Complete Newbie

[timetraveller]

hello Sax

I own a skywatcher explorer P200 and its a superb scope but be warned it is rather large and quite heavy too . I got mine with the EQ5 mount and its quite adequate for the job in hand . I did slash out and by the dual motor drive for it so that it tracks objects quite nicely and yes you can upgrade it to a goto later on if that's what you want to do . There are a couple of optional extras that you will need for it . number one is a dew shield for it i wasn't sure i needed one till recently when I went to a star party and was amazed how quickly it actually did dew up.

also I would strongly recommend you purchase a Cheshire collimator and also a polar alignment scope although you can manage without the alignment scope it certainly does help in setting up your telescope the collimator is needed to align your mirrors when needed . If you decide to go for the motor drives, I would strongly recommend you purchase a power tank. Although the original outlay is a little expensive sax, you will save hugely on the costs of constantly relplacing batteries . Lastly you may wish to add to the two eyepieces and the barlow which is supplied I suggest you hold fire on this to start with and then save up for one or two decent lenses that you want later but if you live in a built up area with lots of light pollution a Neodymium filter and also a moon filter will certainly help regards Pete

[thing]

I would go the whole hog and get the 200 on the HEQ5 PRO mount, then you've got it. You'll have everything you need for observing and astrophotography stuff.

[Vega]

Hi Sax

Another idea for the "aw my neck hurts" problem... A folding lilo chair. Its sounds funny but its simply the best way to view the heavens naked eye or with bins. Especially good during meteor showers (The Orionids and Leonids are just around the corner ).

I too would recommend an 8" reflector, brilliant scope. As for the mount, its the same with most things, the best would be the all singing and dancing HEQ5 PRO GOTO which is a mount for life. Of course its much more expensive though . The standard EQ5 is equally up to the job tho, with the option of adding the less powerful stepper motors.

You're definately on the right track tho . If you found Mizar and Alcor, you're almost there with polaris... see my guide to finding it

Some other guides for more objects here

Cheers

Matt

[Saxony]

Umm just wrote out a whole post and hit spell check and it deleted it, happened the other day too, so I think you will just have to put up with my crappy spelling cause it's annoying having to re type everything again

Ok, GOTO's yeah I kinda figure I don't really need one, surely it's more fun to find things yourself anyway? Or maybe my expectations of finding things is to high lol.

So the Skywatcher200 is "rather large and quite heavy" I hadn't really accounted for weight or size, is there alot of difference between different 8" scopes then? I am not that big so is it something I should consider?

Vega, I thought yesterday I should have got the garden chairs out I will look at your guides in a bit, thanks, although think it's going to be cloudy tonight here.

Sax

[thing]

The scope weighs about 20 pounds if memory serves me correctly. It's not that heavy.

[Saxony]

I can cope with 20 pounds, thats alot less than my toddler and I don't have a problem carrying her around lol

[timetraveller]

sax the skywatcher p200 weighs a lot more than 20lbs believe me, the two counterweights on their own weigh 16lbs I reckon by the time you have added on the stainless steel tube tripod and the actual Eq mount head and the OTA the whole thing weighs close on 20 kg 40lbs in weight the tube dia is around 14" and is a Metre long take a look at this photo of mine and you should get a rough idea on how big it is regards Pete

(click to enlarge)

[thing]

Yeah but you don't have to carry it all at the same time! The tube is 19lb 4 oz, I just checked on the website. I don't know if yours is different to mine but mine's certainly not 14 inch in diameter. More like 8 and a half inches.

[Saxony]

Hi, thanks for the replies and the pic Pete. Can I ask how tall you are, not being personal just it would give me a rough idea as how big it actually is etc.

I talked to my brother and he said the same thing as thing (lol) in that I wouldn't have to carry it all at once.

Oh I dunno, conflicting advice lol, I am still thinking it is the one I will go for, but I really do appreciate the advice and any more anyone cares to share.

Thanks

Sax.

[Vega]

I couldn't even carry my evostar 120 refractor with mount and counterweights all at once... thats worlds strongest man territory..., well for me

I agree with you about GOTO (which admitadly I do have now for imaging and time saving purposes). Its a wonderful thing but I really enjoyed my first two years of the hobby using a humble EQ3-2 mount and discovering objects for myself.. nothing beats that feeling when you first find a DSO for yourself using just a finderscope and eyepeice . It also helps no end for learning the sky quickly.

