Three cheers for the Skywatcher 200mm f/5 Newt as well.

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

Never having owned a C8, I thought that I should wave the flag in the same manner for the most versatile 'scope I've had so far.

It does DSOs well, it does planetary with a Barlow lens, it does solar with the off-axis filter bit, it does lunar as well.

What doesn't it do? Cost a fortune!

It's the best 'scope, bang for the buck, that I can think of. I'm going to have to put a C8 on my letter to Santa, but if any of you haven't had a bash with the Newt., I suggest you consider it.

Captain Chaos

[Johnny Hormone]

Good to hear CC, I have pretty much decided that the SW200 will be the natural step forward for me once the leg is healed, so it is good to see it given good press.

[Andrew*]

Hip hip - HOORAY!! :cheers:

Andrew

[Jaffa007]

Haven't done as much as CC has, but what I've seen with the this scope has made me happy I chose it!

Is a great scope! 8)

[magician]

Love My Skywatcher 200, you can add all sorts of things to it, it is really a very forgiving 'Scope, and when friends call , its blumming Impressive!

Cheers Frank

[garymcgrory]

I second that emotion!

[Whippy]

The first time I used my 250PX, I certainly had that 'wow!' factor after being so used to my TAL 150P. £400 for what I'm hoping is the only scope I'm ever going to need! Class..

Purely out of curisoity, has anyone replaced the finder with a right angled version? I'm finding the er.. finder a little too close to the tube (the pier is a lot longer on the TAL) and I keep knocking my glasses when I'm peering through it. I feel a 'wanted' post coming on...

[jarbi]

The first time I used my 250PX, I certainly had that 'wow!' factor after being so used to my TAL 150P. £400 for what I'm hoping is the only scope I'm ever going to need! Class..

Purely out of curisoity, has anyone replaced the finder with a right angled version? I'm finding the er.. finder a little too close to the tube (the pier is a lot longer on the TAL) and I keep knocking my glasses when I'm peering through it. I feel a 'wanted' post coming on...

Outlash,

I would like to share my bad experience with a right angled finder. The point is that they don't align the optical axis of the rotating part with the finder's axis, or at least the cross-hair is not centered correctly in my case. It was driving me nuts until I discovered why is my finder "mispointing" so frequently. Of course the simple reason was that the center of the cross-hairs was moving with every turn of the finder's diagonal .

Since than I have put back the original finder. When there would be a way to align the diagonal and the cross-hairs correctly, it would really be much more convenient( specially when used on EQ6 in some positions ). Maybe i will take some time to figure that out.

[FLO]

I thought that I should wave the flag in the same manner for the most versatile 'scope I've had so far...

It's the best 'scope, bang for the buck, that I can think of.

You are in good company CC. I have just looked over the last six months of sales - the Explorer 200/HEQ5 is FLO's second bestselling telescope (only one sale behind the Explorer 130PM)!

[jonifive]

A quick question for CC and Steve......"it does solar with the off-axis filter bit"????????

I assume that is the small aperture hole in the plastic cap of the scope.......do you fit a solar filter to that and that is it??? How does the off set bit work and why?

Sorry about all the questions but I quite fancy a bit of solar observing.

Thanks

Jonathen

[Andrew*]

I don't knwo how and why it works, but it works very well indeed. Don't economise - put the solar film right over the 50mm aperture, 1cm all the way around, taped securely (ordinary sellotape usually loses its stick, so choose a good tape).

Andrew

P.S. I have about two thirds an A4 sheet of solar film that I didn't use. it's yours for a fiver if you want it.

[FLO]

This thread covers the Pros and Cons of full aperture v sub-aperture:

http://tinyurl.com/3bhnjr

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

Take off the small cap on the cover, fix Baader filter material to the inside covering the whole hole then put the cover on so that the small hole misses the spider vanes. Aim the 'scope using the shadow of the main tube - move it until the shadow is round, then observe in the usual way.

Make sure that the finder is covered or in a drawer, and make extra sure that the filter will not fall off.

Make sure you understand that solar viewing can be very dangerous.

Captain Chaos

[jonifive]

Thanks for the quick replies fellas...