Jump to content

NLCbanner2024.jpg.2478be509670e60c2d6efd04834b8b47.jpg

Skywatcher 300pds neq6!

blue1962fred

Recommended Posts

blue1962fred

blue1962fred

Posted
Posted

Hi there. I've just joined the forum and I've been into astronomy for just over a year now and am totally hooked, having been given! yes, given an 8inch Helios reflector telescope on an eq5 mount. I,m considering upgrading(already!) to a skywatcher 300pds. Is there anyone out there who has one as I,d love to know their comments/opinion on it. I,m lucky enough to live in an area where there is very little light pollution, in north Wales on the llyn peninsula. Thanks. Chris

---

I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=52.856292,-4.639749

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 43
  • Created
  • Last Reply
brantuk

brantuk

Posted
Posted

I've seen/used a 250P on EQ6 and in all honesty I wouldn't want to put a bigger scope on that mount. It will support it but I think you'll get a lot of vibration problems cos it'll be very sensitive to the slightest breeze. 12"ers tend to be dob mounted. They can of course go on much more substantial mounts but then you're into thousands of squids :icon_salut:

eg: http://www.bisque.com/sc/pages/ParamountMX.aspx

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 6 months later...
blue1962fred

blue1962fred

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I'm getting really frustrated with the Helios 8" reflector!! I'm struggling to find/view any galaxies other than m31. Ive checked everything.. Colimation,mirrors,lenses etc. Realistically, what and how much can I expect to see regarding deep sky objects with this scope, assuming the seeing conditions are good?

---

I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?dw3g5f

Link to comment
Share on other sites
RikM

RikM

Posted
Posted

You should get good views of the brighter galaxies with an 8" Newt. M81 and M82 should be good. Similar brightness to M31 but smaller. With a wide angle eyepiece like a 32mm plossl you should get them both in the field of view together.

One thing to remember though is that galaxies are faint grey smudges in almost any scope.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
John

John

Posted
Posted

An 8" should show loads of galaxies, albeit most of them as faint smudges as Rik says. I've seen quite a few with much smaller aperture scopes when the skies are dark. Collimation is not that critical for spotting these faint objects but dark skies are !. Knowing where to point the scope (ie: good sky map). where the scope is actually pointing (ie: red dot type finder) and a wide field low power finder eyepiece are other extremely useful assets to picking out the galaxies.

PS: Many galaxies still look like faint smudges with a 12" scope too. You can see a bit more of the brighter ones with the extra aperture though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
JamesF

JamesF

Posted
Posted

Yup, most, if not all, of the Messier objects should be visible from the UK with a 4" refractor, though you have to work quite hard for some of them. Another 4" of aperture, albeit a reflector with a central obstruction, really shouldn't have any problems.

James

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Gina

Gina

Posted
Posted

When I was looking into things some time back I thought the 300PDS was OK on the NEQ6 Pro mount. I'm looking into adding a bigger scope though not that big. Now I can't seem to find how much weight an NEQ6 Pro will take - anyone?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sgazer

sgazer

Posted
Posted

for visual or imaging? Getting the 300pds onto an EQ6 would be a real handful, a 250p was for me. For visual, I would stick to a dob or goto dob. For imaging, the size of the scope will make no difference to the brightness of the image, only the focal ratio does. This size of 300p would make imaging really difficult and expensive, you might need more than an EQ6 and very good tracking/guiding.

ps. hopefully that isn't your exact house in the google link, there are many unscrupulous people who you like to get their hands on your astro kit and could easily monitor the forum to see when you're away.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 8 months later...
ajohnson

ajohnson

Posted
Posted

I have a 300pds on an NEQ6 (see my profile photo). As some have commented it's a bit of a handful but I usually manage to set-it up solo. The NEQ6 scores over the EQ6 in that it comes with an extension to the weights bar, to ballance up I use all 4 5Kg weights, 3 toward the bottom of the extended bar and one floating further up depending on whether I'm just observing visually or have a camera mounted. The word of caution here is that this can catch people out at star parties, I've already been whacked in the head by the scope because some idiot tried to run through the weights bar, fortunatelly it was only me that was damaged!

