Another Christmas Present Thread

[Scott94]

Hi All,

My mum wants to buy my dad a telescope for Christmas... budget £200 but wouldn't mind going to about £300. Viewing from out the back garden (not a lot of light pollution).

Would like to adapt it to take pictures from it also and I have a feeling he will get into Astrophotography being a recently retired professor of biology he needs a hobby and I think this will become his passion. 

What telescope would you recommend and why?

Thanks for any responses :) 

I have a Skywatcher 150p my self :)

Thanks,

Scott

 

[joe aguiar]

I will go into more detail when I get on my computer but visual and imaging are different things.

Imaging can easily go into thoudsands. 

Visual that's an ok budget to start with.

Joejaguar 

[joe aguiar]

ok so there are so many more question u didnt say will he manilly view planets or deep sky objects like cluster, nebual , galaxies or everything?

but here goes

ill talk about in cdn funds for UK divide by 1.60 for usa divide by 1.30

ok first for visual in that bujet 300 UK is about $480 canadian

for a refractor thats probally an 80 or 90mm acro on a eq2 or a better eq3 mount. maybe a 102 on a Az3.

a refractor is good for high planet views double stars and some bright dso. being lens most expensive but doesnt need alignment like other scopes will. Being kinda smallish wont see dso too well, and being an acro not best for imaging. If on a eq2 or 3 mount it has manual slow motion controls, later u can add a drive so it can track the planets by it self. you can do some imaging if you get a polar scope (eq3 or eq4) and dual axis drives.

a reflector on dob mount a 6 or 8" dob. you may need a sturdy table to put it on and maybe a chair for the lower level viewing . cheapest kind to make. its bigish so seeing dso is better. it does good on planets too. being pull push type scope it has no manual controls at all so at highter powers it harder to move in minute motions. cant really do imaging cept the very basic stuff.

reflector on eq mount-a 130mm (5.1") reflector on eq2 or better eq3, i dont think the 6"f/5 reflector is this cheap unless you buy it used. eq2 or 3 mount it has manual slow motion controls, later u can add a drive so it can track the planets by it self. you can do some imaging if you get a polar scope (eq3 or eq4) and dual axis drives.

sct type unless used i dont think its in this budjet you maybe can find a used 6" sct but then no mount etc maybe if u wait a used 5" sct on a used eq3.eq 3 mount it has manual slow motion controls, later u can add a drive so it can track the planets by it self. you can do some imaging if you get a polar scope (eq3 or eq4) and dual axis drives.

for imaging heres the hard part

a good scope to image skywatcher 80mmf/7.5 evostar $1200 cdn then u may need a focal reducer $300

a good mount HEq5 $1800

a camera you didnt say if he has or not so lets say $500 to $1000

then an guilder or auto guilder $400 to $500

this doesnt include any filters if a laptop is needed andy power sources and dew controls for it

as you can see its alreday at $5000 at least

i would say get him to start with visual on the first part learn the stars consteallations later get a 2nd scope for imaging.

joejaguar

[Scott94]

Hey thanks for the reply!

So which one is best for imaging? Should we just get him a Skywatcher 150p like me ? - At least I know how to set up the mount and do the basic stuff like moon imaging etc.

I think a Dob would probably suit him better though.

Can you recommend any Dobs for him? I guess he can upgrade in the future if he wishes. Unless ofcourse you would recommend a refractor instead? 

Thanks,

Scott 

 

 

Edited December 4, 2019 by Scott94

[joe aguiar]

well easiest for imaging is an apo type triplet is prefered but doublets are good too

the dob can suit him very well in the 8" size which is recommended if he gets serious about viewing the dso

the dob is not suited for imaging and since u alreday have it why not get him maybe a different scope like the refractor, maybe a used 80mm ED, that way you guys have a scope reday for the imaging part plus its a great grab and go scope. then all u need is the mount which you can find used . on canada wide astro buy and sell one just went up a heq5 pro for $800 cdn. Of course u wouldnt get it from here cause its too far but u could get it there which is about $500 UK?

maybe he can view with yours being 6" which is decent BUT are you sure he will want to image ?

normally for imaging since most ccd cameras chips are small u want a short focal range scope thats y i said maybe something like the SW 80 pro and the focal reducer. yours is an f/8 its kinda slow for imaging and has no tracking of any kind so its not good for imaging.

joejaguar

[Alan64]

18 hours ago, Scott94 said:

Hi All,

My mum wants to buy my dad a telescope for Christmas... budget £200 but wouldn't mind going to about £300. Viewing from out the back garden (not a lot of light pollution).

