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paultarnecki

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paultarnecki

paultarnecki

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Hi all,

I would like to start my adventure with looking at the sky. Interested to watch closely moon and sun with surrounding areas (hopefully this is possible not sure about sun filters during day etc.) and maybe more and deeper into space in the future. Sure I need to do a lot of reading but from what I can see and possibly afford would be Skywatcher Explorer 130P-DS OTA. Many of you talking about guiding system - is it really needed to start with? How much extra we're talking about and which ones would fit scope mentioned above? At some point I'm interested in taking pictures and maybe videos. Are you all working with image processing software or all pictures taken are good enough? Why processing it's important? Any recommendations for the decent but not expensive photo / video equipment? I'm sure all of you are sick talking to us first starters on and on ;) but I would appreciate the advice. Thanks.

Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk

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xtreemchaos

xtreemchaos

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hi mate, the 130pds is a great scope and it will show you just about everything, a good and cheap way to start taking pics is a webcam conversion,there loads of youtube vids to show you how its done. processing is very impotant again loads of stuff on youtube + loads of stuff on here to help you out,i would get to grips with moon first,the sun is very dangerous make sure you use the correct filter like baddar solar film.best of luck with your new scope and clear skys charl.

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malc-c

malc-c

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Hi all,

I would like to start my adventure with looking at the sky. Interested to watch closely moon and sun with surrounding areas (hopefully this is possible not sure about sun filters during day etc.) and maybe more and deeper into space in the future. Sure I need to do a lot of reading but from what I can see and possibly afford would be Skywatcher Explorer 130P-DS OTA. Many of you talking about guiding system - is it really needed to start with? How much extra we're talking about and which ones would fit scope mentioned above? At some point I'm interested in taking pictures and maybe videos. Are you all working with image processing software or all pictures taken are good enough? Why processing it's important? Any recommendations for the decent but not expensive photo / video equipment? I'm sure all of you are sick talking to us first starters on and on ;) but I would appreciate the advice. Thanks.

Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk

First off, welcome to the forum. 

The SW130P is typically bundled with the EQ3 mount.  For visual use, and for taking pictures of the moon and sun using a webcam this is ideal.  For doing serious deepsky imaging the mount really plays a part in the results, and there are two ways to approach this.  Either follow an upgrade route, where you start off with something you can afford now, and if you get bitten by the imaging bug replace the mount with something more suited a few months down the line.  Or you bite the bullet and get a mount that will do the job now, and be able to take any future OTA upgrade as well.  Both have their dissadvantages, you'll lose money selling the EQ3 as secondhand, or in the case of a more expensive mount it cost more at the start.  The HEQ5 is un-officially accepted as the entry level mount for serious imaging, but the pro synscan version is upwards of £1000.  If this is out of your budget, then look at the EQ5 synscan.  It will give you the future option of using a guide camera with either a small guidescope or attached to the finder, known as a finder-guider.  The EQ5 having that little bit higher load capacity than the EQ3 will provide a sturdy platform for imaging with a digital SLR camera.

You don't need to start with giuding, but given the resolution of these mounts, it helps to compensate for any backlash in the gears, or miss-polar-alignment.  A well polar aligned EQ5, running without guiding will in therory allow for  three to five minute exposures at somthing like 800ISO, but if guided, and the guiding is good, then you'll fog out the image before the mount goes off target.

There are a few ways of imaging.  Both have similar post processing procedures.  One is to use a web or video camera to take an avi of the target, then each individual frame of the video is stacked into one image which can then be processed to bring out the detail.  The other is to take a series of still images of the target, as series of darks (ie with the cover on), and flats and then stack them and process them using software to give a final image.  This works a lot better than if you simply exposed for the total duration in one go, especially given the levels of light pollution in the UK.  Some of the processing software is freeware, or donation ware and so it's not expensive to get started.

Having said that, I've seen good images of the Moon, taking simply by holding a mobile phone up to the eyepiece of a really small basic telescope... It's all really down to how far you want to take this aspect of the hobby.

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brantuk

brantuk

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I wouldn't bother with the filters until you know what filters are, how they work, and what objects and situations you're gonna use them with. By that time you'll be looking to spend £60 to £100 per filter to get anything worth having.

The Seben zoom isn't the best - but it's usable with it's limitations and I've heard others have had success with it. It's good to have a range of field stops to start with and for £55 it's a good punt to get you going - marginally better than the scope supplied eyepieces. If you go for it you'll also need a single eyepiece in the 25mm to 33mm range to complement it. Hth :)

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malc-c

malc-c

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How much cash have you available to spend.  Personally those EQ2 mounts are so wobbly you will be wasting your time doing any imaging work.

