Views on this scope

[andy77]

Ok peeps, had my mind set on a 200p dob but have now seen this, what are the main diferences and would this kit be better for viewing lunar,planet & dso's and could this be used for AP??? This will be our 1st scope, daughter and myself.

First Light Optics - Skywatcher Explorer 200P EQ5

Thanks ANDY

[smoggy]

It's practically the same scope as the skywatcher 200 dob. The only real difference is the mount. One is equatorial and was is a dobsonian - you just point and go. Equitorial mounts are more complicated but it depends what you want to use your scope for.

You mention AP, an eq mount is needed to track objects but it's harder than it sounds! As a first scope I'm sure most would recommend the dob.

[tony]

i'm sure someone will come along and tell you, but for ap you'd be better off getting the heq5.

[John]

The scope is the same aperture as the 200P dobsonian but it has a shorter focal length (1000mm) and therefore has a focal ratio of F/5. My advice is initially to stick to visual astronomy and for that the dobsonian will do just as well, if not better.

AP is such a different ball game it really has a completely different set of equipment priorities.

[ollypenrice]

On paper the HEQ5 would allow long exposure AP but in reality it won't. It is too light a mount for the 200P and does not have the right drive motors for autoguiding. It wouldn't be stable enough or accurate enough.

You could use it to webcam the planets and moon though. Mind you, that can be done in a Dob with care.

I agree with the others that AP is a crazy world of its own, complicated and expensive, and getting started with a nice intuitive, stable Dob would be likely to prove more rewarding at this stage for you and your daughter.

Olly

ollypenrice's Photos

[DOBBY]

Hi Andy... the Dob is much quicker & easier to set up for viewing (can be mounted at a later date) & is far more intuitive for kids to push when following targets

The explorer 200p is as John says slightly shorter...& more suited to A/P...but IF. you want to go down the A/P route...start with the mount...as sturdy as your pocket can afford

[TheThing]

But it is possible to use a 200 on an EQ4 for AP - I've done it, but only for solar system stuff - with only a RA motor, no GOTO, no guiding.

Don't be put off. Get what you can afford now. The 200 is a great scope and if you want to star imaging, you can always upgrade the mount later. Use the scope for visual to start with, then add a webcam and see how you go.

TheThing

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[jgs001]

I think you've had some great input there, I'd just like to add, if you really want to get into AP, then get

First Light Optics - Making Every Photon Count - Steve Richards

before buying anything else. Otherwise, get the Dob, if you want to try your hand at AP at a later date, you can always mount it on a heavy EQ mount (if the dob is a solid tube design of course).

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

As others have said, go for the Dob. An EQ5 is too light in my opinion even for visual work with a scope that bulky. I have an 8" SCT on a Vixen Great Polaris (GP) mount, and that is about the limit it can carry. An 8" Newtonian would be too heavy and too long. The SCT is ony about 18" long, and weighs in at a slight 4.7 kg. The 8" Newtonian is about 40" long, and 8.8 kg. The added weight is not the only problem, it is the added torque caused by the additional length. Effectively, the longer scope works as a more effective lever, which amplifies vibrations. Thus, I would never put an 8" Newtonian on a GP mount.

The EQ5 is more-or-less a GP clone, but the fit and finish of the GP is a touch better according to many. Even visually, the 200PDS tube needs at least an HEQ5.

[TheThing]

Nope not at all. Experience (as opposed to conjecture) says it will be fine.

TheThing

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[TheThing]

Apologies, that sounds harsh. They joys of typing quickly on iPhone.

What I mean is that you might imagine a 200 would be unstable on anything less than a HEQ5, but experience (and stubborness!) has shown that it quite usable visually and for webcaming on an EQ4 with RA Drive.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

While I have not looked through this particular combo, I have used my share of undermounted scopes, including an 8" newt on a GP mount. At low mag it was fine. At high mag I at least found the level of vibration annoying (others may be more tolerant). The vibrations may have been due to my glasses touching the EP from time to time. Wind also caused problems. The shorter SCT did much better on the same mount.

8.8 kg is rather close to the 9 kg rating of the mount. Add guide scope, cameras etc, and you will go over the limit (just on of my EPs can do that). Solar system AP is a very different ballgame. Just a webcam will do, and you can through away a lot of crud frames with no ill effect.

Finally, for beginners, a Newtonian on an EQ mount can pose problems in endlessly shifting EP positions. A refractor or short catadioptric is easier on such mounts, because you can rotate the diagonal.

[TheThing]

...Finally, for beginners, a Newtonian on an EQ mount can pose problems in endlessly shifting EP positions...

Oh no! Disaster!

C'mon, it's not that bad!

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Oh no! Disaster!

C'mon, it's not that bad!

I am OK with it, but I know of people who have had problems. You can just loosen the tube rings and rotate the tube if need be. I personally prefer equatorial star-hopping to alt-az.

[sabana]

Cheap but the mount is the reason. The scope will give good views but at awkward angles.