Don't know what to spend my cash on

[Saint_DAB]

Hi 

Another newbie looking for some help on what to spend my budget on for a first Telescope.

I've been looking to buy a scope for a couple of months now and to be honest the more i look the more indecisive i seem to be getting. I've read through loads of forums, watched you-tube clip after clip, and trawled the net for weeks but cant seem to make up my mind.

I have a set of 15 x 70 Celestron bins that I've been using for a few months and I'm enjoying trying to find my way around the stars, but I'd now like a scope to get me a bit more precise and if possible dip my toe into Webcam capture / AP a little . I've kind of set myself a budget of £300 - £400 as an opening gambit, I do like the thought of a GOTO and I am of a technical background so not put off by the complications this may bring but again its not a must have for me. 

I think I'd like a good all rounder that can observe The Moon, Planets and some DSO, Portability isn't a main consideration but would be nice i guess. Anyhow my current thinking is one of the following

Skywatcher Skymax 127 Synscan Mak

Celestron Nexstar 130 SLT

or

Skywatcher Explorer 150P (EQ3-2) and save up for a motor mount later

I'd appreciate any thoughts on the above choices or recommendations for alternatives

[Xplode]

In my opinion the best choice is the 150P i with an EQ5, it's much sturdier than the EQ3 It can be upgraded with goto or motors with a regular controler at a later point.

The 150P is an ok scope for both planets and DSO, it's also good for photography.

The lack of goto is actually a good thing for a beginner, setting it up correctly can often take a lot of time and is frustrating when you can't find the object you are looking for.

[Avocette]

Hi Saint_DAB and welcome to SGL!

I had exactly your dilemma in the spring. I started with the same 15x70s, and have progressed to owning two scopes listed in my signature. Both were bought second hand in like-new condition so relatively good value for money. I use both at different times. At the moment mostly the 150p on the EQ mount for Venus, Jupiter and the Moon in rare gaps in the cloud. The 300p comes out when there's no Moon and I'm searching for a fainter DSO.

So far my photography has been with a DSLR on the 150p for instant (non-stacked) images. I had thought of buying the motor drive but think I'll hold the £90 back until I get the AP bug properly and buy a HEQ-5 (£450+ second hand). I'm about to 'play' with a webcam and try a bit of stacking.

Good luck in making your choice.

Clear skies!

[Laurie61]

Hi and welcome, I think you face the classic dilemma of choosing either aperture or GO-TO. GO-TO is nice to have but I think aperture is more useful. Based on that I would say get the popular 8" dob and use any remaining budget on a Telrad/ upgraded eyepieces. 

[houston]

Decisions decisions saint dab. I second the 8" dob. Easy to set up and you will have a few pounds left for extras. Setting circles, wixey, telrad. Maybe a 2" low power eyepiece.

Sent from my GT-I8160 using Tapatalk 2

[Naemeth]

If it's AP you want to do, I suggest you get this before spending anything .

Otherwise, I'd suggest a 200P dob and a few extras (cheshire, eyepieces etc.) once you've got used to using it.

[Saint_DAB]

Guys. Thanks for your responses

After yet more careful deliberation I've finally parted with my hard earned cash (£280 of it anyway) and gone with the recommendations of a shiny new 200P Dob, which will hopefully arrive on Friday. 

Now what would you recommend i use the other £100 of my unused budget to get the best of my new 'toy' - I assume i will need some sort of collimation tool (But not got a clue how to use one yet) and I'm thinking a suitable 2x Barlow would be good, and how about a right angled finder-scope as a lot of the complaints of this dob appear to mention the uncomfortable straight through supplied unit and a moon filter ?  

Thanks again for helping an exited newbie spend his cash wisely.

[Avocette]

Plenty of posts on SGL discuss these questions in breadth and depth (try searching a bit). The Barlow lens will extend your effective eyepiece range to give you 5mm, 10mm, 12.5mm and 25mm (240x, 120x, 96x and 48x) which are quite usable magnifications (240x is a touch high and will need good 'seeing' conditions).

