Scope upgrade

[ccfcbob]

Almost 12months into Astronomy and now decided its time to upgrade. Currently have Astromaster 70AZ together with Celestron 94303 eyepiece set along with 2 pairs of bin's.

Can't fault the Astromaster, cracking little scope for the price but I am now looking for better views of DSO's. All I get at the minute is a white light although had some cracking views of Jupiter & Saturn.

What route should I go now to upgrade? Budget is a modest £500.

Should I discount all others and go for the skywatcher 200P or 250px on a dob mount or is it worth looking at Nexstar 4SE or similar?

Also is a 'GOTO' setup necessary? I don't have the 4 figure sums to justify spending on an astrophotography setup.  I have no experience at all regarding collimation

cheers for the help

[LeeB]

I nearly always buy secondhand this looks ok, good maker looks cared for and the mount is excellent. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Orion-Europa-200-F6-8-Inch-Reflector-Telescope-With-Vixen-GP2-Equatorial-Mount-/281466385739?pt=UK_Photography_Telescopes&hash=item4188b4354b

[ronin]

All I get at the minute is a white light although had some cracking views of Jupiter & Saturn.

Does this mean that you expect or want to see colour ?

If so then the only reports I know of people seeing colour has been in M42 with a 14" or 16" and then only faint green tinge.

Don't want you to get a bigger scope then find you do not see multicoloured DSO's.

[happy-kat]

Picking up on the comment above this is a good readhere

[Charic]

For a manageable and easy to use a telescope for visual observations,  you won't go  far wrong with an 8" f/6 Skyliner. For your budget you can even include a couple of BST Starguiders, and still have change for another and possibly a Telrad, and guess what, still have cash left over?

I would get the biggest aperture you can afford for visual DSO observations, and worry about better premium  EP's some time later.

Choices choices........?

[ccfcbob]

Thanks for the advice.

LeeB - Nice looking scope but no way the gaffer would aprove that deal.

Does this mean that you expect or want to see colour ?

If so then the only reports I know of people seeing colour has been in M42 with a 14" or 16" and then only faint green tinge.

Don't want you to get a bigger scope then find you do not see multicoloured DSO's.

Be nice to see colour but I know it isn't going to happen. At the minute there's no structure to any DSO's just a white dot of light.

Thats is another reason why I don't want to spend big bucks.

Don't want to spend £1000+ on a big fancy setup only to be disappointed by what I see, or don't as the case may be.

Picking up on the comment above this is a good readhere

Never seen that, superb article.

For a manageable and easy to use a telescope for visual observations,  you won't go  far wrong with an 8" f/6 Skyliner. For your budget you can even include a couple of BST Starguiders, and still have change for another and possibly a Telrad, and guess what, still have cash left over?

I would get the biggest aperture you can afford for visual DSO observations, and worry about better premium  EP's some time later.

Choices choices........?

That was the direction I was thinking either the 200p or 250px.

Just the final questio, is a GOTO system necessary. I have no problem hunting things out myself. Other than that is it just used for Astrophotography?

[nicoscy]

No need for goto if you like the chase   I like both depending on mood but I am more of a hunter myself.

[ccfcbob]

No need for goto if you like the chase   I like both depending on mood but I am more of a hunter myself.

Not just me then .

Especially as I'm still fairly new to this the only way the learn where things are is to look for them yourself not by letting your scope hunt them out.

Think I may be going down the 250px route.

Thanks all for your help,

[daiwelly]

Nice choice of dob, I hate when advertiser's show cracking photo's of nebulars etc alongside their advertised scopes giving a newb not that you are,  false expectations of what you will see thank god for forums like this for help and advice

[Sirius Starwatcher]

The 200p has done it for over the past month or so. Money saved on getting a dobsonian mount and not go to allowed me to upgrade eye pieces straight away. Glad Imdid that had some cracking sights. Also I find the fun of star hopping much more fulfilling than pressing a button and waiting for go to to align. Whatever floats your boat. For good views and finding objects yourself for pure observing you cannot beat the 200p ( Well you can but then your in the realms of bigger aperture which means bigger rooms and a very understanding other half.

Best of luck with your choice enjoy

[jason.p]

Another +1 for the 200p. Along with some half decent eyepieces an excellent starter scope.

As for go-to or not go-to, this is a personal choice and you will find opinion fairly evenly divided.

For myself I've found star hopping (or star staggering as it often seems to me) to targets can be really satisfying. That moment you drop on your target, sometimes (in my case) after hours of searching, can be such a wow moment that it makes all those cloudy nights worth while! So far I've got nearly 60 Messiers and many more (doubles etc), and each one has been such a moment.

Good luck with your choice.

Jason

[ccfcbob]

It can give false hope when these superb pictures appear with various spec scopes and someone gets the scope home only to find out you are not going to see what you thought. I imagine it can put people off quickly.

Just when I though I had made my mind up, cheers Sirius & Jason .

So if had my budget would you stick with the 200p or would you spend the extra £150 or so & go for the 250px?

Think i'll skip the goto system, dont think its worth it at the minute.

[jason.p]

I went from 150mm to 200mm and am well pleased with the difference, but as a general rule I think most people would say get as much aperture as you can afford because it won't be long before aperture fever sets in big time, and from that there is no escape!