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Showing results for tags 'sky-watcher'.
Found 32 results
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Hi, I'm relatively new to the whole telescope thing but have done my research and was fixed on getting the Orion skyquest XT8i or XT10i. By spending that much money, I didn't like the idea of purchasing it online from their website without seeing it in person (and not having the reassurance of being able to take it back) and looked for stores in the UK that would supply them. After plenty of research, it seems like they don't exist anymore and they are only in the US? Is this right or could anyone help me? (I've looked at the Sky-watcher 250PX/200PX flextube skyscan goto but it is significantly heavier and the noise of the goto mechanism sounds like a table saw so that's put me off of it...) Any help would be much appreciated, Thanks -
Friends, I am back with a tutorial video on how to modify your Sky Watcher HEQ5-PRO mount or its American twin, the Orion Sirius EQ-G into a belt driven mount. The benefits of converting to a belt drive is that you don't have to worry about Backlash. The procedure took me about an hour to complete. Link is below https://youtu.be/PjDZiXaN5KM
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- astrophotography
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Hello all, TL;DR: are there any cheap ways, including secondhand, of mounting a 130P-DS for not-completely-terrible results? I am looking to buy a telescope as a gift for a family member. I had in mind a budget of around £150-£200, and from looking at advice had almost settled on the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130P. But then I realised that there's a good chance that if they get into astronomy there's a good chance that my relative will want to do some photography, and would probably be interested in attaching their micro four thirds camera. I've learnt that the 130P is not great for this as you cannot get prime focus, so you need to look at the Sky-Watcher Explorer 130P-DS instead. Great, I thought! It's a bit cheaper, but it isn't available in a kit with any form of mount. OK, I'll need to get one of those too... Then I started looking at mounts. Oh my, those things crash through the top of my budget! Even the EQ2 mount on its own, when you can find it, is about £115. https://www.bristolcameras.co.uk/p-skywatcher-eq-2-equatorial-mount-aluminium-tripod.htm (Given that you can get the spherical version of the Sky-Watcher 130 on that mount for £155 from FLO, that seems to value the OTA part at somewhere around the £40 mark.) So, I'm after advice on whether there is an affordable way of doing this. I've read enough on this forum and other sites around the web to know that the main recommendation is that the heavier duty the better. Something like an EQ3 or upwards. And that for AP a lot of people seem to view an HEQ5 as a starting point. But since I can't stretch to that, I'm OK with leaving it as an upgrade path for my relative if that's the way they want to go (or option for future gifts!). I know that for next-to-no budget I'm not going to be able to give something that will get the best out of the telescope. I know that getting motors and whatnot to do the guiding that will make DSO photography possible is way out of the realms of possibility. What I'm hoping for is some sort of option that gives acceptable results. Usable rather than unusable. Limiting the results rather than destroying them! Getting this set up so that they can do reasonable observation at first, and maybe give a try at attaching their m4/3 camera to try photographing the moon. If that whets their appetite then mount upgrades can be possible later. Since I'm planning on a new OTA, I'd be happy with going secondhand for the mount. I've been trawling ebay, and see the odd thing like this come up: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Telescope-On-Tripod-Stand-Model-900114-Spares-N-Repairs/124230022581?hash=item1cecafb5b5:g:Ay8AAOSwSz1e7OCu To my untrained eye, it looks like there's an EQ2 mount on that, so I'm wondering whether that would do the trick. (Working on the, possibly faulty, assumption that if EQ2 is viewed by Sky-Watcher as being sturdy enough to supply as the kit mount for the 130 and 130P, it's probably up to scratch for observing with the 130P-DS too.) Even that, at another £58 inc postage for the buy it now would be over my budget, but I'm wondering more generally whether trying to grab something like that to essentially discard the tube would even be feasible as an option if I can get one at the right price. Or, of course, I'm open to any other ideas and suggestions that the forum might have. Thanks in advance, and clear skies. -
