A good step up from a 60mm refractor.

[Michael the newbie]

Hi folks. Was wondering what advice you could give me on a telescope upgrade. Currently its only a hypothetical upgrade. (My partner views buying a house much more important) looking at spending no more than £300. Thanks in advance.

[triton1]

Skywatcher skyliner 200p Dobsonsian £279 from this websites sponsor

[rwilkey]

Hi, I agree with Jonn above, you can do no better than the Skyliner 200P Dob.  Amazing feint fuzzies come to life in this fine telescope, and at £279 it is a steal.

[Joseki]

I agree with the above (and I think it's the most common suggestion made in response to that question for good reason) but also for £285 you could get a smaller scope (130mm mirror rather than the 200mm diameter mirror) on a goto mount http://www.firstlightoptics.com/az-goto/skywatcher-explorer-130p-synscan-az-goto.html which might be an attractive option depending on your experiences so far, just a little less future proof I think (non-goto you can get a 130mm telescope for about £130 btw)

[knobby]

I think your partner may be onto something ... Buy a new house somewhere away from light pollution and your 60mm will improve no end !

But seriously , are you looking to view planets or dso ?

[buzzlightyear]

I purchased the 200p skywatcher dob and paid under £300 pound. For the money it's a hell of a scope that gives me great joy from my previous 70mm refractor.

It's not much use for picture taking if that s your thing but observing its awesome for the money..

[Michael the newbie]

The skyliner 200p looks like a fine scope. I've been mainly looking at planets. (Jupiter being the highlight) due to inexperience more than anything really. Would definitely like to see deep sky objects too.

[buzzlightyear]

If you are interested in the 200p dob then google phillburtonphotograpy. I got mine from him £249 delivered but his offer may be different now. With the change you have from £300 then a BST 8mm EP goes good in this scope. £49 from Skys the Limit.

[buzzlightyear]

It's good for both DSO and Planets so you get the best of both worlds lol.

[ronl]

The 200p is such a good scope for the money, whether a Dob or

on an EQ5 mount, great for observing or with a motorized mount

you can try AP, not for me though. But get the house first.

[Jim Steele]

Dobs are not everyones cup of tea (sorry Dob Mob)  but great value for the size of mirror you get.

Flo also have some deals on at the moment that might be of interest.

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes.html

[Tonys]

For versatilty I think the 200p dob would be hard to beat on your budget. Bear in mind that for the planets it takes some practise to be able to keep the target in the field of view at the higher magnifications that are sometimes appropriate and it's never going to be as relaxed for this purpose as a tracking mount or even a reasonable equatorial with manual controls. An Evostar 90 or 102mm refractor on an eq3 mount should work well for the bright planets and the moon but the limited light grasps means they can't compete with the dob on deep sky objects or show star colours so well. For me the best things about my 200p dob are light grasp, takes no time at all to set up yet the mount is rock steady, not forgetting it's good optical quality.

[90mm]

Get a 120mm refractor. You won't be disappointed.

[Joves]

I agree that the view would be a nice step up from a 60mm to a 120mm refractor, but considering budget and what the OP is trying to achieve (DSO's, etc.), I'd definitely recommend the 200p. The difference between what Michael is currently seeing through the 60mm, compared with what he will see with 200mm aperture, will blow him away! It's effectively the same as going from bins to a decent sized scope... The difference will be night and day.

[LukeSkywatcher]

While i agree with the "Dob Mob" that the 200 is the way to go on your budget, a bigger more important factor to consider is portability. A 200mm Dob is not a slip of a fellow. They are quite big and can be heavy for some people. Before buying one, its best to see one up close and get a feel for it. If you find a 200mm Dob too much to handle then a 130mm refractor or reflector would be a better option.

Ive never used a refractor bigger then 90mm, but i'm thinking a big 120-130mm one will also be quite a big beast but perhaps more usable?.

[DaveS]

Hi folks. Was wondering what advice you could give me on a telescope upgrade. Currently its only a hypothetical upgrade. (My partner views buying a house much more important) looking at spending no more than £300. Thanks in advance.

Concentrate on the house first, and make sure it's astro-friendly.

I'm downsizing ATM, saw a lovely house in Ruislip, BUT south was looking towards the row of houses and there was a train depot no more than 100 yrds away to the south east with huge floodlights.

Regrettably I had to pass. I may have to pass on another house I looked at as there were too many mature trees blocking the view. So, so close...

Edit:

Just to say I'm more a refractor on an Eq mount bloke myself. Can't be doing with pushing a 'scope around. Would rather have it follow the sky while I observe. For AP a guided Eq is sine qua non.