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Celestron C8-N GT/Skywatcher Explorer 200P (HEQ5 PRO) opinions please?

Stormwatch

By Stormwatch
in Discussions - Mounts

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Stormwatch

Stormwatch

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Hi all, I asked a couple of weeks ago what scope might be best for me and after reading all the replies and having a think the C8-N is probably the best all rounder. EDIT - maybe the Skywatcher Explorer 200P (HEQ5 PRO) is better! Please help me choose!

I have a few questions:

1) How noisy are they.

2) How easy is it to align and use the GoTo system in comparison to something like my 102 SLT? THe 102 SLT is incredibly easy to setup, just point at any three bright objects (even including the moon) and that's it, sorted! Is the C8-N/Skywatcher much more difficult?

3) How does the c8-N/Skywatcher fare when accessories such as 2" eyepieces and DSLR cameras are added? Is it simple enough to adjust the weight so it balances properly? And can the mount supplied deal with all this extra weight? Can the scope track for long enough (say 30 seconds or so) to take basic deep sky astrophotos?

4) Will I see much of an improvement over my 102 SLT refractor? And can I fit my 102 SLT onto the c8-N/Skywatcher mount? .

5) How long does the C8-N/Skywatcher take to setup, once you get the hang of it? The 102 SLT only takes around ten minutes and you're ready to go.

6) I don't suppose anyone has a photo of themselves beside their C8-N/Skywatcher? I'd be interested to see the size of them in "real terms".

As you can see from this, I love my 102 SLT, but I want to get more aperture.

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Whippy

Whippy

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In answer to your questions...

1) It's bleedin' noisy! Let me put it like this, at the Star Party on Saturday night there was some clear sky and so a few of us get our scopes out. Virtually everyone else has got nice, shiny, white EQ6 (and quiet) mounts and Steve's Dob. Start to align mine, everyone looks round and cue coffee machine gags for the rest of the evening. All in good fun of course! Hence the coffee machine avatar! It's not apparently as noisy as say, a Meade LX200 but personally, I don't find it a problem.

2) Aligning is easy-peasy. If I can do it, anyone can :D. I would imagine it's no more difficult than any other GOTO system available right now.

3) Pass. Word is that the mount has quite high PE, so it's not good for long exposure astrophotography. I'll be mucking about with a digital camera + bracket thingy at some point, but that'll be for about 15 seconds max per exposure so it wouldn't be a problem. I would imagine it would take the extra weight as Celestron sell their 10" newtonian with the same mount.

4) Can't say about the improvement over your 102, but it should fit on the CG5, just add rings and dovetail...

5) I normally take about 5 mins or so from start to finish. That includes rough polar alignment (no polarscope provided :) ).

6) Sorry, I look a mess today so I'm not going to even think about posing for a photo. Basically at the zenith, your eyepiece is about 6 foot off the ground tops (probably a couple of inches less). The tube is a straight 3 foot long and the tripod is roughly the same.

Hope that helps.

Tony.

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Whippy

Whippy

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I think so, £600 for a scope with decent aparture and GOTO is a bit of bargain IMO. Yeah it's noisy, but apart from that, I can't fault it really. A couple of minor niggles, but that's more my personal choice rather than actual drawbacks to it.

But if you're looking to go into astro imaging properly (ie: long exposure stuff), I don't think the mount will do the job, that's why most people have an EQ6 or a HEQ5, apparently they track a lot better.

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Stormwatch

Stormwatch

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I think so, £600 for a scope with decent aparture and GOTO is a bit of bargain IMO. Yeah it's noisy, but apart from that, I can't fault it really. A couple of minor niggles, but that's more my personal choice rather than actual drawbacks to it.

But if you're looking to go into astro imaging properly (ie: long exposure stuff), I don't think the mount will do the job, that's why most people have an EQ6 or a HEQ5, apparently they track a lot better.

I don't really have the time or money to get into astrophotography in any big way. I'm happy just taking 30 second exposures of the Orion nebula or whatever for now, and will hook up my Toucam once I get in my new house as well for imaging the planets and moon.

I just want to have fun with the option of some basic photography. Nothing too expensive or complex.

The noise thing with the C8-N? Is it likely to bother the neighbours if I'm out late at night with the scope going? I'm pretty sure the area we're moving to is pretty quiet at night.

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maroon bells

maroon bells

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I'd have to agree with Tony on the noise from the CG5. I sometimes have to duck down whilst in the garden out of embarrassment. If I need to set it up I late I set it to auto track and manually slew it rather than go through the set up procedure. During set up it slews at max speed and I don't think there is any way of altering that.

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Whippy

Whippy

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I think you may be pushing your luck with 30 seconds, I'll leave that one to someone with more experience than I. The Toucam should be ok though, I might be experimenting with one myself at one point but I'll be checking to see if it's worthwhile or not..

