150P AZ4 -V- 200P 5EQ

[Caldwell 14]

I expect to be in a position to but a new scope by tomorrow evening. Its going to be a Skywatcher Newtonian, ok so thats that settled.

So do I:

A, Buy the 150P and put it on the AZ4 which I know and trust and have something still grab and go-ish or

B, Go with an EQ5 and 200P package (not grab and go at all)

Now I'm sure some of you out there love buying a new scope, well I don't, I hate it, pure stress.

My worry about the EQ5 200P option is that due to the added cool down and set up time I might not use it as much. I can honestly say hand on heart that I took my TAL out every single night there was a break in the clounds, even if it was for 20 minutes. The other thing that puts me off is that I have read many times that visually there is not that much difference between them, cetainly not wow.

I am very happy to be talked out of/into either of those options as long as I doing the right thing and not being plain stupid (it has been known) I had completely abandoned the EQ option but my neighbour now say he will do something about his lights (he hasn't yet it seems)

[John]

I suspect you may get a number of different answers to this but here are my views. During most of my 30+ years in the hobby I've been oberving with scopes with 6" or less aperture. I've owned a number larger than this but the ones that get used over and over are the smaller, portable ones.

From my moderately light polluted back garden which has trees and houses around it for good measure, I don't find myself using my 10" scope much. It's nice when it does come out but most of the time I find the simplicity and mobility of the 4" - 6" aperture scopes pretty satisfying.

At the 2011 SGL Star party I took my 4" and 6" scopes along and spent a great evening under dark skies with my friend Mark and his 6" F/5 newt. Both scopes on simple alt-az mounts. We saw loads of DSO's including some pretty faint galaxies, many that I'd not seen before because Mark knows his skies better than I do

If you can get it collimated reasonably well the planetary and lunar views should be very good with a 6" newtonian too.

So for all the above reasons and the fact that I just could never really get on with an EQ mounted newtonian scope (I have tried ), I'd go for the 6" alt-az option. When you find a dark corner of the garden and really concentrate it's amazing how "deep" these smaller scopes can go.

[basher0010]

im new to astronomy and recently bought the sw 200p with manual eq5 mount after reading alot of excellent comments about that setup i can honestly say im not disapointed however i would have liked the goto onboard as i think that would have made for a better 1st setup

but i can still add motors and bits to eventually upgrade as i see fit for now

i thought a good way to learn the sky is manual for £390 im satisfied and drag the beast out on every oppertunity (cloud permiting) its damn heavy as i lift the whole thing in one go about 10' into the back yard its just more convient for me this way

[Qualia]

I'm really sorry to hear about the compromises you're experiencing recently, Caldwell, and I hope all turns out well. It's a shame you had to sell the Tal, they're great pieces of equipment, but if it needs to be done, so be it. We must not become slaves to our possessions.

As John mentions above, "During most of my 30+ years in the hobby I've been oberving with scopes with 6" or less aperture. I've owned a number larger than this but the ones that get used over and over are the smaller, portable ones." And this, in my mind, is a very pertinent statement.

I'm in relatively good shape and when carrying my gear - don't have a car for moral-ish reasons - I struggle. There's no gardens in Spanish cities, so astonomy is really a labour of love.

You're either viewing from flat tops or local parks and I had to buy myself a fishing type trolley the other day only to take the bulk and weight of the mount and tripod, whilst in the other hand, I'm still having to carry the eyepiece case, OTA and on my back the weights, torches, starmaps, and the such, and it's not exactly good fun.

I mention this, because I think the EQ5 and 200P package is just going to end up being too much, as Basher says, it's like "drag[ing] the beast" unless you can - more or less - have it permanently set up, or can get it mobile.

I've been to England. I have friends in a little town outside Bristol and they have some really nice gardens there. So if you had something like this, a little piece of land, would it be possible to buy a cheapish shed (Windsor Overlap Apex Garden Shed 7' x 5', Wooden Sheds FREE Delivery) and set up an observatory, or build yourself a flat-board trolley which could wheel around the tripod and mount, and the OTA could be stored in your house?

