Accesoires for SW Skyliner 200P

[Damianbeen]

I recently bought a SW Skyliner 200P.

Are there any recommendations for accesoires to buy( and why )?

Preferably under €100.

I live in a suburban area.

 

Thanks in advance, and good seeing!

[Star Struck]

The first thing I bought was a red dot finder. It makes it so much easier to get yourself in the area of sky you want to look at before switching to the finder supplied with the scope for finer detail.

 

Tony

[darknight]

better eyepieces, even the bsts at flow now are cheap but will offer a step up, you could get 2 for around that

[Charic]

1 hour ago, Damianbeen said:

I recently bought a SW Skyliner 200P.

Are there any recommendations for accesoires to buy( and why )?

Preferably under €100.

I live in a suburban area.

 

Thanks in advance, and good seeing!

Eyepieces!

Keep it simple with the 200P. that's the reason it exists.
Keeping both eyes open when using the finder scope aids in finding your target ( you'll see why if/when you try ) but you may have to twist your neck in order to get behind the finder scope, so some folk will opt for a Right Angle Corrected Image (RACI) finder scope. I tried one, but still prefer the straight through 9x50 version for my needs.

There is also the Telrad. This is a good device, but I have tried them twice, and for me, its an issue with my own eyes. I can't focus on the rings at infinity without wearing glasses, so as I choose to not wear them, I sold the Telrad.

There are other suggestions too like flocking! ( light absorbent material lining the scope ) Dew shields/Snoods ( I made one out of camping foam ) think it helps, but not 100%.

Anything you add to your scope will be a personal issue, and whether you believe it make all if any difference, is down to the end user.

The biggest thing you can do to improve anything is to hide in the shadows, to avert your eyes from any direct man-made lighting, better still, get away to a darker site ( I do this when I have the time, and the seeing conditions - now mainly limited to the Winter months due to my location ) and to find some eyepieces that are comfortable in use, good eye-relief, and enough field of view to satisfy.

I started this reply with eyepieces?  by replacing the 10mm supplied eyepiece for something more comfortable, my first choice was the  8mm BST Starguider, but even a 12mm Barlowed and you supplied 25mm and try, like I said, hiding in the shadows, or creating a hide, to view from, but best of all, drive to a dark site and enjoy.

[laudropb]

The first mods I made to mine was to purchase  RACI and Rigel finders. They make locating objects and star hopping so much easier. Try out the supplied eps. They are usable and will let you learn how to use your scope. You will undoubtedly want to change them at some stage, but a bit of experience will help you make the best choice when the time comes.

[Louis D]

Install Stellarium on a laptop or tablet so you figure out what is up and where in the sky.

Get a Rigel QwikFinder or Telrad to help target your scope.  I also went with a green laser sight, but some folks are skittish about shining them into the sky for fear of hitting a plane's cockpit.

Get a widest field 38mm to 42mm 68 to 72 degree "finder" eyepiece to take in large swaths of the sky at once.  It helps when locating objects and then centering them prior to increasing power.  They're also nice for cruising the Milky Way if you can get out to a dark sky site.

Get an observing stool or chair so you can sit.  It's hard to hold still and avoid bobbing about for more than a few minutes at a time.  Seated observing is much more relaxed.

If you find your eyepiece is often positioned too low for comfort, get a water butt stand to put your scope on top of to raise it up.  In the US, it would be called a rain barrel stand.

And yes, upgrade your eyepieces.  I'd start with a nice 12mm to 14mm "workhorse" eyepiece because that hits the sweet spot for magnification with an 8" scope.

Don't feel like you have to rush out and buy everything at once.  That's half the fun of astronomy, upgrading your kit over the years as you build experience and your bank balance.  It's just too bad your back and eyes start to degrade over the same period of time. 

[Pondus]

Telrad

[Ally8446]

A copy of Turn Left At Orion wouldn't go amiss.  After that I'd say patience. ....Lots and lots of patience. 

Certainly a Telrad/Rigel and possibly wide field ep 24-30mm

Clear skies

Ally

[ronin]

If you do not get on with the finder then get one that you do get on with, will say that you may or may not get along wth any particular type. My history/experience with a telrad is abismal. I can aim the scope easier by looking along the OTA and a degree of luck, at times I have laid my GLP on the scope bits and located things by that, I am one that just cannot use a telrad, usually to other peoples amusement. Others love them. But to see anything you first have to find it.

Usually the longer eyepiece is OK but the 10mm and the barlow are poor. At 100€ you are kind of limited to 1, two would cost around 150€, try Skies the Limit on ebay as they seem to have split the cost and the postage now so they are a bit less then they were and it postage to The Nederlands may be such that it is worth going via them. Suggest the 12mm for a bit of magnification and view or the 8mm aimed a bit more at magnification. Not much in it I suppose. Is the scope the f/5 or the f/6?.

The BST's are sold by TS as their NED eyepieces.

Make a short list of what you coinsider essential additions and get one whenever finances allow, no great rush with the long light evenings we are going to have for the next 2 months. Keeps you focussed on what you need rather then what you fancy buying.

[Damianbeen]

4 minutes ago, ronin said:

If you do not get on with the finder then get one that you do get on with, will say that you may or may not get along wth any particular type. My history/experience with a telrad is abismal. I can aim the scope easier by looking along the OTA and a degree of luck, at times I have laid my GLP on the scope bits and located things by that, I am one that just cannot use a telrad, usually to other peoples amusement. Others love them. But to see anything you first have to find it.

