Some advice for first time buyer needed

[Hythlodaeus]

Hey folks, Ive been looking at telescopes for the last couple weeks pondering which to buy.

I'm new to astronomy and looking for a decent scope, with a budget of about £500.

For this budget I'm thinking off the following set-up: >Scope

>Collimator

>Light pollution Filter

>Maybe an eyepiece or two

I've had a good look around and read reviews etc for various scopes, I'm thinking of getting the Skywatcher Explorer 200

http://www.firstligh...r-200p-eq5.html

From what ive read this is the same as the skyliner 200 dobsonian, just different mounts.

The dobsonian price wise is tempting - leaving cash for shiney eyepieces and other kit, but I'm sure I would upgrade the mount to an EQ one and add a computer tracking systems sooner or later.

Most likely ordering from FLO they seem to be the most reputable, has anyone had a price match from them?

Ive seen the explorer 200 EQ5 from here

http://www.optical-s...#38;language=gb

abit cheaper, though havent read anything about this site good/bad so not sure about it, do you think FLO will price match this?

I've also been looking at extra eyepieces, to add to the 10mm and 25 mm ones that come with the scope.

I'm thinking of a 5mm or 6mm one for more detail oberving, something like

http://www.firstligh...rthoscopic.html

or the 6.3mm

http://www.firstligh...-eyepieces.html

Am i right in thinking for the Explorer 200, a 5mm eyepiece is the max this scope can take?

Going by 1000 (aperature) / 5 (eyepiece) = 200 x2 (barlow) = 400

Is this the Highest Practical Power (Potential): x400 of the scope?

Found a website that compares a telescope/eyepiece set up views of various objects http://www.12dstring.me.uk/fov.htm

Can anyone give any info on this site, if its a good idea of the sort of images attainable. The Explorer 200 with x2 barlow and 5mm Baader eyepiece views look great.

[crazyjedi]

Hi, Yes the SkyWatcher 8 inch Newts are good scopes (regadless of mount) and it is very much up to you with regards to which mount you go with. I have always had an EQ mount and get on well with them but they do take longer to set up than a Dob.

I wouldn't rush out to pick up a short focal length high power lens though. I have a Meade 5000 5.5mm lens that is a very nice lens but rarely gets used as the seeing conditions are almost never good enough for it. You may wish to upgrade the standard lenses that came with your scope instead. I tend to use a 25mm lens and a 12mm lens most often and have upgraded to nice quality lenses in these focal lengths. I'm eyeing up a nice quality 10mm EP too for when funds allowv (or maybe for christmas)

A nice UHC or OIII filter might be nice with your scope too for picking out nebulae. The lens that you use will depend on what you hope to view. Bright objects such as planets are best viewed through the higher power lenses but DSO's (nebulae galaxies etc) are best viewed through mid/low power lenses as they offer more light grasp to view the faint parts of these objects.

[farunj]

I guess the 200p is best!! heard a lot of good reviews about it and am planning on getting 1 soon!!

[faulksy]

good choice in scope well reccomended on here. i have never used flo but a lot do and they are very good, i always use rother valley optics they do price match. good luck

[Carbon Brush]

Another thumbs up for the 200P. I bought one 2nd hand a while back as part of a package from someone giving up the hobby. I only wanted the goto mount and intended to sell on the scope. But I was so impressed by the build quality and view for the ££ that I kept it.

Also a recommendation for buying from FLO. They will provide backup and advice. There is lots of advice on here though. For customer service and support FLO are at (or very near) the top of the list astro retailers in my opinion.

[JamesF]

I agree about not rushing out and buying eyepieces. Get a feel for what you'd really like to have first. It may well be that once you've got the hang of using the scope you'd really prefer a nice wide field eyepiece, or something in the mid-range to get a better view of smaller DSOs.

If you've not done so already it's worth considering the space it will take up when not out under the stars, too. A 200P and EQ5 isn't really something that hides quietly in the corner of the room.

James

[Steve Ward]

Good timing !

