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New!! Any Advice

EdskiMax

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EdskiMax

EdskiMax

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Hi Folks.. Just signed up to the board after reading here on a few occasions. So I'm looking to get into the whole sky viewing thing a bit more, I have been looking for a decent telescope for watching the likes of Jupiter, The Moon, Nebulas & what ever else mite be on offer.. I have been looking at the Skywatcher Skymax 127 SynScan as my budget is around 400 pounds.. Anyone out there with this scope? Whats your views on it? Or anyone with any advice on what scope i should get? - I'm open to ideas!! I mainly want something with a "Go To" system, reasonably lightweight & for viewing detail more than a wide field scope (if that make sense) - Cheers for your help & advice in advance.. :)

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EdskiMax

EdskiMax

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Do be honest there's not any Astro shops I know of around here.. Haha!! Maybe in Belfast i suppose.. Few Hours away.. My plan was for internet shopping.. I hear people saying the 127 Mak is only really good for moon & planets, not great for anything else?

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John

John

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GOTO is a feature of the telescope mount and, once it's set up, will point the scope at a specified object in the sky then track it's movement. It's not a "must" as many people enjoy finding objects in the sky themselves and then track them by moving the scope slowly manually but others find it a very useful tool, especially if they have limited time for observing and searching for objects to observe. The GOTO facility costs money though so you spend proportionately more of your budget on that rather than the optics of the scope, which are what shows the views of course.

So it's a "nice to have" for some, rather than a must. If your budget is £400 as per your original post then I don't think there is a 6" aperture GOTO mounted scope within that though.

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EdskiMax

EdskiMax

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Yeah.. :) Haha - So i have noticed John.. I like the look of the SkyWatcher 150p & the 200, but as you know if i was to punt for them i'd have to ditch the GoTo - I'd imagine the detail & versatility of the 150p is alot better than the 127 Mak GoTo? Would that be correct?

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John

John

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A 150mm scope will show a bit more detail than a 127mm one, yes. Not a huge difference though. On the moon and planets there may be little difference noticable but the larger scope will show deep sky objects a little better. 23mm is not a big difference in aperture. There would be a much more noticeable difference with a 200mm scope.

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EdskiMax

EdskiMax

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Yeah, What about the likes of Nebulas? Is that something that is possible to view on a 150mm? And whats the difference between a Maksutov & a reflector? - Sorry for the questions... I do appreciate the advice you passed on already John.. Many Thanks

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jonathan

jonathan

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I started out with a Goto mount but found that it was more trouble than it was worth, and wasn't as accurate as one might hope despite the system telling me it was set up correctly (Celestron's star align method).

I now use manual and tracking-only mounts, I may use the Goto mount in the future but it's not my favourite piece of kit.

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EdskiMax

EdskiMax

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In saying that Jonathan, my friend got a Celestron with a GoTo & he has yet to get it to align :) & the tripod seems a little shaky at times.. plus the thing sucks batteries when not on the mains.. I'm pushing toward the SkyWatch 200p with the Eq3 mount more & more now.. I wonder is at all moveable, if i wanted to drive somewhere & carry it to a dark spot? Wish there was a shop somewhere i could see them things in the flesh!!!

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John

John

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All the scopes discussed in this thread will show nebulae (which are deep sky objects along with galaxies and star clusters). The larger the main mirror or lens and the better you can see them but this does also greatly depend on how much light pollution you have to contend with where you are observing.

The newtonian reflecting scopes discussed here can show quite a wide field of view with a low power eyepiece which is useful for finding and viewing some of the larger deep sky objects such as the Andromeda galaxy and the Pleiades star cluster. Maksutov-cassegrain scopes (to give them their full name !) have a narrower field of view but a longer focal length so it's a bit easier to get the high magnifications needed for the moon and planets. They can't show such a wide field of view though. Mak's need dew prevention measures as well as the glass at the top end of the tube attracts dew like a magnet !.

Both types of scope are good but each has it's strengths and weaknesses - I don't have the time to go into all of those right now but used the "search" facility on the forum to find lots more discussion on these scope types.

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EdskiMax

EdskiMax

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Yeah I did notice that NIAAS page.. I'll drop them an email tomorrow i think.. but I mite punt for the 150p or 200p - & give the GoTo a by ball.. John thanks again for the info buddy.. Seems like the Mak127 is a bit too limited, the 150p has a lot more options when in the sky... I'll hit the search bar here now.. :)

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onesmallstep

onesmallstep

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Hi and welcome to SGL

Use the 'search' facility on SGL top of the webpage, type in the scope name and add the word 'review', then Go. This should filter down on all reviews for a given scope. Alternatively you could browse the scopes in the Members Scopes subsection.

HTH!

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jonathan

jonathan

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The mount is half of your set up, it can make or break a good scope. A good Goto is expensive, but you can usually save a few hundred Pounds by getting the non-goto version of the same mount. The Skywatcher non-gotos are called SynTrek, the goto are SynScan (I think); the goto element is just the handset usually. There are many other brands too but I don't know as much about those, Skywatcher are among the best at the reasonable price end of the market.

Upgrading the mount when funds allow is a good strategy, I think, so it's not necessary to spend a huge amount when you first start. As you use your scope you will discover what you like doing most with it and can purchase the correct mount for your needs.

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