently waiting for the Dual Speed Crayford Focuser to be available, that will be my next purchase. I spent a good hour last night observing the moon, great views with the light showing the landscape shadows, tried a few photos with my Canon 60D attached to the Dob but really struggled with the focus, note to self, "Must try Harder".

Cheers for that John, very informative, gives me something to aim for.

Thanks for that, could you give me any advice, I have a Sky Watcher 200p Dobsonian, and also a 120mm x 1000mm Refractor.

I feel so much better with myself now after reading these posts. I have been looking at Sirius thinking what am I doing wrong I just haven't managed to observe the split. I must try harder, mind you a clear sky would help haven't had one here for over a week now.

Hey you live in a special part of the country we have spent many a night in our motorhome around Lyndhurst, our son is getting married in Brockenhurst in August.

Hey that's a fantastic Picture I would be well happy with that for a 2nd attempt, well done.

I have just purchased a Sky Watcher Dobsonian 200P, I find a 2x Barlow is excellent for getting in close, I also bought a Celestron X-Cel LX 18mm EP which gives good clear views, as a beginner I found M42 in Orion easy enough to find and adding a UHC filter really enhanced the view. A recommendation from SGL I also bought a BST Star Guider 8mm EP. which has excellent eye relief and at £49 is great value for money, we are lucky living less than 5 mins from Chester city centre but have very little light pollution (Bortle 5) so when & if the sky ever clears again we hope to continue exploring the night sky. I also bought a right angled finder which makes locating your target so much easier. https://www.firstlightoptics.com/finders/astro-essentials-9x50-right-angled-erecting-finderscope.html I would definitely recommend buying a copy of "Turn Left at Orion" about £18 from Amazon a great book with loads of information. Good luck.

I have just bought the BST Starguider 8mm eyepiece from Flo, came recommended from SGL at sub £50 it is a good buy, the eye relief makes viewing very comfortable.

Decided to treat myself to a Astronomik UHC filter, typical the clouds moved in as soon as it popped into my letter box, well last night the sky cleared and despite not having much time I set up the Dobsonian 200P with first a Celestron X-cel 18mm EP pointed it at Orion found the M42 Nebula then fitted the Filter and was amazed at how much difference there was in the image, swapped the 18mm for an 8mm BST again with the filter and have to say for a rushed visit I was well pleased. Definitely worth buying the filter for clearer results so thanks to all those that recommended the Astronomik UHC in the posts I have read.

I can't help myself going to have to ask the question, what is the difference between the Cambridge Double star atlas and the Cambridge Star atlas apart from the price that is. This will be my first book on the subject. Thanks.

Hi Charles and welcome to SGL. I also am a newcomer to the world of the night sky, Heather gave an excellent analogy using "It's a bit like London" I used to live their as a child and when my friends now ask how do I find my way around such a massive area I tell them Don't look at the whole area instead treat it as lots of little areas, well do the same with the night sky, break it up in small parts and enjoy searching through that area rather than jumping about all over the place. Orion is an excellent place to start with patience there is so much to see. Good luck and enjoy.

Excellent work, hopefully you will have similar success with the thread on the shaft.

If you can't or don't want to remove the shaft then I'm sure a die nut run down the thread and then rebuilt with a dab of blue loctite will hold all secure. New bearings is always a good option.

Well you have yourself a task to sort, Drilling out bolts/screws etc is easy enough as long as you don't go with too big a drill, also important to have a decent pillar drill and sharp drill bits, then using easy outs to extract the broken part, setting up is 90% of the job. As for the damaged thread on the shaft, phew that has been brutalised, you might get away with running a die down the thread, if not you could build up the end of the shaft with the help of a friendly welder then turn down to correct diameter in a lathe and then recut the thread and grub screw landing. I wish you Good luck

Having just bought my 200P Dob I attached my DSLR a Canon 60D with iso100 at 250sec I managed this shot of the moon Friday night, no filters just the cameras speed control to control the light, for my first photo with this setup I am quite pleased, it can only get better as I learn more, Can't it?

Hey thanks for that I'll be back checking that Double out, cheers.

Snap, I was trying out my new Dob 200P started with Sirius to check my collimation, (first time I have done that task) moved up Orion to Betelgeuse, then I wanted to head over to Electra just above Mars and made the stupid mistake of moving the scope the wrong way and stumbled on what I found out later was NGC2169. For my second night out with the new scope I came back in with a big smile.

Really pleased I read this thread, as a result of which I have just ordered the 8mm BST Starguider, so thanks to Wulfrun for the top tip.

Well as dusk was drawing in I was outside with my camera taking photos of the moon against the purple blue sky when the phone rang, well about an hour earlier I had been chatting with a guy who lived local and he was selling a Sky-liner 200P Dobsonian, I made an offer and voila he accepted, so I jumped in the car nipped round paid and brought it home, in less than an hour I was now looking through my new purchase well happy as it was brand spanky new, he had changed his mind as he thought it was too big. As I Panned round to the West amongst all the white twinkles I notice a shade of RED, Now then did I just find The Big Red Giant (V1489 Cyg) totally by accident of course and only after having the new Dob for about 30 mins. So I am now one happy bunny.

Thanks for that I have looked on the website but they sell as soon as they go up for sale. You have to be quick.

I managed a couple of hours outside, some looking at the moon and like Heather I spent a bit of time looking at Mars, trying out my new right angle 9x50 finder scope made life so much easier find things, trouble for me there is so much vibration on my set up any movement takes so long for the view finder to settle down. I'm definitely going to be investing in either the HEQ5 Pro with Rowan upgrade or the EQ6-R Pro when they become available and have to say The Sky Watcher Evo Star 150 is very appealing, then my wife mentions we could take a 200 DP Dobsonian away with us in the motorhome. It'll be like Christmas day all over again.

No I don't yet have the mount hence me asking which of the two "Sky Watcher HEQ5 with the Rowan Upgrade or the NEQ6 Pro" and what software would be the best option considering I don't use a windows based system. Both mounts aren't available and there certainly aren't any 2nd hand ones up for sale, so it's a waiting game.

I’m looking to buy a new mount and have narrowed it down to either the Sky Watcher HEQ5 with the Rowan Upgrade or the NEQ6 Pro, both a similar price. The HEQ5 would suit my current needs payload wise whilst the NEQ6 would allow for any future expansion, the weight difference isn’t a problem as moving the mounts is unrestricted. I would want to connect them to my Macbook Pro (it seems that most are used through a windows based system), what software would I need? Any advice much appreciated.