Skywatcher Startravel 150

[Hex]

Has anyone out there any experience of the Skywatcher Startravel 150? CA is not an issue for me as I would only be pointing it a fuzzy blobs, I have an ED for Solar system objects and doubles. You almost never hear anything of them, I'm surprise they still make them, must be a very small market.

[John]

I've used a number of the F/8 Evostar 150's but not a Startravel. Here is a review of the Celestron version which seems to point to it being a useful deep sky scope:

http://www.astromart.com/articles/article.asp?article_id=708

[JamesF]

At over 6.5kg I'm not sure I'd agree with his opinion that it's "light weight" though

James

[nightfisher]

I had the helios version for a while, i quite liked it, and "pimped" it with carbon vinyl wrap, and a dual speed focuser, which was a huge improvement, the CA was not horrendous for such a scope, and i never really used it for dso`s as im more planet/lunar man, one thing with this scope, its really front heavy

[JamesF]

I put a dual-speed focuser on my ST120. It's much nicer to use as a result. Not that it was horrible before, but the dual-speed crayford just feels so much nicer to use and makes fine adjustment much easier.

James

[Graham Darke]

I used to have the Helios version. As long as magnifications were kept low it was a cracking deep sky scope. Excelled at large diffuse nebulae like Rosette, Veil and North America nebula. Even saw Horsehead Nebula through it with H beta filter.

[Hex]

I used to have the Helios version. As long as magnifications were kept low it was a cracking deep sky scope. Excelled at large diffuse nebulae like Rosette, Veil and North America nebula. Even saw Horsehead Nebula through it with H beta filter.

Ummm. encouraging. It would look quite cool on a SkyTee next to my ED100 too.

[Carbon Brush]

I used to have a Startravel 102.

Nice enough at low magnification. CA showing at high mag. Definitely very good for the money.

With scope (no pun intended) to improve the performance by better blackening, better EP, etc.

[Peter Drew]

I have a 150mm Startravel fitted to my 16" SCT as a finder. Very nice images at lowish powers and works well with a video camera.

[ollypenrice]

They are dirt cheap second hand. That's great if you want to buy a second hand one but not great if you buy a new one and don't get on with it!!

I still have a 6 inch F8. Not bad at all.

Olly

[Hex]

That is the one thing that puts me off, if I don't like it I'd never get rid of it. I do like short tubes, I had one once and really enjoyed the vistas it gave, fl 8 is far to long for me.

[Hex]

Ummmm, I'm starting to off the idea. I'm looking for a little more aperture but don't really have the space. I did toy with a ED120 but then I hear so many talk about the disappointment of going from a 8 to a 10 inch dob (sometimes a bigger jump) I really can't see 20mm been worth the extra 600 quid to change scope and the 300 to put a GIRO III head on my pod to handle it, and thatss taking the sale of my ED100 into account.... I'm sure the fever will subside once there are some planets worth viewing again, its never touched me before.