Not sure if this will help but I'm 5' 9" but thin as a rake. I can carry my 10" Newt tube on my own, admitadly I think I would probably crumble at the feet lifting the 12" version.

10" Newt & EQ6 Synscan GOTO

If I can carry my 10", I'd of thought an 8" should be do-able for you. As a tip, these newt tubes are much heavier at one end (primary mirror end) than the other and lifting it off-center so you find the center of gravity of the tube really helps alot. Its more about the lifting technique than how heavy it is.

Matt

[timetraveller]

hiya sax

I'm 5'10" tall no probs I'm not shy about my stats and yes its true you don't need to carry it out all at once in fact I keep mine split down and separate for storage much easier until i get around to building an obs but i have a couple of big conifers that need to come down before i can do that . It sounds pretty much like you have already made up your mind I promise you you'll not be disappointed if you choose the p200 the extra light gathering ability alone makes it a worth while investment . And can I also add talking as a puritan I think your doing the right thing not going for a go to mount you ll get a lot more satisfaction and you'll learn a lot more by doing it the old fashioned way so to speak. Goto's are OK up until the point when they stop working ,which reading through the various threads on this forum appears to be a pretty regular occurrence and if it does pack up then what do you do and to be honest if you download Stellarium and cartes du Ciel finding targets is pretty straight forward . sax if you and your girls would like some one to one tuition please feel free to PM me I have some teaching experience and pride myself on simplified explanations and you would be more than welcome regards Pete

[Astro_Baby]

Sax - I am a female who's about 5'6" and size 12/14 - that may give you an idea of my build. I have a Sky-Watcher 200P on an HEQ5.

Its a good scope for sure but it is quite large and heavy.

I could pick the whole lot up but only just and not be able to go more than a few steps. Once broken down into tube, mount, tripod, weights its quite manageable though with none of the componenets weighing much more than a small toddler or a solid baby buggy like a Maclaren

A lot will depend on whether you need to move it about a lot. If I was in a house with a garden and only had to get it outside it would be easy.

As it is I live 3 floors up in some flats so for me to get out and use it means 6 flights of stairs, put it in a car and lug it out the other end.

To be honest its a bit much for me and as a result I seldom use it these days. Logically a smaller SCT type scope would make more sense but:

a) I like Netwonians - they are funky

SCT to the same size / quality would be expensive

Something to factor in with a scope is the invetable extras - you'll need power if you get an HEQ5 so you'll need to cost in portable power or a decent mains supply. Other extras will include:

Red light torch

Warm clothes ( its VERY cold outside when your standing around )

Extra Eyepieces later on

Dewshield

For me I like the scope and on the only three times its been used the views have been very good.

I have made loads of mods to mine but out of the box its very useable. Mine was problematic thanks to a duff dealer. Buy from a decent dealer and you will fine.

As an alternate scope you could always look at the Sky-Watcher 150 - its a bit smaller and perhaps more manageable.

I like the Sw200 though and I know I am not alone in that. Like you I felt GoTo would take the fun out and make it too much of a toy for me. I did find under dark skies I was hopless with the finder scope on the SW200 and have just added a red dot finder which I find easier to cope with. Mines a posh RDF but they can be had quite cheap.

I attached a pic below - sorry the quality is dreadful on this pic. The smaller scope is the Sky-Watcher 130PM - its broadly similar in size to a 6" scope. The bigger one is the SW200 when it was brand new out the box.

Hope thats of some help.

[philsail1]

Hello "Saxony"

Yes, I too have the Skywatcher 200mm Newtonian Reflector. It is quite heavy when all rigged up, but as others have said - you can assemble it bit by bit. I assemble mine in three stages. 1 Tripod, battey pack and controller. 2. Weights. 3. Scope.

(click to enlarge)

Incidently, the battery pack takes eight "D" sized cells. Everyone seems to be buying these "Powertanks" (large 12volt Portable battery pack) which would indeed give you a good long lasting power supply. However, ever since I've owned the scope (12 months) I've been using re-chargeable Nickel Metal Hydride "D" sized cells, and I've only had to re-charge them once. (Perhaps I don't use my scope much!). So, I think if you do go for the Skywatcher 200mm on the HEQ5 motorised mount, you will be OK to use batteries - as long as they're rechargeables.

Whatever scope you choose, it might be wise to consider such things as, where you can store it safely. How far you have to walk to set it up. Have you got a good portion of sky visible. How much time do you have to spend studying the night sky. Also, try and allow scope (excuse the pun!) in your choice, to enable you develop your hobby - without having to spend more money on another (usually bigger!) scope in future.