I live in a quiet area as well, and apart from the odd twitching curtain, I've never had any problems (got to be honest, I couldn't give a monkeys about neighbors anyway). It's not that bad, it's just noisy in comparison the HEQ5's & EQ6's which are pretty much silent.

I was looking at trying to slow down the slew speed too Matt. It's a fair bit quieter if you take it off of full speed. Maybe a strip-down and re-grease might work?

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maroon bells

maroon bells

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I was looking at trying to slow down the slew speed too Matt. It's a fair bit quieter if you take it off of full speed. Maybe a strip-down and re-grease might work?

I don't think you can slow it on initial setup but I'd like to be proved wrong on that.

I'm tempted by the regrease but it might take me several years to pluck up the motivation. Have you got any plans for a strip down?

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GordonCopestake

GordonCopestake

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The CG5-GT is a fantastic mount.... as long as you are aware of it's short comings: It's noisy and inacurate at tracking for imaging.

So as long as A) You dont intend to do any serious imaging and :) you dont mind noise when you are observing then it's an absolute bargain. The nearest thing in load capacity and functionality is the HEQ5-Pro which is twice as expensive (although the HEQ5 Pro is quiet and acurate). The 8" Newt is a great aperture and at f/5 will give bright wide fields of view. A bargain all round really.

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Stormwatch

Stormwatch

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The CG5-GT is a fantastic mount.... as long as you are aware of it's short comings: It's noisy and inacurate at tracking for imaging.

So as long as A) You dont intend to do any serious imaging and :) you dont mind noise when you are observing then it's an absolute bargain. The nearest thing in load capacity and functionality is the HEQ5-Pro which is twice as expensive (although the HEQ5 Pro is quiet and acurate). The 8" Newt is a great aperture and at f/5 will give bright wide fields of view. A bargain all round really.

What you're saying is pay the £800 for the Skywatcher version of this scope? 8)

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FLO

FLO

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I don't really have the time or money to get into astrophotography in any big way.

Then the CG-5 will serve you well 8)

The noise thing with the C8-N? Is it likely to bother the neighbours if I'm out late at night with the scope going? I'm pretty sure the area we're moving to is pretty quiet at night.

Possibly. Whilst it isn't that noisy, your neighbours might hear it if you live in a trerraced house and thier bedroom window overlooks your garden.

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Whippy

Whippy

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Steve, as the CG5 had got the auto guide port and if you had the requisite gear to make use of it, would you be able to get more accurate tracking out of the mount?

Tony..

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GordonCopestake

GordonCopestake

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The Skywatcher Explorer 200P (HEQ5 PRO) is the exact same OTA as the Celestron version but with the HEQ5 Pro mount. The extra cash you pay all goes into the mount. Is it worth twice the price? I'm not sure. Is it better? Yes much! To be honest you will likely be fine with the CG5 mount, it IS noisy but only when slewing to a new target, when tracking (which is most of the time you are using your 'scope) you can hardly hear it. With the cash saved buy yourself some new eyepieces or something.

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FLO

FLO

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It's a semi-detached house, but the neighbours are all quite close to me (it's a cul-de-sac).

So how would your http://www.firstlightoptics.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=200heq5pro do then?

The HEQ5 is whisper-quiet in use. Even when slewing it has a smooth, almost 'cool' sound 8)

Steve, as the CG5 had got the auto guide port and if you had the requisite gear to make use of it, would you be able to get more accurate tracking out of the mount?

The CG-5 GT mount does have an auto-guider port for more precise tracking at longer exposures (I confess I haven't met anybody who has made use of it so can't comment on how successful it is in practise).

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jonifive

jonifive

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Hi

I asked this question a few months ago, and after much discussion I went for the SW200 with the basic HEQ5 mount with a view to upgrade when the cash flow allows. I already have a goto scope but to be honest I prefer to learn where things are, rather than have a computer tell me. The SW200 and the CG 8 are the same scope, but the mount is a different animal.

I was definitely put off by the noise issues with the CG5, as I have grumpy neighbours, and a wife who is easily woken!!! :)

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James

James

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Throughout the winter when I've been restricted to using my CG-5 in my back garden the sound hasn't been too much of a problem as most people probably kept their windows shut. Now that the weather is warmer people are opening their windows more I think it'll be more of a problem.

I've always found that the noise when slewing seems horribly loud close up but actually isn't too bad from a distance and as others have pointed out its only whebn slewing at the fastest speed that the sound is really bad.

James

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Stormwatch

Stormwatch

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So there's no way to stop the C8-N slewing at full speed then? Considering the noise seems to be the biggest fault with that scope, you'd think Celestron could modify the software so it slewed at a slower/quieter speed? Or am I totally misunderstanding the point of the upgradable GoTo software with Celestron scopes?

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