Hi everyone, I'm selling my Sky-Watcher 9x50m Finderscope including mount. Item is in good condition and selling as I have upgraded to a RACI Finderscope. Please see photos, asking for £25 in total including delivery. Any questions, please let me know. -
Hi, just received this mount today and mounted my scope and accessories, as i was trying to get everything balanced i immediately noticed the RA and DEC aren't smooth at all even at almost full load (see pic) , not handy for balancing i would say. Other than that everything seems Ok, the motors do make a short cracking sound wen start and stop slewing, but that's normal i guess, it's not belt driven so.. Got it running via EQMOD too so HC remains in its package. Maybe a little point of criticism, SW should have made the motor cables more flexible. Also strange that the counterweight shaft of this tiny mount is 20mm and the shaft on my EQ6R is 18mm. I need to check if my EQ6 polemaster adapter fits this mount, let's hope so. If anyone has this mount to i'd like too hear if RA and DEC are also not smooth and if a fix is possible. Thanks
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Managed to get this Telescope as my first (second-hand for £40, hardly used). Just wondering best objects to aim to see (I got a cheap moon filter which is all I have really had a chance to spot in the night sky so far). Hoping as the hobby goes to invest in a more expensive one (any thoughts on next step up also welcome). I have only had a few goes with it so far and found the Azimuth mount to be easy to use, but there is a metal rod which you can turn to slightly alter (don't think this is moving across the equatorial) however you can only turn it so far before the thread at the top falls out (is that normal?). Any other random tips also welcome! https://www.astroshop.eu/telescopes/skywatcher-telescope-n-76-700-astrolux-az-1/p,5010#tab_bar_1_select -
Sky-watcher eco star 72ED with celestron x-cel eyepiece. Diagonal and ax-eq avant tripod for sale in Worthing. excellent condition. £290 -
From the album: Messier and NGC Objects
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From the album: Solar System
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EQ8, EdgeHD 1100 and Meade 80mm APO snug at home: Side view
stephen_usher posted a gallery image in Member's Album
From the album: Scopes & Mounts
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A very lightly used AZ EQ6-GT mount and tripod for sale. The mount is approx 3 years old and I am the second owner. It is in exceptional condition and as stated has been very lightly used by myself and previous owner. Reason I am selling, due to a change of job and working away significant parts of the week / month I have no time to indulge in the hobby at the moment. The mount comes with all the usual items, Mount and tripod, hand controller, cigarette power lead, eqmod usb lead, manual. Also included in the sale is the ADM losmandy / Vixen saddle and the regulated power supply - this one as per FLO website - Nevada PS-08 PSU Price is £995 ovno for everything. I have the box for the mount with original packaging but not the tripod, hence this is pick up only or can travel and meet half way by arrangement - I travel extensively so I'm sure something can be arranged. I accept cash, cheques and bank transfer (which is easiest to be honest). Paypal if the buyer pays the fees. The mount is currently in my observatory and can be seen working if you wish. The ES102 pictured is also for sale in the next ad! Thanks for reading and if you have questions please PM me and we can discuss in more detail. Neil. -
...is neat but can take some improvements. Here's how: Safety first! So, to prevent breakage I limit the bottom knob's range, or someone unaware of its lacking design can tighten it too hard, and break the plastic clamp. Nearly happened when a friend turned that knob real hard, thinking he was making the mount more stable for photo, but the clamp couldn't split thanks to the washers that stop the knob before it causes damage. An undersize O-ring keeps the washers in place in case you remove the knob, they won't get lost. Next fault in design, there's a 2mm gap on each side of the spreaders. I fill it with washers and/or O-rings. Two washers are tricky to insert, better superglue them together to form a single thick one. Next large play and ungainly fit: the central aluminum stud plays between the others: Filing the plastic inserts to bring the outside tubes close to the central one: And the result: The three tubes now clamp together over their whole length, better stability, better looks, and improved feel. These tripods are too lightweight even for my 80mm achro; to make the complete scope assembly heavier with a lower center of mass, filling the tubes with aquarium (clean) gravel is an easy and invisible solution: