I am a beginner, what can I expect from the ''Skywatcher Telescope N 150/750 Explorer 150P EQ3-2''?

[MBErdogan]

Hello guys,

 

I am a beginning astronomer and I am searching for a good telescope. I want to be able to see all the planets in our solar system crystal clear, is the ''Skywatcher Telescope N 150/750 Explorer 150P EQ3-2'' what I am searching for? Is it recommended for a beginner? Unfortunately I don't have that much of space where I live, I can only use it at the balcony of our apartment; but will I stil be able to see almost all of the planets in our solar system (even thought I have to wait pretty long for it?). All in all, is this telescope a good choice, also taking in mind where I live?

Edited December 30, 2020 by MBErdogan

[Neil H]

Hi I had the 150/750 great scope the image will be clear on a night with good seeing and light pollution is not really bad, they will be small your need to change eyepieces  at some point  if space is tight what about a dob  your get a larger scope for your money easy to store too

[MBErdogan]

Is there any chance of seeing a clear image of saturn with his rings with just the standard eyepieces and with my iPhone X?

[mikemarotta]

35 minutes ago, MBErdogan said:

I want to be able to see all the planets in our solar system crystal clear, is the ''Skywatcher Telescope N 150/750 Explorer 150P EQ3-2'' what I am searching for? Is it recommended for a beginner? 

That is a very nice telescope and better (larger) than my first one. Just a couple of notes:

1. You will want other oculars ("eyepieces") to go with it. They usually come with two 20mm and 10mm or in that range. You will want a 30mm and a Barlow lens to double the magnifications. That will give you a good range to work with. 

2. You may not be able to see "all of the planets in the solar system" but you will be able to find at least six of the eight.  Uranus and Neptune can be challenging. But if you can locate them, your telescope will at least show you a disk for Uranus and something for Neptune. 

3. It is not so much the viewing - though we all love that - as understanding what you are looking at. Libraries, bookstores, and websites will deliver the information you need. 

On that last point, consider Mars. It is easy to find right now. However, it is very small, even in a nice 6-inch telescope like yours. However, if you understand what you are looking at, you will be able to appreciate the very subtle shadings that are surface features. 

Many stars that appear as one to the naked eye are easily revealed to be binaries or complex systems. Close to the track of the planets from your balcony this spring, you ought to be able to find the Beehive Cluster, for instance. 

There's much more. You have taken the first step. And we are all beginners here.

 

[MBErdogan]

What do you think of this set: https://www.astroshop.eu/eyepieces/omegon-eyepiece-and-accessories-case-large/p,23754#tab_bar_0_select ? Do you recommend it buying it together with the telescope, will I be able to see things clearer and bigger? 

[Tiny Clanger]

14 minutes ago, MBErdogan said:

Is there any chance of seeing a clear image of saturn with his rings with just the standard eyepieces and with my iPhone X?

There is a clear explanation of what to expect here:

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/196278-what-can-i-expect-to-see/

The sort of crystal clear views you hope for need not only good equipment, but also a very stable, dark and clear atmosphere.

You've not said whereabouts you live so it's impossible to say , but if there are no streetlights and you are up a mountain in a dry and cloudless part of the world you are lucky !

[wulfrun]

7 minutes ago, MBErdogan said:

What do you think of this set: https://www.astroshop.eu/eyepieces/omegon-eyepiece-and-accessories-case-large/p,23754#tab_bar_0_select ? Do you recommend it buying it together with the telescope, will I be able to see things clearer and bigger? 

Most people don't advise buying sets like that. You'll end up with stuff you don't want and will never use and the eyepieces probably won't be the best quality. It's usually considered better to buy individual items because you feel the need for them. I'm no expert but an EQ mounted scope on a balcony might not be the wisest choice for a beginner either, I'll leave it to others to advise more on that idea.

[wulfrun]

7 minutes ago, Tiny Clanger said:

There is a clear explanation of what to expect here:

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/196278-what-can-i-expect-to-see/

The sort of crystal clear views you hope for need not only good equipment, but also a very stable, dark and clear atmosphere.

You've not said whereabouts you live so it's impossible to say , but if there are no streetlights and you are up a mountain in a dry and cloudless part of the world you are lucky !

