Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ MD

[scottphillips]

Hey guys looking for a decent scope which will give me good views of planets nebulae and galaxies etc and which will allow me the option of some basic astrophotography ! Is this a decent option ? It's also within budget

[MattJenko]

I had this scope for a while as my first one. It is a great scope but the mount is a little on the flimsy side, even though it didn't seem that way when I first got it. Getting to grips with an EQ mount with no goto and no polarscope is a tricky exercise and a drop in the deep end for sure, but I think it was worth it. For photography, prepare to be frustrated, but it is possible to get the little RA motor working at something resembling sidereal rate, but you will be limited to short exposures, which for planets will be fine as you will be webcamming it. I only really started taking proper pictures when I moved to an HEQ5 mount.

If I had to do it all over again? I would look to get a similar tube, but on a different mount. I would look at a Dob mount for sure, as I have one now and they are great, so an equivalent for the 130EQ money would be the Skywatcher Heritage 130 or the slightly more expensive Skyliner 150p, (which is awesome - I have looked through one and have its bigger brother myself). I could still do some planetary photography of sorts with these, and if I wanted to get into AP proper, then I would do exactly what I did do and buy an HEQ5 once I was sure I was well into the hobby. You could even put your existing scope on the HEQ5 with a set of the correct rings.

Cheers

Matt

[scottphillips]

Thanks for that man !! So this mount doesn't allow long exposures ?? I was told eq mounts are polar aligned and cut out field rotation ?? If not could you link me to those you mentioned in the later part of your reply please

[MattJenko]

The 130EQMD is on an EQ mount, but it is a very simple one. You have to polar align any EQ mount, but this one does not have a built in polar scope to allow you to do it easily, and the red dot finder it comes with is something I would have replaced if I kept it. Once setup up, it tracks across the sky in RA only like any other EQ mount, but you either have to use the slo-mo cables (which get in the way of pointing at some objects by the way) or get the little motor working. The motor has a speed control so you have to try and get the right speed for tracking the object you are looking at, which is an art all in itself. This will cut out field rotation as the tube rotates naturally as it moves through RA, but to be honest, unless you are doing multiple minute exposures or doing lots and lots of small exposures, field rotation is not a big concern.

The links are all to FLO, the site sponsor, who I have bought most of my stuff from.

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-heritage-130p-flextube.html

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-skyliner-150p-dobsonian.html

[RikM]

This telescope would be okay for viewing and would allow webcam imaging of the moon and maybe planets but couldn't be used for long exposure images of deep sky objects.

[scottphillips]

Why couldn't it be used for long exposures ? Mattjenko just said once it's polar aligned and the motor set to correct speed it can track objects ?

[MattJenko]

It can track with the motor, but it is nowhere near accurate enough for imaging - your object would be smeared all over different pixels. It is fine for visual, as the eye can handle objects moving across the field of view. Long exposures with a camera will simply have trails, not dots, for stars. Doing planets/moon is ok, as even if the object moves, you are taking lots of short images (a video) and using software to make the final image.

[John]

Imaging is very, very exacting Scott. Deep sky imaging more so than planetary but even with the latter the alignment, tracking accuracy and stability of the scope has to be much more than is required for looking through the eyepiece. 

[scottphillips]

ok thanks guys, reason im asking so many questions is i am really new but so interested in astronomy i want to learn as much as i can

think i'm going to go for this scope as it will allow me to get used to the eq mounts and how to use them and take some pictures of planets and moon and then upgrade to s serious kit when i can afford it 

[happy-kat]

There is an EQ3-2 and 127mm scope for sale on astro buy and sell under £300. Though heavier as an overall package to the 130eq

At a later date you can buy motors for that mount.

The eq3-2 is a better mount then the one with the 130EQ.

You do not need motors to image planets.

You could use your existing refractor as a bigger finder scope and get the nice wide field views you would have to piggy back it on to the 127mm some how.

Good luck in what ever you decide to get, there is no rush to make a decision the stars will still be there.

[happy-kat]

If still interested there is an Celestron Astromaster 130 eq md in First Light Optics clearence sale page right now.