Some fill it with cement, which is even heavier because it leaves no empty space between the stones but I prefer reversible mods. Inside the clamp there is a rib that's supposed to guide or support the central tube but it doesn't even touch it, so I remove it with a file (masking tape protects the aluminum): Instead ot the useless rib I stick two felt pads that press hard against the tube, making its motion silent and way more controlled. Since it is now much heavier, sliding free and bumping against the clamp would cause noise and maybe damage. Note the piece of sponge that clogs the bottom of the hollow tube. Not indispensible with large gravel but it's needed when I use smaller grain sand. The steel ashtray has dangerous corners that a lens could hit, so I take segments of a junk guitar cable (degrades the tone), and pile them up between clamps so the top one is at at a convenient height and easy to split open: Like so, then I remove the cable's core: The ashtray itself is like a gong (steel is quite resonant), putting accessories on it always makes a nasty clunky sound that irritates me, and would annoy neighbors if the scope was in a backyard. So I put felt pads at the underside, around the screw holes, plus a large neoprene cushion in the middle. Besides making the thing look like a cool famous UFO, this dampens the noise that made me cringe every time. Finally, I slide the split guitar cable over the ashtray's edges, and add a sheet of the white material architects use to build models. I often moved my scopes around with accessories rolling aroung in the ashtray, simply because I forgot they were there for they are black on black. This happened even in the daytime during solar watching. However black on white is noticed even with the corner of the eye, no risk of that absent-mindedness again. The foamy white sheet holds thanks to a little strip of double-side tape, and helps dampen those irritating clunker noises in the still of the night. The difference in visual contrast is obvious, but even more so at night. I'll replace the foam with tougher vinyl when I come across a leftover piece, in the meantime it does a good enough job. There you have it, several mods even an astro gearhead might not notice, except the white ashtray, but they do give a better feel, a better look, and even a better sound to the setup. The joints between cable rubber are just acceptable, I'll rectify them later, but what matters now is a danger of scratching lenses is done away with. Hope you'll pick up a few ideas that can be useful to you.
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Hello I need your expert advise and opinions please. I currently have a Sky-watcher 114 telescope which has served me well for the few years I've had it, but I've always had trouble with balancing, aligning and generally finding the more difficult things in the night sky. So I feel now is the time to upgrade to a goto telescope as I am keen to take up astrophotography and image and share what I'm seeing. My theory is that if I have a computerised / goto telescope and mount, I would spend less time setting up and more time enjoying the night sky. I have between £400 - £650 to spend I've done some research and I have come up with a few options but also welcome any suggestions you all come up with which I haven't thought of already. Celestron Nexstar 5 SE Computerised Telescope https://www.amazon.co.uk/Celestron-NexStar-SE-Computerised-Telescope/dp/B000GUHOYE/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1479455548&sr=8-5&keywords=celestron+nexstar Sky-Watcher Skymax-127 SynScan Goto Telescope https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sky-Watcher-Skymax-127-SynScan-AZ-Telescope/product-reviews/B00A784RBS Celestron Nexstar 127 SLT MaK Telescope https://www.amazon.co.uk/Celestron-NexStar-127-Mak-Telescope/dp/B0038LX8XE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479455805&sr=8-1&keywords=celestron+nexstar+127 Meade ETX 90 Observer https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01E53GQ78/ref=pd_sbs_421_40?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=4PMZKN1FJBKW0Y2KBV8S Ive chosen various Maksutov-Cassegrain Style scopes as I'm a bit of a short-Bottom and found that when I tried out this type of telescope, it was easier to use rather than what I currently have. I await your wisdom
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I've been using a Quark chromosphere now since May and just wanted to share what an absolute delight this piece of equipment is (albeit I never seem to have enough cloud free sky to get it right on band). I had been using a ST80 but felt this was lacking and not a great match for the Quark in terms of focal length. I've since moved to a 120mm refractor and hope the images show how capable the Quark is.
