help with choice skywatcher

[renagiw]

Hi all. Just getting into this i was considering buying a skywatcher1145p for £130 brand new but a friend of friend has offered me a orion optics 6inch europa for £100.. Second hand obviously but i know they retail for much more. It is in as new condition. Any advice would be greatly recieved. Thank you

[RikM]

The Europa will likely be much better than the SkyWatcher. If the condition actually is good, that is quite a bargain. 

[Moonshane]

I agree with Rik. if it's in good condition the 6" scope will be far better in every way. how is it mounted?

[renagiw]

Its on a sky scan equatorial mount

[happy-kat]

Just a thought, does the second hand scope come with a mount? or do you already have one?

[Moonshane]

if it's the one on ebay, that seems like a fair price. it's quite an old scope though. the focuser will be likely a cheapish rack and pinion but should work OK. personally though (as much as I like OOUK scopes - I have three currently) I'd buy a scope on a dobsonian mount for the same sort of money. 

[renagiw]

As far as i know its not on ebay

[Moonshane]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Telescope-Orion-Optics-Europe-6-with-Sky-Scan-Equatorial-mount-/291038632749?pt=UK_Photography_Telescopes&hash=item43c3411b2d

[nightfisher]

Its on a sky scan equatorial mount

seem to remember the skyscan is same as EQ3-2, should be a good buy in good condition i started out with this same outfit

[Schorhr]

+1 for the 6"... Even if the mount has issues you can still build a simple dobsonian rockerbox mount! :-)

Even if the optics have a few scratches or such it will show much more.

If somehow that does not work out, consider getting a 130/650 instead of the 1145P.

The Heritage 130p for example, even though it's a dobsonian. At least it's stable- The eq1 mount of the 1145p is far from ideal, even with those short tube reflectors.

You can allways get a cheap used Astro3 eq mount later or save for a decent one.

[jonathan]

There is something about white OTAs that excites me.  My two most expensive and highest quality scopes are white.

[renagiw]

Thanks for the replies i am going to check it out tonight and if all is ok i am going to buy the orion

[renagiw]

Things to look for?

[Moonshane]

as long as everything works smoothly and the optics look shiny then there's not a lot to go wrong. get the current owner to give you a run through of set up and take down, collimation if possible and finding objects.

[renagiw]

Well i bought it, (it was the one on ebay but i didnt want to get gazzumped ) its exactly as described, and the guy showed me how to dismantle and assemble the mount, but i couldnt remember when i got it home, but i sussed it in the end. pretty straightforward after you have played with it for a while. Its raining though so will have to wait for, first light...is that what you call it?

[Chris]

Orion make some nice scopes, that and the mount alone is probably worth 80-100 pounds so I think you've done very well Good luck with first light (yes we do call it that )

Chris

[nightfisher]

seem to remember the skyscan is same as EQ3-2, should be a good buy in good condition i started out with this same outfit

How strange, while sorting some stuff for the move, i found the original invoice for my Europa, it was an 8" not a 6"

[bomberbaz]

Good buy. You will get 40% or more light drawn in through the 150 so it will be a better view of some dso, s and eveb allow you to see things not available in a 114 scope.

well done

steve

[Special K]

A well earned first light when you get it, I'd say! That's a shrewd buy.