Skywatcher Explorer 200p vs 150p

[M Astronomy]

Hey, I am looking to buy a new telescope and am torn between the Skywatcher Explorer 200p on the EQ5 mount and the Skywatcher Explorer 150p on the EQ3-2 mount. The 150p would be cheaper, allowing me to get it sooner, as I would not have to save up as much money. I am unsure if the 200p is worth the extra cash and whether the extra 50mm in aperture will make a large difference in viewing quality. Any help and advice would be appreciated. Thanks!  

[Timebandit]

Hi . Both are very nice scopes to begin with. So I don't think you will go far wrong with either one. The 200p has a 2" bigger aperture than the 150p and therefore this extra aperture means 77% more light gathering ability. That will mean in reality it has an advantage over the 150 . This means you will probably get a better view of DSO targets because of the extra aperture, but the 150p is still a great performer. Some people I have heard of on an eq mount prefer the 150p due to its smaller size and therefore is easier to set up. And also I have heard some people say the 200p due to its larger size acts as a bit of a sail in catching the wind and can have some effect on stability. Visually this may have an effect, but if you go into AP some people much prefer the 150p over the 200p due to its wind catching effect.

In my opinion you will not go wrong  visually with either scope it's just a case of what you prefer , the added 2" of apputure of the 200p over the 150p will make a bit of difference. But not a vast amount as it's 2" of aperture we are talking about not 6 or 8" to which there would be a considerable notice in views. But you would be better taking a 150p to a dark site and get better views of doing this , than saying using a 200p in a light pollution site.

I hope is useful and it helps.

[barrie greenwood]

Hi I went from a 130 to 200 and the difference was massive but the 200 is a lot bigger to be honest and is a bit of a handful if you start lugging it about  the eq5 is a good mount but is on its limit with the 200p once my camera is on with guide scope and finder but if you do go for the eq5 try to get the pro model that's driven

For what it's worth my personal advice would be get the best mount you can maybe a heq5 or 6 and decide on the scope later  I wish I had done this  as I'm at the limit of the mount now

It all depends if you plan to photograph or just observe either way the 200p is a nice scope and worth the extra  2 inch in Diameter

Baz

[M Astronomy]

Thanks for the feedback! I do plan on doing some astrophotography in the future. Does anyone know the dimensions and weight of the 200p and 150p? I am just wondering how portable it will be. I would also like to know if the 200p could be mounted on the EQ3-2 and whether the mount would be able to sustain that amount of weight. If it can, I may buy the 200p and mount it on an EQ3-2 instead of EQ5, which would lower the cost significantly. 

[astronymonkey]

If its purely for visual use id be tempted to look at a dobsonian and save the additional complications brought by an eq mount. If so then a 250mm dob could be within your budget .

cheers

[M Astronomy]

1 hour ago, astronymonkey said:

If its purely for visual use id be tempted to look at a dobsonian and save the additional complications brought by an eq mount. If so then a 250mm dob could be within your budget .

cheers

I was going to go for a dobsonian, however as I am wanting to take photographs, I want a mount that is able to track objects. Thanks for the suggestion though!

[brantuk]

200P on an EQ3-2 is gonna be difficult - especially for AP. It's too big for the mount which is also very flimsy - takes a frustrating time to dampen down vibrations, and they happen every time you turn the slo mo controls. I started with a 150P on EQ3-2 and had the same problems just using it for observation.

For photography you want a good solid mount/tripod and a smaller scope that doesn't catch the breeze. I'd recommend EQ5 as an absolute minimum (preferably HEQ5) and something like an 80mm or 100mm refractor for good widefield imaging. Otherwise get a 200P or 250P dob for observing - but kiss goodbye to photography with it. Hth

[M Astronomy]

6 minutes ago, brantuk said:

200P on an EQ3-2 is gonna be difficult - especially for AP. It's too big for the mount which is also very flimsy - takes a frustrating time to dampen down vibrations, and they happen every time you turn the slo mo controls. I started with a 150P on EQ3-2 and had the same problems just using it for observation.

For photography you want a good solid mount/tripod and a smaller scope that doesn't catch the breeze. I'd recommend EQ5 as an absolute minimum (preferably HEQ5) and something like an 80mm or 100mm refractor for good widefield imaging. Otherwise get a 200P or 250P dob for observing - but kiss goodbye to photography with it. Hth

The HEQ5 is out of my price bracket sadly. So would you advise a 150p on an EQ5 instead of a 200p on an EQ5, even due to the smaller size? I guess this would make it more portable and easier to use. Also, would you advise the P-DS model instead of the standard for astrophotography? 

[ronl]

As Brantuk has stated the 200p really needs to be on a EQ5, the tripod is heavy stainless steel, where

the EQ3-2 is aluminium, which makes it quite flimsy and unstable, the EQ5 is very stable, and takes the

200p with ease, I really love my set up, and you can upgrade as and when you like, the 200p is a very

good scope, but is quite heavy, and so is the EQ5, I find easy to set up, and get excellent views from it.

It would be better to either put the 150p on an EQ5, then it would be very stable. Or wait a bit longer 

and save enough for the 200p EQ5.

Hope this helps.

 

[brantuk]

This is what I was thinking of - it's optimised for prime focus photography with a shorter focal length and f-ratio of 5:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/reflectors/skywatcher-explorer-150p-ds-eq-5-pro-goto.html

It would also be highly usable as an observing scope too and has tracking and goto to serve both imaging and observing. But it does depend a lot on budget. Might be useful to know what budget you're aiming for and we could make more appropriate suggestions for you.

