Explorer 130

[redbatman]

I am still debating whether or not to buy a telescope. I had lots of advice and from this I know the dobsonian 200p is a good scope but it costs close on £300. I can get the explorer 130 on an EQ2 mount for £150. Anyone know how big a difference I would find between these?

[nmoushon]

Strictly from aperture stand point there will be quit a difference. Then you also have to take into consideration your local LP. Which will effect that more. I could be wrong on this but unless your planning on getting into imaging an EQ mount is difficult to manuver and find stuff without GOTO, or at least tracking motors, than an Alt/Az mount.(which is basically what the Dob sits on.) If 300 quid is really pushing your budget than get something smaller. Regretting a purchase is one of the worst feelings. The 150p is also an good option if you are really not wanting the spend the 300. But unless your wanting to get into imaging, which it doesnt sound like, my suggestion would be to stick with at least a dob. You will find it easier to navigate the sky with a dob than anything on a EQ mount. Which in turn means more enjoyment for you, which is the most important thing. Also you could try looking for a second scope which could save you some money or for the same price get something bigger or get you your 200p plus a could extra eye pieces.

[onesmallstep]

Hi and welcome to SGL

The main differences would be the mount as the Dob is mounted on a rocker box that moves in AltAz motion only (Altitiude / Azimuth. i.e up/down. left/right). The 130 is mounted on an equatorial (EQ) mount which needs to be aligned to compensate for the Earth's rotation. The other difference is the aperture / light grasp of both scopes with the 200P gathering 156% more light that the 130.

An alternative is to buy the Skyliner 150P. This is the 6 inch version of the Dob and grasps more light than the 130 (44% more) and is easier to use than EQ mounts as there is no alignment procedure to go through before the scope can be used. The Skyliner 150P costs approx £200 but you get more for your money as the P stands for parabolic and refers to the curvature of the mirror. This curvature brings the light to a specific focal point and gives sharper images as a result.

http://www.firstligh...plorer-130.html

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

HTH!

[Ad Astra]

I highly recommend the 150-P Dobsonian. I have 12 of them (really!) and all my astronomy students learn on this equipment. The perfect combination of excellent optics, light weight, portability, and optical performance. You would have to go a long way to find something better for the money.

You are welcome to PM me if you have further questions.

Dan

[redbatman]

Thanks for all the replies. More and more it looks like it is worth paying a bit more ang getting the dobsonian. I will try and get a look through some scopes before I part with my cash but looks like this advice had saved me making a potential mistake early on. Thanks again.

[onesmallstep]

Hi

The link is for the Federation of Astronomical Societies and lists clubs by area. Hopefully you can find a local group and attend a meeting and/or public observing session.

http://fedastro.org.uk/fas/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=8

HTH!