What Tiny Clanger said. Plus have a read of this thread. Yes it's fairly heavy going at first but it's important stuff to understand if you want to get the best from your setup:

 

[MBErdogan]

Well unfortunately, I live in an apartment in a street with many streetlights and often clouds. I think my dream is being crushed at this point. My parents are divorced, when I am with my mother I can only look through the window with quite a wide view, and when I am with my father I can only look from the balcony which I have a pretty limited view from

Edited December 30, 2020 by MBErdogan

[Rob]

I've had the 150P and really enjoyed it. You need to look at budget & exceptions here. I would suggest replacing the stock EP's along with a nice Barlow to double them up!. As a jump you cant go wrong with BST explorers from First Light Optics. Good on the pocket, and a really nice step up!. Use them for a while, learn the sky and enjoy multiple objects... just have fun

 

Best Rob

[mikemarotta]

59 minutes ago, MBErdogan said:

Is there any chance of seeing a clear image of saturn with his rings with just the standard eyepieces and with my iPhone X?

 

21 minutes ago, MBErdogan said:

Well unfortunately, I live in an apartment in a street with many streetlights and often clouds. I think my dream is being crushed at this point. My parents are divorced, when I am with my mother I can only look through the window with quite a wide fieldview, and when I am with my father I can only look from the balcony which I have a pretty limited view from

I live in a major metropolitan area, 2 km from a major shopping mall. I have viewed Saturn and its rings many, many times. It is a common target. The same with the moons of Jupiter and the phases of Venus. All that and more can be seen from the city.  

Do not just take all the advice given here. These people mean well. But they are in love with their own choices which they developed over many years.  The lens and filter kit is very typical. Many companies sell the same thing. They all come from the same factory in China. I bought mine for my first scope because I met people at star parties with much larger instruments with exactly the same kit. I get a lot of use from mine. And again, three of my four telescopes are smaller than yours.

======================
Michael E. Marotta, BS, MA.
Assistant Editor
History of Astronomy Division 
American Astronomical Society

Vice President
Austin Astronomical Society
STELLAE AVTEM HARENAE.
======================

Edited December 30, 2020 by mikemarotta

[wulfrun]

8 minutes ago, MBErdogan said:

Well unfortunately, I live in an apartment in a street with many streetlights and often clouds. I think my dream is being crushed at this point. My parents are divorced, when I am with my mother I can only look through the window with quite a wide view, and when I am with my father I can only look from the balcony which I have a pretty limited view from

Don't think of it as your dreams being crushed, just think of it as a challenge and think how good it'll feel when you do find things. The balcony may have a limited view but remember that as the Earth turns, it brings a constantly-changing new view in front of you. There may be things you can't get to see if there's light pollution and you may have to wait and pick your time for your chosen target for many things. However, the universe has a fascinating wealth of "stuff" to be seen by anyone with an open mind and some patience.

[Tiny Clanger]

2 minutes ago, MBErdogan said:

Well unfortunately, I live in an apartment in a street with many streetlights and often clouds. I think my dream is being crushed at this point. My parents are divorced, when I am with my mother I can only look through the window with quite a wide fieldview, and when I am with my father I can only look from the balcony which I have a pretty limited view from

Dreams not crushed, just reshaped a little ...

The planets ( apart from Neptune/ Uranus) are relatively bright.  I've seen them from my back garden on the edge of a city , no problem. I've seen details of the Martian surface with a telescope that cost £200 and an eyepiece that cost £25, but it needed a clear night and a lot of practice and persistence.

However, I wouldn't want to mislead you, book illustrations , nasa photos etc give beautiful crisp views of the planets which we will never get because of the layer of air we are looking through. You may not get a totally sharp image for instagram (or whatever) , but the personal satisfaction of having caught a sight of  Mars' Southern Ice cap or the rings of Saturn with your own eyes is huge, even if it is a bit fuzzy.

If your father's balcony faces south, south east or south west, the planets will be there for you to see.

[MBErdogan]

Well, coincedentally my balcony does face south.

[Tiny Clanger]

46 minutes ago, MBErdogan said:

What do you think of this set: https://www.astroshop.eu/eyepieces/omegon-eyepiece-and-accessories-case-large/p,23754#tab_bar_0_select ? Do you recommend it buying it together with the telescope, will I be able to see things clearer and bigger? 

