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Hello, I have been lurking in the background for the last few months, reading the great posts from many very knowledgable members, I’m now after some personal equipment advice and thought it was time I asked the pros! I’ve been interested in the stargazing for a long time and have been enjoying casual scanning with tripod mounted binoculars for the past year. Up until now, due to work commitments, I’ve been unable to dedicate much time to my interest. However, I recently changed jobs and now have a lot more free time and the opportunity to really get started. I’m in Yorkshire, fairly rural and not too much light pollution. I’ll be setup primarily from the garden but I’m only five minutes drive from remote moorland for any local out-of-home viewing. My aim initially is visual viewing and studying with a good quality scope. I worked as a photographer a long time ago so further down the line I’d like to try AP and add a second scope specifically for imaging. I’m thinking long term overall but would like to jump in with a solid core setup I can add to over time. My budget can be up to £2,500. After much research I’m considering the Sky Watcher AZ-EQ5 or AZ-EQ6 mount - both these seem highly regarded and adaptable to future needs, I believe the EQ6 may be better considering future imaging use? For the OTA I’ve been looking at the Celestron 9.25? It seems to deliver well for planets and lunar but I would welcome personal recommendations of other ideal scopes within budget. I’ve also briefly looked into accessories such as the Baader Hyperion Zoom Eyepiece and William Optics / Baader diagonals but one area I need to know more about is eyepieces. Thanks for your time, I’d really welcome advice from you all on what I should consider for my aims and budget. Cheers 🙂

Hello I have been away from this forum from possibly July - I never find a lot of time to do anything these days, same to be able to relax reading and interacting Astronomy forums. I asked here a few ideas about making a solar scope or modifying whatever I had and I was recommended to also see Solar Chat Forums and I did. Thanks to solarchatforums I have been able to do something decent and here is what I have done so far - very slowly! 1. I purchased a second hand PST and replaced its ITF with Maier one from the US and it finally had a clear image coming through + moved Etalon screw to third position - all the usual thing everybody does [after I researched it]! 2. used a new SCT screw-on short focuser [used once or twice on a LX200 R Classic] and using Teflon tape I screwed the PST Etalon to the focuser and purchased a 2" adaptor to fit on Etalon. 3. then used a Chinese 2" to 1.25 and modified the 2" side socket taking internal ring off and making 3x 120° threaded holes and 3x nylon thumb screws and used that as an adaptor to fit the original PST eyepiece holder - strangely enough at present this adaptor is also used as a tilter ... until I buy a proper camera tilter 4. then fit the above eyepiece holder into the SCT focuser with 2" to 1.252 adaptor in it and screwed the whole Gold PST tube with Etalon in it and made a BETTER PST - see image 5. I also initially tried a 2.2x DSLR camera Lens magnifier in front of PST and it decently works too - so PST will be fine for full solar disk mainly and without the 0.5 angstrom - not forcibly needed, I am probably around 0.7 as it is! 6. more importantly, I decided to make my own 90mm solar scope using the above bits and pieces. 7. with the help of Solar Chat Forums [great guys with a lot of knowledge, some are professional - i.e. they know the optics mathematical details - which helps] I purchased a cheap Bresser AR90/900 8. the ONLY usable thing there ... is the main tube, a nice and thick tube - the rest is ALL plastic!!! I dismounted all parts and saw tube shorter ... a bit too much ! - I could have saved ~6cm really as I went with original ideas, but forgot I was using a different telescope from my initial thoughts - silly me! So, I added a 6cm extension - no problems there to reach the 20cm inward needed for the PST Etalon which has ~20cm FL 9. initially I used a Tuna Fish 100g tin to adapt the SCT focuser onto my AR152 and fit Etalon inside the focuser to get near the 20cm needed- lets call it Quark unit - which it is really! It worked well, so I decided to add a second focuser to tune the Etalon ... getting back to AR90/900 ... 10. I was trying to avoid overspending, I could not afford to spend too much - then I remembered I had a unused AR102SX which in my mind I guessed ... the focuser should over AR90/900 and it did! It just fits perfectly - then drilled three holes for the holding screws et-voila' 11. I purchased a second hand 75mn Baader D-ERF and fit it INSIDE the AR90 tube at about 20cm inside from the front air-spaced doublet lenses, as there are the usual internal rings soldered in and just sit on it and I have about 70mm aperture - i.e 70mm width from the D-ERF for photons to get through. At that ~20cm distance from front lenses the beam is still very large - probably about 60-65mm - there is no heat in between - no need for air-escaping holes 12. when I have the time I will make a solar finder scope and fit it on the tube - not that is really needed - I usually use CDC to get there almost over The Sun [having an almost exact spot on the yard!] - then use my eye without eyepiece and look thourgh the PST eyepiece holder for solar shinging and centre the telescope over The Sun. Well, it works well after tuning Etalon focuser correctly and then focusing/tuning Etalon etc. - the usual. See some images - still learning imaging/processing and a lot more to learn about Solar ... a lot! I will probably need to get a Power-mate 2.5x when I can afford it! 1st mod - without the original black box - it works so much better - better focusing and sharper viewing too. This is the AR90/900 shorten tube with AR102SX focuser and adaptors to test it normally This is complete with the Quark Unit on the right side Since this image there have been some changing - do not use the revelation adaptor any more and added a 6cm 2" extension. Here are some images:

