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Hello SGL and SkyWatcher 130P review

Special K

By Special K
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Special K

Special K

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Hello all! I'm the newby in Herts area (soon to be stuggling with light pollution, condensation, low capability optics, etc) who is now the proud owner of a SkyWatcher 130P. I thought I'd share my experience so far with this telescope as I agonized over the web for several weeks before settling on this one over other comparable makes and models. Before I share that, and how generally happy I am with the choice, a little about me:

I've returned to the hobby as a 40 something after a first brush with astronomy when i was 19. Like many others I always had a high interest in this in high school but didn't think of getting a telescope till later. Unfortunately, I got a 3" Tasco refractor drom the dept store. EP's were no doubt very, very bargain basement. Nevertheless, I checked out a ton of books from the library and became pretty familiar with many constellations and signts. I recall only observing stars and the moon occasionally. Shame I didn't go for planets as this is where the refractor might have been the best. There was a Barlow but I'm sure the product was way overadvertised on how much mag it could produce compared with what it could reasably supply. I had some very good viewing in rural Idaho (and those winter nights can get real cold!!!). Not sure what struck me recently, but I just decided to buy a telescope and thought the kids would enjoy some sights too. I'm amazed at how much of the science I recall from yesteryears and think this has made it pretty effortless to get back into the hobby. Of course, nowadays there is a wealth of experiences shared on the net, and this made my purchase much more informed than if I went into it cold.

My interests I think lie more with deep space objects, and find the lunar examination least inspiring........that's just me. This interest informed my choice of telescope:

Either way, I was always going to buy a Newtonian as you get value for a lower budget and it was simply different than the cheap refractor I had. Budget somewhere around £200. I was going to buy the Celestron Powerseeker 127EQ with a focal length of 1000mm but thought an f/5 focal ratio might be better for my interests. I noted the fact that many people are saying that the higher speed f/5 is less forgiving of poor EP's, so am prepared to bulk up my EP kit with some quality. I even saw the box for the 127EQ and seemed substantial. But pound for pound the choice seemed to be the SkyWatcher 130P (funnily enough it sounds as if the same factories in China are churning out both products!) for 3mm greater aperture, center dot for collimation, red dot finder, and perhaps a more realistic band width of EP lengths. The 10mm and 25mm EP's supplied with the 130P give me 26x and 65x out of the box and it was always my intention to get a good Barlow. Reckoned I'd come without a motor so didn't get the 130PM (note to prospective buyers: the 130PM comes with a Barlow and the 130P does not; I fooled myself into thinking it would come with a Barlow after reading too many specs for the 130PM). So I got the 130P from Amazon......

First good news is I got it the next day, surprise, surprise, and the box was pretty huge!!!! Only disappointment was the absence of the Barlow. Setup is pretty simple and generally pretty exciting as the product looks the part. I like the color and metallic finish to the paint is a nice touch. Without being a die-hard expert, I think the tripod is pretty stable. The unit certainly has quite a weight to it. and can vouch it seemed a lot heavier than the 127EQ. Balanceing seems fine, though it takes a bit of pressure to make it tilt. Therefore, I'm not sure just how finely balanced it actually is but it does the job. The RA and Dec adjustments are smooth, though beware the gear to which you would attach the RA motor can loosen itself if you are like me and see it as a handy little thing to adjust RA during observation. It managed to unscrew itself (because I was tracking and therefore turning it counter-clockwise) from the assembly enough for it to lose traction. No worries, as a phillips screwdriver can put that right later on and the RA knob you are supposed to use still works! (I still use the gear!!!!! It's convenient!)

The instructions are good and contain enough to get started. Certainly you need more detail but the cricitcal bit on collimation is fine. Note that there are only three screws on the primary mirror and that this is merely a cover. Under the cover, you will find the 3 locking and 3 adjusting screws they talk about in the manual. I had to google that bit before I proceeded. I collimated, though it required very little adjustment but thought I'd like to have it as true as possible. No stress and found that enjoyable! I personally like the red dot finder though there are many reviewers who do not. I took quite a bit of time getting it right, though I think it will always need attention to ensure it is on target. For mag 26x and 65x the red dot is doable. Gets you in the right locaiton and I'm impressed so far.

I believe the optics are really nice. Currently I have a BST Explorer 12mm and a Celestron XL 2x Barlow on order so following that should have a better idea how good or rubbish the supplied 10mm and 25mm are. The 25mm seems pretty good and think this will always be a useful item. I have observed a ghost of Jupiter with the 10mm and not sure what is causing this reflection. Still have this after collimation so am hoping it is just the EP. The BST should review the truth. So far, I have only observed the Orion Nebula and it captured that pretty much as expected. Pretty good in fact! I'm struggling with the Andromeda Galaxy and think I'm on it. However, I only see a blurry patch so perhaps I am observing M110 by mistake. I have to say, I'm really enjoying observing Jupiter and her moons right now! This is good stuff and nice to go back and check which moons they are after doing a quick sketch. Moons are clearly visible with the 25mm and the 10mm is super nice for showing them up. I can barely make out the marble texture of Jupiter but it just isn't clear. Again, I'm hopeful for the BST (with attending Barlow).

I've gone for a top Barlow with the idea that it will be a key addition to the kit. After the new 12mm BST comes, I'll later go for high mag and perhaps get a 5mm or 6mm. However, I think I might never get over 260 mag as that would be pushing the telescope beyond optimal limits. Bottom line, I'm really happy with the scope and got it for a reasonable price. Was a little surpised by the cost of EP's but am happy to push the boat out a little bit more for that. This is a great hobby and hope anyone buying a new scope in this price range gets what they are looking for. I think I did. Finally, I'd like to thank all those on this forum who have commented along similar lines as it helped me a great deal when making my choice. Like Jack Horkheimer always used to say, "Keep looking up!"

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VigdisVZ

VigdisVZ

Posted
Posted

Hello there! Your enthusiasm is wonderful to read about. I am also new, hoping to have my new scope delivered soon.

Oh, and the Andromeda really can be a fuzzy blob since only the core is visible in poor conditions ;)

Cheers

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