My first telescope

[Alex_o0]

Hi Guys,

My name is Alex I am from Melbourne Australia.  I have been star gazing for awhile with a pair of binoculars and now I am ready to step it up a bit and purchase a telescope.

I have been looking at the SkyWatcher Heritage 5" Tabletop Dobsonian Telescope.

Would this be a suitable first telescope , I hope to be able to make out the rings of Saturn using stock the Eyepiece.

Or would this be considered overkill and something like the Celestron 21035 70mm Travel Scope be more suitable.

 

 

 

 

[lenscap]

Welcome to SGL.

Aperture is king for visual astronomy.

Unless extreme portability is the deciding criterion go for the 5". You will see so much more.

[rwilkey]

Hi Alex, welcome to SGL! The SkyWatcher Heritage 5" will be a very purchase for a first venture into the cosmos using a telescope, as well as good aperture it is also very portable so you can get out and view in the countryside around Melbourne.  You should get two stock eyepieces with this telescope, the 10mm and the 25mm, which will give you magnifications of 65x and 26x.

[Alex_o0]

Thanks @rwilkey and @lenscap for your reply.

I have just noticed the SkyWatcher 6" Dobsonian Telescope is now on special.

I can see this scope is larger and not a table top as well as the Aperture being 150.

I know that size isn't everything when in comes to telescopes , is the extra $100 (AUD) worth the jump to this scope?

 

 

 

[Cosmic Geoff]

Up to you really.  You might, for, instance, keep the smaller Heritage 5" as a grab'n go, even after upgrading to a bigger and more specialised instrument.  The bigger the instrument you start with, the more awkward it becomes to decide that actually you'd rather head in a different direction.  Or you may want to grab that bargain while it's on offer.

I owned telescopes of several different types before deciding that I wanted to invest in an 8" SCT with GoTo. 

[lenscap]

Whatever size scope you chose you will soon  want a bigger one. It's called "Aperture Fever" ?

Also if your budget is tight, bear in mind you will probably decide to add one or two eyepieces & maybe a Barlow lens to get the most out of the scope.

Clear skies.

[Pankaj]

I was in similar confusion at the time when I was planning to upgrade from my 5" self made reflector. Took a bold step at that time and bought the SW 10" Dob. Must admit, its worth every penny spent. Its good resolving power resolves the tightest of doubles with ease. DSOs are a pleasure always. I would always recommend a larger aperture dob. I don't find it difficult to move around too. Fits in my car too and I have taken it to darkest of locations in the Indian Himalayas. 

[LukeSkywatcher]

The Heritage would be a good first scope. It runs rings around the 70mm travelscope.

*No pun intended*

[Alex_o0]

Thank you all for your responses.

its been an interesting ride researching and learning all about scopes.

i am looking laser collimators , would something like this work on the heritage 5 ?

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com.au%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F352029702999

[Ricochet]

I think that you would be better off with a cheshire/sight tube or simple collimation cap. The laser dot will move quite a distance if there is any flex in the system and with a plastic focuser that is quite likely. You will probably be better off making a subjective assessment by eye with the other tools. 

[Rocket_the_Raccoon]

On 03/08/2018 at 04:47, Alex_o0 said:

Would this be a suitable first telescope , I hope to be able to make out the rings of Saturn using stock the Eyepiece.

Or would this be considered overkill and something like the Celestron 21035 70mm Travel Scope be more suitable.

Hi! Alex, both can show you the ring of Saturn but at 40x (10mm EP with the Travelscope 70), Saturn will be a bit tiny. 65x (10mm EP wtih the Heritage 130) is more appropriate.

Also, the Travelscope 70 comes with a photo trpod that would have problem supporting even a small point-and-shoot camera. It also comes with a non-achromatic 5x24mm finderscope and a 45-degree diagonal that is not intended/suitable for astronomy use. The Heritage 130 is a clear winner.

Despite that, I am a proud user of Travelscope 70. The quality of its little 70mm objective lens is amazing for the price.  However, I use it with a red-dot finder, a 90-degree diagonal, and an heavy duty (for this scope) equatorial mount.

[Alex_o0]

Not sure if this should be in a new post but the SkyWatcher 130/1000 EQ2 Reflector Telescope has caught my eye. It’s priced currently about $160 more than the heritage 130.  The adavantages that I can see is that it has a tripod but the same aperture. Is it worth spending the extra $$ for this scope ??

[Ricochet]

15 minutes ago, Alex_o0 said:

 Is it worth spending the extra $$ for this scope ??

No, not at all. Notice that the tube is nowhere near 1000mm long. This means the design will be a spherical primary and a corrector in the focuser. At this price range this type of design does not provide good views. The Heritage 130p with its parabolic mirror will be massively better. 

[LukeSkywatcher]

11 hours ago, Rocket_the_Raccoon said:

Hi! Alex, both can show you the ring of Saturn but at 40x (10mm EP with the Travelscope 70), Saturn will be a bit tiny. 65x (10mm EP wtih the Heritage 130) is more appropriate.

Also, the Travelscope 70 comes with a photo trpod that would have problem supporting even a small point-and-shoot camera. It also comes with a non-achromatic 5x24mm finderscope and a 45-degree diagonal that is not intended/suitable for astronomy use. The Heritage 130 is a clear winner.

Despite that, I am a proud user of Travelscope 70. The quality of its little 70mm objective lens is amazing for the price.  However, I use it with a red-dot finder, a 90-degree diagonal, and an heavy duty (for this scope) equatorial mount.

