which scope out of these 3?

[Wardd2]

i have posted before that i am buying my first scope. this i will be doing once i have funded the usual family holiday lol.

i have been looking at some scopes and have come up with 3 that i am interested in, these are:

Skywatcher Explorer 130P

Skywatcher Explorer 150PL

Skywatcher Skymax 127

what i am wondering is what each scope will allow me to see. i am interested in lunar and plantery observation and also some dso and wondering which one of the 3 will be the best one for me.

i would appreciate any advice and also if possible if anyone has any images using each of the scopes that i can compare with

thanks

[tomw28]

The 150PL would be best for DSO's, and it would also be good for planetary and lunar work. It would also be forgiving on cheaper EP's as well. I have the shorter version (150P) and it's a really nice but of kit.

The Skymax would be good for planetary, but not as good on the DSO's as the 150PL. It to would be forgiving on the EP's.

As for the 130P, it's a very popular scope but either of the other two would be better for you IMHO. If I had to choose, I'd go for the 150PL.

Good Luck!

[russ]

Out of the 3 you mention i would go with the 150PL.

But you may want to also consider the 150P. A bit more of an all rounder than the 150PL, easier to use on an EQ mount, get away with a smaller EQ mount as well. The 150P will sit happily on an EQ3 but the 150PL, due to its much longer tube length, has more uneasy relationship with the EQ3. The 150P will do well planets and DSOs, the 150PL will have an edge on the planets but not huge.

The downside will be the way cheap eyepieces perform in the 150P and also collimation is more critical.

[Paulb3098]

Hi,

I had the 150PL on a EQ3-2 (manual) and it was great, never an issue with the mount. I still vividly remember when I saw Saturn for the first time.

Positives:

Very rarely needed to collimate (unlike now it’s virtually every time)

Great for planets & moon

Saw plenty of DSO with it as well, M42 /M13 etc

More forgiving on cheaper EP's

Negatives:

Long OTA, which sometimes made the viewing angle interesting.

Couldn't find an OTA case / cover, so made my own.

Had it for about a year and was sad to see it go, aperture fever.

I've not used the others but can highly recommend the PL.

Good luck

Paul

[brantuk]

Plus 1 for the 150PL

[Adamski]

My biased opinion would be the PL. Having bought mine in feb I'm really getting to grips with it now and it's performance for money is excellent.

[Capricorn]

The 150PL (again).

If your budget could stretch to an EQ5 mount instead of the EQ3-2 then all the better. The EQ3-2 may be at it's limit with the 150PL.

Whatever mount at some time budget for a set of dual motors. Makes it easier to move the scope round, makes it easier to view things - they stay in the field of view for longer and they reduce the shake induced by you manually moving the scope. Again the lighter EQ3-2 adds to this shake.

[terrym2002uk]

+1 for the 150pl.

[Bazzaar]

I'd vote for the Skymax127.

For the order of objects preferred, lunar,planetary and some DSO, the Skymax fits the bill!

Its compact and easy on the mount, does not require frequent collimation, easy to live with!

For planetary viewing it is outstanding!

Regards

Barry

[nobbytate]

+1 for the 150 pl

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I would also go for the 150 PL. When well collimated (not very critical at F/8), it will beat the (excellent) Skymax 127 by a small margin for two reasons: (i) it is a bit larger in aperture and (ii) it has a smaller central obstruction. The latter is not hugely important, but it does help. The Skymax is by far the better travel scope. I used to own a 6" F/8 Newtonian, and I was always impressed by the excellent planetary views it gave. My bigger C8 does not beat it by a huge margin (sharper, yes, but a little less contrast).

[Wardd2]

Thanks for all the posts. it all depends now on what the good lady is prepared to give me but hopefully enough for a 150pl,I am assuming that it will be fine on an eq3 mount which is what I would be looking at. I am sure I will go for that scope and will have lots of fun with it

[ismangil]

For best view it would be the reflectors. For convenience and portability, in case you need to travel through stairs for example, the Skymax 127 would be better.

[Maximillion]

funnily enough, my friends have the skywatcher explorer 150p and skywatcher skymax 127mm. thses skopes are excellent quality but i have to say using and looking through both the skywatcher skymax 127mm is the best out of the 3. since it has a descent aperture and the best focal length out of th three it allows you get incredible images of the moon and planets. also deep sky objects such as clusters are excellent due to its focal length.

hope this helps

max

[Wardd2]

What does everyone think about using a 150pl on an eq3 mount,my budget doesn't stretch to a bigger mount so would this be suitable

[Paulb3098]

I used an EQ3-2 mount on my 150PL with no problem.

Paul

[JKB]

Hi

I have the 150P and Skymax127. Both fab scopes. Skymax is awesome at planetary and Lunar work. 150P great for DSO's etc.

As said before perhaps the PL is a little long on the mount? 150P is not to bad wobble wise but the PL might stretch it a bit. 127 on a EQ3/2 no worries

HTH

[bm1980]

My vote also goes to the 127 mak, i was in the same position as you earlier this year, i decided on the 127 because of its abillity when imaging planets. If you are considering imaging the planets with a webcam then the 127 is the better option, but if you are intrested in DSOs the 150 would probabily be better. If you go for the 127 mak you wont be disapointed.

regards

Ben

[Wardd2]

Again thanks for the advice.off on my hols soon so when I come back I shall be taking the plunge and buying one,will let you know what I have gone for. Can't tell you what though as I can't make my mind up

[Wardd2]

another change of plan. it is possible that my budget is a bit bigger now. i am now looking at either the skywatcher 200 dob or the skywatcher 150 on an eq-3 mount. what do you reckon is the better one to get, is it best to feed the aperture fever or go for one on a decent mount

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

another change of plan. it is possible that my budget is a bit bigger now. i am now looking at either the skywatcher 200 dob or the skywatcher 150 on an eq-3 mount. what do you reckon is the better one to get, is it best to feed the aperture fever or go for one on a decent mount

A 6" SCT on a good mount (or of course a C8 ). Seriously, both dob and 150 on EQ-3 would work well as a first scope, but it depends on what you want. Visually the 200mm dob is the better instrument, but if you would like to go for some planetary photography, or DSO photography along the piggy-back route, the EQ-mounted scope has the edge.

Incidentally: Robtics in the Netherlands is selling Astrotech 150mm F/9 Ritchey-Chretien optical tube assemblies for EUR 395. Only drawback compared to C6 is the weight: 5.3 kg vs 3.0 kg. I am so tempted .

[twotter]

another change of plan. it is possible that my budget is a bit bigger now. i am now looking at either the skywatcher 200 dob or the skywatcher 150 on an eq-3 mount. what do you reckon is the better one to get, is it best to feed the aperture fever or go for one on a decent mount

200P dob every time

Better to put your money into the optics

[CGolder]

i cant see an advantage i having a 150pl on a eq3-2 over say a dobsonian mount. if this were my money i would get the mak127 or a 200p dobsonian

good luck with your choice

[Bazzaar]

For visual use the dob is easily the winner. It will pull in the dso's far better. Then get a good barlow, x4 or x5, and you are sorted for the planets.

Regards

Barry