200p dobsonian

[beanyboy1982]

200p dobsonian ordered

[Ulaw]

You won't regret ordering the 200p. Its a great scope. I've had mine for about a year now and love it.

The finder scope can be a bit of a pain but you get used to it pretty quickly. Fits in the back of a car nicely for transporting to darker skies. Setting up and viewing takes no time at all, perfect for when your standing out in the cold!

Paul

[beanyboy1982]

_{ive got a big boot so putting it in their wont be a problem just gotta make sure it doesn't move about in their}

[Sam]

I started with a 200mm Dob and quickly wanted it to track, I think Mars was quite a big target at the time and I got annoyed at having to nudge the scope. I put it on an EQ mount and it wasn't long before the imaging bug got me. I still have that scope and are thinking of putting it back on a Dob mount! Go for it, the 200p is a great size, great value for money and there's years of enjoyment to be had.

[StarcrazyGeoff]

Can I just ask a question, to some of you Dob fan's. I ordered a Orion Starblast 4.5" just after Christmas (still waiting for delivery as the warehouse is in Holland) Anyway, what I wanted to know is.

Looking at the Skywatcher Dobsonian mount, I notice that it is held by two securing bolts on each side of the mount.

                        The Orion scope I have ordered, has a similar table type mount, but seems that it is only held by one securing bolt on one side of the tilting arm. I am wondering if this would affect the stability or not, with being attached with only one fixing.

[Fish]

The dob mount has one bolt through the middle and runs on teflon pads so that it rotates and you adjust the tension to suit. Most people end up fitting a bearing after a time.

[Fish]

Ah sorry got the wrong end of the stick. The 200 is a larger scope , I would think the starblast would be fine with the one fixing it is common for that size of scope.

[ghostdance]

Can I just ask a question, to some of you Dob fan's. I ordered a Orion Starblast 4.5" just after Christmas (still waiting for delivery as the warehouse is in Holland) Anyway, what I wanted to know is.

Looking at the Skywatcher Dobsonian mount, I notice that it is held by two securing bolts on each side of the mount.

                        The Orion scope I have ordered, has a similar table type mount, but seems that it is only held by one securing bolt on one side of the tilting arm. I am wondering if this would affect the stability or not, with being attached with only one fixing.

In a word, no. What it does tho is limit the stand as it is a custom fixing. Rings are much more adaptable, allowing use of different options. But the specific mount Orion settled on for the 4.5" is fine and pretty stable - it's a light scope so doesn't suffer from the mount itself. You will want to ensure the whole scope is placed on a rigid surface whether that's a table, crate or whatever.

By the way, depending how you get on with the supplied red dot finder, you may want to consider a Rigel Quikfinder (check FLO) - very easy to mount on the scope, very easy to use and very light. Pretty cheap too.

[Charic]

Both designs allow the telescopes to function as intended. On the  Skyliner Dobsonian, the handles are designed for carrying the telescope once assembled. The handle on the focuser side has   tensioner to lock the telescope in declination, as easy to use as turning the throttle on a motorbike to operate. With one hand on the tensioner handle and one hand on the chin handle/knob you can easily and smoothly work the telescope on its mount.

[philipw]

Hi, the 200p dob is my first scope. I procrastinated about what to buy for about a year, spent way too much time looking into options. I wish I had bought this ages ago!

Pros are, well I think you get a lot of bang for your buck. It's easy to set up and for observing which is all I'm really interested in it is fantastic (although admittedly I don't have any comparison). The first thing I saw through it was jupiter. Wow! Even when I lived in London I got a great view. 2 clear striped and all 4 moons. As for the moon, well it's just amazing. I feel like I can reach out and touch it.

I've just bought some new EPs and they have made such a difference, improved on what I was already awestruck at seeing. 

As a newbie, I don't know my way around the sky yet so I use Stelarium. I have found it easy to find and track objects. Important to say for a beginner, you don't see what you see in books. Our eyes can't process all the color so for example Orion nebula looks like a silver mistly cloud with some stars in it. you don't see the wonderful colors that are captured through astro photography. 