(Also - you could get a second hand 200P later, for around £130, and mount it on this for observing)

[M Astronomy]

Thanks again for the help, however this is way over my budget. I aim to spend no more than £550, and even that's stretching it a bit. I would like a telescope that is great for both observing and taking photos of DSOs (though I am very new to astrophotography and am not concerned with getting outstanding photographs)  and that doesn't take ages to setup. I am not very interested in getting a Goto yet, though I understand some mounts (including the EQ5) can be upgraded to have Goto capabilities later on. I am aiming to get either a 6 inch or 8 inch reflector that is on an EQ mount. Any suggestions would be appreciated. 

[brantuk]

With a £550 budget I would suggest you go second hand - you can save a lot of money off new prices and still get gear that's in near to new condition. I've found a couple of examples for you on UK Astro Buy Sell similar to my own original upgrades (long ago) based on the EQ5:

http://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/propview.php?view=115503

http://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/propview.php?view=115700

That's £150 for an EQ5 mount (looks to be in good nick from the photos) and £65 for dual axis motors only one month old. Add to that a 200PDS for £175:

http://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/propview.php?view=116586

And you have a good beginner imaging kit for £390 leaving plenty left over to buy the inevitable imaging accessories, collimation tools, and eyepieces you are likely to need. I couldn't find a 150PDS but they do come up from time to time. There's no goto but it does track. So you'd have to find objects yourself but it soon comes natural with experience. Also if you like a bit of diy and soldering, there is a way of turning the motors handset into one that is controllable from your pc. Hth

*Edit - Just seen this Celestron mount with full goto and tracking - slightly better than the EQ5 cos it has 2" steel tube legs and uprated motors. This and the 200PDS uses up £500 of your budget but well worth checking out.

http://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/propview.php?view=116439

[M Astronomy]

I really do think these are great options and would definetly consider them, however, they require to be collected. As they are in the middle or south of England and I live in the north of Scotland with no means of transport, I am unable to get these sadly. Any other ideas? I would prefer ideally not to go second hand, but if that's the best way to save money, I don't mind. 

[glynnlondon]

might also be worth your while keeping an eye on the astroboot site. They sometimes have the seperate bits on there at good prices and very little postage costs if you're not in a hurry.

[ronin]

Just to throw another idea in that may do little then add more confusion how about:
Save up for the EQ5 and 200P, get that combination for visual and do visual for the present time.

Visual will likely mean you will want/need to buy a few eyepieces and this sort of eats into any saving or budget.

Then save for a smallish ED refractor and get one of those for astrophotography, check the used market as they appear at times. Something like an Altair 70mm ED would sit easily on an EQ5 with a DSLR.

It would mean getting at the end 2 scopes but then you use the mount for whichever purpose you decide on for the night.

More complicatred but it ultimately give both visual and imaging, and as is often said - no one scope does everything.

[brantuk]

Well if you want to stick with new items then you could get the EQ5 mount delivered from FLO for £259 along with and RA motor for £69:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/skywatcher-mounts/skywatcher-eq5-deluxe.html

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/skywatcher-mounts/single-axis-dc-motor-drive-for-eq5.html

Giving you a brand new tracking mount and leaving about £170 or so to get a scope to put on it. You could then choose from s/h scopes or save for a 150PDS or 200PDS brand new. Trouble is - when working with a low budget it's always going to be a compromise - but either scope will give you a choice of imaging or observing. For imaging though it's essential to get as solid a mount as possible. Hth

[M Astronomy]

4 hours ago, ronin said:

Just to throw another idea in that may do little then add more confusion how about:
Save up for the EQ5 and 200P, get that combination for visual and do visual for the present time.

Visual will likely mean you will want/need to buy a few eyepieces and this sort of eats into any saving or budget.

Then save for a smallish ED refractor and get one of those for astrophotography, check the used market as they appear at times. Something like an Altair 70mm ED would sit easily on an EQ5 with a DSLR.

It would mean getting at the end 2 scopes but then you use the mount for whichever purpose you decide on for the night.

More complicatred but it ultimately give both visual and imaging, and as is often said - no one scope does everything.

Thanks! I think this is a great idea. I need to upgrade my camera before doing any astrophotography, so I will likely only be doing visual for a while anyway. I think I will save for the 200p on the EQ5 first, before purchasing a motor, a new dslr and then possibly a second scope (maybe second hand) more aimed at imaging. Though this is quite a drawn out process, this will hopefully get me the best of both worlds, allowing me to observe and image. Bear in mind I am coming from a Orion 3" telescope, so this is going to be a major upgrade in quality for me! Thanks again for all the help! I'm still open for suggestions, if anyone thinks up a better idea. 

[JoJo NY]

Hi, I don't know if this thread is still live or if you've made any decisions, but I've recently restarted observing after many many years off.

Last week I went out with my recently acquired used EQ5, drives on both axes, my used 150p with a couple of used Celestron Plossls, all of which I put together for under £250.

Wow! From a site that was far from ideal (polluted), but good seeing otherwise, M45 was sensational as was M42 and lots of other stuff too. Phase of Venus - obvious etc. etc.

I thought 150P was a bit of a compromise in the interests of handling and transport but I was amazed at the results that I got.

Incidentally, for collecting at impractical distances, have you considered asking the seller to pack for a courier and then booking, say My Hermes from their address to yours?

I hope this is some small help

Joanne

[Charic]

On 1/17/2017 at 20:04, JoJo NY said:

asking the seller to pack for a courier and then booking, say My Hermes from their address to yours?

You don't live in Scotland? It would cost you twice as much to send something to me, as it would for I to send you from my address ?

I live in Moray, Aberdeenshire, but have an Inverness postcode ? ' ka-ching$£$£$£$£$£$£$£$£$£$.

They assume I live on an Island of the West coast of Scotland!  Royal mail all the way, unless i get free delivery!  at least RM accept the fact that  I live on the UK mainland? and with no shops up here that specialize,  were pretty much stumped and have to collect or have delivered.