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Is it possible to fit a dual-speed focuser from a Sky-Watcher Equinox Pro 80 (following on from an upgrade) to the Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED that came with a single speed focuser? Is there an adapter that can be sought for it? -
Why crave for long eye relief, and then restrict it with a raised eyecup? Why conceive wide fields optics only to make them narrow with same raised eyecup? My Myriads and Nirvana/TS/William clones have a rotating eyecup that resists turning firmly, they never spin unless I want them to. The Meade/Maxvision 18mm/82° and 34mm/68°, on the other hand, possess a rubber eyecup that also serves as a grippy external frame. These oversize grips offered so much leverage to the turning mechanism, they triggered it often with no will on my part. Almost each time I handled them, the integral cup spun, reducing the eye relief and field, plus it made me doubt if I had fully seated and locked them in the diagonal. The 34mm was the worst offender, its mechanism had almost no resistance at all. That was very annoying, when you observe you want quietness, your gear shouldn't be doing irritating things of its own. Having had enough of that, I lifted the rubber with a handy little tool I always carry in my back pocket: the Dunlop Ultex guitar pick. Ultex is plastic, but it's the glassiest pick material, dump it on something hard and its sounds almost like glass foil or stone foil, if such a thing was possible (Dunlop's more rubbery Tortex was great but it's outdated, just compare). Still Ultex is flexible, a mandatory quality of guitar and bass picks. And it won't scratch anodized aluminum. A 1mm thick pick did the job after a 0.73mm colleague broke; not tough enough. 0.60mm's give out the most harmonics but they were too thin at first sight for this. I don't play 1mm's anymore, they mute too much harmonics, however this one got a nice alternate occupation. Experience from many other little jobs similar to this one made me keep the broken pick when most folks would dump it right away. Never trash something until the work is over. This piece of scrap plastic proved the ideal tool, with the right curvature and bite, to remove the crystalline superglue that remained on the metal cylinder. The mechanism is simply a stud that moves inside a curved slot. I wiped the now-useless grease, and filled the slot with a short piece of electric wire to block the stud. Sorry for the blurry shot. No need to glue the wire, the tight-fitting rubber housing keeps it in place. I did put three drops of glue to attach the rubber to the inside metal housing. I kept the caps on, but I should have taped them to better protect the lenses against tools and glue, big sin here! I didn't use superglue, I'll wait and see if that all-purpose Pattex sticks hard enough to both metal and rubber. If it doesn't, superglue it will be. The "tire" fits the "wheel" tight enough that even no glue could do temporarily. Did the same with the 34mm: Interesting how the crown's edge has some green anodizing that was destined to match the green deco of the eyepiece, had it been sold under the Meade brand. It was impossible to lift that massive rubber housing with a pick, I had to do it with a screwdriver, but it inevitably scratched the black barrel, which I patched up with a black marker. These are the black smears under the wire. There is some risk in opening a high-grade eyepiece, so don't try before you have praticed on cheap or damaged ones. It also voids the warranty, be careful. Waterproof eyepieces are obviously a no-no for that mod! Assuming one could unscrew the sealed parts, humid air would enter through the thinnest opening, and ruin the anti-fogging protection. I hope this is interesting even if you don't get to use the tip. I didn't know what I would find in there, nor did I know how I would fix the sloppy eyecup. Simply opening a bits drawer made me notice that piece of wire, bulb switched on inside my head. I had considered drilling the frame to insert a locking screw but what an awful lot more work and risk it would be! Somehow it escaped my mind that I also own a 24/82 Meade/Maxvision ocular that has a turning integral rubber frame and eyecup, but much firmer fortunately; I might do the same mod for it or not. And a 7mm Panorama, if a preliminary, partial takedown shows it can be done safely. I'll keep you posted.