Usually the longer eyepiece is OK but the 10mm and the barlow are poor. At 100€ you are kind of limited to 1, two would cost around 150€, try Skies the Limit on ebay as they seem to have split the cost and the postage now so they are a bit less then they were and it postage to The Nederlands may be such that it is worth going via them. Suggest the 12mm for a bit of magnification and view or the 8mm aimed a bit more at magnification. Not much in it I suppose. Is the scope the f/5 or the f/6?.

The BST's are sold by TS as their NED eyepieces.

Make a short list of what you coinsider essential additions and get one whenever finances allow, no great rush with the long light evenings we are going to have for the next 2 months. Keeps you focussed on what you need rather then what you fancy buying.

1200 divided by 203 equals 5,911330049261084. So F/6.

thanks for your advice and 'Good seeing!'

[Jimtheslim]

Telrad, water butt base, camping matt to make a dew shield with

[popeye85]

Telrad,

observing chair

Turn left at orion

planisphere

red light torch

thermals

[domstar]

Definitely a pirate eye-patch and other stuff slowly one at a time when nights are cloudy.

[Damianbeen]

14 hours ago, ronin said:

If you do not get on with the finder then get one that you do get on with, will say that you may or may not get along wth any particular type. My history/experience with a telrad is abismal. I can aim the scope easier by looking along the OTA and a degree of luck, at times I have laid my GLP on the scope bits and located things by that, I am one that just cannot use a telrad, usually to other peoples amusement. Others love them. But to see anything you first have to find it.

Usually the longer eyepiece is OK but the 10mm and the barlow are poor. At 100€ you are kind of limited to 1, two would cost around 150€, try Skies the Limit on ebay as they seem to have split the cost and the postage now so they are a bit less then they were and it postage to The Nederlands may be such that it is worth going via them. Suggest the 12mm for a bit of magnification and view or the 8mm aimed a bit more at magnification. Not much in it I suppose. Is the scope the f/5 or the f/6?.

The BST's are sold by TS as their NED eyepieces.

Make a short list of what you coinsider essential additions and get one whenever finances allow, no great rush with the long light evenings we are going to have for the next 2 months. Keeps you focussed on what you need rather then what you fancy buying.

1200 divided by 203 equals 5,911330049261084. So F/6.

thanks for your advice and 'Good seeing!'

[Damianbeen]

And i probely need a collimator too? Which one? As cheap as possible?.

and is the extra money worth a laser collimator?

[Mognet]

Something I found useful for autumn and winter observing was dew shields for the finder scope as mine seems to mist up rather quick. You can make them easily from an old mousemat

The supplied 10mm eyepiece isn't great, so replacing that is a good idea. BSTs are good for the price, and you can get two and still stay within budget

Knowing where to find things in the sky is essential, along with knowing what it's possible to view. The book, Turn Left At Orion, is recommended, as is Stellarium. Stellarium is free on the PC, and quite cheap on a tablet.

There is no need to rush to buy accessories, gaining knowledge and experience is a better way to start

[Littleguy80]

I've spent the last two or three months buying all the various accessories that I thought I needed. Finding objects is challenging but also lots of fun, it feels great when you find your target. I bought a Telrad and the Sky & Telescope Pocket Atlas. I copied the scale diagram for the Telrad onto a clear piece of plastic and use that to figure out what I should be seeing through the Telrad. It takes practise but seems to work. You'll need a red light torch to see it in the dark of course! I found the 25mm supplied eyepiece to be quite usable as a low magnification "finder" eyepiece. I often use Stellarium as a guide for what I should see through the eyepiece. It's helpful to know what star patterns to look for. As others have said, the price is right..free

I have the 8mm, 12mm and 18mm BST Starguiders which are very good. I'd suggest using the supplied eyepieces while you learn to find objects. You should then get a feel for what objects interest you the most and hence what focal lengths/magnifications will be most useful for you. I started with the 8mm as it's nice eyepiece for lunar, planetary and some DSO's too. 

I do also have Turn Left at Orion which others have recommended. 

[Damianbeen]

3 hours ago, Damianbeen said:

And i probely need a collimator too? Which one? As cheap as possible?.

and is the extra money worth a laser collimator?

I have collimation cap i just found out.

shall i use that or buy a cheshire?

[swamp thing]

On 6/8/2017 at 11:05, Damianbeen said:

I recently bought a SW Skyliner 200P.

Are there any recommendations for accesoires to buy( and why )?

Preferably under €100.

I live in a suburban area.

 

Thanks in advance, and good seeing!

Full tank of gas...........

This is The best accessory for any suburban astronomer. Get far from suburbia and then set your scope up   Wow! nothing you can bolt on or add to your scope will ever make this much difference to your observing pleasure. 

Enjoy  

 

[Damianbeen]

1 minute ago, Damianbeen said:

I have collimation cap i just found out.

shall i use that or buy a cheshire?

But theres no hole in the cap?

[Damianbeen]

Is this even a collimation cap?

[Alan White]

No that's a dust cap.

Columnation caps have a hole through them at least.

I used a Cheshire to coumnate my reflector in the past, one like this:

[Damianbeen]

12 minutes ago, Alan White said:

No that's a dust cap.

Columnation caps have a hole through them at least.

I used a Cheshire to coumnate my reflector in the past, one like this:

Wherefore is the dustcap then? It doesnt fit on my: finder scope lookthrough side, and not on my eypieces either.

[Alan White]

The cap should be left in the focuser when not being used to stop dust getting into the scope.
It's a dust cap.

 

[Damianbeen]

Does it matter what brand cheshire i use? Example: does a omegon collimation eyepiece work with a skywatcher telescope?