Skywatcher 200p Dob

[awlfc]

I have just recieved my scope and I have the standard 10 and 25mm eyepieces that come with it and a 2x Barlow. I am looking at getting an 8mm BST eyepiece I was wandering if this will be a good match for the scope and work well with the Barlow. I have read so much about focul length and scope speed I have over loaded my head and I'm more confused than before I started to read. 

[Ruud]

The 8mm BST is going to be much better than the 10mm kit eyepiece. It will Barlow just fine, but the magnification will be pretty high and the atmosphere may limit the 8mm's usability with the Barlow to nights of very good seeing. 

[Ricochet]

If you're only able to get one Starguider then get the 12mm. In my experience there were no DSOs that the 8 was better on so it is purely a lunar/planetary eyepiece in an 8" dob. Barlowing to an effective 4mm is ok for lunar and Uranus/Neptune, maybe Mars. 

The 12mm would be your workhorse DSO eyepiece and barlow to a 6mm that you can use for lunar/planetary more often than the 4mm. 

[awlfc]

In after good close ups of the moon that's why I thought the 8mm and a Barlow would give that. Would the 12 and the Barlow give good close ups of craters 

[bingevader]

12mm and 2x barlow would be good for craters.

The 8mm and a 2x barolw is also good on the moon, but requiring a calmer and clearer night.

The 12mm and 2x barlow would also be good on the planets when they're better position on a good night, so not a must have at the mo I'm afraid!

[awlfc]

Think I'll go with the 8 now and get the 12 next pay day. Do you all stick with the same type of eyepiece or do you mix and match with different makes. Just seen skywatcher planetary eyepieces and they are about £10 cheaper than BST. This is a complicated hobby to start off in. 

[fiestazetecmk2]

Bst are great value for money.and a very good match for the  200p. Im lucky I have a full set of bst.and 8-24 zoom. have no ambition to get anything better..Enjoy the fabulous views a dobsonion gives.

Edited June 12, 2019 by fiestazetecmk2
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[Louis D]

3 hours ago, awlfc said:

Do you all stick with the same type of eyepiece or do you mix and match with different makes.

I have a huge mixture of Televue, Pentax, Explore Scientific, Meade, Vixen, Celestron, Starguider, AstroTech, Speers Waler, Bausch & Lomb, Gary Russell, Rini, Surplus Shed, Agena, Olivon, Orion, Edmunds, APM, OVL, and generic eyepieces.  No one brand has the best solution for every need.

[awlfc]

That's some collection. Do you get the same size eyepiece in different  makes

[awlfc]

I'm debating pushing the buy button on a 8 and 12 mm BST and a Cheshire collimator.

[Louis D]

2 hours ago, awlfc said:

That's some collection. Do you get the same size eyepiece in different  makes

Often, yes.  I tend to upgrade but keep the old one(s) around because they still have uses (lighter weight, smaller, good for outreach or binoviewing, etc.).

I have two 8-24mm zooms for the binoviewer, a 7.2-21.5mm zoom I picked up to see good it is, and a 5-8mm SW zoom.  These tend to overlap a lot of my other eyepieces.

I have four 9mm eyepieces: Generic Kellner, Vixen LV, Meade HD-60, Baader Morpheus.

I have six 12/12.5mm eyepieces: Generic Kellner, Celestron Microguide Ortho, Starguider Dual ED, Meade HD-60, TV Nagler T4, and Explore Scientific 92 degree.

I have three 14mm eyepieces: Pentax XL, Meade 4000 UWA smoothie, and Baader Morpheus.

I have three 17mm eyepieces: AstroTech AF70, TV Nager T4, and Explore Scientific 92 degree.

I have two 18mm eyepieces: Starguider Dual ED and Meade HD-60.

I have two 20mm eyepieces: Generic Reversed Kellner and Orion Centering SWA.

I have two 22mm eyepieces: AstroTech AF70 and TV Nagler T4.

