Which Dob Skywatcher

[keme]

Evening folks

 

I have the opertunity to buy a skywatcher 150 Dob for under £100.  Now i do have a budget of £400 so i was actually planning on the Skywatcher 200p for £280.  So for about £180 less is the 200 really worth the upgrade over the 150?  Would it be worth while buying the 150 then spending some money on good lenses?  I should mention I need to be able to put the scope in the car and travel for a site.  Although i live in a nice dark place my garden is tiny, so I am planning on taking a scope on a 20 mile drive every now and then but mostly 1 mile away.

[ronin]

If you got the 8" were you 100% expecting to stick at 8" or was lurking in some deep lost forgotten corner the idea of going to a 10" (or 12") at some later stage?

Thoughts being if any intention of going bigger then get the 150 now and save for the bigger one for a while whilst using the 150.

Concerning eyepieces I would say expect to get 4 maybe 5 to cover most situations, so pick a price per eyepiece and multiply by 4 or 5. At least with eyepieces however you can get one at a time (monthly), so not a single big outlay. If you go for the 150 first get eyepiece that will suit that and a potential later scope. Cover both bases.

The 200p over the 150p will give just over 75% more light gather and it is often recommended that you increase the aperture by twice the area to get a noticable difference. So 150 to 200 would not quite deliver that.

[keme]

Cheers for the reply.  If i got the 8" i would be expecting to stick with it for the foreseeable future, but maybe upgrade the mount for AP but wouldnt be any time soon.  I could if really need be go for the 250 but wouldnt have anything left for eye pieces for a wee while. I did a while back have a 150pl with an eq3-2 and it was a fine scope so i do know what to expect with the 150 i suppose

[John]

Personally I'd try and get the 200P F/6 dob if at all possible. Nothing wrong with the 150 but the 200 gathers over 70% more light than the 150 which really helps when viewing deep sky objects and the additional resolution won't come amiss when viewing the moon and planets.

You can't "buy" the additional performance by spending the money saved on excellent eyepieces, unfortunately so, in that sense, the additional money is better spent on scope aperture.

[Charic]

For their design/purpose, the bigger the better. More aperture, greater light grasp, better detail.
A better eyepiece alone does not better the scope, it can only magnify the image that is produced by the scope, so more detail from a larger scope  will help, no matter how good the eyepiece in my opinion, but a 'better' eyepiece does make for better comfort when in use, depending on your needs and expectations.

Get the 200P.

 

[keme]

Cheers for the replies folks, its what i was originally wanting to get anyway just so happens a 150 came about.  I will put an order in for the 200, I suppose at the same time i get warranty with it too.  Another quick question i hope can be answered, If i buy the 200 i can afford a lens or 2 any recommendations?  The 2 lenses i get with it are 10mm and 25mm - 1.25", I believe the 10mm isnt a good choice and the prefered 8mm is better, I will be using the scope for both DSO and Local.

[John]

The usual advice (probably wise !) is to have a go with the stock eyepieces first and see how you get on before ordering others. There are loads of threads on here on suitable eyepieces for the scope though. Generally the supplied 10mm is the weakest so it's the first that gets replaced.

The BST Starguider eyepieces are quite hard to beat for just under £50 apiece but there are dozens of other options, depending on the available budget

[Charic]

59 minutes ago, keme said:

I could if really need be go for the 250 but wouldnt have anything left for eye pieces for a wee while

The Stars and everything up there won't be going anywhere soon, so there's plenty of time to work and play with the scope.
Buy the 150, you'll want bigger, sooner than later. Buy the 200,  how much better is it over the 150, You won't know, and could the image be  bigger  in a 250 or 300mm?.......... what if, what if.....

I had hoped for a bigger scope to try alongside my present scope under my local conditions. If it bettered the performance over the 200P then I will buy that scope, but it needs to be a solid tube Skyliner. The bigger the better, but then remember, I'm wanting better from my present site, and in all honesty, I may not see the difference I'd hope to see, even though on paper there is a vast difference, I still need to see the visual difference, as my eyes survey the situation?
Same with eyepieces, Ive had a few good ones, premium optics, premium prices too ( if they were all brand new)  but more than happy with what I have at present.

I think if you bought the 150 you'd want bigger sooner than later, if you buy the 200P you'll wonder how much better it really is against the 150, and like me, would that 250/300 be MUCH better! Yes on paper, but practically? 

Lugging a 300P around in my 3-Door won't be so much fun, I'd also possibly need to recover my sold Tele Vue Delos eyepieces to use in the faster scope, not sure how well my Starguiders would fair on an f/4 scope!!!! There's also the weight to contend with, I can remove my present scope from its store, and forearm lift it to anywhere in my small garden. 

After some careful considerations over the what, maybe 1 year, having had this scope for about 4 Years, it looks like Ill be keeping this scope a lot longer (for now!)

My 200p feels like a completely different scope when away from home and the local street lighting, its hard to believe I have the same scope!
If a bigger apertured scope could provide that sort of difference from the back yard, its a no brainer, it would be worth owning, and I would not need to travel with the scope to get the best. However, fact is, any scope is twice its best away from my street lighting.

I'm asking too much from this scope ( the bigger scope ) to be so much better from the garden point of view, so I expect it just won't happen, but I'd rather lug the 200P around than the larger, heavier 300P. I won't know until I try.

 

[keme]

17 minutes ago, Charic said:

The Stars and everything up there won't be going anywhere soon, so there's plenty of time to work and play with the scope.

 

Hit the nail on the head there.

Thats the 200p and a laser Collimator purchased, Receive it by Tuesday so thats not too bad, came in at £320 all in.  Now await the clear skies

 

Cheers for the replies guys

[Red Dwarfer]

Love my 200P . Can`t recommend them enough ! 

[Charic]

I bought one of the next generation lasers, and have repaired it on more than one occasion ?  ( the battery button contacts ) but don't let 'LASER' instill that its a scientifically accurate instrument! they can be more bother than good.
To be honest, I only use my laser with a Barlow fitted, its a quick/guide check showing that the reflected centre spot actually encircles the laser emitter outlet, especially after a bumpy ride in the car, but my scope has the comforts of a double duvet and two old cot mattresses.

Far better and more accurate using a Cheshire tool, and just as effective using a 35mm film cap!!!! That the experience I found after my purchase.