Skywatcher Skyliner 150p vs 200p

[Spidy]

Hello,

I know this might sound like a silly question to some but im looking into getting a skyliner very soon and i was just wondring what the diffrence is in the 150p to the 200p as i have no idea at all, and want to make the right decision so i will not wonder if i should have got the 200p...so thats why im here, all help greatly recived.

thank you,

Spidy

[rwilkey]

Hi Spidy, the 200P captures more light and you will therefore be able to see fainter objects, or more detail in the ones that can be seen, this is particularly relevent for spiral galaxies and globular clusters. If you get the 150P, yes, it is a very able scope, however, you will be wondering how much more detail you could see with the 200P. It is all about your viewing preferences and how much detail you want to see. If galaxies or globular clusters is your thing, then the 200P without a doubt.

[ronin]

The 200P is bigger in diameter so collects more light, 77% more.

It is also therefore heavier and if put on an EQ mount you would need a decent one, especially as most will at some time drift towards imaging.

Concerning the AP aspect you are talking at this time about what is fundimentally a visual scope, if you later decide to go down the AP line then really neither are dedicated AP scopes, so whatever you try (if you do) will be a compromise.

The 150P or PL will be smaller and lighter, also cheaper. The lower cost is relevant as buying a scope is the first step. Usually very soon (as in after the first time used) you will want a couple more eyepieces and at some time a collimator to maintain the scope alignment. The items that come with a 150P/200P are not very good.

[Spidy]

thank you, i have a budget of around 300 so would you say i should maybe start off by getting the skyliner 150p and use the rest on new eyepeices maybe? my intrest at this time is luner and planitary but in the long run would want to branch out into different aspecs

[planet15]

I have the 8" SW200p, and love it. I wish I had larger ones such as 12" or 16", but it will mean more difficult to take them out to the garden, setting them up and storing ... etc, because they will be bulkier and heavier.

This 8" 200p is just right for transporting, setting up and storing whilst giving excellent viewing pleasure.

However, if I were more mobile observer taking scopes to hills and country side, then I would have considered the 6" 150p, which would be also nice. I have a 4.5" TAL-1 as well, and it does not disappoint even a bit in viewing and image quality.

[KJ Dalley]

200p every time for me. Although I am lucky and have a good view from my back garden so do not have to worry about loading in and out of cars, observation sites etc. If I didn't then maybe I too would go for the smaller scope.

Teasing out the dust lanes in Andromeda or Nebula in Orion always however leads to a desire to look through something bigger. I believe the term is "Aperture fever" and we all suffer from it and some stage! The eyepieces that came with mine courtesy of the fine people at FLO are very good and personally the payoff of larger mirror vs eyepieces in terms of eating into your budget, I would always go with a larger mirror.

[Spidy]

well i live in the middle of nowhere so i wouldnt have to travel to get a good view, there is a large field not to far away so maybe i should look into the 200p as that was the one i was looking to get first, just need to find somwhere i can pick one up

[Hootsitabernacle]

another vote for the 200p from me..i got mine at the latter end of spring and havent really had a good chance to see the sights..i have seen Jupiter and saturn in its glory but i will reap the benefits of it come the darker nights (not that im wishing the summer away!)...go for the biggest you can afford!

[astrosathya]

Hi Spidy,

I have a 200PDS with me. PDS? Its the 200P with a Dual Speed focuser, optimised for imaging. You can therefore use this scope for visual as well as photography. Since it is 8" sperture and f/4.7 it gathers a generous amount of light and makes a big difference in deep sky photos. With an appropriate Barlow, you can also do Lunar and planetary photography. I have the HEQ5-PRO Synscan mount for it.

[webboid]

well i live in the middle of nowhere so i wouldnt have to travel to get a good view, there is a large field not to far away so maybe i should look into the 200p as that was the one i was looking to get first, just need to find somwhere i can pick one up

Hello Spidy

I'm in Norwich & a member of Norwich Astro Soc. I have the 200P on an EQ mount & I am very pleased with the results. I bought mine from Wex Photographic here in Norwich. Pretty competitive prices £290 for 200P dob & in stock if you want one in a hurry. They don't really have any astronomy experts but are helpful.

