tripods

[lancman]

Hello, I have a skywatcher Skyhawk 1145p which came with a standard tripod. I'm new to all this and my question is could I buy a larger scope i.e. skywatcher explorer 200p and fit on my tripod? Does a new scope come with the brackets to fit to a tripod? Also what do you think of the skywatcher explorer 200p? I was going for a skyliner 200p but thought the explorer might be easier to transport.

[RichM63]

Sadly your existing mount/tripod will not handle the weight of a 200P. You will need an EQ5 at the very least.

A 200P is pretty much the benchmark choice for visual observing and is very popular. Some prefer Dobsonian mounts, others EQ mounts.

[brantuk]

The 200P is a smashing scope with a great aperture, parabolic mirror, solid fittings, and a great upgrade from your outfit. But it comes in two varieties - either dob mounted (rocker box on turntable) or Equatorial (right ascension and declination axes). That's the difference between the Skyliner and Explorer. Unfortunately it's too big for a tripod of the type your current scope is on.

I wouldn't put a 200P on anything less than an EQ5 absolute minimum and preferably an EQ6 for extra stability (or as a dob). If you bought it as a package it would have all the required fittings - if you bought the scope in parts you'd need to ensure you have tube rings and dovetail to mount it up on the chosen tripod. The most cost effective way is to buy it as a dob. Hth

[Cornelius Varley]

THe EQ-1 mount is light weight and would struggle / collapse to support anything heavier than the telescopes it is usually supplied with, The minimum mount for the SW200P is an EQ-5 or HEQ5

[ronl]

I have an EQ2 mount and tripod and there is no way my 200p would go on it,

it would buckle under the weight, if you feel the need to upgrade I would go for

a complete package, the EQ5 is rock solid, and can be upgraded with single or

dual axis motors. 

[triton1]

I agree with what's been said I use one on the cg5 mount with the 2 inch legged tripod and I would say that is the minimum requirement for the 200p.

[farunj]

The explorer 200p is a beautiful piece of equipment! It is a very great scope to have. You will enjoy a lot with it. It has a large enough aperture to allow great viewing of DSOs. Also, it is much easier to transport and setup and use. It is one of the most intuitive scopes to use.

However, if you want to indulge in AP, then the EQ mount is the way to go, although the EQ5 would be a bit under the bar for that. A good point to start is the HEQ5, which is good enough to support the OTA.

Do let us know what you choose.

Cheers!

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[damnut]

Another solid vote for the 200p, and echo all comments above regarding nothing less than a EQ5.