best scope for a limited budget

[pallas15]

Hi, would really appreciate a bit of feedback on scope choice.My budget is low,around £250-£300 which I know limits me.I would generally like a good allrounder but I appreciate different setups have their own merits.I have been learning the sky with stellarium and various phone apps..for example i use a compass app to find the direction im facing in degrees..use an angle app to find the angle im looking at and finally a gps to get my coordinates.Then using stellarium and starcalc I have successfully identified visible stars and (i think) planets .The hunt is very enjoyable,however being a bit of a tech nut the goto systems and being able of course to connect to my laptop is very attractive.This raises an issue because i expect than im paying more for the bells and whistles than the optics so as a newbie im jumping from advert to advert ,review to review.My expectations arent too high in as much that I know im not going to see eyepiece filling objects but I cant really afford to waste the money on an overpriced toy.I have looked at the skywatcher 130eq ,celestron 114 goto,even the skymax 90 maks cassegrain and similar but dont really know if a larger diameter and focal lenght is better in different types of scope(reflector,refractor etc).Upgradeability is also advantageous but again extras such as filters,lenses etc could not be overly expensive.If some one could recommend a good brand , trustworthy trader or give me a jolt in the right direction I would be very grateful.I know you must get asked these questions time and time again so I thank you in advance for your time..

[knobby]

short and sweet answer to get the ball rolling ...

as you've already realised, you're paying for good optics on a basic mount or good mount with basic optics !

i'm sure much more Q and A's will be forthcoming but if you want to progress into astro imaging then an equatorial mount is the way to go, if you just want to 'look' then a Dob would get you somethimg like a Skywatcher 200 which is more than enough to see most things and as you have sussed the art of alt and az co-ords you can find stuff manually...

food for thought

Good luck with your choice

oh and a trustworthy trader ... they sponsor this forum and are great http://firstlightoptics.com/

I'm a Dob man myself but this http://www.firstlightoptics.com/maksutov/skywatcher-skymax-102-synscan-az-goto.html is just over budget and kind of does a bit of all that you asked for !

[pallas15]

Thanks for your input.I agree,at the end of the day its the view thats most important but trying to pick and buy one seems a minefield at the mo..i more or less decided on a scope then noticed two different web sites had same phone numbers(scopesnskies),looked into it and there seemed more unhappy customers than happy..the prices were very good though.tried to find the same at other scorces but were too expensive.I think skywatcher is the way to go,seem to have a good reputation.lets see what the budget can go too...thanks again for your opinion...

[knobby]

Skopes and skies are the marmite astro shop ... I've used them and they were absolutely fine but i seem to have been lucky !

FLO are great and they're even on here sometimes , they have a clearance thread i believe, might be worth a search

[rory]

skyliner 8" dob would hit the budget on the nose and you wont get better views for the money, but its manual of course . go to puts the price up considerably.

[Capricorn]

I have been learning the sky with stellarium and various phone apps..for example i use a compass app to find the direction im facing in degrees

Why not just find the plough, then Polaris, then you are facing North.

No phone, no stellarium, no compass.

If you get a dobsonian mounted scope then you have to locate the objects, you have to know where to look and you have to do the fine tuning to get objects in view and keep them in view.

Looking at Stellarium on a PC is one thing, standing outside and looking up is another.

Can you do these couple of basics:

Locate The Plough then locate Polaris.

From the Plough locate Leo.

Locate Casseiopia, using Casseiopia locate Pegasus and Andromeda.

Using Casseiopia locate the double cluster.

Using The Plough locate Arcturus.

Not with Stellarium and without the phone.

I say this as you will get told to buy a Dob, they have the biggest objective for your money. But that is where it ends.

Everything is then down to you, no goto, no phone, no stellarium, no PC. Just you and the scope.