I have compared many scopes at the club at Seething & I think the 200P would be a great starter scope as you will be able to resolve quite a lot of stars in globular clusters, good details on Saturn & Jupiter. As you seem to have a dark sky at home you will see many galaxies in the winter too.

Good luck

[AlexB67]

Hi Spidey,

I posted this recently in another thread,

https://www.astronom...elescope_t.aspx

It summarizes quite nicely what to expect form your new scope without having to read a book. I'd say go with the 200p if you are prepared to spend it. It seems to be the most popular starter scop in the dob version in the UK, according to some sources for striking that middle ground well in everything, size, portability and views.

If you don't like it and look after it, it'll sell on easily enough anyway. Either way yoo'll have good time I imagine, both of these scopes will impress no doubt as already I am very pleased with just a mere 130mm aperture in a starer scope.

If you really take to it and suffer from the aperture fever disease soon enough you can always buy something bigger later . Certainly I will eventually now that I know I enjoy it as much as I do, but there is plenty gazing to be had with smaller scopes too, and I am in no rush to do so yet. Certainly clusters, galaxies are even in reach of my small reflector dob in a light polluted area, but it is just a question of how much more you want to see once you go up the scale.

[Spidy]

I will be going to wex photographic this tuesday to see what they have there thank you all so much for your help i will propably get the 200p but am torn a little whether i should get a 150p and maybe upgrade the eyepeices? What are your thoughts?

[LeeB]

I would go 200, live with the eyepieces as is until you can afford more. Eyepieces will come but if you go 150 you will always think I wish......

[AlexB67]

I will be going to wex photographic this tuesday to see what they have there thank you all so much for your help i will propably get the 200p but am torn a little whether i should get a 150p and maybe upgrade the eyepeices? What are your thoughts?

That often asked famous problem I'd better leave that to those that have high quality eyepieces how much more it brings, I suppose it also depends how much can save up in the near future, already a half decent eyepieces like a couple of BST that I am planning to buy almost makes the difference in price going from a 150 to 200 scope in the dob range.

Personally, just a hunch more as opposed to talking from experience, if this a bit of an outlay for you financially I would go with the 200 still if you don't see yourself buying another scope any time soon, but if say it meant going from 8 to 10 inch I'd might consider otherwise, ( a big price jump in the latter case )

This is sort of my plan that I have laid out of myself, given the scope I've got and having been at it quite heavily for a few weeks staring at lots of objects. I'll buy a few eyepieces to upgrade the standard ones to cover the low, medium high power range, probably something reasonably priced like the BST explorers, Vixen range, typicaly sort of £ 45 - 60 and then I'll stop and put my money in a basket for a bigger scope next year I Imagine.

Soon I'll hopefully have a chance to try some eyepieces on a darker sky trip with some others, who knows that may alter my views

To me it seems eyepieces can get expensive very quickly compared to the scopes themselves, yet I expect from what I've read here, with not too much money eyepieces in the sort of 40 - 60 pounds range can bring quite an improvement up from the stock eyepieces, and I am already pretty pleased with the stock ones anyway, though it is fair to say in the skywatcher the 25mm is superior compared to the 10mm stock.

Just remember mine are just beginner thoughts with little experience, though I've done lots of reading on said topics here and everywhere, and my gut tells me that that extra bit of resolving ability and light gathering up to 8 inch would allow me to see that little bit more in the details in clusters & galaxies that just would not be possible in my scope, no matter how expensive an eyepiece I buy , as detailed in that article I linked in my previous post

Better perhaps to get some more experts views though which will come in soon no doubt

[bingevader]

Find out what their after-sales is like, you might be better off getting it from FLO!

I'd still say you should get the 200p, the 25mm is fine and the 10mm will do 'til Christmas!

You should spend a little while getting to know it first and what focal length EPs would suit you best for what you enjoy looking at most.

If it turns out to be everything, then that's not an EP collection you are going to build up over night anyway!

Cheers

[ian_j_kirk]

i have the 200p and i love it. I used the eyepieces that came with the scope for quite a while and they are not too bad for starting out. I could see galaxies nebulas and clusters through them. Go for the bigger aperture and get some better eyepieces at a later date. Clear skies. Ian