It costs £200 plus delivery, and contains:

"32mm Ploessl eyepiece

15mm wide angle eyepiece

10mm Ploessl eyepiece

6.3mm Ploessl eyepiece

2X Barlow lens

5 colour filters

Moon filter

camera adapter"

Check the prices of decent quality branded similar items individually : I recently bought a 32mm plossl for under £30, a 17mm for £23 ( a 10mm in the same series would be £20), and a barlow for £25 which incorporates the camera adaptor. A set of cheap colour filters plus moon filter from China cost me £13 from Amazon.

Total price under £115, the only items not there are the case the 6.5mm plossl (which would probably not be used very often, the barlow and 10mm would show you a similar magnification if you ever needed it)  . Do you need all those items ? Will you use them all ? Are there extras you will come to realize you need after a couple of months that are not in the kit ? No way of knowing, and I'm the sort of person who does not like throwing money around without finding out exactly how useful a purchase is to me.

Am I in love with my own choices which I have developed over many years ? No. I bought my first proper telescope 7 months ago after a lot of research , and I am not suggesting you buy a dobsonian reflector because I understand that while it was a good choice for me, it would be a poor choice for you on your balcony.

Please read that thread I linked to above , I don't want your expectations to be unrealistic , and your money to feel wasted.

 

[Tiny Clanger]

11 minutes ago, MBErdogan said:

Well, coincedentally my balcony does face south.

There you are ! An advantage 😀

Now find out what you may be able to see , there are lots of apps and websites out there , I like stellarium, the online version can work out where you are

, https://stellarium-web.org/

just rotate the view and zoom it so it shows you the view to the south. On a clear night compare the view from the balcony with the stellarium screen and zoom in/out to get a decent match. There is a downloadable version too, which has more controls. It's free .

Heather

Edited December 30, 2020 by Tiny Clanger

[Zermelo]

2 hours ago, MBErdogan said:

Hello guys,

 

I am a beginning astronomer and I am searching for a good telescope. I want to be able to see all the planets in our solar system crystal clear, is the ''Skywatcher Telescope N 150/750 Explorer 150P EQ3-2'' what I am searching for? Is it recommended for a beginner? Unfortunately I don't have that much of space where I live, I can only use it at the balcony of our apartment; but will I stil be able to see almost all of the planets in our solar system (even thought I have to wait pretty long for it?). All in all, is this telescope a good choice, also taking in mind where I live?

Certainly don't be put off.
You realize that your situation isn't ideal. Some of the advice in this forum will suggest what you should do if you have choices, but you may not have those choices. For example, viewing from a balcony will probably remove half of your sky, may constrain your observing positions and may give unstable images due to heat rising from the buildings. But if that's what you've got, then that's what you work with. There are plenty of observers who have to operate from urban locations, and some who don't have gardens/yards.

Views of the planets should certainly be accessible to you with the 150p, though be aware that decent views can be a challenge even from good locations, depending on their position in the sky, or the state of the atmosphere. They do have the advantage of being relatively bright, and not so affected by light pollution. Have you considered other types of target? There are many beautiful double stars and star clusters that will be visible, even from a difficult location. Observing is a skill, acquired over time with practice. Whatever the nature of your viewing site, it is possible to see more as you gain experience. You may need a bit more patience and determination than someone blessed with a better situation. There are also some specific ways to improve your chances in light-polluted areas, which are sometimes discussed in forums like this, or in books like this or this.

Good luck. 

 

 

 

[Waddensky]

You can see all the planets with a cheap pair of binoculars. But if you want to see more detail, you'll need more aperture. There are many good telescopes that can easily be used on a balcony: here's a great list of decent beginner scopes. If your balcony faces south, all you have to do is wait for the planets to be positioned well and a clear night. Light pollution is not really a problem for the planets, because they are bright enough. Good luck!

Edited December 30, 2020 by Waddensky

[Neil H]

As for eyepieces how about a zoom lens a little heavy but work well i have a celestron 8 to 25 mm zoom so thats 4 in one add a good barlow your have 8 in one 

When you get the view you like look at were the zoom is then later you can get a single eyepiece that size

I had some great WOW moments from my back garden in light pollution sky with the 150/ 750  

[MBErdogan]

Hey guys,

 

So I came up with a list of things I want to buy (alltogether), is it a good choice?:

- Skywatcher Telescope N 150/750 Explorer 150P EQ3-2

- Vixen NPL 30mm eyepiece

- Vixen NPL 15mm eyepiece

- Omegon Deluxe Collimator

- I assume a 2x barlow is included with the telescope right? Or is that one not really good?