Crazy suggestions, I know, but it might be good fun just thinking through the various possibilities and promises open to you.

Anyway, on with the links:

http://stargazerslounge.com/primers-tutorials/57066-practical-astronomy-disabled.html

Borg 77ED SWII Ultra Light Refractor - Review

I hope all works out well.

[John]

... I have friends in a little town outside Bristol and they have some really nice gardens there.....

Thats interesting - I live in a small town outside of Bristol

[sgazer]

The only real advantage I can see for the EQ5 would be for tracking if it had an RA motor. Otherwise it's just another level of difficulty to set up over the AZ4. It also depends on how you find stuff. Do you just learn the sky and where to point, or would setting circles on the EQ5 help (probably not!).

If you are happy finding stuff yourself, forget the expense and complication of the EQ5. But a larger scope is going to be tricky on your Az4, so if going larger I would get a dob.

The 8" should be notably brighter than a 6" at the same magnification, but also notably bigger and heavier, if you have to carry it somewhere.

[Caldwell 14]

Thank you everybody for your speedy responses. I'm going to buy the 150P. I had one up on my AZ 4 mount at the last North Lincs Astro night and it does fit really well, very smooth, goes right up to the zenith, its not over matched at all, very solid.

I spent much of that night being amazed how cheap the scope was for the build quality, I couldn't get over it. shame it was a cloudy night and that was all I could do. I do really rate the AZ4 BTW.

I would hate to think I might be put off getting out there because it was "a bit of a hassle"

[nightfisher]

I would say you have made the right decision, i use my little 100rs more than my 180 pro, probably use my little vixen 80mm more than the tal

[Stu]

I agree with the above. My most used scope is my WO66, closely followed by my 106mm EDT, both on a Giro II mount for simplicity. I can't remember the last time I used the Mak, probably 2 months ago, but will do more once I sort the tripod out so it is stable enough to take the mak on the Giro.

Stu

[chownsie]

I got a 150 recently....its the dogs doodaa's! Love it, chuffed to bits ENJOY!

[spaceboy]

Is an 8" dob out of the question ?? These are a lot more manageable than a 200p on EQ5 plus they are a little easier on EP's as they are f/6.

[Mark at Beaufort]

You won't regret buying the SKywatcher 150P and using your alt/az mount.

This is a thread from a few nights ago which shows the quality of these 6" scopes

http://stargazerslounge.com/observing-deep-sky/184972-markarian-chain-others-6-newt.html

John mentioned above our observing session together at SGL6 which I won't take all the credit for. John and I were star hopping from one galaxy to another and must have viewed 20/25 throughout the night. We were a great pair working together checking the views in each others scope - one of those incredible observing nights.

Mark

[Dodge]

I've just changed my 200P/EQ5 to a 10" Dob. My grab and go is the Tal 100RS on an AZ4.

I got quite proficient at setting up an EQ5 quite quickly, and the AZ4 takes about half the time to get going. I doubt the cool down time between a 200P and a 150P is massively different, so for a grab and go scope neither is ideal.

Have you got rid of your Tal?

[Aenima]

I'm looking to buy the 200p mainly as the 6inch is only a slight difference from my 130p and I do want to upgrade the seeing/magnification ability, but i have no idea how to work the EQ5 and cant afford goto. Would the 200p fit onto a cheaper AZ goto mount of some sort? The dobs are a big temptation for ease and size, but i will struggle to bring it in and out of my doorway and i believe the dobs only work on a completely flat stable surface which is limited where i observe from. Anyone have ideas as to a motor drive AZ even a similar size goto? If i do get the EQ5 can i upgrade it to goto later? Are EQ's difficult to use, compared to AZ?

I probably will like to try photography at some point - how does that affect my choices?

A ny help is always much appreciated.

Good luck caldwell, hope your choice works out.

Cheers