40 hours from the big decision!

[mikey32shaw]

Hi all, I'm sure this has been answered a thousand times and I have tried to use the search function :-) I am taking the plunge and buying my first scope on Saturday and I am unsure which to choose. I have about £400 ( it's all I'm allowed of the other half ) So my choices seem to be skywatcher 150 or 200p the 200 comes with the EQ5 and I do want to use it for imaging but I won't be able to afford the motor drives. But if I go the 150p route I could afford the motor drives the same day. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Inexperienced Mike

[LukeSkywatcher]

You really are between a rock and a hard place.

I would say that because this is your first ever scope, go for the 200P because 8" is better then 6" (most will agree). Learn to use the scope and love the views it gives you. Take your time with it. Astro-imaging is a big learning curve and you dont really need to jump right in from the start. In the future when you are comfortable using your scope, then you can always add the motors. As far as i know you will only really need to buy a RA motor for the scope so that it tracks objects.

Hope this helps. I am sure other will be along to advise you more and better, but i say for now........................get the biggest aperture (200mm).

P.S.~~~welcome to SGL.

[Uranium235]

A rock and a hard place indeed, a couple of extra hundred pounds would increase your options. Example, a new CG5-GT with a 2nd hand scope. The CG5 is basically the same mount with beefier legs and better handset software.

If your eventual goal is astro imaging, size doesnt really matter as much as speed. The 150 and 200 are identical in speed, except one has a FL of 750mm and the other is 1000mm. For a beginner, I'd say 1000mm is a bit optimistic with a basic mount. The 200 is also a heavy(ish) bit of kit for an EQ5 (or even a cg5) to do any serious imaging with, Ive seldom pushed my cg5 past 7.5kg as anything heavier than that gets rather wobbly.

[mikey32shaw]

Thanks so much for your replies, think its going to go own to the wire. I'm leaning towards the 200p myself partyly because my daughter of 7 is also interested and I don't want her underwhelmed with the viewing.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Thanks so much for your replies, think its going to go own to the wire. I'm leaning towards the 200p myself partyly because my daughter of 7 is also interested and I don't want her underwhelmed with the viewing.

Honestly i can only say it again given that you now mention a child who is also interested. On your strict budget from SWMBO (the wife), go for the 200P and forget about imaging for the moment.

In the future it wont cost you too much to add a motor drive to your setup. If you CAN stretch the budget right now a couple of hundred then you can kill two birds with one stone......................but times are hard and there really is no need at this moment in time to spend money you cant afford on imaging.

This is just my opinion. Eventually you will get round to concentrating on imaging if that is what you want. I dont see the need to worry about it right now.

If your eventual goal is astro imaging, size doesnt really matter as much as speed

This is very true. For purely visual astronomy, there is quite a difference though between 150mm and 200mm.

Paul.

[BuzzBomb]

Depends what you want to image. The 200 on an EQ5 will be fine visually and for solar system stuff. If you are looking at eventually doing deep sky stuff, you will probably want to move the EQ5 on and get something bigger and beefier (and more expensive!)

I'd go for the 200 to start and see how you get on.

[ollypenrice]

You are likely to make some bad compromises by factoring in the imaging. An inadequate mount will not do it. When you start out you read up on motor drives and think, 'a motor driven mount will let me take deep sky images.' It is more complicated than that. It has to be a good driven mount and it needs a lot of other stuff supporting it if your ideas are based on what you see here on the deep sky imaging board. Personally I'd remove deep sky imaging from the story and make fewer compromises as a result. I say that as a passionate deep sky imager.

A thought on observing with children, something I enjoy doing in my working life. Most deep sky objects are frankly a bit underwhelming for children in a half metre scope at high altitude under a world class dark sky. They are grabbed by a few - M13, M42, M51... However, Saturn, the moon, Jupiter... now you're talking!

I say these things not to dampen your enthusiasm but to pass on what I think really works in the contexts you describe. Getting children to the EP is a wonderful thing but very fait fuzzy smudges, which get us all wound up, generally don't cut it with youngsters.

Olly

http://ollypenrice.smugmug.com/Other/Best-of-Les-Granges/22435624_WLMPTM#!i=1793644788&k=r8HTK72

[BuzzBomb]

Good point, sir.