Great scope the 70mm. Tripod is rubbish. It's a wide field scope, so not good with planets. It is better on a good tripod. 

[Alex_o0]

11 minutes ago, Ricochet said:

No, not at all. Notice that the tube is nowhere near 1000mm long. 

Thanks for your reply !

what do you mean by no where near 1000mm ?

based on the specs it’s says that’s the focal length , or am I missing the point ?

https://www.ozscopes.com.au/skywatcher-130-1000-eq2-reflector-telescope.html

[Alan64]

You'll need at least a 2x barlow to get the magnification up to where the planets will then truly wow and amaze.  The "Heritage" has a 650mm focal-length.  Most everyone wants as small and compact a telescope as possible, understandably, but such will also be optimised for low-to-medium powers.

 

[Alan64]

3 minutes ago, Alex_o0 said:

Thanks for your reply !

what do you mean by no where near 1000mm ?

based on the specs it’s says that’s the focal length , or am I missing the point ?

https://www.ozscopes.com.au/skywatcher-130-1000-eq2-reflector-telescope.html

That's not a Newtonian.  It's a simulated Jones-Bird catadioptric, and it can be a potential nightmare when time comes to collimate it.  This is the one you were looking for...

https://www.ozscopes.com.au/saxon-velocity-130-650-eq2-reflector-telescope.html

...or, if you want a longer focal-length... https://www.ozscopes.com.au/saxon-velocity-1309eq2-reflector-telescope-w-steel-tripod.html

Stay away from the "Bird-Jones".  Research that term in quotations, and let us know what you think.

[hjw]

If you are interested solely in observation, I would go for a dobsonian. I found that Astro Anarchy (http://www.astroanarchy.com.au/telescopes.html) probably has the best prices in Australia. Within you price range you can look at the 6" or 8" Skywatcher Dob.

[LukeSkywatcher]

1 hour ago, Alex_o0 said:

Thanks for your reply !

what do you mean by no where near 1000mm ?

based on the specs it’s says that’s the focal length , or am I missing the point ?

https://www.ozscopes.com.au/skywatcher-130-1000-eq2-reflector-telescope.html

Focal length = the actual physical length of the scope (the distance the light path needs to come to focus). I seriously doubt this scope has a FL of 1000mm.

Most likely 650mm. I have a 90mm refractor scope with a focal length of 1000mm. It about 2ft long.

In saying this................

My 8se SCT has a focal length of 2032mm, yet the scope is quite short in size.

[LukeSkywatcher]

"That's not a Newtonian".

On closer inspection of the image, its not a Newt/reflector. It has a central obstruction etc. Its a mongrel scope.

[Alan64]

The "Bird-Jones" in question uses a corrective/barlowing lens assembly in the focusser's drawtube, which makes for an "effective" focal-length of 1000mm...

You get your short tube, and a long focal-length.  If the optical quality is present within the telescope, of the components within, and if one is adept in taking these apart to collimate them properly, then it would make for an inexpensive solution for a more costly Schmidt- or Maksutov-Cassegrain.

[LukeSkywatcher]

6 minutes ago, Alan64 said:

The "Bird-Jones" in question uses a corrective/barlowing lens assembly in the focusser's drawtube, which makes for an "effective" focal-length of 1000mm...

You get your short tube, and a long focal-length.  If the optical quality is present within the telescope, of the components within, and if one is adept in taking these apart to collimate them properly, then it would make for an inexpensive solution for a more costly Schmidt- or Maksutov-Cassegrain.

So the design is more like SCT?. I know my 8se double bounces the light entering, giving the 2032mm FL in a OTA which is quite short. Ive never read anyone here singing the praise of Bird-Jones type scopes.

[Alan64]

9 minutes ago, LukeSkywatcher said:

So the design is more like SCT?. I know my 8se double bounces the light entering, giving the 2032mm FL in a OTA which is quite short.

In that a lens is combined with the mirrors, yes.  Physically, it is closer to a Newtonian in design, but in practice it simulates the Cassegrains.  That is why it persists in the marketplace, worldwide, and as an inexpensive alternative to the latter.  Alas, there's little love left for the venerable long-focus Newtonian...

There are the 150mm f/8 "Dobsonians" however, and for those who want the smaller secondary-obstruction, and the ease of planetary observations given a static, unchanging range of eyepieces(4mm to 40mm, generally); and a parabola.

[Ricochet]

4 hours ago, Alex_o0 said:

Thanks for your reply !

what do you mean by no where near 1000mm ?

based on the specs it’s says that’s the focal length , or am I missing the point ?

https://www.ozscopes.com.au/skywatcher-130-1000-eq2-reflector-telescope.html

Alan has covered the details of this design already but what I meant is that while the focal length is 1000mm the length of the tube is only about 500mm, which in a scope that looks like a Newtonian is a warning sign. 

[Alex_o0]

On 07/08/2018 at 23:43, Alan64 said:

You'll need at least a 2x barlow to get the magnification up to where the planets will then truly wow and amaze.  The "Heritage" has a 650mm focal-length.  Most everyone wants as small and compact a telescope as possible, understandably, but such will also be optimised for low-to-medium powers.

 

Thanks for the advice on the barlow , will invest in that when I get my scope.

I think have decided on the Heritage P130, it will be a good compact start because it looks like I have a lot to learn and probably will spend sometime doing so before I invest in a an expensive scope.