First scope advice: Sky Watcher 200P Dob vs. 250PX Dob. Arrghh! I just can’t decide!

[dwr3000]

Hi all. I’ve been reading the forum with great interest for the past few weeks, trying to decide which first scope to get. I want a good all rounder – I want to observe planets and DSO, but I suppose if I’m leaning towards one, it would be DSOs – galaxies & nebulae, ticking off those Messier objects! Hence my choice for a Newtonian. I want something I can transport. I’m 5’10” and quite capable of carrying a 15kg OTA and 16kg base/mount short distances. The equipment will be stored in my garage and set up in my garden on occasions, but mostly transported by car to suitable dark sky spots as I have quite a bit of street light pollution at home. I can’t see myself carrying it too far, so portability and ease to set up is important. As I want to learn my way around the sky, I think I’ll avoid a GoTo for now, so a standard Dobsonian base is what I’m thinking of.

So I’ve narrowed my choices down to an 8” or 10” Dob scope: the Sky Watcher 200P or 250PX. Many of you rate them highly. I’ve read that aperture is king (mostly) but would you say the 10” is significantly better than the 8”? In what ways? I really can’t decide between the two!

With AP in mind down the line, I would like to mount the OTA on an EQ mount. The HEQ5 Pro and NEQ6 Pro are the only serious options here. As the 10” is heavy, plus if I added a guidescope, camera, etc. it would have to be the NEQ6. Can you mount an ex-Dob scope on an EQ mount? Has anybody done this?

Also, could I add a 2” Dual Speed Crayford Focuser and attach it to an ex-Dob OTA. Would this effectively turn the OTA into the PDS version?

Or is this a silly idea - trying to convert a Dob observing scope into a EQ mounted AP scope? I note many of the best AP results here are delivered by 4”+ ED Refractors. Having said that, there are some great examples on SGL with Newts. So should I have a scope for observing and another for AP? Or a good adaptable all rounder?

Finally, can you use these scopes to view the sun without damaging them? Obviously I’d need a solar filter – which one? Do you also need EP filters?

My initial budget is around £500-600 including all essential accessories needed to start with, e.g. collimator, telrad and RAE finderscope. I will buy EPs, filters and a Barlow once I’ve gotten the hang of my starter equipment. I’ll also get dew prevention and flocking material to improve my viewing experience later on. Am I missing anything?

Thank you in advance and thank you for all the good advice I've already seen in other posts which has influenced me. Apologies if any of these questions have been asked by others before.

Dan

Celestron 20x80 bins & tripod, Helios 10x50 bins

Turn Left at Orion & Planisphere

[Velvet]

hello and welcome.

I have Skywatcher 200 on NEQ6 mount and am very pleased with it for a good all rounder. The 10" may be a bit of a monster to keep putting on the EQ mount? But as you say some say people say aoperture is king, I am NOT one of those.

I cannot advise about dob's on EQ mounts but i have seen that it is possible and has been done. i am sure someone else would advise. If you want to do AP then I would recommend the NEQ6 mount to all

Clear skies and good advice

Velvet

[bingevader]

A dob is a newt, just mounted in a different way.

However, if you think AP is for you, then that probably needs to be higher up the agenda now.

You'd be better off buying something more suited to that than buying kit and having to cobble something together at a later date.

It will probably turn out more cost effective in the long run too.

Cheers

[Sam]

I had a an Orion XT8 (basically a skywatchers 200) Dob which I stuck on a HEQ5 and it worked quite well for imaging. I now have a 250px on a EQ6 which works very well. The EQ6 is big enough for the scope. I have to admit I'm more of an aperture is king kind of person.

[MikeDay82]

I went for the 250px. Simply because its a larger scope and a pyrex primary. If in future I want to dive into AP, I could look at a separate set up, or take the OTA to EQ mount.