Help would like advice on the right scope for D.S.O

[ToxoLight]

Hi Paul and welcome to the lounge.

[Moonshane]

in my opinions dobs for the money you spend offer:

more aperture

more stability

more detail and ability to see fainter objects

quicker set-up (I can set up my 16" dob in about 5 minutes max)

quicker take down

easy and set eyepiece position

cooldown quicker than some less quick than others

take up less space than many tripods.

wider field for aperture than some designs

some negatives

no real imaging possible (ok maybe some basic moon shots etc)

they are often faster so require better quality eyepieces sometimes to make use of the whole field (not a big issue really as there are many other options)

need regular collimation - easy to learn and do.

I have three newtonians (two dobs and one on a mount and pedestal) and love them all. the dobs are by far my favourites. hope this helps a bit.

[stevetynant]

Hi folks and thanks for your great replies I may have been geeting slightly carried away as Inkpen kindly remindee me, As with previous posts go for aperture but you did imply it would have to be portable so bear that in mind. so my question is, does anyone know how portable a skywatcher 200p is and approx set up time.

Hi Paul and welcome to SGL. The reason I believe the 200p is so popular is because of its simplicity and ease of use - it is the sweet spot in terms of portability and aperture.

I have a 200p and love it though am already eyeing up larger versions for use from home but don't think I'll ever get rid of the Skyliner as its so easy to transoprt - OTA on back seat of car with seatbelts - base and eyepiece case in boot of car and off you go.. Set up takes literally seconds although you do have to wait for the scope to cool down as you do with all newtonians. I store it upright on its stand in a wardrobe at home though some have it in a corner of the house or secured garage.

It covers most bases to be honest other than astro photography - but if this is not an issue for you I would have no hesitation at all in getting the 200p on a Dob mount and will do so again in the future when funds allow.

good luck with whatever you chose and let us know how you get on

cheers

Steve

[Doughzer]

Hi Paul, and welcome aboard.

As you can see bang for your buck on the 200p is massively recommended, but as always don't forget eyepieces and perhaps filters, which could easily add £200 before you move on, loads as a starter set recommend:

First Light Optics - Revelation Photo-Visual Eyepiece kit , but as you can see out of stock at FLO, but you can pick up from ebay or other places