Cons - Not many. It's not pocket sized so you need a corner for it to sit it when not being used, then lugging it about can be a bit cumbersome (well for 5ft8 me it is!)

I've no regrets with my 200p dob. I have seen more than I ever thought I would and importantly it has captured my imagination and had me out in the garden (especially now I've moved to dark Devon) whenever there is a clear night.

In summary... BUY IT!..  

[StarcrazyGeoff]

In a word, no. What it does tho is limit the stand as it is a custom fixing. Rings are much more adaptable, allowing use of different options. But the specific mount Orion settled on for the 4.5" is fine and pretty stable - it's a light scope so doesn't suffer from the mount itself. You will want to ensure the whole scope is placed on a rigid surface whether that's a table, crate or whatever.

By the way, depending how you get on with the supplied red dot finder, you may want to consider a Rigel Quikfinder (check FLO) - very easy to mount on the scope, very easy to use and very light. Pretty cheap too.

Thank you ghostdance, I thought you might pick up on this thread, having been the owner of the same scope. Once the weather improves, In our back garden, we have a large paved circle about 8 feet in diameter. It was built several years ago as a clothes dying area for one of those whirligig washing lines. We no longer use it for that purpose any more, so I am going to build a brick pillar with an eighteen inch square paving stone cemented on the top, roughly about 2' 6" high. This should provide a good sold base for the mount, and at that height should enable us to sit down and view from the comfort of a chair, in a 360 degree direction. Meanwhile I will use a good solid built patio table.

Anyway, you have assured me that it will be ok. I will have a look at the finder scope you suggested. Just one more point. As the eye pieces that come with the scope are not plossl EP's, which ones would you recommend I should buy, for better quality viewing! Bearing in mind that I don't want to spend a fortune.

[ghostdance]

Hi Geoff

Rather than hijack this thread about the 200P, I'll continue our conversation by pm if that's okay, but....

Don't be in a mad rush to accumulate eyepieces - the supplied ones are more than ok to start you off. I'll just mention a couple of makes here to have a think about: the Vixen NPLs are good value and the BST Starguider range have many aficionados here (Charic will be along shortly lol). You can check out the Vixens at FLO & the BST are easily available. Looking at eyepieces is like being in a sweetshop - there are loads and some are mighty pretty...

OK, I'll send a pm on more specifics re the 'baby' Starblast (which I still own btw, but it's boxed up ready to sell, as I now use it's bigger brother the 6i).

TTYS

Steve.

[beanyboy1982]

Yeahhhhhh it's come

[bingevader]

Congratulations!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy mine.

[ghostdance]

Looks lovely, congratulations! I'm sure you'll love the gateway it gives you to the stars

[Marky1973]

Fingers crossed for some clear skies - its the exact scope I started out with last April and I loved it from the minute I got it set up.

The only cons for me are the finder and storage - neither of which is a major issue. I will upgrade the finder and probably the focusser at some point, but I also got bitten by the imaging bug, so am investing that way at the moment. My wife keeps asking me if I need to keep the Dob now I have a refractor for imaging.... I just look at her like she's mad and walk away.

The first time you look at Jupiter and Saturn through it you'll be completely hooked, and some of the views of the moon are incredible. As Charic mentioned the BST EPs are a great upgrade on the included ones - I upgraded on Charic's advice and am very happy with it.

[beanyboy1982]

Seen Jupiter last night dodging the cloud lol

[Sirius Starwatcher]

Hi Beanyboy I kept the inner box and polystyrene from delivery. I cut down the box to fit the OTA exactly and gaffer taped the polystyrene shapes to the box a nice snug fit so that transporting the scope was much safer. It works a treat.

[Charic]

_{ive got a big boot so putting it in their wont be a problem just gotta make sure it doesn't move about in their}

I use a Duvet and two old cot mattresses across the back seat, and the base resides on the front seat.

