Decisions, decisions! Reflector or Dobsonian ?

[Al.Grant]

Hi,

Currently own a Skymax 127 AS GoTo and have been looking getting at a bigger/better scope for about a year or so and until recently I thought I had a good idea of what I'd choose, but needed to wait until the budget was available. Well now the the budget is available and typically I'm revisiting my choices.

I was looking at getting the Skywatcher 150PDS with a Syntrek mount, either EQ5 or HEQ5 depending on budget (the HEQ5 will be the very top end of my budget).

I spend most of my time doing visual observing, but would like to do some basic astrophotography (I have realistic expectations on the limitations of the equipment and more importantly my experience) By basic I'm talking connecting an unmodified DSLR or Modded Philips spc900nc for some planetary imaging, star clusters and some of the easier DSO's. I won't be using guide scopes or the more specialist CCD cameras etc.

Recently I've been considering a Skywatcher FlexTube Dob, something like the 250PX without GoTo or the 200P Synscan.

The 250PX is non-GoTo and therefore I know there will be limitations on photography without any tracking, but I also know I'll be getting more aperture for me £££, which will be a winner for the visual observing.

The 200P looks good and has tracking that I think should be OK for the level of photography I'm interested in.

http://www.harrisontelescopes.co.uk/acatalog/SkyWatcher_Skyliner_200P_FlexTube_SynScan_Dobsonian_Telescope.html

This link says it has "patented dual-encoder design allows you to manually move the telescope anytime and to anywhere you wish" - not sure how this differs from my skymax127 goto when it comes to setup.

I used a Dob recently and the ease & speed of just manually star hopping was great. Am I able to move the 200p manually around the sky for visual and use the goto when trying photography, or do I need to used the synscan controller all the time ? ( <-- I suspect I will)

I've seen lots of info on what I can be achieved with the 150PDS (and it looks great), but I'm not sure I'll ever truly use it to it's full potential. What I have not seen is much on on what I could expect from a non-goto Dob, I suspect it will be quite limited!

Also, most but not all of my observing is done from my back garden, but I do travel to darker sites. (I suspect I'll travel more with a bigger scope than just the 127)

Transporting either scope shouldn't be an issue as they will both fit easily into a Jeep. In fact the back of my jeep with 12v rear power sockets, a power tank, laptop etc and red filters on the lights makes a quite comfortable 'mobile' observatory :-) ( flask of coffee is mandatory)

I know there isn't really one scope that does it all (at least at this level), but I'm just trying to make sure I spend my £800 (approx) on the right scope for me!

Any thoughts, comments or experiences with the 200P or 250px FlexTubes much appreciated, or any info on the 200P's 'dual-encoder design' all greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[Al.Grant]

Wouldn't you know it - no sooner do I post than I find an article on the 'dual-encoder' that suggests it can easily switch between manual 'pushing it around' and moving by using the handset:

http://scopeviews.co.uk/SW400P.htm (about half way down the page)

This is on a 400p, but I'm guessing it works the same.

[umadog]

I think it boils down to how much AP you want to do. It sounds like you don't want to do too much. The Skywatcher 150PDS will allow you to do AP whereas a Dob more or less won't. However, the 150 is virtually the same aperture as what you have now so you won't see much difference. If you're really into visual then the 250 is a winner. If you're already into visual and can use a Dob then my suggestion is to get the largest you can easily afford and house/move. That'll be your visual scope. Over time, if interest holds, then get an AP scope. Even without an AP scope, you can take some lovely wide-field astrophotos with just a regular dSLR. That'll teach you a lot about image processing.

[Andy_E]

I think it boils down to how much AP you want to do. It sounds like you don't want to do too much. The Skywatcher 150PDS will allow you to do AP whereas a Dob more or less won't. However, the 150 is virtually the same aperture as what you have now so you won't see much difference. If you're really into visual then the 250 is a winner. If you're already into visual and can use a Dob then my suggestion is to get the largest you can easily afford and house/move. That'll be your visual scope. Over time, if interest holds, then get an AP scope. Even without an AP scope, you can take some lovely wide-field astrophotos with just a regular dSLR. That'll teach you a lot about image processing.

I agree. I suspect that if you get in to AP you'll only want to upgrade eventually anyhow. If you go for the dob then you'll have a top notch visual set up and can always invest in a dedicated AP set up later. That way you'll have an ace visual tool and an ace AP set up, instead of settling for a compromise between the two (not that the 150PDS isn't an excellent scope, but it simply wont match the 250 for visual)

[swamp thing]

If you're already into visual and can use a Dob then my suggestion is to get the largest you can easily afford and house/move. That'll be your visual scope. Over time, if interest holds, then get an AP scope. Even without an AP scope, you can take some lovely wide-field astrophotos with just a regular dSLR. That'll teach you a lot about image processing.

^^^^ This pretty much sums up my advice.

[Al.Grant]

I think it boils down to how much AP you want to do. It sounds like you don't want to do too much.

Well ideally I'd love to do lots of AP ...... but the realities and restrictions of budget, time, UK weather and my own abilities means I'll happily settle for something a little further down the scale

But that said if 'Space Cowboy' can push a 250 goto Dob to do imaging like these then there is still lots I can aim for:

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/182822-my-jupiter-2012-2013-season/

Half way to this quality and I'd be more than happy!

I agree. I suspect that if you get in to AP you'll only want to upgrade eventually anyhow. If you go for the dob then you'll have a top notch visual set up and can always invest in a dedicated AP set up later.

Thanks all. I think all that makes perfect sense. As I said my main interest (at the moment) is visual and if I ever do get seriously into AP then I can see that even with the 150PDS I'd be looking for a mount or OTA upgrade ... if not both.

I think I'll settle on one of the FlexTube Dobs, especially as it looks like I can switch between manual and handset for slewing the scope around the skies.

Just need to decide on which one to go for. The 250P goto is only a little over what I had planned on spending, but the extra aperture may well be worth it.

One thing I'm not clear on with the GoTo dobs is how easy it is to get the scope/mount level. With my Skymax 127 AZ there is a level built into the mount and I can adjust the length of the legs to ensure everything is nice and level .... not sure how you achieve this with a dob mount!

Easy enough in my back garden (it's nice and flat), but I can see it being an issue at a remote site.

Thanks again...