First Telescope

[DH2001]

Hi all, I am looking to get my first telescope with a budget of £400.00 or less. It will be mainly for viewing planets and any other deep space objects (if possible at that price), although would like to take crisp photographs of the moon with a DSLR as well. I have been considering the Evostar-102 (EQ3-2) 102mm (4") f/1000 Refractor Telescope but would appreciate any other recommendations or opinions on this scope.

Thanks

[Matt Scunthorpe]

For my first scope i picked the Skywatcher 200p on EQ5. I think with the recent price rises its around £430 now whereas i payed £400. Its a very good scope, which is good for planets and deep space objects. It also has a direct DSLR attachment, i use a Sony Alpha 230 for moon and solar pictures, ive yet to go into planet imagining as you mainly use a webcam.

another option is to go for a dobsonion telescope, they are very popular and normally cheaper than a normal scope, such as the 200p.

Other people will have a lot better advice than i do as i've not been doing this long, but my advice is spend a bit of time looking around, don't rush into buying one, or you might see one later you would of rather bought.

[MBJ]

I have the 200p and i love it,i use a webcam for planets and the moon and a dslr for deep sky and have got some good images.

[Quatermass]

Go for the 200p on the eq5 or the 150p for that price range that would be a great setup. I love my 200p and eq5 best thing I ever spent money on.

See my blog for what can be done with it.

Sent from my GT-S5670 using Tapatalk 2

[farunj]

Yes I agree with them all. I am also gonna buy the 200p soon!!

[kitsune]

Hi all, I am looking to get my first telescope with a budget of £400.00 or less. It will be mainly for viewing planets and any other deep space objects (if possible at that price), although would like to take crisp photographs of the moon with a DSLR as well. I have been considering the Evostar-102 (EQ3-2) 102mm (4") f/1000 Refractor Telescope but would appreciate any other recommendations or opinions on this scope.

Thanks

I'm a beginner just like you. Just as a word of warning, the EQ5 mount weighs around 16.5 kg and is not very portable.

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/89362-look-at-the-size-of-that-thing/

[Ganymede12]

Skyliner 200P is what I would go for (I really want one myself!) whether or not you spend the extra money on an EQ5 mount or save the money for other things is entirely up to you. Personally I would hold back on the EQ5 and buy some book's, EP's, an ironing chair etc.

[Matt Scunthorpe]

I wouldnt say the EQ5 mount isnt very portable, i dont have any problems moving it around, but all in all the setup isnt that light with the counter weights as well. As Ganymede says, the Skyliner is another option if your not bothered about a scope on a mount.

[farunj]

Yea well for afocal shots of the moon you won't need the equatorial mount. However if you decide that you want to pursue photography you will need the EQ mount!!

[rwilkey]

+1 for the 200P, a great scope and superb range of DSO's can be seen, as well as feint nebula, go for the Skyliner if you want more portability and ease of use (altazimuth mount is easier to use than an equatorial (EQ) in my opinion for a beginner).

[stevetynant]

I think I would go for the 200p Dob (Skyliner) as well. The two main advantages would be

1 Its cheaper so you can buy additional bits of kit - eye pieces, collimators, books etc.

2 Its easier and quicker to set up when you want to observe.

If your just starting as I am you can use the extra time and money to observe - you can always buy an equatorial mount further down the line if you think A/P may be for you.

But I think the best piece advice really is not to rush your decision - do your research - ask loads of questions on this forum and canvass opinion we will all have our personal preferences and practically all will be valid.

Good luck anyway - getting to base camp is sometimes the hardest and you don't want to regret later on so don't be afraid to ask questions.

[kitsune]

I wouldnt say the EQ5 mount isnt very portable, i dont have any problems moving it around, but all in all the setup isnt that light with the counter weights as well. As Ganymede says, the Skyliner is another option if your not bothered about a scope on a mount.

I guess that's true. I considered it prudent to mention the weight and size of an EQ5 mount since he didn't mention his means of transportation. If DH2001 doesn't have a car and has to transport his telescope by foot for a couple of miles, an EQ5 mount is not a realistic or viable option according to most people on here. If you only have to move it to your backyard I think that there probably won't be a problem. Similarly, I think a 200p Dobson weighs around 24kg with its rocker box.

Take this with a grain of salt however, I've never had an EQ5 in my hands as of yet

I think most beginners (like myself) have no clear idea about the size, dimensions and weight of most telescopes. I was very surprised when I first saw the pictures of telescopes next to their owners.

I decided on an AZ4 mount because of this, and went for a Skywatcher 150PDS Explorer (Waiting for their arrival as I'm writing this).

[Matt Scunthorpe]

Yeah i understand what you mean, i think one of the main problems is the scopes are a lot bigger than what you expect, for me personally the 200p is just on the max size i can move comfortably on my own, theres nothing like that feeling when your carrying it out to the car and you know your neighbours are looking thinking what the ..... There is a thread on here, i cant find it at the moment, but alot of posts with people holding their scopes and next to them, you might be talking about that one if you've seen it. I know i was shocked by how big the box that landed on my front door was, and then another shock when told another would be delivered the next day. But its a great scope so i cannot complain.

