first scope ideas

[crashtestdummy]

after having my first look through proper binoculars last night and getting £1000 back from the tax man recently i may take the plunge and get my first scope next month.i dont want to spend too much to start with and was looking at something along the lines of a celestron 127 mak for decent portability and goto capability or a skywatcher 200p dobsonium for aperture.obviously this would be less portable and tbh i will have to travel to places for fully dark skies but at 20kg i dont class it as too heavy but what about portability and set up as a first scope?in the process of looking for reviews etc but all help appreciated.ideally i want to spend upto £500 for the scope and accesories to get me up and running.

[DOBBY]

For a quick set-up... you cant beat the Dob (no perfect leveling or aligning)

smaller storage space..can't beat the Dob (tripods lean against the wall + the tube)

You can easily get a 200 Dob & extras for your budget... & if down the line you still want go-to... it can be mounted onto an EQ mount

or... First Light Optics - Skywatcher Explorer 200P HEQ5 PRO

get it while you have the full grand... you wont outgrow it

[cspindley]

Hi I have a Skywatcher skymax 127 az goto telescope but I'm looking for a 70mm tube refractor does anyone know if they are selling one

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[Catweazel]

Hi I have a Skywatcher skymax 127 az goto telescope but I'm looking for a 70mm tube refractor does anyone know if they are selling one

Do you mean is anyone selling one? As far as I know it is no longer permissable to buy and sell on SGL. You could try Astro Buy & Sell or eBay maybe?

@ctd, I would personally go for the dob over the 127, although it won't be as portable for sure. I am not a fan of GOTO though, so if you need that then mabe the Mak

[cspindley]

Thanks for the advice I shall be having a look around

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[stevetynant]

Don't underestimate the cost of accessories either - you don't "have" to have most of them but with spare cash hanging about the pull is huge , eyepieces, colimators,books, riegels, even lasers - good luck anyway - the 200p if thats what you go for is a great place to start.

[crashtestdummy]

cheers for the replies guys.im not actually that bothered about goto,after one night i can find enough stars without help to last me a fair few months.for extras i only really want a few eyepieces,a barlow and maybe a dew shield and then some literature and that shuld do me for a year or so hopefully although i thought the binoculars would be enough for a few mpnths,boy was i wrong-its just wetted the apetite

[Dunkster]

I have the 127, and it's a great little scope, very portable, easy to use, great optics, not fussy with eyepieces.

Either will show you plenty, especially from a darker site. But if you're not bothered about goto, then the dob wins without a doubt, the aperture is just much bigger, and the 200p is popular with members

[Catweazel]

Don't underestimate the cost of accessories either - you don't "have" to have most of them but with spare cash hanging about the pull is huge , eyepieces, colimators,books, riegels, even lasers.

Tell me about it! For my next purchase I'm thinking of a black and white 'Saturday Night Fever' outfit to match my scope livery

[stevetynant]

lol - Its like a drug at the moment - I'm starting to get suprised with myself everytime the postman turns up of a Saturday morning with something I forgot I'd ordered.

[crashtestdummy]

Tell me about it! For my next purchase I'm thinking of a black and white 'Saturday Night Fever' outfit to match my scope livery

i already have one of those so will be able to buy that spiderman suit ive always wanted

[crashtestdummy]

what would be a good compliment of extra expieces to go with the supplied 10 and 25?

[nightfisher]

best to decide if you want to view small fuzzie patches (dso`s) or lunar/planets, the dob is better for dso, the 127 mak is better for lunar planets

[crashtestdummy]

bit of both really.ive been told the dob will view planets better than the mak will view dso's so thats my choice at the moment.will be seing one this week,a 200p and have discussed getting a 38mm skywatcher lense and a 12mm x-cel lx and maybe a barlow and a moon filter to start.

[Dunkster]

They're both great scopes for the money, but different approaches.

For good seeing planetary, you'll probably want a shorter focal length EP for either. 12mm in the 200p is only 100x... 200x is often regarded as a good mag in the UK, so you could go shorter for planets.