Can I fit a camera to aSkywatcher 130.

I recently purchased a lovely set of binoculars by Orion,but while I was waiting for them to be made,I was looking at other equipment that's used by astronomical minded people,when I came across a laser pointer that was attached to the guys rifle... That gave me the idea to upgrade the 20x80s by using at weaver barrel attachment to mount a laser and a finder scope to the cross bar of the big bins tripod mount. lol...I know laser are used on telescopes for pointing at the stars. But I haven't seen anything on attaching equipment to the big binoculars except a small finder (which was drilled into the side of his housing...crazy!). anyway, I'm new to this and can only improve with help and advice from fellow star gazers... Clear skies all!!

Change of circumstances a few years ago unfortunately meant that I had to let go of all my astro equipment - Paramount, Tak scope and my beautiful Pulsar dome Now though, I'm back on track and I will be in a position soon to reacquire some if not all of the equipment back. Being able to do things second time round has also allowed me to really have a good think of what I want to get out of this hobby, so my thoughts will follow. But I would welcome feedback from you guys to ensure my thoughts aren't too way off the mark. Mount - mainly visual but with a nod to possibly video and a little imaging, as they say repeatedly - mount first, mount second and mount third in order of priority! Usual suspects - considering - EQ8 (at this price point I can't dismiss it), Mesu mount 200 (excellent feedback from Olly and others), 10 micron (again excellent feedback from Pers and others) Observatory - thinking 8' x 8' roll off, either self build or one of the shelf, via Ian King Imaging - depending on time it may unfortunately be the latter Scope - currently have a Celestron 100ED and a whole bunch of quality eyepieces / diagonals / filters etc, but ideally want a fast smallish frac so considering SW ED80 or something similar, keep the 100ed and then a light bucket considering Celestron c11 or 9.25 (hyper star compatibility would be good) - this may change depending on the final budget and obviously input from the CFO ('er indoors) Total budget is looking at 8k, but this could be stretched to 9 or even 10k with valid persuasion ...... but we'll see - and I don't mind buying second hand equipment, have done in the past and will probably do again. The sale of my beloved Ducati will help fund this as after a few 'near misses' I have realised life is better viewed through an eyepiece rather than looking up from the pavement! Thoughts welcome guys - just need feedback I'm on the right track. Oh and the whole lot will be bolted down in my back garden in Lincoln, small village, not overly light polluted and great views of all parts of the sky (as I live in a bungalow). Thanks for reading, Neil.

Thanks for the input from my last post, however the budget is a firm 7.5k so I have to decide whether I want a very nicely specced roll off or a very nice mount. If you had 7.5k to spend on a full set up how would you do it and why? My thoughts are: Home Observatory - 8' x 8' with all electrics and build £4100 Mount is AZ EQ6 - mainly visual with a nod to EAA £1300 new or possibly snag one SH for £1000 Scope MN190, plus either a long focal achromat for planets, lunar or a SH SCT 9.25 etc - possible cost around £2000 new maybe less if negotiating! On the right track or way off the mark? As always many thanks for the input people.

I am getting into this hobby, however I am not sure if this is a good first choice telescope, I have some doubt because this is an old telescope but I'm wondering if it matters that it is old model, since this is my first scope. I read that this is a good starting scope but I'm wondering if there is any newer option that is better than this, in a similar price range. (I'm 14 and I need something to last a few years since I do not have much money.) note- this is a reflector telescope Scope: Skywatcher Explorer 130 EQ2 Specs: Magnifications (with optics supplied): x36, x72, x90, x180 Highest Practical Power (Potential): x260 Diameter of Primary mirror: 130mm Telescope Focal Length: 900mm (f/6.92) Eyepieces Supplied (1.25"): 10mm & 25mm x2 Barrow lens red dot finder EQ2 Equatorial Mount Aluminium Tripod with Accessory Tray Thanks.