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/155764-clearance-skywatcher-explorer-200p-ota/

[NGC 1502]

It may well be that once you've got the hang of using the scope you'd really prefer a nice wide field eyepiece, or something in the mid-range to get a better view of smaller DSOs James

I definitely agree with this, to upgrade the supplied eyepieces first, as they will be the ones that are used the most. A high power one like a 5mm will see much less use.

Regards, Ed.

[stevetynant]

Hi H and first of all welcome to SGL

The 200p on both mounts will give you a fantastic start into this hobby but I'm going to throw my recommendation into the Dob Mount rather than the EQ.

For a £500 budget you will have more to play with after your initial purchase of the scope - and believe me £200 in accessories can be eaten up in the blink of an eye. Don't go spending on extra lens just yet - certainly not high power ones like the 5 or 6mm you are considering. Whilst your scope will have the theoretical power to magnify by 400x the abilities of most scope in the UK are limited by the "seeing" ie the atmospheric conditions that limit what you are actually able to see - usually you would be looking at somewhere between 200x to 250 x as a maximum so high power lens whilst nice to have for the occasional great nights we have in the UK are fine but you will get limited use from them.

The Dob mount is easier and quicker to assemble and takes less space to pack away and store. If you then fancy a journey into Photography later on you can buy yourself a new mount and attach the scope - but you are probably talking £500 to £700 for something approaching the stability required for DSO photos.

You can make yourself a setting circle and use a Wixey Which would cost less than £40 together to give you Goto or rather Push to capabilities for star finding if thats what you think you need..

Don't rush into it though - take as many opinions as you can and ask loads of questions - you won't be disappointed with either set up

good luck with your choice

Steve

[Capricorn]

Never heard of Optical-Systems, but I see they have a .co.uk web site and are based in Munich.

Why not .de as I would expect.

Also they say: Temporarily not available.

For the scope you have listed, so at this time you cannot actually get one from them.

The scope will not deliver 400x, stop reading everything that is said as truth.

You will get 250x and if you buy a good eyepiece, collimate it well, cool it down, have a steady atmosphere and if the gods of astronomy smile on you then 300x.

Mathematically if I get a 5mm eyepiece and a 5x barlow I will get 1000x out of it.

The numbers show it and they are correct.

Yes it will be 1000x and it will also be utterly and completely useless.

[Spec-Chum]

Mathematically if I get a 5mm eyepiece and a 5x barlow I will get 1000x out of it.

The numbers show it and they are correct.

Yes it will be 1000x and it will also be utterly and completely useless.

...it'd give fantastic views of the clouds tho

[crazyjedi]

Never heard of Optical-Systems, but I see they have a .co.uk web site and are based in Munich.

Why not .de as I would expect.

Also they say: Temporarily not available.

For the scope you have listed, so at this time you cannot actually get one from them.

The scope will not deliver 400x, stop reading everything that is said as truth.

You will get 250x and if you buy a good eyepiece, collimate it well, cool it down, have a steady atmosphere and if the gods of astronomy smile on you then 300x.

Mathematically if I get a 5mm eyepiece and a 5x barlow I will get 1000x out of it.

The numbers show it and they are correct.

Yes it will be 1000x and it will also be utterly and completely useless.

Totally agree with this. The max usable power for any scope is never really achievable. even under the best of conditions.

Try not to get too hung up on the quoted powers. wait until you have used your scope and got a feel for it and then uograde the lenses as needed. something around the 9 or 10mm focal length is normally good for high power planetary work and something around 24/25mm is good for DSO's. You may want to look at some of the premium wide angle lenses too as they can improve your experience

[paul schofield]

+ 1 for the 200p Dob, awesome scope for just over £300. Gives you a bit over for eyepiece upgrades when the time comes, or a really nice 2inch ep. Let us know what you settle on. Good luck.

[newbie kev]

I've got the skyliner 200p dob and love it, if and when we get clear skies its quick to set up and great fun just star hopping. As advised above dont rush and buy one of the high power eyepieces, I did and it hardly ever gets used, conditions where I live have to be pretty perfect. The 125mm lens supplied with the scope is not a bad bit of kit but i have upgraded the 10mm one for one with a wider FOV, Strongly recommend this scope, all the best and clear skies