If  your collimation adjusters are sound before you travel, things should be ok on arrival.

Out in the field, for a quick check, I`ll Barlow my laser. If the spot shadow circles the hole in the face of the laser, then its good to go. But I still have the full tool kit in my optics case if required.

I'll digress a little now, There is a site that I still haven't tried yet, but there is no light pollution for miles? and I'm only talking about a 30 mins drive away. Until that test arrives, and with the spate of freezing cold weather here in my part of Scotland, and the (what I now call extreme ) light pollution, due to the lack of foliage on the trees, I'm at odds with my self to take the scope out at night,   preferring  to wait till Friday nights to arrive, as I don't have to rise in the morning for work. Friday night weather check?

I still wan't  to test my 6mm WO to see if this is the final Planetary eyepiece I need for my telescope, or do I still need/want  to purchase the 12mm  & 3mm WO EP's to complete the SPL set, and there is now a branded 3.2mm Starguider  to complete my BST range, until the next new  BST EP is produced?

My eyes (first issue) one careful owner,  have had over 19.700 hours of use so far and things are starting going awry, as part of the ageing process. That said, all EP's no matter what brand, will, at some stage, and on certain scopes, work better or not at all for different folk. Its down to the eyes in the end. Well for my eyes alone, any EP in my signature collection has done itself proud with this telescope. The only ones that don't score at present are the new Plossls, as their not tested yet?

I hope you get to grips with your new telescope and enjoy the potential it brings. Its probably not the best optically in the World, but as a first Newtonian on a sensible and easy to use Dobsonian mount, its possible this telescope will stay with you for the rest of your observing career, unless you take the astrophotograpy route, or want more aperture,  but until then, the the Skyliner is a great choice.

[beanyboy1982]

Yeah I've kept the boxes and the inserts just incase I take it off out somewhere

[Sirius Starwatcher]

I use a Duvet and two old cot mattresses across the back seat, and the base resides on the front seat.

If  your collimation adjusters are sound before you travel, things should be ok on arrival.

Out in the field, for a quick check, I`ll Barlow my laser. If the spot shadow circles the hole in the face of the laser, then its good to go. But I still have the full tool kit in my optics case if required.

I'll digress a little now, There is a site that I still haven't tried yet, but there is no light pollution for miles? and I'm only talking about a 30 mins drive away. Until that test arrives, and with the spate of freezing cold weather here in my part of Scotland, and the (what I now call extreme ) light pollution, due to the lack of foliage on the trees, I'm at odds with my self to take the scope out at night,   preferring  to wait till Friday nights to arrive, as I don't have to rise in the morning for work. Friday night weather check?

I still wan't  to test my 6mm WO to see if this is the final Planetary eyepiece I need for my telescope, or do I still need/want  to purchase the 12mm  & 3mm WO EP's to complete the SPL set, and there is now a branded 3.2mm Starguider  to complete my BST range, until the next new  BST EP is produced?

My eyes (first issue) one careful owner,  have had over 19.700 hours of use so far and things are starting going awry, as part of the ageing process. That said, all EP's no matter what brand, will, at some stage, and on certain scopes, work better or not at all for different folk. Its down to the eyes in the end. Well for my eyes alone, any EP in my signature collection has done itself proud with this telescope. The only ones that don't score at present are the new Plossls, as their not tested yet?

I hope you get to grips with your new telescope and enjoy the potential it brings. Its probably not the best optically in the World, but as a first Newtonian on a sensible and easy to use Dobsonian mount, its possible this telescope will stay with you for the rest of your observing career, unless you take the astrophotograpy route, or want more aperture,  but until then, the the Skyliner is a great choice.

Hi Charic I've had the WO 6 mm since I bought my 200p Dob. A superb eye piece very crisp and clean views with good FOV it sits nicely with my suite of BST,s Like you I'm thinking of the new 3.2 mm because I'm looking to buy a 120mm ST.