New Product Alert - Heritage 150P

[FLO]

We've just received our first stocks of the new Sky-Watcher Heritage-150P. This is sure to become the new best selling beginner telescope in the UK with the same great optics from the excellent Explorer 150P combined with the proven collapsible tabletop dobsonian mount of the Heritage-130P.

This is an excellent beginner scope with plenty of aperture to be genuinely useful and a lovely size to make it portable and easy to transport.

And, it's currently in stock!

 

[Chris]

How cool is that! Looks collimatable also. I wonder if they've improved the play in helical focuser too? Although easily fixed with thee old PTFE tape. They'll sell like hot cakes  

 

Edited June 11, 2020 by Lockie

[JamesF]

I'm not sure a "proven collapsing mount" is what you really want

James

[FLO]

1 minute ago, JamesF said:

I'm not sure a "proven collapsing mount" is what you really want

James

Oops - meant 'collapsible'

[FLO]

We have edited the regular sales spell so hopefully it is more genuine and less 'zap-pow' 😁

[Alan White]

It looks very interesting indeed and
will no doubt be a great scope for many of us, I am tempted myself.

A real shame they could not have fitted a normal focuser,
this would have made it what the knowing punter would like.

 

Edited June 11, 2020 by Alan White

[Stu]

Looks fab! I can see one of these coming my way as a holiday scope, great stuff. 👍👍

[FLO]

Just now, Alan White said:

It look very interesting indeed and will no doubt be a great scope for many of us.
A real shame they could not have fitted a normal focuser and made it what the knowing punter would like.

It is aimed at the beginner astronomer so they want it to be easy and affordable. 

[Alan White]

Just now, FLO said:

It is aimed at the beginner astronomer so they want it to be easy and affordable. 

Fully get that and agree with the market served.
But,
Those who would buy it and know the focuser is meh, would have paid 10-20 quid more happily.
 

[FLO]

You might be right but I don't think so. The <£199 price-point for beginner telescopes is most attractive. 

Dobsonian telescopes are like television screens, wherever you start (4", 5", 6" or higher) it is only a matter of time before you want the next size up 🙂 

[jetstream]

We love the H130 and the H150 is going to end up in my scope collection. From our perspective the helical focuser is very practical- it works in extreme cold down to -40c where my other focusers do not, yes we observe in these temps.

I'm happy to see the H150 offered for sale.

[Chris]

29 minutes ago, Alan White said:

Fully get that and agree with the market served.
But,
Those who would buy it and know the focuser is meh, would have paid 10-20 quid more happily.
 

I'm with you in prefering a simple R&P on most beginner scopes. I'm just wondering if it's not only cost saving but also weight saving? If so I get that considering the design. easily fixed with PTFE  

You can fix anything with gaffer and PTFE tape, WD40, and by turning it off and back on again 😁

[Chris]

5 hours ago, FLO said:

Dobsonian telescopes are like television screens, wherever you start (4", 5", 6" or higher) it is only a matter of time before you want the next size up 🙂 

True Dat Steve (as the kids say) this could be a Dobsonian gateway to aperture fever. It is very close in price to the arguably better starting point of a 150 Skyliner though. to me the H150 looks aimed at grab n go crowd as well as beginners, so I can see the case for an R&P. I reckon it could be partly weight saving. 

One reason I think it isn't aimed purely at beginners is the collimatable cell. SW's fixed primaries work really well (I've tried several) and may have been both cheaper to produce and better for the beginner as it's one thing less for them to worry about. 

Regardless of any of our thoughts it will sell like hot cakes of course    

Edited June 11, 2020 by Lockie

[bingevader]

51 minutes ago, FLO said:

Dobsonian telescopes are like television screens, wherever you start (4", 5", 6" or higher) it is only a matter of time before you want the next size up 🙂 

Not true sat Steve. We only bought the 28" TV because they'd stopped making anything smaller!  

[bingevader]

And before anyone starts! No, it's not like looking through a 4mm plossl!

Nice 'scope though.

[russ]

Good that they put it on a standard Vixen dovetail, so the owner has the option to stick the scope on an EQ3-2 or EQ5 if they want to track an object. Nice little touch. Just a shame about the focuser.

[Barry-W-Fenner]

I really like the look of this scope.  The 3 piece spider vane is a good idea. I assume this reduces the number of diffraction spikes produced and disperses them ever 3rd of the view, I would be interested to see how that looks.

If the vane can be produced with 3 legs and secure the secondary well, Would this method make more sense for all dobs? The fewer vanes the better??

Just my thoughts 🙂

[JeremyS]

3 minutes ago, Barry-W-Fenner said:

I really like the look of this scope.  The 3 piece spider vane is a good idea. I assume this reduces the number of diffraction spikes produced and disperses them ever 3rd of the view, I would be interested to see how that looks.

If the vane can be produced with 3 legs and secure the secondary well, Would this method make more sense for all dobs? The fewer vanes the better??

Just my thoughts 🙂

Unfortunately, not. 3 veins result in 6 diffraction spikes, but 4 veins give 4.

[mikeDnight]

12 minutes ago, Barry-W-Fenner said:

I really like the look of this scope.  The 3 piece spider vane is a good idea. I assume this reduces the number of diffraction spikes produced and disperses them ever 3rd of the view, I would be interested to see how that looks.

If the vane can be produced with 3 legs and secure the secondary well, Would this method make more sense for all dobs? The fewer vanes the better??

Just my thoughts 🙂

I think three vein spiders produce six diffraction spikes if I remember rightly.

[Captain Scarlet]

8 minutes ago, Barry-W-Fenner said:

I really like the look of this scope.  The 3 piece spider vane is a good idea. I assume this reduces the number of diffraction spikes produced ....

I think it will produce 6 diffraction spikes...

edit: should've refreshed view first to avoid repeating the point

 

Edited June 11, 2020 by Captain Magenta

[Captain Scarlet]

... but 3 diffraction spikes do produce 3 corrections

[mikeDnight]

12 minutes ago, Captain Magenta said:

I think it will produce 6 diffraction spikes...

edit: should've refreshed view first to avoid repeating the point

 

You can say it was repetition for emphasis! ☺

[JeremyS]

4 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

You can say it was repetition for emphasis! ☺

You can say that again, Mike!

🙂

 

[dweller25]

Is there an echo in here 😀

[JeremyS]

3 minutes ago, dweller25 said:

Is there an echo in here 😀

Pardon?

🙂