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Hello, I hope this is the best place to post this... I recently acquired a Sky-Watcher Explorer 150P DS and an HEQ5 Pro to go with it and couldn't find that much information regarding what was actually in the boxes, to know if I needed to buy anything else, etc.. So I made this unboxing video so that people can actually see what the boxes contain and get a bit more information regarding the kit. Bear in mind that this is my frist unboxing video and that I don't have any intention of being a know-it-all... I just want to share information with people out there... If you find these helpful I'll continue to do these (since I'm waiting for the arrival of an eyepiece and a Barlow, otherwise I'll just stop... Cheers-
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From the album: Messier and NGC Objects
IC1805 Skwatcher 130pds ASI1600mm-c (-15) 7nm Baader Ha 10x5min lights No darks, flats or bias -
Copernicus, Eratosthenes and Apennine Mountain Range
AlastairW posted a gallery image in Member's Album
From the album: Solar System
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Hi, I've just ordered a Sky-Watcher Skymax 150 PRO from FLO. It will replace my wonderful 250px which is simply taking up too much room amongst my kids' growing population of Peppa Pig and friends! Will I miss the wider field of view and the light gathering capabilities of the big(ish) dob in my little backyard in averagely light polluted Bedford? I've read good things about the MAK but I'm nervous! Part of my motivation was that I want to be able to share the joy of the night skies with my young kids (6 & 3). The dob is fabulous but it's not that easy for them to see through the eyepiece without knocking it off target. I have an HEQ5 Pro mount (which I've never used). I'm hoping that, along with the MAK, the kids might have a better chance of seeing things and being inspired rather than frustrated. I'll almost certainly sell the 250px asap and free-up the space for 'Peppa Pig land'. I hope I'm not making a grave (and expensive) mistake! Best wishes, Jason
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My HEQ5 and 200pds has arrived. Woohoo! Haven't had a proper clear sky yet. So trying to prepare everything and understanding polar alignment. Please have a look at attached image. So my latitude in Norway is about 63.25 degrees, but setting this degrees with the t-bolts (1 + 2 on the image) on the HEQ5 mount is rather tricky, as the bolt in the back/south (2) is crashing in the polar scope cover (4), or the polar scope itself if I remove the cap/cover. By crashing I mean that I will not be able to rotate/adjust the bolt further because the "handle" will not have room enough to rotate. The two t-bolts have different length, but if I use the shorter one in the back (2), I'm not able to get even close to 60 deg (3). So I will have to use the longest one. The only way of achiving this that I've found is to leave the front/north t-bolt (1) out. Then tilt the declination/latitude forward to a "low" degree. Then adjust the bolt in the back (2) approximately right. Then I tilt the declination back again until it stops, to see if I have the correct degree. If not correct, I have to tilt forward again, adjust again, then tilt back. Is this really how I have to do this? Is there something here that I've completely missed out on? -
From the album: Solar System
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I am looking for casual observation a Sky-Watcher Startravel 150mm Refractor OTA or similar 150mm / 6" F5 OTA must have tube rings & dovetale. I have, if you are interested in a trade a Meade 6" LXD75 F8 Refractor OTA with finder & tube rings. I can collect if reasonably local to Lowestoft. Thanks, Simon -
Hi all, have just joined after spending the last week looking at forums trying to decide what equipment to buy as I’m looking to get my first “proper” telescope. I’ve been using some basic binoculars for getting to know my way around the sky and a basic telescope. As the title says I have around £400 to spend. I would like to do some astrophotography as that’s one of the main reasons on getting a telescope and also observation. I’ve seen the Sky-Watcher series tend to be the best for this. But confused in which to go for I have seen dobsonian telescopes that seem good bang for the buck but not ideal for imagery. I’m not looking for anything portable. I was looking from 130p-200p. Als I do I really need a mount with tracking for photography? ( still confused on what all the lenses do and which are the best) Any recommendations or advice would help a lot. -
Explore Scientific 70° 35mm vs. PANAVIEW 38mm 2” 70° Which one do you prefer?
