Sky-Watcher 150P-DS & Explore Scientific IEXOS-100 PMC-Eight eq a good combo?

[DavieH]

Hi All,

This is my first post, but I have been following the forum for a while.

I have been using my Sky-Watcher 130p on a standard EQ2 mount for a couple of years, which was an amazing first set up, but I think I'm ready for a bit of an upgrade. Still needs to be reasonably portable and I want a goto mount. I am mainly a visual user, but the option to have a bash at photography using my old Sony nex 5n would be nice - not a deal breaker and no budget for a new camera.  The 150 p-ds and IEXOS-100 WILL be the top end of my budget if I can get a few quid for my 130p.

Is this a combo that would work well or am I barking up the wrong tree? Any advice or alternative suggestions gratefully received.

Thanks, Dave 

[KP82]

The weight of the 150PDS + finder/guider + eyepiece/camera will exceed the load capacity of the stock iEXOS-100. You will need to upgrade the mount with an ES ST-2/3 tripod, the AZ adjuster for iEXOS-100, extra counterweights and a counterweight extention bar for it to work. And even then I'd only use it for visual. For imaging with 150PDS, HEQ5 is the minimum.

[DavieH]

8 hours ago, KP82 said:

The weight of the 150PDS + finder/guider + eyepiece/camera will exceed the load capacity of the stock iEXOS-100. You will need to upgrade the mount with an ES ST-2/3 tripod, the AZ adjuster for iEXOS-100, extra counterweights and a counterweight extention bar for it to work. And even then I'd only use it for visual. For imaging with 150PDS, HEQ5 is the minimum.

Hi KP82,

Thanks for your advice - think you may have saved me from an expensive mistake!  So, back to the drawing board.  My primary goal is a step up in visual performance on my 130p, with a goto mount.  I am 100% happy to drop the imaging option for now as I just don't have the budget (or know-how) to do that properly. Maybe the best place to start is to take my credit card on a trip down the M5 to flo. 

Thanks again for taking the time to reply

[KP82]

If you simply want GOTO to help with target searching, keep the 130p and get an EQ5/HEQ5, or even better AZ-EQ5. Newts can be a bit awkward to use for visual on an EQ mount, so if budget allows AZ-EQ5 would be preferred. Moving from 130 to 150 isn't going to give you a massive increase in light grasp. If you want more obvious improvements in your views, a 200 or 250 scope will be a better upgrade. But at that size you will have to either sacrifice GOTO (manual dob) or pay substantially more for a GOTO dob/SCT.

[Cosmic Geoff]

What is your budget? The entry level outfits with GoTo will not offer a significantly bigger aperture than you already have.  If you want a (visual) outfit with a non-wobble GoTo mount and a useful increase in aperture on your existing scope, brace yourself for some major expense. You could also look at Dobsonian mounts fitted with GoTo or digital setting circles- not any cheaper but might appeal to you.

[DavieH]

Thanks for the feedback. Budget is around £650, so sounds as though the sensible option would be to use that to upgrade to an EQ5 and continue with my 130p for now, and upgrade the scope when there's a few more pennies in the fun fund? 

This help is really appreciated

[KP82]

On 12/01/2022 at 19:33, DavieH said:

Thanks for the feedback. Budget is around £650, so sounds as though the sensible option would be to use that to upgrade to an EQ5 and continue with my 130p for now, and upgrade the scope when there's a few more pennies in the fun fund? 

This help is really appreciated

EQ5 Pro would be the best short term solution for getting GOTO. However if you plan to upgrade the scope also in the near future, my advice would be to save up a bit more and go for HEQ5. EQ5 would struggle with a 200/250 scope.

[irandar]

Your Sony Nex 5n will work very well. It is light and any mount will take it. I did a youtube on this problem with small reflectors.

 

Astrophotography: Getting Focus with a Camera on a Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130

https://youtu.be/b8T8vljMz_s