Boggled by advice

[Celtic Deacon]

Hi everyone, I've been overwhelmed and boggled by the advice here for beginners. I've decided to take the plunge with a Skyliner 200P - hope it's the right decision. Not really sure what I want to see, as abeginner I want to see everything!

What else do I need to get started? I've read about Telrad finders, moon filters, better eyepieces and Barlows. What do you suggest? The 'scope comes with 10 & 25mm eyepieces, dual fit focuser (don't know what that is yet) and a 9x50 finder scope. I'd appreciate any advice, I know it's probably all on this forum somewhere and so apologies if you've already given this to others.

I'm taking early retirement soon and have a significant birthday coming up so I can use your suggestions for gifts.

Also should I go for the cheapest supplier or can you recommend one?

Most of my observing will be from my back garden with occasional trips out to Brecon Beacons which is less than 20 miles from me. I've been using Celestron 15x70's for a while and can't wait to get going with a scope.

Thanks

Garth

[LukeSkywatcher]

Hi Garth.

Nice scope you are getting there. I would not worry about better EP's or a barlow at this time. Just use the stock ones that come supplied til you get comfortable using the scope. The dual fit focuser means that it can use either 1.25" OR 2" EP'S. If you really want new EP's to compliment the scope then BST's come highly recommended. My own personal choice of quality EP's are the Vixen NPL (about £30 each) First Light Optics - Vixen NPL eyepieces

The 9x50 finderscope will also be fine to start off with. Others will say buy a telrad or something else.

Regarding suppliers....................honestly.................i find First Light Optics (FLO) the sponsors of this forum the best. I have bought most of my gear from them and never had a single problem. Many (most) here will agree. Just click on the FLO logo at the top of this page. Great bunch of people.

Also you might want to take a look at the latest edition of a book called "Turn Left At Orion". Its a great investment and the latest edition has much more in it for Dob users. A red light torch or LED headtorch is also a must.

Enjoy your scope and most of all................

clear skies to you

[Black Knight]

Good choice, it's a great scope

Telrads are a good bet, especially for Dobs. Dual fit allows both 1.25" and 2" eyepieces to be used. As far as eyepieces go, I would say play with the stock ones for now, and see how you go. Tal Barlows have a very good rep, you good look at those. Other than that, a collimation tool is pretty much a requirement for a newt. A good star atlas, or Stellarium will get you going.

[nightfisher]

right, the telrad for a dob is a sound investment, and the eyepieces that come with your scope are only really fit to get you started, BST explorers are very good value, most of the items you will want are best purchased from FLO, the site sponser other than the bst`s as you have to get them from Alan at skys the limit

[Craig20264]

Hi Garth and welcome,

I too am relatively new to this game, and bought the 200P Dob on the advice of others. It's a fantastic scope that will let you see everything. Have a play with the stock eyepieces for a while and then you'll discover where your interest lies, then you can make a decision on upgrading the EP's. I am still struggling slightly with manually tracking planets with the dob mount, but it's getting easier. In hindsight I maybe should have saved a little more and gone for the EQ mounted version, but hey, there's always a trade off. The dob is so easy to set up, two minutes out of the shed and you're stargazing.

Good luck

[AWR]

Hi Garth,

First up: good scope choice. An 8" Dob is going to be great. Don't rush into buying any extra eyepieces; get used to the ones that come with it first. The 25mm is better than the 10mm but both are usable and it will be best if you get to see this for yourself. You WILL buy more EPs but it's great if you can look through some first.

A dual fit focusser means it accepts both 1.25" and 2" EPs.

Something you may want to consider is a Quikfinder. I find it really useful to get me in the general area before I begin to use the finder scope.

Supplier-wise, I'll reccomend FLO (see top of page). Not because they are the forum sponsors but because they don't sell rubbish; they tell the truth and they give a good price. More importantly, if something does go wrong, they'll sort you out.

Andrew

[Celtic Deacon]

Thanks for your help, I really have been thrown by reading so many different threads here. I was toying with Skywatcher explorer 130P then fancied a TAL, then something else...settled on 200P after a review by Orion the Hunter. I've borrowed Turn left at Orion from library and will get a copy of the latest version reviewed this month in Astronomy Now.

[Astro Imp]

You have made an excellent choice of scope.

As you have seen Turn Left at Orion is a good starter guide.

If you haven't already I would suggest downloading Stellarium , a free planatarium program that will help you find your way around.

As others have said use your scope to get an idea of what eyepieces you need.

Good luck.