skyliner 200p

[sparkly]

hi all

i have just recieved my 200p dob from flo (thanks flo) just noticed theres no primary mirror cover or plate at the bottom end of the scope, is this normal.

i was hoping there would be a plate there so i could attacht a fan later.

[pduk]

Mine (received in January) is the same, I think it's normal - something to do with cooling more rapidly?

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

Correct, the skyliners dont have them, the explorers do. Not hard to make one though.

I used the bottom of a bucket that just happened to be a perfect size to just slot over the black lip.

[sparkly]

phew thanks for the quick response will get back to collimating, hmm a bucket base sounds like a plan just waiting for the rain to clear .

cheers

[Scott]

Correct, the skyliners dont have them, the explorers do. Not hard to make one though.

hmmm? mine (received in feb) doesn't. don't s'pose its a problem really unless it gets a hefty wack with something:confused:

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

Hmmm, maybe it was just the older explorers then... But yeah, the reasoning was improved airflow to facilitate cooling, so unless you fit a fan, you're better off without.

I keep a wooly hat over mine when not in use to keep any nasties out.

[pessoa]

I cover mine with a shower cap, it keeps the dust off, easy to pull off.

[Tribal-Wolf]

Shower cap for me too

eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace

[scuffer]

I get my shower cap from tesco for about £1 .50

[Tribal-Wolf]

Ah but I wanted a pretty black one lol

[Scott]

If I went into tesco and asked for a showercap they'd have one look at my hair (or lack of it) and burst out laughing...

[scuffer]

Polka dot and a ribbon on mine . . . .

[Ganymede12]

I've had my eye on the Sky-Watcher SKYLINER 200p myself. How is it to colimate? Is it easy? Do you need to buy a laser colimator?

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

You dont NEED a laser, i use a cheshire. I wont get into laser vs cheshire, either is fine.

Collimation is easy with astrobabys guide. First time might take a little while but after that its a 5 minute job, tops.

The best analogy i've heard is it's like tuning a guitar.

[basher0010]

Ah but I wanted a pretty black one lol

this was an easy solution i thought and looks ok total cost 20p for the sticky tabs that hold it in place hope it helps

http://www.flickr.com/photos/75693828@N03/6974002366/

[Astro-Nova]

I got my scope stored in cool cupboard and place it standing on the bottom end.

Reading this now, is it essential to cover the bottom part? And having the scope standing like it do on a carpet, might this harm my scope/primary mirror?

[murgen]

do you protect the screw ends by placing then into recesses or just plonk it onto a piece of carpet?

I was looking into storing mine this way, but in the end decided on horizontal. It all sits in its original polystyrene bits in a plastic garden storage box in the garage.

One of these days, the clouds may part and i'll get the rascal out!

M

[Astro-Nova]

i basicly 'dumped' it in cupboard on the carpet yes. got no where else to store it, however I could improvise to protect it better whilest its stored like this. any advise?

[murgen]

Apart from constructing a "pad" of some description with holes to take the screw ends - not really.

I was concerned the weight of the whole thing on the sticky-out screws might move the mirror cell.

This is why I now have this big plastic coffin thing in the garage.

£70 it cost. I could have got myself a right angle finder for that!

But at least the scope is secure.

M

[Astro-Nova]

thank you. ill have to improvise

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

The screws don't stick out on the 200p, unless you install bobs knobs.

[murgen]

My Explorer 200P is new.

It has no mirror cell cover plate and both sets of screws protrude beyond the end of the tube just like basher0010 's photo.

M

[murgen]

thank you. ill have to improvise

Sorry for any confusion i've caused here astro, yours is the dob. Presumably you are standing it in your cupboard on its mount.

Mine is of course the newt hence my concern of storing it upright on the sticky out screws.

It's just that the photo of bashers bottom is identical to mine - if you know what i mean.

M

[Astro-Nova]

not to worry.....I have not got it stored on my mount, my mount is in the shed so it is full on its bottocks and standing up.

However I had a look just and it is not leaning on it screws, its got a metal edge on the bottom which means that the screws are a centimeter or so from the floor. So that should be ok

But to get back to the topic, should I put a cover on the bottom so that no fabric, hairs, dust, etc comes in from the bottom on the primary mirror?

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

Looks like the newts come with knobs, but the dobs come with screws that sit flush... :/

What a jip

And yeah, i put a cover on mine, since the first day i had it a dog hair managed to get up in there lol