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Hi all and decisions decisions

mikemph

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mikemph

mikemph

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Posted

hi all

new and looking for advice to help make mind up.

1: skywatcher heritage 130p cheep, good reviews, very portable but keep thinking will very quickly want a bigger aperture.

2: skywatcher skyliner 150p, looks awesome and on here is raved about, portable but keep thinking, mmmmm 8" version.

3: skywatcher skyliner 200p, lovely, big but will she be too much to handle.

I am sure would be happy with anyone of the above, especially as a beginner, all input much appreciated.

just been looking at venus and jupiter with 20x50 binos and really want to get a scope soon.

thanks all

mike

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

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Hi Mike

The Heritage really is a good scope but you CAN do better (bigger mirror for not much more cash). The 150p is also a good scope but you may regret not going bigger. The 200p certainly is the better of all 3 scopes but as you say "will it be too big to handle".

Really the best scope is the one that you can use,handle the best. It would be worth going to a local store/club if possible to get a hands on experience with the size of scopes you mention.

Certainly for most able-bodied people, the 200P really does not seem to be much of a problem with portability.

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Capricorn

Capricorn

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Select on the basis of you maximum budget.

Whatever scope of the 3 you get you will need a colimator (£30) and a couple of additional eyepieces, say £40 each so £80.

That makes an additional £110.

I suspect when looked at like that the choice may be easier to come to. In effect don't spend everything on the biggest as you will need additional items.

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paul schofield

paul schofield

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The best scope is the one you will use the most, I know that probably does not help. I think the 200p is quite easy to manage and is easily moved in 2 parts so is the 150p. Dont know about the 130 Heritage. Given the choice listed, without a doubt the 200p is the stand out winner, just a question of the £s. Good luck with your choice.

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Tribal-Wolf

Tribal-Wolf

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I would try and look and think carefully about your use for a scope. Don't get carried away on aperture if you don't WANT a dob, they are not for everyone as the amount starting to appear on ebay etc show. They are however very good and super simple to use with a solid mount. The other way to look at it is if you buy something reasonable second hand then find you need to upgrade or just don't get 'into' it your far more likley not to loose much money if you sell it.

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jonathan

jonathan

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Unless you really definitely can go for the big scope to start off with, I would go for the 150 size, it will allow you to see plenty and leave enough in your budget to purchase a few nice eyepieces and other accessories.

Next on your hit list may well be the mount - what ever comes with the scope is likely to leave you wanting something a bit steadier, perhaps the EQ3-2 or Omni CG-4. Consider that you may be adding a heavier focuser, large eyepieces, DSLR or other camera, or a larger finder scope that will all add to the weight and probably quickly outgrow a mount that was just OK with the base scope.

Advancing from the 150, you might go to 250 (if you stick with reflectors), which may need a beefier mount again, so if this is in your head then it may be better to go for that larger mount straight away - HEQ5 perhaps (check the weight capacity of the mount and allow for heavy accessories / eyepieces).

Larger mounts take more effort to store and transport, I went for the NEQ6 SynTrek and although it is a very heavy lump that I have to be extra careful not to drop, I have not regretted it as when it's out it is a lovely piece of kit and takes my weighty accessorised 8SE with ease.

Bigger mount = bigger scope = see more!

The 150 might make a decent grab-and-go scope so don't be too hasty to get rid of it and it's mount if you do upgrade.

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Scott

Scott

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i have a 8" on eq mount and to be honest it takes about 5-10 mins to move from the shed to being ready for viewing. as it can take an hr to cool down, i don't see a benifit for a quick setup. the only issue is if you can physically move your setup. i'm 50yrs old and don't run marathons so if i can handle it, its not that difficult. as others have mentioned, its pointless having a scope with all the bells on it if its tucked in a corner in the shed gathering dust. (a 4" in the garden has better views than a 10" in the shed)

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mikemph

mikemph

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thanks all

think narrowed down to 150p or 200p both look like would be great.

The 150p better from the point of view of loading in car and heading off to a nearby darkish place.

when decided will let know, also all input greatly appreciated and if any more thoughts please post up.

mikw

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idbvideo

idbvideo

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Heres my take on this.

I started with anastromaster 130EQ MD just before Christmas, to be honest, I didnt like it. I want to do Astrophotography and this scope just didnt suit. So I re-thought my options.

I knew I needed a better mount so I decided to go for an EQ5. The original plan was to get things in parts - none MD mount (use the 130 until I got the new OTA). Then I started reading adverts and looking at more posts. I decided on the 200P and EQ5 mount.

The views through the 200P realy do give a wow factor, even with a full moon.

The only regret is I didnt do more research because for me the EQ5 mount is at the upper end of its limits. It works fantastically for viewing, but I have not tried AP with it yet because I need to motorise it. I could go for a motor upgrade or goto upgrade or better still go for HEQ5 or NEQ6.

Which brings me to my point. Think about how big you are reasonably expecting to go, and think about a mount that will comfortably hold the OTA with room to expand!

Hope that helps

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kernowstargazer

kernowstargazer

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I started my quest for a scope by looking at the astromaster 130eq, then the Skywatcher 1145p, then decided to buy the skywatcher 130p and acutally ended up buying the Skywatcher 150p skyliner on a dob and i am already looking into mounting it on the EQ5 mount so as you can see you will soon change your mind. The best advice is to go and have a look at the scopes if you can. I couldnt as the nearest shop was 60 miles away so it wasnt viable. The 150p dobsonian has blown me away at the views i have got just looking at M42, the moon, jupiter, saturn and a couple of clusters it is an amazing scope and really easy to use. It has really shown me that this hobby is deffinatley for me.

Good luck on your decision as i found harder to decide on a scope than my van :)

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