£300 will get you off to a good start - the 150P will gather more light than the 130, and comes with a more solid EQ3 mount, which can be driven by adding motors to at a later date

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/reflectors/skywatcher-explorer-150p-eq3-2.html

skywatcher_explorer-150P_EQ3-2.jpg

By comparison you would need to spend £159 for the 130 PDS OTA from FLO and  £175 for the EQ3-2 mount  = £334.  So for £34 less you get a better scope on the same mount.  IMO if you go for the 130m you will soon get frustrated when you start trying to do any serious imaging

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Astro Imp

Astro Imp

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The Skywatcher 130 is a very capable scope and will show you enough objects to keep you busy for a very long time.

If you want to start imaging the first port of call is to read "Every Photon Counts" available from our sponsor FLO(link at the top of the page) While talking about FLO I would use them or another specialist astro supplier rather than Amazon as you will get very good advice and after sales service should you need it. 

Reading your original post it seems that you intend to observe first and then consider imaging later, fair enough but don't try and do everything at once. This is a hobby with a fairly steep learning curve and you need to take your time both to learn how to use whatever equipment you have and to get the best out of your time at the eyepiece.

Good luck and keep asking question, there are some very experienced observers and imagers on this forum who are always willing to help.

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malc-c

malc-c

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Firstlight Optics are sponsors of this forum, and you will be better off going to a specialist retailer such as Firstlight or RotherValley Optics.

I purchased my scope from Rothervalley and have had excellent service, both pre and post sale.  You could also save yourself a tenner as they are selling the 150P on an EQ3-2 mount for £290  http://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/skywatcher-explorer-150p-eq3-2-telescope.html

@ Alan

Recommending Steves book and the 130 in the same sentence is a contradiction.  Steve has always said that the key to a good scope, especially when going down the imaging route is the mount.  The 130's mount is as basic as you'll get and not really (IMO) anywhere near a decent enough platform for supporting the weight of the equipment that the OP may later need.

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paultarnecki

paultarnecki

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so I've got an idea. thanks for all the input.

latest option 150p with q2-3 mount around £290

but what about Skywatcher Skyliner 200P Dobsonian to start with? loads better scope but bad stand? is it better to buy this first and use as it is and then maybe get better stand in the future? any opinions?

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malc-c

malc-c

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If you want to do visual then a dobsonian will always give you more aperture for your money compared to any othre scope.  For imaging (othre than the moon with a webcam or mobile phone) a dob isn't suitable for a hoast of reasons, mainly tracking and field rotation of the image

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damnut

damnut

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The seben 8-24mm zoom is actually pretty good it is the other range 7-21.5mm that should be avoided.  Would echo advice about using First Light Optics or Rother Valley, both excellent suppliers with customer service to match.

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ronin

ronin

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Opinion = SLOW DOWN.

Next forget Amazon, you will get little support if something goes wrong.

What is it you actually want to do?

So far it reads just to buy a scope any scope.

How much do you want to spend in total.

Buying a scope is the start, it is likely true to say most people will spend more on eyepieces then the scope. As an example a 200P dobsonian costs £275, a set of BST eyepieces (6) cost £294, and BST's are not expensive they are the next step up from the supplied items. £120 an eyepiece, think ES 82's are this price, is easy and you will need 4 as a minimum. So scope could be the inexpensive item.

A dobsonian is MANUAL, you push pull shove it at whatever you want to look at and things do not appear in view by magic just because the big round tube is pointed in what appears the right direction. Equally nothing you have listed is a goto so you have to find and follow everything. Do you expect (want) the scope to track an object?

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paultarnecki

paultarnecki

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Opinion = SLOW DOWN.

Next forget Amazon, you will get little support if something goes wrong.

What is it you actually want to do?

So far it reads just to buy a scope any scope.

How much do you want to spend in total.

Buying a scope is the start, it is likely true to say most people will spend more on eyepieces then the scope. As an example a 200P dobsonian costs £275, a set of BST eyepieces (6) cost £294, and BST's are not expensive they are the next step up from the supplied items. £120 an eyepiece, think ES 82's are this price, is easy and you will need 4 as a minimum. So scope could be the inexpensive item.

A dobsonian is MANUAL, you push pull shove it at whatever you want to look at and things do not appear in view by magic just because the big round tube is pointed in what appears the right direction. Equally nothing you have listed is a goto so you have to find and follow everything. Do you expect (want) the scope to track an object?

thanks for the concern.

I would like to get a scope to look, take pictures and videos (or streaming parts of sky) from as close & as clean as possible with my budget which is £300

moon, sun, other planets (whatever I can get access to see within the budget) - I guess more automatic the better? (tracking wise) although I have no knowledge I would like to start from higher budget than just scope for £100 quid - buy more to less upgrade later maybe what is im trying to say. thanks

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