[pallas15]

Thanks for the heads up for FLO.They have some good hardware.Not 100% sure on the 8" dob as this will pretty much max out my budget ,not allowing for extras,but it is definitely another option ive got.Are they comfortable for extended viewing as they seem quite low and my mobility isn't the best?...spose its about balancing budget with requirements too,for example the preceding model would allow for extras..think its the 150p..is the jump from that to the 200 really noticeable?.it does seem the price difference between models is quite big...i need to be careful now..if i can stretch to £300...why not £350..if i can stretch to that ,why not £400...bottomless pit and divorce beckons hehe

[Ganymede12]

My opinion, Skyliner 200P dob would be your best value for money!

[pallas15]

capricorn..if you have noticed the weather this week my area has had nearly constant rain with pretty much total cloud cover.I do recognise the difference between a pc and the sky.I do know where polaris is (when i can see it through the rain and clouds)and I do recognise the most well known constellations(again when the clouds part.I think that any way a person learns is valid,forgive me but your comments seem a little condesending.No i dont know all the basics but I was still working out coordinates at 2.30 this morning so I am doing my best to learn..I think every one on this forum must have started somewhere and any aid to understanding be it pc ,chart,book,sky,television,etc is worthwhile.I was very happy that I figured out what I was seeing using charts and mathematics that I had never used before,but it seems even that isnt pure enough for some people.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Skywatcher Heritage 130P. That will leave you enough cash to buy a few extra bits. Very portable and friendly towards people with limited mobility.

The optics on the Heritage are the same as on the SW Explorer 130P. Its a great scope.

[Pete Presland]

the Skywatcher Heritage 130P has got lots of fans on here and you very rarely here any negative reviews about skywatcher optics!

[LukeSkywatcher]

the Skywatcher Heritage 130P has got lots of fans on here and you very rarely here any negative reviews about skywatcher optics!

True. The Heritage really has grown in popularity lately. SW products are great..............right down to their light pollution filter.

P.S.~~~FLO are one of the best (if not the best) companies to deal with. In my experiences, they simply can not do enough to help you with queries,aftersales care etc.

[Cjg]

Hi Pallas15 and welcome to SGL.

There's been some great advice here. But before you go down the type / brand / ££,s have a look at this site and if you are able visit your local Astro society, there's a few in the Midlands, you'll be able (if the weather does clear) to see a few types "in the flesh" and get a feel for the size / weight and views provided.

I too started on the Skywatcher 130P Heritage and would echo Luke Skywalker's comments about the scope and the supplier FLO (who I have purchased scopes + bits from).

But if you are unsure, your local Astro Club will be possibly the best starting point.

Good luck,

Chris

[pallas15]

does the skywatcher explorer 130p have the same specs or are the optics and viewing capabilities inferior to the dobsonian model?..this style of scope would allow me to stand more comfortably for longer periods as bending is a bit of an issue.I notice the focal length and diameter are the same.

[LukeSkywatcher]

does the skywatcher explorer 130p have the same specs or are the optics and viewing capabilities inferior to the dobsonian model?..this style of scope would allow me to stand more comfortably for longer periods as bending is a bit of an issue.I notice the focal length and diameter are the same.

They really are the same scopes (optically), just on different mounts. The Explorer 130P on an EQ mount would allow you take images. The Heritage being a Dob is very limited in its ability to allow you to do imaging.

The Explorer 130P is a very popular scope for people buying their first scope. Its held in high regard by seasoned observers.

[Pete Presland]

if you are sure your not going to be interested in astrophotography, i would go for the Skyliner 200P dob if not then a EQ mount woul be desirable.

[mdhardy01]

There is always the slow steady alternative

Start with a 200p dob good light gatherer and good optics will give great views

Then when money allows get an eq5 to mount it on then slowly build from there by getting the motors etc

This hobby doesn't have to be all about now

Sometimes slow can be more fun

But I do believe in getting the best optics you can afford

Just my thoughts

Matt

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[LukeSkywatcher]

I only mentioned the Heritage because i read Steve has mobility issues. I didnt know that bending was the problem, but he is ok with standing.

In that case i agree with others about the 200P Dob. If you dont plan to take images. If you do then an EQ mount setup is needed.

This scope wont leave much cash for extra bits but that is not an issue right now. The SW stock EP's that come with the scope are good, very usable. There is plenty of time in the future to buy bits and bobs for the scope, as you see fit to do so.

