Affordable Upgrades for Orion SkyWatcher XT8?

[ryan_brodeur]

Hi all,

I'm going to be picking up an Orion SkyWatcher XT8 for $225 on Craigslist and was wondering what, if any, small upgrades you all would recommend to make this scope really sing. I'm on a pretty tight budget, but the plan is to spread out any purchases over time. It includes the EZ Finder II reflex sight, Shorty 2x Barlow Lens and 25mm Plossl eyepiece.

Also, any other general advice for this scope?

Thanks!

[ryan_brodeur]

Sorry all, I clearly meant SkyQuest and not SkyWatcher in the first post!

[rwilkey]

I think one of the best things to do would be to try out the scope first with the accessories that come with it, and then from that you may pick up what you most urgently need.  It is too easy to spend money on what you think it lacks, but actually using it and seeing its current capabilities, in my view would be the best course of action.

[JoshH]

I think one of the best things to do would be to try out the scope first with the accessories that come with it, and then from that you may pick up what you most urgently need.  It is too easy to spend money on what you think it lacks, but actually using it and seeing its current capabilities, in my view would be the best course of action.

I agree with this advice. If you use the scope for a while, then you will have a better idea of what is important to you. This becomes more important with a small budget.

There are a few things that you may find highly useful that do not cost a lot of money.

• Join a local astronomy club. It is very helpful to see in person the accessories and modifications that people have. They will also have a dark site location that you can observe from-highly recommended!
• Go to the library and check out some books on amateur astronomy. Nightwatch by Dickinson, Turn Left at Orion by Consolmagno, and The Backyard Astronomer's Guide by Dickinson and Dyer are great choices.
• Collimation tool: If your scope does not come with a collimation cap or other device, you will need to make one or purchase a combination sight tube and cheshire. The sight tube is used to align the secondary mirror under the focuser and to the primary. The cheshire is used to align the primary back to the focuser.
• Planisphere: If you are not already familiar with the night sky, a planisphere is an excellent tool to help you learn. You dial in the date and time and the planisphere provides a representation of the current constellations.
• Google "Telrad charts" and print them out. Even though these charts are designed for use with a Telrad, they will also be of some use with the EZ Finder as well. They will help you point your scope to the Messiers and other good targets.

One other thing you may wish to address is the stiction that Orion XT scopes have on the azimuth (side-to-side) motion. Here is a link to another thread that discusses some simple fixes:

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/61838-sticky-azimuth-motion-skywatcher-dob/

Good luck and ask away if you have any other questions!

[ryan_brodeur]

Hey, thanks guys! I appreciate the input.