Trying to buy a telescope

[Ilus]

Hiya! I am a newbie to all of this but I am trying to get started. I want to purchase a telescope. I am thinking either Skywatcher Skymax 102 with the tracking device or Skywatcher Skyliner 150. The latter one seems quite bulky for me to carry it as a woman a bit. Also I am trying to attach a camera later on to it so I can do some photos. Which one I should get? Any advice ? Besides I live in Scotland where there are not a lot of clear skies. Thanks. Ilona

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[oldpink]

Hi and welcome to SGL, Yes very cloudy here in Glasgow

before you rush into a purchase best to read up as much as possible and get the right setup for you
I can't comment on the scopes you mentioned as I'm pretty new to the scene myself

but I'm sure some one will be able to advise you but if you plan to do Astro Photography your mount will be the most critical part

[PeterCPC]

Hi and welcome

Both good scopes. The Skymax 102 has GOTO so will definitely help a starter to locate objects and it is a Maksutov so will hold collimation well. Collimation is where you have to adjust your telescope mirrors to ensure the correct alignment.

The Skyliner is a Dob and Dobs are usually reckoned as being good telescopes for observing because they collect a lot of light. It will need to be collimated, however, so be aware of that.

Imaging wise you will be able to do some basic imaging but not long exposure as the mounts will not be good enough for that. You will still be able to image solar system objects and some bright deep sky objects like the Orion Nebula and some clusters.

Before purchasing either you need to firm up what you want it for i.e. mainly observing or imaging. Both will do observing but the Dob will not be so good for imaging as the Mak. Others will come along and suggest alternatives I'm sure. I have just addressed you own choices.

Peter

[Jim Steele]

Hi IIona,

I can't coment on either scopes but photogarphy requires a solid equatorial mount particulary for deep space work. Steve Richards book, making every photon count is a good introduction to astrophotograpy.

Im of the mindset that I would rather pay a little extra for optics than computer wizardry, I also think the skymax gotosystem is alt azimuth which rules it out for photography since the objects would stay in the scope but rotate with the earth

Best regards,

Ben

[Ilus]

Thanks all of you for the answers. My last question is if I get the Go to one (Mak) do I always have to use the computer search system with it or I can search myself with it. The Mak also seems less bulkier for me.

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[oldpink]

with the goto you can use it manually or use the inbuilt lists or store your own target points

[dannybgoode]

I am not experienced enough on the various scopes yet to advise on that aspect but having posted a similar 'what scope' question the good folk on here suggested looking second hand as there are some quite considerable savings to be made - www.astrobuysell.com/uk

I have managed to get a Skywatcher Explorer 150P and a Skywatcher AZ4-1 mount for £135 - a very significant saving over buying new (would have been around £300).

At this price if I decide astronomy is not for me I will be able to sell the whole lot on and lose very little, if any, money at all.

[bogdog]

be careful of hanging a camera off the back of any scope on this mount!!

unless i got a really cr_P one...they do not hold position...as in chocolate gearing!

any weight in the wrong balance area (fully extended focus) and the motors cant hold it  and camera heads earthwards alarmingly fast

[ronin]

I am not sure how good a goto is if used manually.

I think you will be able to locate things but that the scope will then not track whatever you point it at correctly.

I think the tracking requirement is set by the position that the scope believes it is looking at, as in the last goto target.

As your movements of the scope are independant of the position then I think the tracking will be totally wrong.

Take for example getting the scope to goto Mars at about 22:00, it is due Southish and is moving more or less horizontally with a little bit of up thrown in. The position of Mars tells the scope to track what is in effect left to right and a little up.

If you move to Jupiter (no goto) that is then low in the West and going down the scope has no idea it is elsewhere, the data in the scope says it is aimed at Mars and is to track more or less horizontally.

If you do not use any goto at all I have no idea what tracking is defaulted to, probably the last star used for alignment. So if it were say Arcturus and you slew to Polaris the scope will track as if on Arcturus and Polaris goes rapidly out of view.

I think that if you have a goto then to a greater extent you are limited to using the goto.

[dick_dangerous]

I have a friend who has a 130mm GOTO. She was having difficulty with the alignment for it, so was panning manually - in the time it took the motors to whirr round and line up on Jupiter I'd already located M33, M42, M31 and Jupiter with my little non-motorised ST80. So the main advantage seems to be when you get the little computer to do the thinking for you.

I am now the proud owner of a Skyliner 150P. I'm a wee slip of a boy, but can lift it unaided, although in one piece it is very heavy. When I use it I take the tube off the mount and move it all outside then put it back together - as separate pieces they're not that hefty. I then put it on a fishing trolley to wheel it the 800 metres down the road to the park, which is a good solution if you don't have a car. When I was on holiday last week I found that it fit easily in the back of a small two-door car - tube on the backseat, mount in the boot with the parcel shelf removed. If it's simple, quick observing you want to go then I am now convinced that you can't go far wrong with a Dobsonian. The only drawback is I'll never be able to use it for astrophotography.

I think it's been said above, but if you can get to a shop or a public event and see these telescopes in the flesh it'll really help you decide which one you'd like.

DD

[oldpink]

I am not sure how good a goto is if used manually.

I think you will be able to locate things but that the scope will then not track whatever you point it at correctly.

I think the tracking requirement is set by the position that the scope believes it is looking at, as in the last goto target.

As your movements of the scope are independant of the position then I think the tracking will be totally wrong.

don't think that is strictly true

maybe on planets but on DSO's I have lost EQMod when I was just scanning the sky

and found something interesting to look at

the mount was in siderail mode so it kept tracking as normal

as long as you tell the mount which mode to track in it should hold it unless your initial alignment is out

I managed to keep track for about an hour when this happened

[Pyrodave]

Hi  Ilona

Before you rush into buying anything see if you can get along to an astro club to see the different types /sizes of scope , this will give you a better idea than anything else and will give you an intro aswell

Try here http://www.astronomyclubs.co.uk/Clubs/Counties.aspx