[DH2001]

Thanks all for the replies. The images of the Skywatcher Explorer look amazing! far better than I had ever imagined for a scope in this price range. However my main problem is that it also look'S A LOT bigger than I had imagined as well I live in London where there is a lot of light pollution, so I am assuming all I would be able to see is the moon? Therefore i'd need something relateively small and portable that can be packed in the car for camping trips.

At a minimum i'd like to get some decent shots of the moon with a DSLR, although if possible would like to get a lot more.

[Aenima]

Hi DH2001,

I recently bought the 200p/EQ5 and can report that it is huge, nice but huge. Mainly a backyard scope unless you are fit and own a car. Although I havent seen the AZ4 up close I do know that it goes well with the 150p and easy to use, too. But either way as a starter scope I went for a Goto mount as I did not know the sky or how to locate objects in it. The 130p is a lot smaller than the other scopes mentioned and will be pushed to its limit by a DSLR as well as being AZ and not EQ, so webcam only. Looking back my choice would be different. Ideally I would have gone for the 150p on AZ4 mount - and if budget didnt stretch then with option of adding goto motorised kit later. (not cheap - best bought in the first place with the scope as together the price is much lower than buying seperate) Goto for my new scope is £300!!

As for light pollution, the moon is not the only object in a city. All the major planets will be viewable - and on a webcam, imageable too - Saturn, Mars, Jupiter etc. and sometimes light filters will help.

Otherwise I have seen great results- photography-wise - from the refractors 102ED etc. but for the money its pricey all round.

With some effort and perseverence people are getting amazing results from set-ups like the 200p/EQ5 and 150p/AZ4 and great views in the Skyliners 150p dob or 200p dob with webcams attached dob's can image moon, sun, planets rather well.

The EQ's are for long exposure like DSO's using motors and guide cams to track them. But for a webcam (Mine cost £5.00 - xbox livecam - it really does quite well) any set-up will use them for planetary imaging.

Anyway, I know it can be tense buying first scopes so hope this helps. Take a day off, ask more questions, and either way have fun with it.

Good luck

Regards

Aenima

PS. GoTo is the 40.000 object computer controlled system.

[DH2001]

Thanks for the reply Aenima. I do have a car, but the problem is that it's a long drive to get away from all the light pollution. So taking the telescope would be an addition on trips, rather than going out just with the telescope.

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but why would the 130p be webcam only and not DSLR? Can you not add on adapters? Having not used a webcam before, I would have assumed that the quality and control over taking pics is really bad compared to a DSLR?

It's nice to know all the planets are viewable, i'm assuming you wouldn't see much else in a city though? Fir a city scope would it be best to go for a refractor rather than a reflector scope or is there not a lot of difference?

Regards,

Dan

[Matt Scunthorpe]

You've got to remember the mount is carrying the weight of the scope to start with, and adding extra bits and bobs puts more weight onto the mount, I dont know all the different mounts, but some of the smaller scopes, the mounts may be getting to their tolerances with the scope alone, and adding say a DSLR, could be too much as when you turn the scope it would become unbalanced. Other people will be able to give more info on that, I have only used a DSLR on an EQ5

[Aenima]

Hi,

yes the 130p is full weight for its mount(if its the AZ goto) and also I heard that due to a small focal length some dslr's have trouble achieving focus, but its mainly weight. The 'wobbles' are bad when trying to take clear images.

The webcams work quite well once youve got the object in center view, they take a section of video which you clean up and stack the frames in free program REGISTAX that gives you a final image that has all the best single frames stacked so you can touch it up in a image processor.

Its not as sketchy as it sounds but does take a little work.

regards

Aenima

[kitsune]

Hi,

yes the 130p is full weight for its mount(if its the AZ goto) and also I heard that due to a small focal length some dslr's have trouble achieving focus, but its mainly weight. The 'wobbles' are bad when trying to take clear images.

The webcams work quite well once youve got the object in center view, they take a section of video which you clean up and stack the frames in free program REGISTAX that gives you a final image that has all the best single frames stacked so you can touch it up in a image processor.

Its not as sketchy as it sounds but does take a little work.

regards

Aenima

There's also the 130PDS... which theoretically should be better for astrophotography (at least Skywatcher sells it as an astrophotography reflector, I have no experience with it)

[Aenima]

Good point. I dont think the 130p is unusable for AP but on the azgoto mount its unlikely to get results with deep sky images, although i know it has been done - using modified webcam and careful alignment, also using less than two minutes worth of tracking to escape field rotation making the stars trail. Maybe the 130Pds is mounted better? CAN be mounted better? Its a nice little scope and always worth a try. Just had no luck with mine.

Regards

Jay

[DH2001]

Thanks for all the replies so far. So after a bit more thought (mainly the fact I didn't realize telescopes were so big!) i've decided to go for a cheaper smaller scope and just attach a webcam for imaging.