Dobs offer the best "bang for buck" of all scopes. Big aperture at a pretty low cost.

[JamesM]

I would certainly agree with (Ganymede)12 on going for the Skywatcher 200P which you can view here. It's the best selling scope in the U.K for good reason because with an aperture of 8" you will begin to see structure and resolve detail which is what observing is all about. If later on you want to resell to do something else or to upgrade, this model will hold it's value well which means that your 'real' investment will be far less, so you will gain in all directions.

Regarding the way you have developed your interest so far, I think you have done well and as the stars aren't going anywhere, there really is no rush and your experience will grow at the rate that you require it. There have been many debates on here about Goto versus manual or whether you should work your way through the different apertures versus going in straight in to purchase 12" or more - the answer is entirely up to you and is more about the budget than anything else. Astronomy isn't difficult to learn, its just that there is a lot of it and in truth we are all beginners really because it is always changing.

Clear skies

James

[pallas15]

yeah folks ,all good and welcome advice...gonna go for either the skywatcher skyliner 200p dob or the skywatcher 150p with the eq3-2 mount . will have to have a test drive and see which one is the most comfortable and fits my situation. Being tech minded I would in the future like to take stills or film and I have seen you tube vids with impressive results coming from both.if my budget wont quite stretch I will possibly go for the 150p that comes with the eq2 mount or the 150dob.Seeing them in the flesh will,I think,make it easier.The more I wait and research the higher my budget seems to get...at the end of the day it will depend on what mood the mrs is in and if she will live on chips n beans for a month .I once again thank you for your input and opinions ,every bit of knowledge or advice is very welcome...now have those clouds cleared yet????

[LukeSkywatcher]

The best thing is to see the scopes you are thinking of buying "in the flesh". That will really help you decide.

150P or 200P, its all good.

Paul.

[JamesM]

If imaging is a going to be a future ambition, may I suggest your get a copy of Steve Richards' "Making Every Photon Count" (FLO £19.95) which you can view here. It will tell you all what kit to kit and why you need it to take good consistent images all at a modest price. Imaging can be divided into two camps, solar system and deep sky. Solar system includes the planets and the moon and is best captured you a simple webcam. These objects are bright and as a consequence they do not require accurate tracking in order to take long exposures. The webcam is preferred because it can take a huge amount of exposures very quickly which given the amount of turbulent atmosphere that it needs to image through, will mean that this method can secure enough decent in focus 'frames' that then can be stacked on top of each other to create a final composite image. There is free software called 'Registax' that can help with this operation. Now deep sky imaging concerns imaging objects such as galaxies and nebulae, as these objects are so far away and therefore so faint, a very accurate mount is required to track these objects for a sufficient amount of time that will enable you to obtain longer exposures. Again this are added together to create a final composite image.

The reason why I mention this to you is that I noticed in your last reply that you appeared to make a connection between the desire to want to image and choosing the a scope that came with an equatorial mount. Although this mount is the right design for imaging, it is not going to be accurate enough to perform any deep sky imaging and so wanted to advise you of this before you tick the purchase box. You can use a webcam to image the solar system from virtually any scope setup because the exposures being so short, will not be affected by the rotation of the earth. A webcam will work on either of your short-listed choices above and only on solar system objects. Hope that helps clarify things for you.

James

[CFC]

Pallas, how is your back in terms of carrying stuff? You might want to give some thought to the weight and ability to carry it from whereever you are going to store it to your viewing area. A dob is great and all that but it's no absolute lightweight, a 200p is going to be an awkward thing to carry even when taken in two trips. A go to mak is going to be a breeze in comparison.

[Mr Moff]

Hiya mate, I would also recommend the 200p Dob. IMO its the best scope for beginners that will last years.

I have back problems so the Dob is perfect for sitting in an office chair while you can wheel it round following the scope.

heres a picture I took of my 200p a couple of months ago.

Welcome by the way.

[knobby]

Second the office chair ... cheapish, easy height adjustment, manoeverable and comfy!