I have heard others say that the Skywatcher 200mm is an ideal scope that will last you a lifetime - and just about cover all types of viewing preferences - planets, deep sky, and photography.

Best wishes with whatever scope you choose.

Regards,

philsail1

[Vega]

Im loving this thread, the more it grows , its gonna turn in to a second 'members equipment thread' soon.

Matt

[Saxony]

Thanks for all your pics and advice, I really do appreciate it. The 200 does look large seeing it next to people, I don't know what I was expecting but I wasn't expecting it to be quite that big lol. I am only 5' 2" and a size 10 so it is concerning me a little, the pic of the 130 that Astro-Baby posted looks a more managable size but obviously is not as good. Part of me is thinking start smaller, but then again would I just want to get the 200 later, if so I might as well just save the money and start with it.

The back of my house looks over fields and lakes so I have plenty of viewing space in the garden so transporting it is not so much of a concern, although storage might be. How long do they take to assemble roughly?

I was planning on ordering one tommrow, I hope I can make my mind up soon :?

Sax

[thing]

Depends how unassembled you keep it. I leave my tripod spread with the mount on top, counterweights and scope off. It takes about 2 minutes to take it out of the shed onto the patio and put counterweights and scope on. It sounds as if you could have a semi permanent set up there, do you have anywhere you could keep the tripod and mount already assembled? When you do your first good polar align you ought to mark where the legs went. I put mine in the same place on the patio everytime, in the most light free area. Then when you get the tripod out you can have it roughly in the right place everytime.

[Saxony]

OK, I didn't really think about storing it in the shed, I just kinda assumed I would have to store it in the house. So would it be ok to store everything in the shed, what about the cold and damp and that, sorry that sounds a really stupid question but obviously I am clueless. I have a brick built shed type thing right next to the patio so it would be ideal if i could.

sax

[Astro_Baby]

Mine is always set up in my living room as a kind of conversation piece. To strip it down for transport takes about 10-15 minutes but I go slow and take my time and each piece is packed in its own bags. I have scope bags for the tube and the HEQ5 mount head and aluminium flight cases for the rest. To rig it back up takes about 15 minutes doing it all in reverse order. Once you know what your doing its quite quick.

Personal choice - if I were going to store stuff in a shed I'd store the tripod in there and the weights. The mount head and scope I'd keep indoors. I'd think if the scope were covered it would be safe in a shed ( after all peope leave their kit in home made observatories which are only a sort of upmarket shed ).

Personally I am a bit obsessive about the scope so I'd want it in the house.

On physical size you could always look at something like a 150 - thats not much larger than the 130 in that pic. For me part of the thrill was owning a larger scope - if I thought I could have handled it I would have bought a 10" on an EQ6.

On the other hand if you'r sure you'll stick at it it kind of makes sense to go for the bigger option straight away though for me I wanted a toe in the water approach ( hence the 130 as a test purchase ).

If you go for the 200 - once your over the learning curve ( which may well make you swear and curse ) - you'll most likely be happy and theres always us lot to help you out when your stuck

Where are you near ? If your anywhere near Redhill you;d be very welcome to come take a look at ( or even through - if the clouds go away ) mine.

[Saxony]

ok, originally I was thinking of just keeping it set up in the living room too, but now I know the size and with 3 kids running about that is definatly not an option, I can't be affording any accidents The cases and that that you mention, do they come with those or are they extra's you need to buy?

I am thinking if i store the tripod/weights in the shed and have a case to store the scope in the house that makes practical sense and I could go for the 200.

I think the hardest part is because I am new to this I don't know enough and that makes the decission on what to buy difficult.

I am in Buckinghamshire, so a bit to far to visit unfortunatly

Sax

[philsail1]

Saxony,

I'm 5' 7" and my 200mm takes about 10 mins to set up in the three stages. Like others, I tens to leave the tripod and head together, take the weights and scope off.

However, if weight, set up and storage are issues, perhaps you could consider a "maksutov" scope.

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/proddetail.php?prod=SW127SupaTrakAUTO

much less weight, easy to store and a cinch to set up. Good on planets and some deep sky stuff.

Complete with a tracking system too.

Regards,

philsail

[tarqs101]

Saxony,

I'm 5' 7" and my 200mm takes about 10 mins to set up in the three stages. Like others, I tens to leave the tripod and head together, take the weights and scope off.

