Best scope for around £600

[paulastro]

4 minutes ago, Mark at Beaufort said:

Paul that looks like an AE scope made in Luton?? Am I correct? I always wanted to buy a scope from this company - I think I got the correct name.

Gary well done on buying the 200mm Dob I am sure it will be a good purchase.

Yes Mark, you're quite correct, it is indeed an AE scope from Luton.  In fact recently there has been a refurbished one of the same scope for sale on astrobuysell, I'm not sure if it's still available.  If I had the money, and somewhere to store it, I may have bought it myself for old times sake. 

[paulastro]

A good choice Gary, I'm sure you'll have lots of pleasure using your new scope. The BST is a good choice too.  I have several and they are excellent value for money.  In fact they shoot above their weight and will out perform quite a few more expensive eyepieces.  I hope you have some clear skies to use your scope over Christmas.

[Mark at Beaufort]

6 minutes ago, paulastro said:

Yes Mark, you're quite correct, it is indeed an AE scope from Luton.  In fact recently there has been a refurbished one of the same scope for sale on astrobuysell, I'm not sure if it's still available.  If I had the money, and somewhere to store it, I may have bought it myself for old times sake. 

Yes I wanted to buy one of their scopes in the early 1970s but I bought someones home made wooden tube 6" Newt instead. As you can see I should have bought the AE scope.

 

[rockystar]

10 hours ago, Gary170782 said:

Thanks, I only live round the corner from Heaton park, where abouts does everyone set up?? J

In case you missed it

they have some christmas special on this evening, advertised by the park, and next week is the Christmas party. It'll probably be 19th Jan before I'm there again, but they meet weekly, prob starting again, with regular service, on 5th Jan. Hopefully see you there sometime - be nice to have a fellow dob owner there

 

[Gary170782]

23 hours ago, rockystar said:

In case you missed it

they have some christmas special on this evening, advertised by the park, and next week is the Christmas party. It'll probably be 19th Jan before I'm there again, but they meet weekly, prob starting again, with regular service, on 5th Jan. Hopefully see you there sometime - be nice to have a fellow dob owner there

 

I was actually going to go on Thursday but it was so overcast I don't even think I saw the night sky once so I thought no one would go, Am I now right in thinking people will be there regardless of the weather ?? 

[rockystar]

yes, if it is overcast they have astronomy related talks.

[Gary170782]

Thanks, I'll know for next time. I hope they won't mind giving me a few pointers on my scope. 

[rockystar]

everyone is really friendly there, you'll find someone willing to help

 

[N3ptune]

On 12/15/2016 at 06:46, mikeDnight said:

This is a nice looking Newtonian Paulastro (it must be good also because it's long)

They don't seem to sell these long models anymore?  This one looks like a 6 inches, but all I can see on SW's website is a 3 inches.. and shorter models like mine, the 200 DS (Which I think it's quite good even if it's short, but, it has a bit of coma because of that.)

http://skywatcher.com/product/bk-767az1/

But yours is nice, it looks new also..

[John]

19 minutes ago, N3ptune said:

This is a nice looking Newtonian Paulastro (it must be good also because it's long)

They don't seem to sell these long models anymore?  This one looks like a 6 inches, but all I can see on SW's website is a 3 inches.. and shorter models like mine, the 200 DS (Which I think it's quite good even if it's short, but, it has a bit of coma because of that.)

 

The Skywatcher Explorer 150PL and the Starliner 150 dobsonian both use the 6" F/8 optical tube that Paulastro is using. The latter one seems to be called the Dob 6" in Canada - here is a link:

http://ca.skywatcher.com/_english/01_products/02_detail.php?sid=360

 

[N3ptune]

Ah it's true, it looks like the same thing has the Dob 6.  I see it now on first light optic (Explorer 150PL), we can't have this model here in Canada or in the US.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/reflectors/skywatcher-explorer-150pl-eq3-2.html

In the US and Canada we can get a much shorter version like this one to go on an equatorial mount. 

http://www.skywatcher.com/product/bk-p15075-eq3-wsteel-tripod/

http://ca.skywatcher.com/_english/01_products/02_detail.php?sid=383

[paulastro]

Quote

This is a nice looking Newtonian Paulastro (it must be good also because it's long)

They don't seem to sell these long models anymore?  This one looks like a 6 inches, but all I can see on SW's website is a 3 inches.. and shorter models like mine, the 200 DS (Which I think it's quite good even if it's short, but, it has a bit of coma because of that.)

http://skywatcher.com/product/bk-767az1/

But yours is nice, it looks new also..

I just bought the optical tube assembly as I already had a couple of suitable mounts:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/reflectors/skywatcher-explorer-150pl-ota.html

In my view the L version is a better bet for planetary and lunar observations which are my particular interests.

Regards, Paul

 

[paulastro]

I should have mentioned that it has exactly the same optics as the Dobsonian version, it just depends which version suits your particular requirements.

[paulastro]

On ‎16‎/‎12‎/‎2016 at 09:54, Mark at Beaufort said:

Yes I wanted to buy one of their scopes in the early 1970s but I bought someones home made wooden tube 6" Newt instead. As you can see I should have bought the AE scope.

 

 

[paulastro]

On ‎16‎/‎12‎/‎2016 at 09:54, Mark at Beaufort said:

Yes I wanted to buy one of their scopes in the early 1970s but I bought someones home made wooden tube 6" Newt instead. As you can see I should have bought the AE scope.

 

I rather like the look of that Mark - it looks like a good observing site too! 

[Mark at Beaufort]

1 minute ago, paulastro said:

I rather like the look of that Mark - it looks like a good observing site too! 

Yes Paul the site is still my current home although some trees have grown up on the distant disused railway line which faces West. The Southern horizon is also fairly clear with no light pollution in that direction. The 6" Wooden OTA was very heavy and the mount was a Charles Frank equatorial with slow motion cables. The long black tube on the top was a Charles Frank Junior Refractor - not very good but it gave me my first view of the Moon.

[paulastro]

Ah, Charles Frank, there's a blast from the past.  I remember drooling over the Junior Refractor in their catalogue   I'm glad you still have a good observing site.