Anyone heard of visionary scopes????

[Jeff200sx]

I'm going to try and be brief as I'm on the phone posting this from work. Have a wee cheapie scope and noticing its short comings now after a month if use and considering an upgrade. The main criteria are just to get a 'good' all round set up for about £300 ish. It doesn't need to be brilliant but just be good at what it can do. The skywatcher 130 has caught my eye and I have read very little bad about it and from what I can tell gives a lot of bang for your buck and after chatting with mor knowledgeable minds a visionary deep space 203 has been recommended as on it's offer price is simply too good to miss. My biggest issue is lack of info or reviews of any nature.

Has anyone got any experience of this scope ? An 8 inch scope was deffo out of my price range but at £250 instead of £480 ish it's rather appealing!!!!

Sorry again for spelling mistakes but the screen doesn't lend itself to easy forum posting lol

Thanks in advance

Jeff.

[John]

I've just found the specs of a Visionary Deep Space 203. It is a newtonian reflector with an aperture of 203mm and a focal length of 800mm. That gives it s focal ratio of F/3.94. Even top mirror manufacturers would be challenged to make a good mirror to that specification and then the mirror alone would cost much more than this whole scope does. My view is that it is very unlikely to deliver satisfactory performance. Stick to brands with an established user base amongst astronomers like Celestron, Skywatcher, Meade etc. They are popular for good reason and cost what they do because they have decent quality optics in them.

[rowan46]

I don't know of visionary I have only seen them on ebay but this is one 8"scope in your price range First Light Optics - Skywatcher Skyliner 200P Dobsonian

and it's got proven ability

[Jeff200sx]

That's the sort of opinions I'm looking for, I'm very dubious if things you can't go read plenty about but then from the same point it may be a new company that have brought out a cracking scope and at 250 quid it's good value for money.

I don't know but the shops owned by an enthusiast and seemed very genuine on the phone. I'll get a look at the weekend and see what he recommends.

At the min the skywatcher is in the lead but it's very hard to look past an 8 inch scope in my price range.

[brantuk]

I agree with John - you're much better sticking with established brands - even if you have to get a smaller one at least you'll be sure you've got somehting that performs properly.

If it sounds too good to be true - it usually is

[DOBBY]

Do you mean these ?

Visionary Telescopes and Accessories: Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK

[Jeff200sx]

Yep those are the ones indeed. I believe the model in question is the deep space 203 with eq5 mount etc normally £480 ish and on sale for 250. He only has 2 at that price. If it was a case of it being good but eyepieces etc making all the difference and potential for being a very good scope I'd go for it.

At the minute what I'm using has loads of shortcomings and I'm noticing them more every time I use it. Especially the focusing not being smooth enough, I always feel like I'm just a tiny bit either way of things being well focused but not able to adjust it just enough. Not to mention the bouncy mount that my eyelashes can upset.

[Squagnut]

Hmm. I can't find out anything about Visionary Telescopes which would make me want to own one, and plenty that puts me right off. If your current setup is not powerful and all manual then one of those would be an improvement, but you can get a tried-and-trusted SW 200P 8" dob for just a few bucks more than £250.

[John]

As has been said, a good quality 8" on a manual dobsonian mount is around £270 new or you can get them for £200 or less used. No need to take the risk of poor optics to get an 8" aperture scope.

[roymattblack]

You say the guy is a dealer and is very enthusiastic about the scope.....

This generally applies to just about any dealer, selling anything.

If it's in stock in their shop, they will want to sell it.

He's hardly likely to tell you it's a somewhat cheapo scope. (if that's the case)

Try to get opinions from other shops.

Some of the 'big boys' will be honest about these scopes even if they don't sell them - and if they don't sell them, ask them why?

Roy.

[brucen]

I did go to look at a Visionary scope last year when I was looking to buy for the first time. It looked ok but, as I had not looked at one before, I had nothing to compare it with. I tried to find out more about them as you are but drew a blank so opted for a Skywatcher as, inch per inch, they were much better value and there were decent reviews. I have just checked the website for the local shop and see that they are also advertising a price drop of £100 which at a time when prices are going up elsewhere suggests they must have been seriously overpriced before.

[Tribal-Wolf]

I think they have a spherical mirror, read a review somewhere but can't find it now. This would make it poor for the size.

[Jeff200sx]

Mmmmm well thanks very much for the input to you all.

So if I was to set a budget or about £300 what should I go for?? As stated before I'm looking something that will do everything within its capabilities well. I'd also like to be able to hook up my dslr to it and take a few pics but nothing extravagant.

[Dan_Solo]

I received my Visionary 10x25mm monocular today and I have to say It's not bad for £8, can't say what there other stuff is like mind.

[rowan46]

if you are going to put a dslr on it you are better off with an eq mount imo thew cheapest eq mount worth putting a dslr on is the eq3 that limits you to the 150p as being your largest scope

First Light Optics - Skywatcher Explorer 150P EQ3-2 / EQ3 PRO GOTO

It's not as good as the skyliner 200p visually but it has the advantage of an eq mount which can be upgraded for simple imaging at a later date

First Light Optics - Single-Axis D.C. Motor Drive for EQ3-2

it will not give brilliant pics but you can get some half decent product out of this system with a bit of luck skill and perseverence the apparture is sufficient to let you see quite a bit . it's a good scope on an ok mount and for the price is a pretty decent package to get you started on visual and some imaging

[Jeff200sx]

Mmm I'm liking the look of that setup.

I have a question tho, some people recommend the dobs over the more conventional mounted reflector scopes why is that as from what I can tell the mounts are more hassle, ie storage portability and quite basic( may not be such a bad thing)

[John]

With the dobsonian design most of your investment goes into the optics so they deliver the most performance per £ spent. Simplicity of setup and use is also a big attraction.

