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Skywatcher 200p Dob - First Use....

Bloosman

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Bloosman

Bloosman

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Folks,

Finally managed and evening last night with my new toy - awesome....!

Jupiter and 4 moons clear as day...

Venus - like a mini Sun...

The Moon - just gobsmacked at the detail...

Orion Nebula - now that REALLY made me feel small & insignificant...

The Pleiades - wonderful (although just a bit too near the bright Moon)

But the best had to be getting up early (4.30am) today and spending time watching Saturn...WOW....!!!!!

Just been using the included eyepieces (25 & 10mm), but the viewing was, in my mind, quite remarkable.

For some reason though, the higher mag eyepiece isn't as "clear" as the 25mm...is this normal...?

Also, what can I use to make the likes of Venus and the Moon a bit more viewable. ie. less bright...?

And, are Nebula filters a "must have"...????

Dougie.

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swamp thing

swamp thing

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Hi Dougie

Glad you are enjoying the scope. The 200p is a great bit of kit.

You are right. Apparently the 10mm supplied eyepiece is a bit of a dog, so no, it's not the norm with higher power just with poor eyepieces.

Some people, like yourself find the Moon too bright and use a filter, as I'm not one of them I'll offer no advice on this.

Nebula filters are not a must have, but they can make an enormous difference to an objects appearance. In fact, on some objects they can be the difference between seeing an object or not. Most deep sky observers have at least one in their arsenal. IMO, use the scope a bit more first before worrying yourself about the technicalities of nebula filters.

The UHC nebula filter is the one most often recommended. I prefer the more aggressive O-III, but it's a personal thing and deffinitily worth trying them at a local star party first.

You may find this a good read.

The Prairie Astronomer

Good hunting and clear skies.

Steve

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JonnyP

JonnyP

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So I wasn't the only one viewing Saturn at 4.30 this morning? :)

I find that the 10mm EP gives a poorer quality view as well. I'll replace that as my next purchase. I had a x2 Barlow for Xmas which seems to give a clearer view on a lot of objects when combined with the 25mm compared to the 10mm.

I haven't tried any filters so can't give advice on those sorry.

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DOBBY

DOBBY

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I was tryin to fix my central heating at 4am....

Congrats on your 'scope Doug...as Swampy said...the UHC may be best in an 8 inch.

BST explorer eyepieces are a good step-up from the supplied 10mm & wont brake the bank

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Bloosman

Bloosman

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Thanks for the prompt replies guys - what a forum....!!!!

Advice taken on board Swamp Thing re. just using the 'scope for a bit...!

Being a keen photographer, I know only too well the pitfalls of "upgrade-itis" without getting to know the kit you have first...

That said, I think a filter for the moon is going to be a must for me as I found it just a tad too bright, and maybe a Barlow for the 25mm before researching a better 10mm eyepiece for this coming Christmas...:-)

Again, thanks.

Dougie.

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John

John

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How would this be when viewing Jupiter? Would it give more contrast or just make it Falkner, might give it a go later.

Remember it's also the same as stopping down the scope, ie: using less aperture. That 8" scope has now become a 2.5" one - with a consequential reduction in resolution, light grasp etc, etc.

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BazMark

BazMark

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I believe the 25mm and 10mm supplied EPs are supposed to be of the same quality which is 'standard' as opposed to 'good' but what you are experiencing is the problem we all have when pushing to find the best high powered EP for our respective scopes.

The higher the magnification we attempt to attain we begin to lose clarity due to lack of light and imperfections in the optics.

In my relatively small (5") mak I still get pretty good clarity on the planets due to it's long (1500mm) focal length with the 'standard' 10mm EP. However, even a fairly 'good' quality 6mm EP doesn't produce good quality views most of the time.

Shorter focal length scopes require better quality EPs to produce good quality high power views.

As regards the moon, I use a variable polarising filter. I find it especially useful as you can vary it's effectiveness for the moon's different Phases. I've even managed to see the cresent phase of Venus with this filter.

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stevetynant

stevetynant

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the 25mm supplied with the scope should be fine to start with and you should have no problem focussing - make sure you only have either the 1.25 or 2 Inch convertor in the OTA not both (as I did to start out with) or you definitely won't be able to focus - good luck

Steve

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Bloosman

Bloosman

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I've got the exact same scope and was struggling to focus on the moon. Which eye pieces did you use (starting from the focus wheels please)? I'm new to stargazing so appreciate any help I can get.

In the VERY short time I've been using it, I now find I'm sticking to the 25mm EP as I find the 10mm too narrow in field-of-view and difficult to keep track of moving targets with...

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