The NEQ6 will handle the tube comfortably for visual observing and I have even used it for photography, I don't have a guider so with spot on polar alignment and tracking set for Sideral + PEC 20 & 30s exposures are practical. The downside of the NEQ6 itself is that the Altitude alignment bolts are made of lead / putty or something equally soft, there are loads of posts on this issue on this and other forums but I'd advise getting the harder upgrade bolts from Astrodevelopments or similar if you're throwing on a tube of this size / weight the puck also takes either Vixen or Losmondy bars, if you are mounting something the size of a 300 PDS you will most likely be using a Losmondy bar, I realy don't see how a Vixen bar will hold this beast and not flex! Also beware the NEQ6 adjuster lug, the previous owner of mine allowed the bolts to bend and ride over the lip of this lug, this cut a groove in the lug inside the NEQ6 that the Alt bolts act on right on the lip where in the UK (at 52 degrees N) you need the bolt to be pushing / holding.

I have found that In theory it's possible to leave the tube on the bar / rings and secure it on the puck......BUT..... this is a precarious operation with 25+ kg of tube balanced on a 4" puck so I usually secure the rings to the puck first then drop on the scope, I don't want to sound like an advert for Astrodevelopments here but they do a Losmondy rail clamp which works like a stop and helps to locate the rail and rings here even with the tube attached I find these a big help!

So finally you have your 300pds on the mount and realise that not qualifying as a basketball player is going to be an issue, at 6' 2" tall I have to reach a good way over my head to fit eyepices / starfinder with scope in it's "Home" position you will need a step to run this beastie and like most Newts depending on which way you have the scope pointed the eyepiece can be a bit awkward. I have marked my tube rings N,S,E,W so that I can preset the eyepiece to be roughly horizontal when the scope is pointing in roughly those directions which usually makes like a bit easier, the only bugbear is observing objects close to the meridian when the Synscan decides to flip the scope for the next target (if you use the database).

I will see if I can post a photo I have of me and "Goliath" in it's home position.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ajohnson

ajohnson

Posted
Posted

I have a 300pds on an NEQ6 (see my profile photo). As some have commented it's a bit of a handful but I usually manage to set-it up solo. The NEQ6 scores over the EQ6 in that it comes with an extension to the weights bar, to ballance up I use all 4 5Kg weights, 3 toward the bottom of the extended bar and one floating further up depending on whether I'm just observing visually or have a camera mounted. The word of caution here is that this can catch people out at star parties, I've already been whacked in the head by the scope because some idiot tried to run through the weights bar, fortunatelly it was only me that was damaged!

The NEQ6 will handle the tube comfortably for visual observing and I have even used it for photography, I don't have a guider so with spot on polar alignment and tracking set for Sideral + PEC 20 & 30s exposures are practical. The downside of the NEQ6 itself is that the Altitude alignment bolts are made of lead / putty or something equally soft, there are loads of posts on this issue on this and other forums but I'd advise getting the harder upgrade bolts from Astrodevelopments or similar if you're throwing on a tube of this size / weight the puck also takes either Vixen or Losmondy bars, if you are mounting something the size of a 300 PDS you will most likely be using a Losmondy bar, I realy don't see how a Vixen bar will hold this beast and not flex! Also beware the NEQ6 adjuster lug, the previous owner of mine allowed the bolts to bend and ride over the lip of this lug, this cut a groove in the lug inside the NEQ6 that the Alt bolts act on right on the lip where in the UK (at 52 degrees N) you need the bolt to be pushing / holding.

I have found that In theory it's possible to leave the tube on the bar / rings and secure it on the puck......BUT..... this is a precarious operation with 25+ kg of tube balanced on a 4" puck so I usually secure the rings to the puck first then drop on the scope, I don't want to sound like an advert for Astrodevelopments here but they do a Losmondy rail clamp which works like a stop and helps to locate the rail and rings here even with the tube attached I find these a big help!

So finally you have your 300pds on the mount and realise that not qualifying as a basketball player is going to be an issue, at 6' 2" tall I have to reach a good way over my head to fit eyepices / starfinder with scope in it's "Home" position you will need a step to run this beastie and like most Newts depending on which way you have the scope pointed the eyepiece can be a bit awkward. I have marked my tube rings N,S,E,W so that I can preset the eyepiece to be roughly horizontal when the scope is pointing in roughly those directions which usually makes like a bit easier, the only bugbear is observing objects close to the meridian when the Synscan decides to flip the scope for the next target (if you use the database).

I will see if I can post a photo I have of me and "Goliath" in it's home position.

Photo of my 300PDS on it's mount

IMG 7923t

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.