New focuser or Synscan upgrade?

[cheese345]

Hi, I had my Skywatcher 200p on a EQ5 mount for a month or so now and have managed to get it out on the few clear nights we have had. I currently have two problems;

1) I am struggling to find the anything. I know my targets general positions in the sky relative to the major constellations but can't for the life of me seem to find them. I can easily find things like Juipter, Pleiades, M42 etc but other than that i am having real trouble. It is getting rather frustrating, I know i am in the right area for an object but just can't seem to find it.

2) The stock focuser and me do not get on. I really don't like it, there is no room for fine adjustments and when trying to focus the stiffness of it shakes the telescope violently at higher magnifications.

I can only really afford one. Do i fork out the cash for a top quality crayford focuser (i was thinking of getting a Moonlight CR2) to improve my viewing experience whilst continuing to struggle to find objects? Or do i get the Synscan upgrade for my mount and be able to find a wider variety of objects whilst struggling to get finer detail from the focuser?

I'm currently leaning towards the focuser as it will transfer when i eventually upgrade my scope and i will probably get better at finding objects if i just put in the effort.

Thanks.

[rowan46]

part of your problem is that the 200 is at the top of its capacity so make sure its properly balanced. vibration suppression pads and a gentle hand will help a bit. If its very tight slightly adjusting the grub screws in the focusser a little may help. As for finding things as you say practise makes perfect. I would get the goto to assist in my learning but there are plenty here who don't need one it's a personal choice. I view from a very light polluted area and a lot of the way markers are difficult to identify when star hopping. Now I don't need goto for finding things in my area but suffer from the converse as when I go to a dark sight there's too much information for me to readily identify familiar patterns. I hope that helps as I am not an expert in the 200p . I have used a few but never owned one and the ones I have used have always been fine,

[cheese345]

Thanks a lot, I think ill get the goto then and have a fiddle with the focuser next time I'm out instead of throwing money at it and hoping it goes away.

[LeeB]

alot of work can be done to make the original focuser smoother, but in any case while a moonlight is superb, don't right off a two speed revelation, £109 telescope house. I've never regreted getting it and when set properly its butter smooth. As for the eq5 i have two versions the celestron cq5 and the bresser one. Both are vastly improved by a good strip and set. By doing so the backlash and stiffness can be corrected.

[Catweazel]

I would try adjusting the grub screws on the focuser, as rowan suggests, I put a basic skywatcher crayford on my 120 frac, and have had no trouble, and get reasonable fine adjustment with it.

I would consider a GOTO, as I have the same problem that you describe in point 1. I have problems with seeing anything other than brighter stars from my garden due to LP and our various neighbours' obsession with leaving outside lighting on?. I think that a GOTO would help with learning and orientation. I just bought small used GOTO mount for use with my little frac, and am hoping it will be a good investment for exactly this reason.