I have two 25mm eyepieces: Starguider Dual ED and Meade HD-60.

I have three 30mm eyepieces: APM UFF, Agena UW80, and Explore Scientific 82 degree mushroom top.

I have three 35mm eyepieces: Rini MPL, Baader Scopos Extreme, and OVL Aero ED.

I have two 40mm eyepieces: Meade Series 5000 Plossl and Meade Series 5000 SWA.

I also have single eyepieces at 3.5mm, 4.5mm, 5mm, 5.2mm, 6.5mm, 7mm, 8mm, 10mm, 13mm, 15mm, 16.7mm, 19mm, 23mm, 24mm, 26mm, 27mm, 28mm, 29mm, 38mm, and 42mm.  So, I'm still missing a few focal lengths. 😁

[awlfc]

What scope do you have, do you have a collection of scopes to. 

[rwilkey]

15 hours ago, awlfc said:

That's some collection. Do you get the same size eyepiece in different  makes

I am the same as Loius D, I have a large collection, and yes, I have the same sizes in different makes.  The thing is, you get different experiences with different makes , like between ExSc and TV's. The experience and pleasure of viewing means a lot to me, but, of course, it can be expensive, but my collection has accumulated over quite a few years. 

[Louis D]

4 hours ago, awlfc said:

What scope do you have, do you have a collection of scopes to. 

A custom 8" Dob, a custom 15" truss Dob, an AT72ED, a 127 Synta Mak (Orion, I think), an ST80, and a PICO-6.  I'd like to get a 120mm to 150mm ED refractor next (preferably with an FPL53 doublet).

[rwilkey]

5 minutes ago, Louis D said:

A custom 8" Dob, a custom 15" truss Dob, an AT72ED, a 127 Synta Mak (Orion, I think), an ST80, and a PICO-6.  I'd like to get a 120mm to 150mm ED refractor next (preferably with an FPL53 doublet).

I can't compete with that, but I have what is shown in my signature, plus my wife has a 90mm Meade, here's a photo:

[Louis D]

2 hours ago, rwilkey said:

The experience and pleasure of viewing means a lot to me, but, of course, it can be expensive, but my collection has accumulated over quite a few years.

Same here.  I think I added up that I have about $7000 in eyepieces accumulated over 22 years, so only a little over $300 per year on average.  I've seen most of what I want to see naked eye for now.  I tend to enjoy swapping eyepieces to see how the same familiar objects look through different ones.  That, and I immensely enjoy sweeping rich star fields along the band of the Milky Way just to see what's there.  Now I'm looking to try different scopes like a larger ED refractor.

Astronomy is relatively cheap compared to other hobbies like cycling, RV'ing, and boating.  A Harley Road King goes for about $20,000.  A custom motor home can run anywhere from $50,000 to $300,000.  A ski boat can cost $30,000 to $70,000.  Even a pontoon boat typically runs $15,000 to $60,000.  By comparison, $1000 will get you comfortably started in astronomy, less if you carefully buy used.

[rwilkey]

2 minutes ago, Louis D said:

Same here.  I think I added up that I have about $7000 in eyepieces accumulated over 22 years, so only a little over $300 per year on average.  I've seen most of what I want to see naked eye for now.  I tend to enjoy swapping eyepieces to see how the same familiar objects look through different ones.  That, and I immensely enjoy sweeping rich star fields along the band of the Milky Way just to see what's there.  Now I'm looking to try different scopes like a larger ED refractor.

Astronomy is relatively cheap compared to other hobbies like cycling, RV'ing, and boating.  A Harley Road King goes for about $20,000.  A custom motor home can run anywhere from $50,000 to $300,000.  A ski boat can cost $30,000 to $70,000.  Even a pontoon boat typically runs $15,000 to $60,000.  By comparison, $1000 will get you comfortably started in astronomy, less if you carefully buy used.

