Upgrade

[Jasonrobson]

Hi im looking to upgrade my telescope. 

I have a 200 pounds budget. So far ive looked at the astromaster 130 and the skywatcher 130m but i would also like one i can upgrade such as a motorised focuser. Unfortunately none of the above telescope allow for upgrades thst fit. 

 

Can some help or point me yo a telescope i can upgrade in the futre. Upgrades such as motorised focuser and a finder scope with webcam ect my budget is 200

[CraigT82]

What scope do you have now?

[lenscap]

Hi Jason & welcome to SGL.

I assume you are mostly interested in visual observing.

The Skywatcher Skyliner 150p Dobsonian would give you the maximum aperture for your money & is only slightly over your budget.  skywatcher-skyliner-150p-dobsonian

It can be fitted with a Skywatcher motor focuser.

 

[Jasonrobson]

The scope i have now is an old tasco 130 with an old wooden mount. 

I would prefer a reflector telescope if im honest along with a motor drive but would want something i can change the focuser for a motor focuser along with being able to change my finder scope for a cam finder scope

[cletrac1922]

Jason

You are not going to get much for your budget

I would not go under 8" skywatcher Dob

Have the 10" flex tube, without go to, and only disadvantage does not track for AP, why went out and got ED80 on EQ goto mount

I am also out couple of times per month with my club doing space badge, Joeys and Cubs, scout movement, and presentations in primary schools, and use dob for that, as easy to transport, and set up

I use laser pointer along mount for finderscope, to find where want to view with my dob 

Have solarmax11 also, which fits on my EQ mount

You can now also get WiFi adapter for SynScan controller, and download the APP

Been using for a while, and takes guess work out of setting up SynScan controller, as sets GPS, date/time from your mobile device

Have attach pic of both my Dob and ED80

Pic of ED80 was taken at recent solar viewing day with my club down under

John

 

 

[Cosmic Geoff]

I think that with a total budget of £200 you are not going to get a telescope that merits much upgrading, or merits a motorized focuser.  Unless you get lucky in the second hand market.

Around your budget you could get various starter scopes, or as suggested above, a 150mm Dob.  I don't see any point in putting a motorized focuser on a Dob. If you got one of the better quality Dobs with tube rings (Bresser?) you would have the option of re-mounting the OTA on a decent equatorial powered mount later.

Note that despite various exploits with cameras  I still do not have a motorized focuser...

[joe aguiar]

Ya I agree with that budject 8 inch dob if it needs to be on a mount then a 130mm f5 with parabolic mirror on eq2.

Forget the motorized focuser 

Joejaguar 

[John]

It might be better to hang on to your Tasco 130mm and see if we can help you get more out of that while you save up to allow a larger step up to the next scope ?

To see some meaningfull improvement you are going to need to increase the aperture by at least 50-70mm I think and your budget will strugle to deliver that as it currently stands, especially with the other features you are hoping for.

 

[Alan64]

Methinks the Tasco reflector is formatted with a .965" focusser.  It could be upgraded to a 1.25", and perhaps without having to get a somewhat larger secondary-mirror.

Do you have a photograph of your present telescope to share with us?  For example, this is one of my older telescopes on a wooden mount...

...and it uses the old-style, narrow-view .965" eyepieces.