However, if weight, set up and storage are issues, perhaps you could consider a "maksutov" scope.

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/proddetail.php?prod=SW127SupaTrakAUTO

much less weight, easy to store and a cinch to set up. Good on planets and some deep sky stuff.

Complete with a tracking system too.

Regards,

philsail

I agree,

I too was hoping for a large newt but after discussions with my better half realised that storing it would be too tricky. especially with a two year old and a baby on the way!

Therefore, going for a short tube refractor on a tracking mount.

But if you can afford a Mak then even better!!!!

Gavin

[timetraveller]

sax just one last point the 8" will have over 77% more light gathering capability over the 130 version and as said befor in Astronomy light is king the more light gathering the fainter and more stars ect you can see and storing the 200 split up is no bother and storing in an outside shed is no probs either just make sure your shed is secure and that you add your scope onto your house contents insurance regards Pete

[Vega]

Sax

Re: storage, I put in a couple L shaped brackets up in my shed to store the scope tube along the inside wall. I got them from B&Q, they are metal with foam protectors around them which is just the ticket. They have a lip at the end to prevent things from rolling off and are plenty big enough for the 250px (I think they did smaller sizes). I had a quick browse on their website but couldn't find them however Im sure your local store will have them. Its a much better method of storage as storing the tube in a shed means its already cooled for viewing sessions. The heat of the home means it needs to be left ouside to cool for several minutes before use.

Matt

[Astro_Baby]

I did reply vis the cases last night but my PC ate the response.

My cases came from Teleskop Service in Germany and cost about £140 ( to best of my memory. The scope and the mount head have soft foam cases in a kind of tough ( ballistic ?? ) nylon material. The rest of the gubbins ( finder scope, control pad etc ) goes in an aluminium case. For me having to be portable cases seemed a good idea.

I guess it would be ok in a shed so long as its dry(ish) and covered. After all lots of people leave there kit in home observatories which are only a sort of upmarket shed.

I hate trying to advise another newbie because theres so many issues in the chioce of a scope and for a beginner its very confusing.

The choices are quite often little to do with the tecnical abilities of a scope per se but rather areas like its physical size and weight , ease of transport and operation, storage space and a host of other issues. Most newbies ( and I include me in that ) seldom know what they really want from a scope. I assumed imaging - having got it I doubt I'll ever bother. Thats got little to do with imaging complexity or cost but lots to do with the fact I dont want to be sat in front of a PC anymore than I have to be.

Personally when I was considering I found a lot of web boards unhelpful because it creates a kind of mission creep. However much you propose to spend someone will be along to tell you if only you could squeeze another £50 it would be better.

In the end I went for a 130PM just to test the water and acepted that it was a learning experience and I was happy to kiss off the cost if need be.

For me that was a good solution as it refined what I really wanted out of it and that in turn led me to the 200P. Though I did consider an alternative which I will pass over quietly lest I kick off a touchy subject in another thread

An impartial buyer in my situation would have bought an SCT with GoTo. Its small size and fast set-up is more ideal for someone who needs poratability like me. But - well call me weird - I love big Newtonians and although its a wholly irrational choice for me I am happier with it than I would be with anything else.

Thats why I say its so hard to advise - purchases are always as much about emotion as they are about logic.

For the cash a 200P on an HEQ5 is going to deliver a good set of views and the popularity of the scope speaks volumes but that doesnt mean its right for you.

Knowing what I know now would I have bought something else. Well I did consider a Celestron SCT on a GoTo but rejected it. The GoTo would have been quicker ( and as anyone knows my star hopping is super bad so it would have helped ) BUT I wanted to learn not take a guided tour. SCTs just didn't look 'telescopy' enough for me.

In part my own decsion was based on the state of the art 20+ years ago.

So would I have bought different - I dont think so - but thats a purely personal choice and I'd not push my own buying prejudices on anyone else.

If a 200 is too big you could always look at something like the 150. I went for the 200 because it was as big as I can ever reasonably own. A 10" would push the limit too much and the 200 gave me a good set of features and the options to upgrade later to other things ( better focuser, GoTo etc etc)

[Saxony]

Thanks again for all your advice. I have been thinking alot about this obviously and I think I am going to start with something smaller, especially as the girls want to be involved as well. I figured we can allways get something different later on once we know more about what we are doing.

I found an ex demo meade ETX 125PE for sale, which is smaller and seems quite easy to use from what I can see, does any one have opinions on them?

Thanks

Sax