He Louis, that really puts into perspective and, of course, you are quite right.  I love the rich starfields too, esp. in Cassiopeia, great with a good quality widefield eyepiece.

[cletrac1922]

I find 15mm wide angle works well with my 10" Dob

When used with 2 X Barlow, get nice view of rings of Saturn

I am out a couple of times per month, doing presentation in primary schools/ scout groups, and find the 15mm ideal for this application

Currently have Jupiter visible on eastern horizon, just after sunset and overhead couple of hours later

Saturn will be visible above eastern horizon, first week in July

John

 

PS

Early next year, NASA is sending another Rover to Mars

You are able to register, and print out Boarding Pass to have your name included on the Rover

https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8440/nasa-invites-public-to-submit-names-to-fly-aboard-next-mars-rover/

 

 

 

[awlfc]

7 hours ago, Louis D said:

A custom 8" Dob, a custom 15" truss Dob, an AT72ED, a 127 Synta Mak (Orion, I think), an ST80, and a PICO-6.  I'd like to get a 120mm to 150mm ED refractor next (preferably with an FPL53 doublet).

That's some collection. Where in the world are you from. 

Ive only just got my first scope been using 20x80 celestron binoculars for about 6 months  csnt wait to get my scope out ots been cloudy since I got it. I now have 2 BST lenses 8 and 12 plus the 10 and 25.. I got with it plus a x2 Barlow  that should keep me going for a while. My next purchase later on in the year will be an EQ mount 

[MarsG76]

The 8mm BST will be an improvement over the standard included eyepiece.... don't let all of the mumbo jumbo confuse you too much, just keep it as simple as possible....

Another brand of eyepiece I strongly recommended are televue Naglers and Ethos.... those eyepieces are the best I've ever looked through, not cheap but definitely worth it.

 

[Zeta Reticulan]

I have a couple of Barsta StarGuiders. I was disappointed with the 25mm in an f/5 refractor as it showed quite a bit of astigmatism. It's fine in a Mak though.

[Louis D]

3 hours ago, awlfc said:

That's some collection. Where in the world are you from.  

Ive only just got my first scope been using 20x80 celestron binoculars for about 6 months  csnt wait to get my scope out ots been cloudy since I got it. I now have 2 BST lenses 8 and 12 plus the 10 and 25.. I got with it plus a x2 Barlow  that should keep me going for a while. My next purchase later on in the year will be an EQ mount 

Texas, where we do everything bigger. 😉

There's guys down here with 20+ inch Dobs and Gen-4 night vision gear, so I've got plenty of catching up to do.

[cletrac1922]

1 hour ago, Louis D said:

Texas, where we do everything bigger. 😉

There's guys down here with 20+ inch Dobs and Gen-4 night vision gear, so I've got plenty of catching up to do.

 

Do not get me started about Texas

When was in Vietnam, radio tech, Australian Signal Corp

Was working with American signal guys

Had one guy always bragging about how big everything was in Texas

One of the conscript guys with us, came from Northern Terrority

He had enough of Gus, and  and Texas

He said, Gus, where I come from, our property bigger than whole of Texas

Poor old Gus said cannot be right

Couple of years later, Gus visited, and took him up north

He did not went back

Finished up flying choppers mustering cattle

John

 

[Louis D]

7 hours ago, cletrac1922 said:

 

Do not get me started about Texas

When was in Vietnam, radio tech, Australian Signal Corp

Was working with American signal guys

Had one guy always bragging about how big everything was in Texas

One of the conscript guys with us, came from Northern Terrority

He had enough of Gus, and  and Texas

He said, Gus, where I come from, our property bigger than whole of Texas

Poor old Gus said cannot be right

Couple of years later, Gus visited, and took him up north

He did not went back

Finished up flying choppers mustering cattle

John

 

Actually, I've always thought Texans and Australians shared a lot in common, vis-a-vis rugged individualism.

[awlfc]

I bet you have some good skies in Texas. I'm in Liverpool UK. Loads of light pollution here.