A combination Cheshire with sighting tube (called a collimating eyepiece by Skywatcher) may be all you need for adjusting collimation IF necessary but learning to collimate means moving the mirror adjustments which guarantees that you take it out of collimation immediately. The primary mirror of the new scope will probably be fitted with neoprene O rings on the shafts of the collimating screws (cross-head screws). These are quite stiff to adjust but may actually hold collimation quite well in transport. So initially at least get used to your new scope and eyepieces as they are. In time you may find adding 'Bob's Knobs and Springs' a boon to the collimation process. First essential addition is to mount the scope on a Water Butt Stand (£15) which makes standing up observation comfortable and eases the use of the straight through finderscope. But if, like me, you seem to spend rather too much time waiting for clear skies, you may find it tempting to buy the RACI finderscope and a Wixey and a Telrad or Rigel QuikFinder just to get maximum benefit from those few precious moments!

[Swedeman2013]

Great choice on he 200p, love mine!

[Christopher Davenport]

I was in your situation about 4 months back and landed up going for the 127 Mak on the Alt Az goto mount.

This is a neat little package and the views through the scope will be excellent. (Moon, planets, some bright DSO's.) 

Being technical I quickly connected to stellarium via my laptop (serial to usb) to help me plan my evenings and became my Goto. (Handheld used for setup)

Next step was to start connecting up things like QHY5L ii Cam and my DSLR.

You can get some great movies of Jupiter via a cam and stack in Registax. DSLR is good for pictures of the Moon.

But this is really the most I think you can get out of a Alt Az mount without our fickle skys. So I have upgraded to a EQ mount.

If I was in your position today, I would go for a EQ3 Pro with the 127 Mak or a 130p Newt.

(To stay in budget you may need to go for a used mount.)

It will allow you to do all of the above things, but give you the ability to taste long exposure pictures.

Anyway, the choice is yours. 

[Charic]

Guys. Thanks for your responses

After yet more careful deliberation I've finally parted with my hard earned cash (£280 of it anyway) and gone with the recommendations of a shiny new 200P Dob, which will hopefully arrive on Friday. 

Now what would you recommend i use the other £100 of my unused budget to get the best of my new 'toy' - I assume i will need some sort of collimation tool (But not got a clue how to use one yet) and I'm thinking a suitable 2x Barlow would be good, and how about a right angled finder-scope as a lot of the complaints of this dob appear to mention the uncomfortable straight through supplied unit and a moon filter ?  

Thanks again for helping an exited newbie spend his cash wisely.

Saint_DAB.....Hi, Christmas comes early. Nice choice.

[Christopher Davenport]

Sorry, my bad did not realise choice was made.

Nice choice enjoy the views.

[Saint_DAB]

Guys

Huge thanks for recommending the 8" Dob, i've quite literally been blown away by it. Only managed to use it a couple of times thanks to our famous UK weather but its not been disappointing. Moon has had my rambling on to the missus about its fantastic craters and seas, Jupiter and its string of moons pinged out at me, Pleiades is an amazing beauty and Orion was way better than i hoped.  

I bought the Skywatcher 9x50 RA Finder as my choice of extra in my budget and am more than happy to give the contortions of a straight through a miss.  Thinking of adding a Telrad or a Rigel next, but, so glad i didn't go for a GOTO scope as finding my way around myself is by far more fun than pressing a button or 2.

[LeeWilky]

You cant go far wrong with the 200p   Its a great scope!  Good choice.  im in the same boat with GoTo i prefer to find my target the hard way then let my scope do it or me!

Enjoy your purchase mate and hope you get plenty of clear skies as your probably not too far from me so that means ill get them too

[Zuben Elgenubi]

Glad you are enjoying you new scope, the 200P is a fine piece of kit!

Good choice on the RA finder. Adding a Telrad or Rigel will only make it more of a pleasure to use.