skywatcher explorer 200ds finderscope issue

[AweSIM]

hi all..

well.. i finally have it.. skywatcher explorer 200ds.. and its a great piece of equipment.. i do not have a mount yet.. but thatll be taken care of very soon now..

now with the finder scope.. im impressed how much more than the naked eye can a mere 9x50 scope show.. truly impressive.. but i seem to be having some issues..

1. the finder scope shows signs of astigmatism (i think thats what its called).. the images i see thru it are elongated along one axis.. ive tried focusing it as finely as i humanly can.. but the stars i see thru it.. i can never focus down to pinpoints of light.. instead they stay oblong at best.. i know this isnt normal.. so what can i do about it? i cant have the unit replaced since i live in pakistan and the scope has been hand-carried all the way from norway..

2. is there a way to change the axis or orientation of the lenses and the reticule? i think an off-axis objective lens might be causing the elongated images..

3. all you guys whove owned this piece of equipment.. whats your take on the finder scope? and the stock 28mm EP.. since im not pleased with it either.. i mean i know stock EPs are not good.. but i didnt expect one this bad.. it suffers badly from coma.. that might be cuz the scope is F5.. and i can see red and blue hues along opposite sides of each star or moon in the image.. since mirrors dont split up light.. im guessing the culprit is the EP itself.. whats your take on this?

thanks..

asim

[g0ibi]

Hi Asim,

I too have just purchased a 200PDS, I exchanged the FS for a 90' version at the shop, apart from it being slightly out of focus (adjusted with a soft washer!) I am very pleased! As for the 28mm 2" EP, mine seems ok but I already have a range of EP's so have not used much! Hope you get the Finder Scope sorted, clear skies to you and yours..

[AweSIM]

hi giobi.. thanks for the feedback.. perhaps you can answer a few of my questions.. your signature has raised some in my mind.. =)..

- im confused about whether to get an NEQ6 or an EQ5 pro mount for the 200ds.. i want the mount to be capable of astrophotography.. sometime in the future.. how would you rank your experience with the EQ5 pro? is it stable enough? have you tried astrophotography with it? and autoguiding? is an NEQ6 an overkill or not?

- im looking to buy some EPs in the near future too.. you have 200pds which is more suited for planetary observation.. im more inclined towards deepsky objects.. but once a while id like to turn to the planets.. which EPs do you use most often.. im interested in their:

- focal lengths..

- brands..

- prices (estimate only)..

- barrel sizes..

plus how often do you use barlows and whats the maximum mag youve used with your setup..

- the EPs that you have.. which ones do you use for what heavenly body?

- how has your experience been with the O3 and UHC filters? should i be going for them or not?

[AweSIM]

hi.. i think i should start a new EP thread rather than contaminate this one for other users.. =)..

giobi.. the next time youre under clear skies.. could you kindly test that stock EP for me? how well does it perform as compared to the others that you have.. =)

[John]

Hi AweSIM,

I'm not an imager but I've picked up enough to realise that the EQ5 is OK for visual observing with a 200mm F/5 newtonian but an heavier duty mount, ideally an EQ6 class, is needed for imaging.

For visual, I find an O-III filter essential for certain nebulae but it has no effect on clusters and galaxies. The same applies to a UHC but it has slightly less impact than an O-III. The impact for imaging may be different of course.

[AweSIM]

thanks a lot john.. i thought so but hoped i could get away with EQ5.. =(..