Skywatcher Heritage-130P or Celestron SkyMaster 15x70

[osilvab]

I dont have anything to look into the sky, either a tripod

So i am between this 2 options (3 with a 20x80). my doubts are mainly if i can use the 15x70 on my hand, or just having my arm on a table or something like that, it will allow me to put them on my back pack, my bicycle and bring them with me in my trips i will go for them, but if they really need a steady hand or a tripod then wouldnt it be better to have the 130p or the 20x80?

thank you!

[Wildwood]

I have the 15x70 and whilst they can be used without a tripod, I wouldn't recommend it for long.

[Andy_E]

You should be ok with 15x bins. You certainly shouldn't need a tripod, but you could always use a monopod to improve stability if you feel you're struggling.

[Schorhr]

I'm far from being an expert on binoculars, but anything above 10x magnification is difficult to hold...

Though a few seem to claim having no trouble up to 15x, I myself find 10x difficult enough and anything above would not be comfortable. To observe something a steady view is very helpful, else it gets exhausting fast!

Sitting/laying in a beach chair helps, or a small, portable Tripod I suppose.

It also depends on what you want to observe? Binoculars are great for large things (such as Andromeda, Plejades) but of course sometimes it's nice to have higher magnifications for details on the moon, planets and small nebulas. I could not be happy with a fixed low magnification, but that's just me.

I even took a 102mm/4" Maksutov with a sturdy camera tripod along in a backpack, though it leaves little room for much else (though a 3"/3.5" would work better, but even less suited for deepsky).

I will have a Heritage 130p here in a bit, in my oppinion it's a great portable compromise for a bit of deepsky observing - if you are willing to carry it around and kneel down (or take a folding box / table along).

I'm not saying either of these binoculars are bad, I'd love to have one of them. For now my Lidl 10x50 is fine, and easy to tag along ;-) What are you planning on observing, what weight are you willing to carry around?

[osilvab]

Thanks for the replies,

As i havent do so many observations before, just few times in different observatories, i think i will go through the begginers observations of the moon, planets, (saturn my favorite), and i have never done observations on galaxies or nebulas or any other deep sky objects. i would like to try that for sure.

At home i have a balcony, however the city lights could disturb a bit there, so i would need to move a bit more uphill to get rid of that, so it is important the portable characteristics.

one side question: i guess it is very difficult to make photos with the bins, do you have some experience on that?

[Schorhr]

If you want to try to view a few deepsky objects, the 5.1"/130mm dobson will be a great (and inexpensive) choice to make first steps.

There seem to be a few scopes with bad mirrors, but overall the reviews are rather good.

Opposite to a smaller telescope or binoculars the 130mm mirror will show some details on star clusters, can handle higher magnification on planets then the usual 60/76mm starter scopes, and will show a few galaxies or nebulas the other small scopes can not (though they will still be faint smudges in the sky).

Balconys are usualy bad, still I observe from mine regulary ;-) Planets and moon even work through a window to some extend, but limits contrast and details greatly.

For the heritage 130p you should search around on this forum, as many people build a lightshield with cardboard (the open design needs either a dark place or some tinkering).

I also ordered one of these CLR filters; Not as good as UHC filters, but supposedly to be useful on smaller aperture scopes. Not that it can do miracles on light pollution, but on deepsky objects every bit of contrast enhancement helps.

Still, the 130p will be much heavier then binoculars.

I have not made photos with binoculars, but with a 70/700 refractor from the flea-market. Fun!

With binoculars you'd either need steady hands or build/buy a camera adapter... Or ask someone with a 3D printer (I printed mine :-) ).For snapshot it's quite nice, some people even use their cellphone and make relatively nice pictures with small telescopes or binoculars. I even considered buying a cheap spotting scope for this, as the refraktor is kind of long.

The best for photos is a Maksutov (only for moon/daylight, else you need a EQ mount or something), it's pretty universal and the smaller ones work on tripods quite well. Still, it can't replace a good tele lens as manual focusing can be tedious...

Good luck deciding on a telescope/binoculars that work best for your observations!

[osilvab]

Thank you Schorhr, I am still not 100% but i think i will buy the scope, i will go to the store today and have the same discussion with the guy there, but any way i think i will buy in few months the other one. it seems is good to have both.

[Schorhr]

That's a good idea, especially if you can look through it yourself or at least lift/move it around. At least the weight gap between 130p and a 6" tube-dob is significant so it's portable ;-)

[AndyWB]

I have the Heritage 130p, and a cheap pair of 10x50 binoculars too. I got the latter as I'm in lots of light pollution, and the Heritage doesn't seem all that suitable for a finder scope - there's nowhere to fit one (it has a red dot finder, and I think a Rigel Quickfinder would fit) - and the binoculars help me find my way around. They are also considerably smaller than the scope - although it's a mini-dob, it's still much bigger than pair of 10x50s. I don't think it'd be easy to cycle with.

I don't have a shroud, though I am making one - but I don't think that they're mandatory. My scope has been okay in lots of light pollution, but it seems a simple activity, and it lets me do some DIY, and it might give better contrast.

I find that I tend not to use it with a table, but rather put the scope on the ground and sit next to it. Seated, it's quite comfortable for a lot of positions, and you don't have the issue of 'how stable is your table' - though using the red dot finder is a bit awkward.

[osilvab]

thanks Andy for sharing your experience, actually is very convenient now. I just come back from the store, and they were out of sotck of the 130p, i tested different bins and i have to say that the 15x70 are difficult to use in the freehand, using some support is easier, or fixing them into tripod, buth that make the soultion quite expensive. I tried reading some letter in a far wall, and i didnt manage, then i changed to the 10x50 and 12x50, and it was a lot more comfortable, at the end i bought the 12x50 at a price around 50€. and i was infromed there will be a sale from an old client who passed away and he had some scopes, then maybe in the next weeks i can get one of those at a very good price. I will let you know. by the moment i will start doing some observations with the 10x50.

[Schorhr]

Good thing you where able to try some binoculars! :-) Keep us posted.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Bins are ALWAYS great for observing the night sky. 10x50 in my opinion are the smallest you want to go. They give really pleasing comfortable views. I have 3 sets of 10x50. The 15x70 Astromasters are very good bins, but you really do at least need a monopod to use them as they can get heavy after a short time and that renders them useless.

I'm a big guy and i tried the 15x70 handheld in a shop and soon found them becoming shakey. I have a set of 20x90 and mount them on an 8115 tripod. Without the tripod i am lucky if i can hold them steady for 20 seconds.

You bought 12x50?. You should be ok with those handheld. Afterall, its not the magnification that adds weight, its the apeture (the glass lens').

[osilvab]

Yes i bought them!, im quite happy with them, i havent done a seriouss observation session as i was moving and i had to do a lot of work at home. but i gave a fast look to the moon and some dark parts od the sky.