 

When buying all these things the total price actually increases pretty much, I don't know if it would be better then to buy a telescope which is a little better without any other accessories , like the: ''Skywatcher Telescope N 200/1000 Explorer BD NEQ-5''? Or isn't that a good decision?

Edited December 30, 2020 by MBErdogan

[Tiny Clanger]

OK, I'm sure someone will be along with personal  experience of the things on your list , I have none, so can't really help much with specifics.

However, two points you may want to consider :

First, you listed a 30mm and a 15mm ep . If you use a 2x Barlow on the 30mm, that will make it a 15mm ! So if you choose two eyepieces which are not 1:2 , with the barlow you'd get 4 different magnifications.

E.G. 30mm and x2 Barlow = 15mm  10mm and x2 Barlow = 5mm , So you have 30mm, 15mm, 10mm and 5mm to use ! I don't know what the vixen range has in it, or if they are any good, that is just an example.

Second thing to think about : the tube of the telescope is 750mm long, I don't know the span of the tripod feet when the legs are extended, but find out, and mark it out somehow on your balcony to see what it will really be like ... remember either one or two feet of the tripod will be against the outer wall , the remaining leg(s)  will have to be got around by you, and the telescope will be balanced so the centre of the tube will be near the centre of the tripod : will there be enough room to easily move around the telescope ? You view from near the top of the tube, in a newtonian will that be a problem as you swing the tube left and right ?

Heather

[Greymouser]

I have been watching this thread with a little interest.

I am not trying to to totaly crush your expectations, but having had a very similar telescope, to the one you propose, in the past, I strongly advise you against you getting one! I just cannot imagine trying to use one on a balcony, it will be a nightmare. Maybe, just maybe that scope on an alt az mount, but no way an EQ mount. your frustration will make you howl! I am surprised no one has said this, unless they did and I missed it...

I would strongly suggest a refractor or a mak on an alt az mount. Very much so. Anything else from a balcony is going to drive you mad.

Whatever you decide, good luck.

 

[Tiny Clanger]

43 minutes ago, Greymouser said:

I have been watching this thread with a little interest.

I am not trying to to totaly crush your expectations, but having had a very similar telescope, to the one you propose, in the past, I strongly advise you against you getting one! I just cannot imagine trying to use one on a balcony, it will be a nightmare. Maybe, just maybe that scope on an alt az mount, but no way an EQ mount. your frustration will make you howl! I am surprised no one has said this, unless they did and I missed it...

I would strongly suggest a refractor or a mak on an alt az mount. Very much so. Anything else from a balcony is going to drive you mad.

Whatever you decide, good luck.

 

I was trying to gently prod the O.P. into doing a little thinking about the practicalities for themselves. The footprint of an extended tripod and the maneuvering around it needed to look through a newtonian's viewfinder are easy things to overlook in the rush of excitement when money is burning a hole in your pocket,.  It might be a spacious balcony , or it could be cramped and full of chairs, tables, and plant pots .

[MBErdogan]

I made some pictures of my balcony, the width of the balcony is 1,14 m. Do you think there is enough space for this telescope: ''Skywatcher Telescope N 200/1000 Explorer BD NEQ-5' or the: ''Skywatcher Telescope N 150/750 Explorer 150P EQ3-2''?

[gilesco]

5 minutes ago, MBErdogan said:

I made some pictures of my balcony, the width of the balcony is 1,14 m. Do you think there is enough space for this telescope: ''Skywatcher Telescope N 200/1000 Explorer BD NEQ-5' or the: ''Skywatcher Telescope N 150/750 Explorer 150P EQ3-2''?

 

 

You need to find out what the leg spread of the Tripod is. If it is anything like mine you will not be able to extend the legs fully into that space, but it might fit with the legs unextended. In any case, it is going to be a very tight space and you may not be able to easily go around the scope to get to wherever the eyepiece is located. Also note that you will possibly not have a view of polaris, so polar aligning will be a real pain, and you will have a limited view of the sky as well - be sure to do the planning and work out what the limitations are going to be here.

In an ideal world you would want a 2.2m - 2.7m diameter circular, level area with a good 360 degree horizon view, horizon at 10 - 20 degree altitude is OK for many things as viewing most stuff below 20 degrees will have more atmospheric aberration.