Kids love the big 'Wow!' factor. Grey smudges don't do anything for them!

[LukeSkywatcher]

I think Olly just summarised my feelings. You are losing a lot visually by factoring in the imaging aspect (on your budget at this moment in time).

He also brings up a very good point.................

Kids are only wowed by the moon and the planets..............things they can comprehend. There are few DSO that will grab their attention (the BIG and BRIGHT ones).

Good post Olly.

[cyborg421]

Hi Mike,

Have you ever looked through a scope and do you understand what you might see? If you are expecting Hubble like images then you are likely to be disappointed. I would recommend going to a local club and looking through a few different scopes before parting with your money. It will give you a little more idea of what to expect and you will also get some good advice (SGL notwithstanding)

It is also worth seeing it in the flesh as it were as it might be bigger than you think and it will need storing ( don't tell the missus about that yet though!). In the meantime get a pair of binoculars and learn the sky and get used to the different conditions. It will help when you get your scope.

If you're still determined to buy then the 200 on a good mount is the one to go for and will be a good buy for the money. Beware though the £400 will only be the start! You'll be wanting eyepieces, filters...........etc.

Simon

[cyborg421]

And forget imaging for the moment.

Simon

[lestergibson]

I got my first scope a couple of months ago. I sussed early on from SGL that I should stay as far away as I can from imaging, apart from using my mobile:) They were right; getting my head around the basics is keeping me busy enough. The advice here is that aperture is king. I went for the 200p dob and I'm glad I did.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Beware though the £400 will only be the start! You'll be wanting eyepieces, filters...........etc.

Oh man, aint that the truth. The scope is about the cheapest part of the hobby. Its the added extras that cost.

I didnt want to mention that incase it scared Mikey off.

[mikey32shaw]

Once again thanks for the replies, in response to Simon I have been down to e local club and also had a telescope ten years ago so I do expect limitations but hope that scopes have moved on from my first tasco But take on board what you say regarding further costs. I'm happy to just get the main amount spent first then get the other other additions as my hobby grows. Well I will let you all know what I went for on Saturday afternoon after one last trip to Stockport telescopes

[JamesM]

I totally agree with Ollie above regarding imaging - the mount is everything. Having said that, you could of course appease your imaging desires by limiting your targets to just solar system objects (moon and planets) with the use of a simple webcam. Unlike say a DSLR, the webcam can take a vast amount of frames within a very short time period thus avoiding the issues of accurate tracking (essential on deep sky objects - DSO's) and also the problems of imaging through all that atmosphere which rarely stays still. There is plenty of free software around to help you select the best 'frames' from your webcam which you then stack on top of each other to create a final composite image. This system can be used on basically any scope and although the results may not be perfect, it will certainly keep you going until you decide to build a proper imaging 'rig' to capture those DSO's!

Hope it goes well on Saturday and whilst the wallet is out, you might want to think about getting a hold of a copy of Steve Richards' "Making Every Photon Count" (FLO £19.95) which you can see here. It is modestly priced (so won't upset the better half!) and is a very comprehensive guide to all that you need to know with regards to imaging. Having this overview is essential in the longer term as this book will help you avoid buying the wrong kit and therefore it will probably save you money etc.

Clear skies

James

[cantharis]

I have ordered the iOptron GOTO for my EQ5. When it arrives I will be selling the DEC and RA motor drives.

[cyborg421]

Hi Mike,

Nothing wrong with a Tasco, it helped me learn the skies, many moons ago. I remember seeing Andromeda through it still.

i didn't appreciate fully the dark skies that I had then though.

Best of luck with the purchase and enjoy!

Simon

[PorkyB]

Hello Mike,

My 2p worth... Buy the 200P-EQ5 (I have one, it's great). Then get some decent eyepieces, you don't have to spend a fortune, BSTs are under £50. Then get the RA motor, it's £70 or you might get one second hand (see above).

By this time you will have had plenty of experience finding your way around the skies with a good quality scope. You will also have mastered the art of using an EQ mount.

Then think about imaging. You won't have bought anything that you would want to replace in a hurry.

[boabsta]

Hi Mike, can I just add that if your going to share your scope with your 7 year old you will be wise to get a small set of steps. Eyepiece's can end up quite far from the ground and 7 year olds can get heavy.