Would like to adapt it to take pictures from it also and I have a feeling he will get into Astrophotography being a recently retired professor of biology he needs a hobby and I think this will become his passion. 

What telescope would you recommend and why?

Thanks for any responses

I have a Skywatcher 150p my self

Thanks,

Scott

 

I'm thinking that you have this kit...

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/reflectors/skywatcher-explorer-150p-eq3-2.html

...without go-to, and from what I had read within one of your previous threads.

In any event, a camera's sensor collects a lot more light than the human eye.  Therefore, for imaging, a telescope with a large aperture is not required, however there is the increased resolution(detail) that comes with a larger aperture.

I would suggest this one, as it's configured for imaging, and can be used as well for visual-use with eyepieces...

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/reflectors/skywatcher-explorer-130p-ds-ota.html

Here's a long-running thread about imaging with the 130P-DS... 

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/210593-imaging-with-the-130pds/

Edited December 5, 2019 by Alan64

[Rob Sellent]

  A lovely little guide (Dob AP Tutorial.pdf) to get you in the ball park for Dob imaging.

[Scott94]

7 hours ago, Alan64 said:

I'm thinking that you have this kit...

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/reflectors/skywatcher-explorer-150p-eq3-2.html

...without go-to, and from what I had read within one of your previous threads.

In any event, a camera's sensor collects a lot more light than the human eye.  Therefore, for imaging, a telescope with a large aperture is not required, however there is the increased resolution(detail) that comes with a larger aperture.

I would suggest this one, as it's configured for imaging, and can be used as well for visual-use with eyepieces...

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/reflectors/skywatcher-explorer-130p-ds-ota.html

Here's a long-running thread about imaging with the 130P-DS... 

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/210593-imaging-with-the-130pds/

Alan thanks for your reply!

I sure do - I have the 150p with normal eq3-2 mount! Sorry going to high jack my own thread are the GoTo upgrade kits for this mount good?

Do you know of any stockists that do the Skywatcher Explorer 130p DS OTA with a mount in a package? or would I have to buy a mount separately?  I think the one you linked doesn't have a mount?  If not is it worth getting him this: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes/skywatcher-explorer-130p.html and just buying the T ring and adaptors for his camera?

Also with the 130p that you linked can it also take normal eye-pieces into that chunky adaptor?

Thanks for all your help!

Scott 

 

[cletrac1922]

Scott

First of all welcome from Land Down Under

I started out about 15 years ago with a 10" Flex Dob

Has given me ours of pleasure observing, and I am also out a couple of nights per month with my club doing presentations with primary schools, scout groups

Where Dob comes into its own, just couple of minutes to set up, and you are away

I also have a ED80 on EQ5pro mount, for AP, and recently got Solarmax11 , which fits same mount

Where I am there ism not much price difference between 8" and 10" Dob

Attached pic is of my Dob, taken at recent club public viewing night

In background is 8" flex Dob with shroud fitted

The money is really in good quality eyepieces

When doing presentations, find 15mm or 17mm wide angle eyepiece gives good eye relief

John

[joe aguiar]

i thought what u had was the dob version by saying 150p so i guess u got the eq version?

joejaguar

[Alan64]

2 hours ago, Scott94 said:

Alan thanks for your reply!

I sure do - I have the 150p with normal eq3-2 mount! Sorry going to high jack my own thread are the GoTo upgrade kits for this mount good?

Do you know of any stockists that do the Skywatcher Explorer 130p DS OTA with a mount in a package? or would I have to buy a mount separately?  I think the one you linked doesn't have a mount?  If not is it worth getting him this: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes/skywatcher-explorer-130p.html and just buying the T ring and adaptors for his camera?

Also with the 130p that you linked can it also take normal eye-pieces into that chunky adaptor?

Thanks for all your help!

Scott 

 

No, you would have to get a mount for the 130P-DS; and yes, eyepieces, 1.25" and 2", would fit into it.

In so far as the 130P/EQ-2 kit, the visual-back of the focusser may in fact be threaded for attaching a camera, as this one is...

That's the one from my 150mm f/5, and made by the same manufacturer of the 130P/EQ-2 kit.  I wouldn't expect long exposures however with a DSLR camera.  The 130P/EQ-2 kit would be best suited for afocal-photography.  That is, holding the camera up to an eyepiece and snapping a shot, like you would of a bird in a tree during the day.  That method is limited to the brighter and brightest objects in the sky.  This is a collage of afocal-shots that I've taken over time, with that method...  

EAA would also be possible, and with a webcam-type camera... https://cosmicpursuits.com/2204/the-basics-of-electronically-assisted-astronomy/