Opinions needed on skywatcher explorer 200P

[crepitis]

Ive just bought one of these scopes on an EQ 5 mount from E-Bay (Hey !, it was local pick-up only and I happened to live there ). Can anyone give me some constructive comment on this scope and hopefully provide a "pros/cons" type of critiscism (bit late though,as I've already bought it !) .

I already own a Revealation 10" Dob, and a 6" Orion (USA) Dob with "push to" controls, both of which may be going up for sale in the very near future,due to this recent purchase. Some consolation that I havent made a mistake with this (impulsive) purchase would be most welcome.

[TheThing]

It is quite an excellent scope. Well done on your purchase.

Someone with a bit more knowledge will be along shortly yo respond more fully. Until then, relax and feel well chuffed with your buy!

[JDWolf]

I agree you havent made a mistake. I owned one for a few year and its a very good scope. Give really good views of the planets, moon and DSO. Just a bit too big for what i wanted.

[philsail1]

Hello "crepitis!"

Good purchase there - I had one, and loved it. Only sold mine when I bought an Orion Optics 8" f4.5 Newt (and to tell you the truth, the Orion is only a tiny, tiny, tiny bit better than my Skywatcher 200mm was!).

Pros - very many! At "f5" it will give great all round views of the Moon, Planets. Fitted with a wide field eyepiece (not an expensive one either)the scope will give you nice views of the stars, and quite a few deep sky objects. This scope will accept a wide variety of eyepieces - from some of the cheapest, right through to the expensive, and give good views. It's a reasonably easy scope to lift on and off a mount. It's Ruggedly made. Has an excellent main mirror (very, very, very nearly as good as the one on my Orion Scope!).

It's got a reasonably decent focuser. You can get many accessories for the scope. It behaves well on the HEQ5 mount.

Cons - For some, the weight of the tube can be a little too much. That's about all I can think of!

So, you go and enjoy your Skywatcher 200mm happy in the knowledge that you have one really good scope for the money!

Best wishes,

philsail1

[psjshep]

I am still using the 8" skywatcher for imaging today - has been on the EQ6, into the Fens (not literally!) and has made an appearance @ Kelling a couple of times.

The only thing I will add to philsail1's comments is, I would say the focuser (being rack & pinion - I assume... still) could be replaced by a number of good & not-so-expensive crayford-types... Especially if you get into imaging. Mine has one of the JMI DX-3 low-profile ones on, which has recently had one of their motors added (getting VERY lazy in my old age)

The parabolic mirrors are VERY good for the price and the visual experience has always been a joy with this scope. The secondary is securely held in place and doesn't flex - mine holds collimation even after a car journey to Kelling Heath!

Stupidly, I tried to sell it a few years ago - glad I still have it... it's one of the scopes permanantly mounted in the obsy!

Phil.

[crepitis]

Thanks for all the replys guys, looks like I might have got myself a keeper.

Im picking it up on Saturday, so looks like you can all put your 'scopes away for

a month or so

Its not the Heq5 mount, just the EQ5, but I dont intend doing any imaging just visual use, so hopefully this mount will be OK and I can maybe upgrade in a wee while.

Cheers, Bob.

[psjshep]

but I dont intend doing any imaging just visual use, so hopefully this mount will be OK and I can maybe upgrade in a wee while.

Cheers, Bob.

I said that 15 years ago :laughing3:

[Astro_Baby]

I wrote a review of it not so long ago - albeit mounted on an HEQ5. The EQ5 seems solid enough from the one I have seen close up and you can always add GoTo to the EQ5.

The reviews here

I like mine and cant ever see me selling it to be honest. The review also has a list of all the stuff I have bolted onto it since to make it a bit more beautiful.

[crepitis]

Thanks again for the replys , Im just going to read your review now Astro_Baby, I was reading another of your posts earlier about first light with this 'scope.

Im getting a wee bit excited now as I pick it up tomorrow.

Last night here was very clear, but I wasnt at home and couldnt get either of my other 'scopes out, no doubt we'll have a few weeks of constant cloud from tomorrow onwards

[crepitis]

A great review Astro_Baby , I will need to get a Dew shield, can you reccomend a supplier ? :scratch:

[beamer3.6m]

Can I ask how much you paid?

[steppenwolf]

I have this reflector myself and like it enormously for imaging work. The optics are excellent and the tube assembly substantial. Mine is the older R & P focuser and the Crayford would have been nicer but carefully set up, I don't find this a problem.

[ilbrec]

Picked one of these up myself on ebay about 18 months ago. Best impulse buy ever .

As has been mentioned the optics are good but the r+p focusser was a bit of a pain with far too much slop for comfort. Probably would recommend updating that, went for a cheaper end of the market crayford myself which I am more than happy with.

EQ5 is probably nearish to its limit with this scope, but still perfectly usable. I updated my EQ5 with the synscan goto upgrade kit about 12 months ago and no problems with it so far.

I also bought mine 'just' for visual use. But a £40 webcam and a laptop soon got my interest up, especially when you grab your first proper image of Saturn. Be warned I think I may have just started on a very slippery slope and all from an impulse buy of a skywatcher 8" on ebay......

[crepitis]

Can I ask how much you paid?

No you cant ! ......only joking , I paid £200 for it, I could probably have got it cheaper, but it is almost unused, the woman I bought it from told me she had gotten it for her husbands Christmas in 2007, and he had shown no interest in it,.

she even gave me the rceipt and she had paid about £350 for it ( I know the price has come down to around £300 plus delivery now).

It certainly looks unused, parts of the mount were still wrapped up in the packaging, and various other bits and pieces had obviously never been opened.

[crepitis]

I also bought mine 'just' for visual use. But a £40 webcam and a laptop soon got my interest up, especially when you grab your first proper image of Saturn. Be warned I think I may have just started on a very slippery slope and all from an impulse buy of a skywatcher 8" on ebay......

:laughing3: I make enough "impulse" buys on E-Bay as it is, hope Im not about to go down another expensive path

[Astro_Baby]

Dewshield is a good buy for the scope - Steve at Firt LIght will sort you out of you give him a call.

[adamsp123]

Hi,

Looks like a darn goodbye er I mean Good buy I think you did really well with this 8" sorry 200mm Newtonian even at full price is probably one the best VFM scopes around.

pete