Hi guys I am looking to purchase a beginners scope for my Dad’s Christmas present (I’ll be honest it’s also a present for me!) I have done a bit of research online and I thought I had the ideal one to get started. The Celestron Astromaster 130EQ MD (£149 Amazon.co.uk) Until I found this: Skywatcher Explorer-130M 130mm (£193 Amazon.co.uk) I was hoping you guys could enlighten me and let me know what one to get out of these two? Will I be able to view things like long distant moons and Saturn’s rings? Or even a ‘local’ Nebula? Also when looking into the Celestron 130EQ MD I was recommended into purchasing the ‘Celestron 94307 AstroMaster Eye Piece and Accessory Kit’ (£58 Amazon.co.uk) to get a better view. Will I be able to use this eye piece kit with the Skywatcher 130M? As it is getting near Christmas now I will need to buy one very soon. One last thing - Ive seen mixed opinions online about the quality of the mirrors in both scopes. Does the Celestron 130EQ MD have a better scope to the Skywatcher 130M?? Are they spherical or parabolic? What one do you think best for my money?? Thanks in Advance! Rhys

Been waiting for days in anticipation for the first clear night with my new SW 200P reflector and HEQ5 mount. I found instantly that I couldn't locate the North Star due to bloody trees and also the moon was so bright it made all other objects so much more dim in my scope. The Polaris Alignment scope LED's are so bright I couldn't align any star in the scope at all, let alone see through it. I did check it was clear and it didn't have the cap on or the weight bar obstructing it. I tried adjusting the brightness but found no settings in the SynScan handset for my model! I also found out that my clock ring rotates even if I lock them to the specific axis. (Annoying) In the end, instead of just messing around trying to align the damn thing I just span it around and zeroed in on the moon and other stars. I found pretty quickly that I can only focus on the moon IF I use a 2X barlow lense in the chain and that the focuser doesn't move back as far as my older Vixen refractor. Anywayyyy to make the most out of the full moon and the fact it was clear I took some photos and made a mosaic out of 54 individual photo's I took. The original photo is 388MB, so I've uploaded a much smaller version. My first proper AstroPhotography photo, any thoughts or solutions to the problems I found on my first night out? I'm hoping the next time I go out, it's much smoother. Enjoy. - Pesky

It's that time of year again, the nights are getting darker and I'm inspired once again to begin researching into a telescope investment, but each year I spend so long bewildered by the vast choice of scopes, that time moves on and lighter nights begin drawing closer. this year I want to change that and I'm looking for guidance into purchasing my first 'real' telescope. As I have mentioned in my previous introduction post, I have been fascinated with the night sky and space for as long as I know, and I did have a high street quality telescope in 1994 when I was 11 year old which I have fond memories of. Here are a few ideas of what I would expect to use a telescope for. As the celestial events occur year after year, and I have nothing but a pair of binoculars that may as well be made from chocolate and the naked eye, I kick myself for not having taken the bull by the horns and making a choice of a telescope. Naturally as a photographer i am going to want to take photos of things that I see. Understandably this is going to be a huge learning curve in new photographic techniques and editing etc, but it is definitely a desire that my telescope is going to need to be able to fulfill. We all need to start out somewhere and so naturally lunar shots and shots of nearby planets in the solar system would perhaps be my first realistic goals in astrophotography. Eventually a few years down the line once I have got to know my telescope and also the skies above my head better, then I would like to think I could progress into some deep space photography. I do have photographs of the Moon which I have taken using a 300mm lens on a D7000 and even that took some time to perfect - so I totally get that deep space photography of nebulas and galaxies is a long term goal and whilst it is something that i am definitley looking at being able to do, it's not something that i'm going to be able to jump right into. Small steps at a time will do it. With regards to my situation, I live UK, in Rothwell which is on a bit of a hill that over looks Leeds City down in the Valley around a mile or so away, I can only imagine the City lights do generate a fair amount of light pollution, but with limited mobility in my legs and no car, I'm going to need to work around that as most of my viewing is most likely going to be from my back yard. From my back yard on a clear day with all the house lights and outside lights turned off, most of the constellations can be seen with a naked eye. I haven't even began to look for nebulas or galaxies as i currently don't know what I am looking for or where. This is going to be much of the fun of the telescope - learning and discovering the night above me and making a photographic journal of what I see. As for portability of the telescope, it's not important that it is portable, because it would only be on rare occasions that I can see me being able to take it out into the field due to the limited mobility and lack of transport, it just needs to be portable enough for me to be able to get it in and out of the house with or without help. My instincts tells me that its perhaps a good idea to purchase a more advanced telescope that I am going to be able to grow into as my experience, knowledge and skills advance, although I could be totally wrong about that and more advanced features will only complicate the early stages or learning? I don't know and this is where I need some guidance. My current budget is around £500, but If I was to wait a couple of months that budget could be stretched to £1000. I look forward to being guided towards the right telescope ranges / types and I look forward to embarking on a new venture into learning and discovery. Lee.

