Dilema!

[eccentric]

Hey all! First post by a newbie (hehe)So, Ive been looking into Star gazing for a while now, about three months. Been researching and thinking, And for a while I thought I would end up with theSkywatcher Explorer 130PM, But now, I have come across theSkywatcher Skyliner 150Pat the same price!!! Which is better and why? thanks for any help x

[Andrew*]

Hello, eccentric one!! Welcome to SGL. How about making an introductory post in the Welcome section??

With regard to your question, they do different things.

The Explorer comes on an equatorial mount with a motor. This means that once you have lined up the mount with the north celestial pole (marked closely by the star Polaris) and got the motors running, the mount will track the stars, compensating for the rotation of the earth. This means that while you're viewing, stars will not be constantly drifting out of the FOV. This option is definitely the right one if you are at all considering taking photos through the scope, or if you don't feel at ease with learning to track.

The Skyliner has a larger mirror, so it will capture more light and give you brighter, more detailed images, but it comes on a very simple mount (Dobsonian mount) that only goes up-down, and left-right (alt-az). It is not motorised, so you have to move it around yourself.

I at first found an equatorial mount quite confusing, but once you get the hang of it, it can make observing a little less frustrating and makes imaging a possibility. Equally, a dob mount can take time to master, but you will get a bigger scope for the money and it will show you more in the end.

Take your pick!

HTH

Andrew

[eccentric]

Thank you so much for the reply!!!

If I bought the sky liner, Would I be able to buy a different mount ?

[Andrew*]

Yes. You can buy the scope, see how it takes you for observing, and if at a later date you wish to embark on imaging or would prefer an equatorial mount, you can buy a larger, sturdier mount and some tube rings and "equatorialise" it.

Andrew

[Solero]

Where did you find the 150 for the same price??

[Davree]

Where did you find the 150 for the same price??

Its at FLO for £155

[eccentric]

Flo?

wheres that?

sorry about such a late reply, finally got my internet back !!

I'm still so confused, I'm now looking at Newtonian ones... ? maybe for deep space, i don't know.

always think if im going to buy somthing always buy the best first time round hehe

[Andrew*]

Flo? wheres that?

See the banner at the top of the screen. He sponsors SGL.

Andrew

[John]

I'm still so confused, I'm now looking at Newtonian ones... ? maybe for deep space, i don't know.

always think if im going to buy somthing always buy the best first time round hehe

Hi,

The trouble is, until you get into the hobby you won't know what "the best" is for you as there are many aspects to the hobby which would take you down a different road equipment-wise depending where your interests lie.

Personally, out of the 2 you list, I would go for the Skyliner 150P because i) its dead simple to use and ii) it's mirror is big enough to show quite a lot.

If you are unsure though don't rush - hang around and ask more questions and read some of the primers in the beginners section - you will then learn a bit about the pros and cons of different scope designs and more about the hobby, both of which will help you make a better choice

John

[ChrisEdu]

Looks like a £40 difference between those models on the FLO website - so I guess you got the other price elsewhere?

[wingman]

Looks like a £40 difference between those models on the FLO website - so I guess you got the other price elsewhere?

The Skywatcher 130pm and the 150p dob are both £155.00 at FLO. I think you're looking at the 150p Explorer which is £195.00

[FLO]

The Skywatcher 130pm and the 150p dob are both £155.00 at FLO.

Now £149 (following a round of price-checking!)

[John]

The Skywatcher 130pm and the 150p dob are both £155.00 at FLO.

Now £149 (following a round of price-checking!)

Wow :shock: - I wish there had been a decent quality 6" newt at that price when I was starting out !.

Its a great time to get into Astronomy

John

[Doc]

I would go aperture all the time.

A dob at that price is a bargain.

[ChrisEdu]

Looks like a £40 difference between those models on the FLO website - so I guess you got the other price elsewhere?

The Skywatcher 130pm and the 150p dob are both £155.00 at FLO. I think you're looking at the 150p Explorer which is £195.00

So I was! Still seems good value for lots of light!