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Beginner Scope

Abitofsense

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Abitofsense

Abitofsense

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Hi, 

New to the forum but long time reader. I'm finally going to buy a scope since I've moved to the countryside (no light pollution) recently and I'm stuck between 2 scopes: 

skywatcher skyliner 200px dobsonian

skywatcher star discovery 150p parabolic reflector synscan az goto

(I'm on my phone so Im struggling to post links)

Both of these come highly recommended from this forum but I'm struggling to decide which one I should get myself. I will be using it for visual mainly but would like to take simple photos if possible the odd time. 

Anyone got any input to push me in one direction or the other.

Regards

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Charic

Charic

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You may need to track some  targets in order to photograph them properly, therefore a  motorised tracking  mount, dedicated to the task is requiredl. Not cheap, but essential.
For  visual use and the occasional shot of the Moon, then you'll do just fine with a 200P or a 250P, and make it a Dobsonian for ease of use.

Even without tracking, its possible to still take several images, on axis, then stack them in a photo-editor, to create the final image.

If you could visit a club somewhere to see both scopes in action, all the better, and for visual use alone, generally always go for the larger/largest aperture.

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Astro Imp

Astro Imp

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Both will give good views under dark skies but the larger aperture will show more detail. I would ad one proviso, if you can find objects in the first place. I used a manual  scope for starters and then moved to a GOTO and my enjoyment has increased considerably. This is my personal opinion and I know many will have other views.

Good luck and enjoy this great hobby.

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Nyctimene

Nyctimene

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+ 1 for the 200 mm f/6 dob. It will show you more of DSO's under a dark sky, and can be used with 2" eyepieces, giving you wide fields. If you can handle weight and storage easily, it might be a lifetime scope.

Out of all my scopes between 3" and 18", my 8" f/4 Hofheim traveldob (8 kgs in total) is, at the moment, the most used scope, giving mags from 33x  (field 2,5°) up to 400x.

Never felt the need for a GoTo (but for a Red Dot Finder (RDF) and a Right Angle Correct Image (RACI) finder).

Stephan

 

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popeye85

popeye85

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Well I just happen to have both of these scopes!!

Both have pro's and cons.

The sw discovery has the obvious pro that it has goto which is great to find targets if you don't know your way around the sky very well-it is also a lot smaller and compact making it much more portable and practical in most ways. the freedom find on it is also a big plus which is one the reasons it is so recommended. However the downside of course is lack of appature=less targets and less details. you will also need to fork out for a battery pack and have a basic knowledge of the sky to set up the goto.

The 200mm is basically the opposite! it's heavier and less easy to move and store ( I have pictures somewhere to compare-will try and find them) you don't need a battery pack and it is all ready to go straight out of the car boot at night-no faffing around!  you also have a better views however you need to find these for yourself which can be fustrating to say the least at times!

To be honest if I had to pick out of the two I would go for the dob-the simplicity and ease of use win out every time. A lot of people make a big fuss out of the goto making life easier but to me it just isn't as much fun as finding targets with charts etc and  honestly think I would get bored with the hobby using a goto all the time. Also note that I got the discovery first and the only reason I upgraded was because I forever thinking 'how much better would this look in a 8"-and the views are better believe me! However if space and mobility are issues then defo go for the discovery-it is a fantastic scope and you will not be disappointed! and remember it does have freedom find so doing it the old fashioned way will still be  option!!

hope this helps and any questions about either then just ask!

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Cosmic Geoff

Cosmic Geoff

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Different people have different ideas. As much as anything, you need to decide what camp you fall into. Do you feel that amateur astronomy is about 'learning the sky' or about looking at objects? Do you want to take a scope outside and immediately look at some bright object? Or are you wanting to hunt down faint and hard to find objects?

Do you want to be visual, or do astrophotography? These are almost separate hobbies, with totally different equipment requirements.

Buy something small and easy to manage to start with, perhaps with GoTo, so that  you can check out the above questions without getting stuck with something that doesn't suit you.

The 127mm Maksutov Celestron Nexstar GoTo is a starter scope I have never regretted buying. I have added capability for grab'n go, more rigid mounts, and bigger aperture to the line-up. I have to say that I have found large scopes without GoTo to be of little use for my situation and interests.

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Pondus

Pondus

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+1  8" dob. No doubt.

Next few years wont be the best for planetary views. Aperture will rule on dso`s

Get the 200mm, add a telrad.

Edit : the 8" is also better on planets than the other options anyways

 

 

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Louis D

Louis D

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It also depends on how much of the sky you can see at once.  If you can't see Polaris and/or two bright alignment stars at once, setting up a goto (or DSCs) can be frustrating.  That's my situation from my backyard as my trees have matured and blocked out more and more of the sky.  Luckily, I know where most objects are now and don't need a goto or DSCs to find them.  I also don't mind nudging my scope to keep them centered.  I actually rather like it because it reminds me I'm looking at the sky in realtime, not at a photo.  You also tend not to learn where things are on the sky with a goto since there isn't much of an incentive to look along the tube to see where it is actually pointing.

Another problem with the Skywatcher Star Discovery 150p is how to use 2" eyepieces for wide field views when it only has a 1.25" focuser?  Pretty much all 8" dobs have 2" focusers.  I love the wide field views and premium eyepieces that 2" focusers enable.

Of course, why not just go for both 8" and goto?  I've looked through several of these in 8", 10" and 12" versions at star parties, and they offer both very nice views and excellent tracking for the money.  You'll just end up at this scope size eventually, so give in now.  You won't regret it.

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Abitofsense

Abitofsense

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Thanks for all the replies. I'm definitely going with the dob now. I think I would get more enjoyment searching the skies and figuring out and identifying what I'm looking at. 

What accessories would people recommend to get me started? 

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JOC

JOC

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You could get what I've got - a collapsible Skywatcher 200P Dobsonian F6 with a Goto base - then you have the best of all worlds,  aperture, portability/storage wins and Goto ability enough to take some semi reasonable photos if you want to.  How deep is your pocket!

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Abitofsense

Abitofsense

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4 hours ago, JOC said:

You could get what I've got - a collapsible Skywatcher 200P Dobsonian F6 with a Goto base - then you have the best of all worlds,  aperture, portability/storage wins and Goto ability enough to take some semi reasonable photos if you want to.  How deep is your pocket!

When you mean collapsible, is that the Skyliner flextube? 

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-skyliner-200p-flextube-goto.html

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JOC

JOC

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1 hour ago, Abitofsense said:

When you mean collapsible, is that the Skyliner flextube? 

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-skyliner-200p-flextube-goto.html

Yup, that's the set-up I've got - in its collapsed for it takes up about as much floor space and height as a regular dining chair to store and you just lift off the tube with a single grub scew to move it - about 30 seconds to split and put the two back together again.

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Abitofsense

Abitofsense

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I thought I better update on what I actually bought. After months of reading, I ended up buying a Celestron CPC XLT 800 and I should have it early next week. Really looking forward to using it. Kinda funny that my initial budget kinda went out the window the more you research telescopes. 

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