I'm thinking of trying planetary imaging in the future particularly Jupiter and Saturn. I have a suitable camera (or two) with an ASI1600MM-cool and an ASI185MC. Much the same pixel size but one is colour so resolution sacrificed for colour. I have an MN190 Mak-Newt with 1000mm focal length and 190mm mirror so f5.3. I could use this with a Barlow. As an alternative I'm wondering if some other scope would be better.

Hi guys and girls, i am completely new to astronomy and could do with some advice on what would be best to get for my first scope. What do you think of this scope: http://www.bristolcameras.co.uk/p-sky-watcher-star-discovery-150p-computerised-go-to-reflector.htm#accessory Seems to be good value for the money, but i honestly dont know what i'm really looking at?! give me your opinions and any reccomendations on brands and specific scopes, this would be great thank you!

Hi, I have always had an interest in astronomy/stargazing. Looking up into a clear night sky wondering what it would be like to be out there is always a summers night pass time favorite of mine. Although, having a high interest in this area as a child I became otherwise engaged in other activities like playing console games, and then more recently raising my own young children. However, my interest in astronomy and stargazing has since returned and I have recently wanted to begin looking into the night sky with a telescope. I am a complete novice when it comes to this and just wondered what would be a good beginners scope. I have recently been interested in buying the Celestron Astromaster 130EQ. I have read numerous reviews about this scope and everyone says that its really good scope for beginners. I have looked at images that people have taken through this scope using additional filters and lenses and I am more than impressed with what can be achieved. I am completely new to telescopes and wouldn't really know where to start. I had a low-grade telescope as a child, branded National Geographic which was great for looking at the moon with, it came with 2 lenses. I still have it but would prefer a 'more advanced', 'more profesional' scope. Any help/tips would be great. I have a maximum budget for this of £250GBP but could stretch to £300GBP Thanks all.

Hi guys, Been in to Astronomy / Astrophotography for a good deal of my life. That said with life generally getting in the way with ups and downs, I now find myself in a position where i can really start to get into Astronomy again. What i was querying is that i have a red dot view finder on my Meade Polaris 130MD, What i was wondering is in the images i have uploaded i have a 20-60x60 spotters scope, Can anybody give me some of your advice and wisdom as to how i could use or if possible utilise it on the ring behind my viewfinder, i ask as i have no battery and like a numpty i left it on to die, Forgot to also mention that i use the scope on a EQ2 mount if that helps, I like to try and get some shots of the moon with my D5300, it does enough for what I'm happy with. Any help and information will be greatly received. Cheers Mark.

Please could you assist me with some professional help. I am interested in purchasing a scope with the following specs Angled Spotting Scopes Magnification: 15-45x adjustable Objective lens diameter: 60mm Prism Glass: BAK4 Focus System: Center Field of view: 57-114ft/1000 yard Distance of Exit Pupil: 13-16mm Diameter of Exit Pupil: 1.3-4.0mm . What would the nearest focal point be at 15x Magnification. I have no idea on how to work this out or if you can even do this with what I have given you. Is there a formula to this?

Hi all, This evening I wanted to have a go (again) at trying to figure out if my polar scope in the HEQ5 is aligned with the RA axis. So I tried first to set it up on my balcony and view a far away object (this in sunlight). I did turn the dec axis to open up the scope sights. I did not see ANYTHING. only darkness..... I even tried pointing it at the sun, and that barely shone through (did NOT put my eye behind it). So, tried putting it inside, and use a flashlight on top of a cupboard at the other end of the room. Strangely, that (also only barely) came through, but in a really weird way: it only shows on the left side of the "viewing circle"... when I turn the mount to move the light toward the middle crosshairs of the scope, the light disappears, as though it went behind an obstacle... It looks as though the polar scope is WAY off alignment, that far that the tube is obscuring part of the incoming light.... I am not touching the adjustment screws on the polar scope at the moment... First I need to hear some feedback as to what this could be... Has anybody seen this kind of problem? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Gerhard.

Hi, I was wondering if Baader's UHC-S filter is worth to buy. I would like to know if it is good for imaging with my 80/400 achromatic refractor, not modded Canon EOS 600D on EQ2 (I'll get EQ3-2 soon) mount with single axis motor drive. Thanks in advance!