So What i'm after now is something under £250 that is small and portable (not too worried about weight, just size) that will give crisp sharp images of the moon and hopefully sun spots? (especially when used with a webcam for images) I've been looking at a couple of the following scopes and would appreciate some feedback on them (I have assumed they are smaller from images i've seen, but please correct me if i'm wrong):

EVOSTAR-90 (EQ2)

Skywatcher Explorer 2 (EQ2)

Skywatcher Heritage 130p Dob (will this be a bad choice if I want to take images?)

Skywatcher 90mm MAK

Any other recommendations?

Also, as I will need to take images with a webcam and not a DSLR. Do I need any other equipment other than the webcam itself?

If at a future date I decided to get a larger scope (such as the 200p/eq5), would I be able to view any deep space objects in a town where there's lots of house lights or do you need to go somewhere remote?

Thanks,

Dan

[cantab]

I think the Heritage will handle a webcam fine, though not a heavier DSLR. The extra aperture compared to the refractor or Mak should also give it the edge for visual observing.

Certainly you can view deep-sky objects from urban areas, but the conditions won't help. I think galaxies are the worst affected, as they often have low surface brightness so the skyglow washes them out and they can't be improved by filters.

[dreamofsirius]

I'm a beginner just like you. Just as a word of warning, the EQ5 mount weighs around 16.5 kg and is not very portable.

http://stargazerslou...-of-that-thing/

THE WEIGHTS ARE 5.5 KILO EACH PUT THEM IN A GOOD BACK PACK THATS BEST WAY OR MARRY A BIG STRONG WOMAN OR MAN

[DH2001]

I think the Heritage will handle a webcam fine, though not a heavier DSLR. The extra aperture compared to the refractor or Mak should also give it the edge for visual observing.

Certainly you can view deep-sky objects from urban areas, but the conditions won't help. I think galaxies are the worst affected, as they often have low surface brightness so the skyglow washes them out and they can't be improved by filters.

Thanks, so quality wise, the Heritigage would be the best on the list?

THE WEIGHTS ARE 5.5 KILO EACH PUT THEM IN A GOOD BACK PACK THATS BEST WAY OR MARRY A BIG STRONG WOMAN OR MAN

Would love to try and see you try and squeeze that thing in a backpack

[Aenima]

Thanks for all the replies so far. So after a bit more thought (mainly the fact I didn't realize telescopes were so big!) i've decided to go for a cheaper smaller scope and just attach a webcam for imaging.

So What i'm after now is something under £250 that is small and portable (not too worried about weight, just size) that will give crisp sharp images of the moon and hopefully sun spots? (especially when used with a webcam for images) I've been looking at a couple of the following scopes and would appreciate some feedback on them (I have assumed they are smaller from images i've seen, but please correct me if i'm wrong):

EVOSTAR-90 (EQ2)

Skywatcher Explorer 2 (EQ2)

Skywatcher Heritage 130p Dob (will this be a bad choice if I want to take images?)

Skywatcher 90mm MAK

Any other recommendations?

Also, as I will need to take images with a webcam and not a DSLR. Do I need any other equipment other than the webcam itself?

If at a future date I decided to get a larger scope (such as the 200p/eq5), would I be able to view any deep space objects in a town where there's lots of house lights or do you need to go somewhere remote?

Thanks,

Dan

Hi Dan,

My first scope was a SW Explorer 130p with AZgoto mount, and its the same aperture as the heritage so I just want to put my bit in.

First I think you'll get on fine with a webcam in pretty much any scope, including the dobs. For your budget you could either the heritage 130 or a 130p on a small EQmount which will improve your chances of good astro pictures down the line, even allow for a DSLR (the new 130PD Explorer is well made and has attachment for DSLR's) With this scope I have - Seen saturns rings, jupiters cloudbelts and moons,great views of the moon and venus's phases. Also I have used a xbox webcam to image - A great pic of mars, showing polar ice cap. Saturn showing some slight surface cloud banding and Jupiter is a very good target for this scope and webcam (BTW the xbox cam cost a fiver on ebay and the whole mod inc ir filter and nosepiece adapter all in £35 bucks.

If you cant afford Goto (and truthfully its cheaper to get it all inc than buy seperate later which is a big expense.) or simply like the idea of finding things yourself with skycharts and maps of stars, then you'll be good on budget and have a decent scope. Plus those little dobs or 130's on medium sized tripods are quite reasonable to move as they will all easily split into two pieces for either car or a well made modified strap n pack (I know some people use a cricket bag for a 130mm padded with a camping mat, with tripod strapped to a rucksack but personally I havent tried this, I walk it a few metres with a extension for power.

Anyway, sorry to waffle on, just wanted to give you an idea of the 130mm type scopes, there are, of course, many other options - check out the net under other types of mounting, and scopes, too.

Good luck with it,

Regards

Aenima

PS any thing you'd want to ask just post or pm me i'd be happy to help if I can.