[stevetynant]

I've got mine standing upright in a wardrobe in the spare bedroom - easy to put away - not so sure how you would manage with an equatorial mount with all the counterweghts and gizmo's - not having one can't really comment.

The Dob may not look the most fashionable of set ups but its easy and quick to set up ,does the job and to be honest I haven't found storing it a problem at all.

[Tribal-Wolf]

Storage is also good with a Dob as they have a small 'footprint' compared to a tripod so they can just stand in a corner without being dismantled, this also makes them easy to move if they aren't monster Dobs. You also get a very stable base with a Dob, less shake means clearer viewing. This is a trade off for tracking which is a more skilled affair with a Dobsonian type due to it being completely manual.

Bit of overlap there lol

[rowan46]

I don't think there's any doubt that for visual observing dobs give the best value for money but any sort of imaging is problematical at best. webcamming is possible but tricky. dslr on the moon is doable but even the most basic deep space image is at best very very difficult if not impossible. as the op wants to put a dslr on it a dob imo isn't the way to go.

[Jeff200sx]

I'd like to be able to take shots of things I see but I'm under no illusion as to how good they will be without spending serious money and that's something I'm not prepared to do. I want to put the cash into the best item I can primarily for visual viewing and learning, taking photos of some stuff would be a bonus but not something I'd like to make sacrifices on viewing quality for. I hope that makes sense.

My plan is to get a setup now that I'll still be using in years to come with upgrades like ep's and such but not on a new scope or mount within a year. I'm sure a lot of you guys and girls have been exactly where I am and trying to get a good compromise and be happy with it. I just need more knowledgable brains to pick and help make the best choice.

Thanks for all the input and keep it coming!!!

[rowan46]

there isn't a scope that does everything especially at this end of the market. the best visual scope for your money is the 200p dob. if you are going to take pics with a dslr you are going to have to put some of the money into the mount. the cheapest steady mount is the eq3 which means 150p is the biggest scope you can put on it it really is down to those 2

[Jeff200sx]

Ok so i got a wee trip down to Andy at north down telescopes and i must say he is 100% nice guy and on the level. He did a lot of very very informative explaining on parts of the hobby i was struggling to grasp and i just cant say enough nice things about him, anyone from northern ireland looking a scope id HIGHLY recommend a trip to bangor for a yarn.

Anyway onto the visionary scope issue..... once we got to the nitty gritty he said the scope seemed to be lacking in the mirrior dept badly, he wasnt impressed at all and didnt want to sell them without getting new mirrors made.

i asked about collimation and he started to explain using the visionary as an example, showed me the little eypiece with a tiny hole to check and whatnot and I mentioned the cheshire unit which he plucked off the shelf and popped in for a lookie. It was them we noticed the visionary was all over the place and we set about correcting it...... not a simple task but it deffo made him wonder if his issue evaluating the scope as rather poor was a fair assesment or not since his first check with the little eyepiece showed it as pretty close.

long story short after quite a bit of fiddling in daylight he sent me away to have a play and see how i get on with it in the dark. no money changed hands and i must admit im overwhelmed at the trust he put in me to care for it etc and just the fact i can have a proper fiddle and return it no questions asked is brilliant.

As for a review of the package, the mount is great, its solid, no silly bouncing and everything moves nice, smooth and slowly. Its a proper eq mount with polar scope built in and the weights seem to be just right for the scopes size etc.

As for the scope itself, i think the collimation is still out, the moon is fine but jupiter is a bit of a fuzzy mess and even trying to resolve street lights in the distance is not as clear as they should be, or as clear as my silly jessops scope can do. the 2 included eyepieces are actually pretty good, nice and heavy and seem to be of fairly good quality.

I think at this point it would be unfair to say the scope is good, bad or in-between as im convinced given the quality of the mount etc that the scope itself should be able to achieve much more, it has to be out of collimation and a bit of fiddling ought to clean things up.

what we have worked out is, if the scope turns out to be poor ill keep the mount and get Andy to order me a skywatcher 200p OTA to add to it, this hopefully will give me a blumming good telescope on a respectable mount and ought to do all that I need for the considerable future.

apologies for not capitilasing i's or any spelling mistakes but its 3am and im rather burnt out. ill update this when i have a more definitive response as to the quality of the scope itself.

Just curious tho the skywatcher 200 comes in 2 forms, the version on a dobs mount and the eq mounted version, both with different focal lengths, if i do go down the route of getting an ota for this mount which one should i choose and why ?

[Tribal-Wolf]

I would buy the skyliner 200P dob as you're getting a good scope that will keep you interested rather than a poor scope that might put you off. The mount will probably be of the same quality and using a good scope on a poor mount can be just as frustrating. It may seem like a lot for your money but I once worked for a Lada dealer and the same philosophy was used there, I have seen customer begging for the money back weeks after buying them lol.. My advice is basically, you're better off with a smaller aperture good scope than a large bad one or if you want 8" buy the dob.

[brantuk]

Imaging really does begin with a good solid and accurate mount. A 200P Newtonian is going to struggle on EQ3 - it works for Observing only quite nicely on an EQ5 or CG5 but is better on HEQ5 (heavier duty) or preferably EQ6 (best for AP and Observing combined).

Alt/Az mounts are suitable only for planets/moon imaging (including dobs) cos on Dso's you will get star trailing. So a beefy equatorial mount is essential with a 200P - the DS model will give greater focusing control, and what you really need is a short f-ratio (eg f-6, f-5, f-4 point something). Hope that helps