Need help with decision on Telescope

[MarvinZ]

I wasn’t going to do this as I know there is lots of posts asking what telescope but I need input please.

I am new to Astronomy and have done some viewing with 7x50 binoculars and I am hooked. I am now in the market for a telescope. I have looked around and read a ton of stuff and have a short list (I think unless I am off mark and one of you can put me straight).

I am mainly interested in DSOs but would like to see something of the planets. At the moment I just want to view but Astrophotography has caught my eye and may be something I would like to move into at a later time.

My main requirements are:-

1. View DSOs

2. Needs to be suitable for transportation to Dark Sky site by car.

3. Possibility to use scope for Astrophotography?

4. Budget £300-£400 (can go a little higher for needed essentials but need to stay close to this as initial set up cost)

Short list

Celestron Nexstar 127SLT

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/slt-series/celestron-nexstar-127-slt.html

Celestron Nexstar 130SLT

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/slt-series/celestron-nexstar-130-slt.html

Skywatcher Explorer 130P SynScan AZ GoTo

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/az-goto/skywatcher-explorer-130p-synscan-az-goto.html

I would really like any input anyone can give regarding the above and thank you .

[ronin]

They are all Alt/Az mounts which means not well suited to astrophotography, they will image planets reasonable.

All will view DSO's if you select the eyepiece appropriatly - as in forget high magnifications and this is not so easy on the 127.

If you were to put a DSLR on any I think the weight would be too much to get reasonable tracking - another reason for not astrophotography.

As a general point none of the "packages" you will see are aimed at the AP side of astronomy, they are aimed at the visual and visual and AP are different. In AP people tend to buy the components seperately.

None are big so all should be transportable, the 127 being most suited to transport.

If AP is calling then decide now as for that you need an motor driven EQ mount and preferably a fast short scope.

[VigdisVZ]

Excellent advice here from Ronin, as usual. These are reasonably good for being portable and offer ok views for the size of the package. Remember that no scope does everything, just try to find your priority and focus on that.

If you're serious about AP, read book called Making Every Photon Count by Steve Richards before buying anything. FLO has it in the sponsor link at the top.

[MarvinZ]

Thanks appreciate what you are saying. At the moment my interest is in observing I think I am a long way off AP. I realise that both the 130 scopes are very similar (if not the same) the difference I see is the GoTo, is there any reason to go for one over the other?

[VigdisVZ]

The focal length is way different in the 127 as you already might have noticed, but the two 130ies are somewhat alike.

Based on that you get a 130mm aperture with both, take a look at the extras, read reviews, and look at details like the finderscope/red dot finder. Still I'd take the cheaper one. This is likely just a stepping stone for you, so no need to throw extra money at it.

[RichM63]

Personally I wouldn't bother about GOTO on a first telescope. You would be paying for something that you don't really need and the extra cash could be better spent on a larger apperture and half decent non-motorized EQ3-2 or EQ5 setup such as a 150P on an EQ3-2 or a S/H EQ5.

Later you could then add RA/Dec motors to either, and if you really want to then throw in an AstroEQ controller and have GOTO via a laptop. All for less cost than the all in GOTO price, with the added bonus that you can still run the kit in full manual mode for those occasions when you just want to observe out in the sticks and not bother with all the gubbins.

Hold-up.....That's exactly what I did.   see sig'.

AP is a whole different ball game all together.

[AndyWB]

Given requirement 1), and if you leave out astrophotography, I'd suggest a Skyliner 200p Dob. It's in budget, and the tube will fit across the back seat of most cars. Base in the boot, and done!

Okay, it's totally unsuitable for AP, and it doesn't have GOTO, but it does have a lot more aperture...

[miguel87]

For whatever my opinion is worth, I'm really not a GOTO fan. For me, learning my way around the night sky is a massive part of astronomy, and the reward in finding that elusive nebula can be great. If my scope just automatically swung itself around to a precise point, do you even know where in the sky it is pointing? I quite like not having to think about power and batteries too but then maybe I'm a bit odd! Certainly you will save ALOT of money if you go without the technology.

[m37]

Goto or not is a bit of a Mac vs PC type debate and you won't really know which you prefer until you spend a good length of time with each. The main point is one you have touched on; astrophotography or visual?

You can image with just about anything but if you think you might be lured in to pursuing it seriously then a classic setup such as an heq5, ed80, guide scope, DSLR, guide camera, cables, interfaces etc will run into £1.5k +

If you can live with chromatic aberration and a rubbish focuser then an st80 can be used for imaging on a lower end mount but in my experience this gets frustrating. Long exposures are key to DSO imaging so an az mount is not much use.

I have dabbled with this but time constraints meant I just couldn't get anything done with a dedicated imaging setup. I opted to sell up and buy a dob for visual and a little ioptron skytracker and dslr for my imaging fix. Totally different world to hardcore imaging but I'm getting much more done as I can be set up in about 10 minutes and packed away in 2 !!!!

[MarvinZ]

Thanks for all your input

[stevend]

I am mainly interested in DSOs but would like to see something of the planets. At the moment I just want to view but Astrophotography has caught my eye and may be something I would like to move into at a later time.

My main requirements are:-

1. View DSOs

2. Needs to be suitable for transportation to Dark Sky site by car.

3. Possibility to use scope for Astrophotography?

4. Budget £300-£400 (can go a little higher for needed essentials but need to stay close to this as initial set up cost)

I would really like any input anyone can give regarding the above and thank you .

Ignore the anti goto brigade

My first scope is a goto and I enjoy it immensely. Like you I used binos for many years and have found the 127 SLT a really good purchase. The SLT is good for planets, doubles and clusters. Its weak side is galaxies and a narrow field of view. Great for transportation and storage and just because it has a goto does not mean you always have to use it, eg recently I needed to star hop to find Comet Jacques. A really great feature of GOTO is tracking, when you want to sit and view an object for awhile (especially the Moon, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars) you do not have to worry about constantly nudging or moving the scope.

You can image but it is restrictive using eg a videocam, as already discussed astrophotography is another ball game. I took a long time before deciding on the SLT and something I learnt from the SGL is that there is no do-it-all scope, if the hobby really bites and you afford it then you will end up with multiple scopes. All scopes have their place (and a budget) just try to get a first scope that will do what you want today. An attraction of the SLT to me was that if I decided to buy another scope later, then this will still have a place and get used.

On the SLT itself essential add-ons are; a dewshield (I made my own, the same length as the OTA) and a reliable power supply as the batteries will not last 5 mins and GOTOs do funny things when the power drops. AC adaptors are fine but that means a lead across the garden so I got an auto jump start which sits underneath, there are other options and I suggest you buy the necessary power lead from your scope supplier.

Later add-ons will be EPs, I waited a month before deciding on which ones I wanted. Whatever you get, you can expect good advice from SGL (or search in the archives) on setting up and using it.

Good luck.

[lonebod]

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/maksutov/skywatcher-skymax-127-eq3-2.html

Gives you a really good all rounder on a basic eq mount and a couple of ep's.... And no need for a powertank that's cost you about £50 min.

[stevend]

And no need for a powertank that's cost you about £50 min.

My power supply was <£25 and has been perfect. It just depends on how much you want to spend and what it is being used for.

[dannybgoode]

Look on astrobuysell.com/uk for some second hand kit and save yourself a fortune.  I bought a Skywatcher 150P and AZ4 mount for £130 - about half the price of the set-up new and if I ever decide to sell it on I probably won't lose anything at all.