Which one would you choose?

[C_H]

You may have seen my earlier thread on choosing a telescope for my husband…

It seems that the Bresser Messier 8" Dobsonian and the Sky-Watcher Classic 200P Dobsonian are highly recommended but unfortunately they seem too big and knowing my husband it would just sit in the cupboard/garage and not get used as much as he (or I) would like. I’ve narrowed it down to some more practical options but I am happy to admit that I’m an absolute novice in this field and would appreciate some advice and I’d love to know which one you’d choose. 

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes/sky-watcher-evostar-90-660-az-pronto.html

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes/sky-watcher-heritage-150p-flextube-dobsonian-telescope.html
 

thank you! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Zermelo]

It's often said: the best telescope is the one that you will use most.

Either of those would make a good first scope, but the Heritage Dob is a popular choice.

[Nyctimene]

You've mentioned in your earlier post rather dark skies in your garden, and your husband's "obsession" with astronomy. Given that, I'd choose the Heritage 150 P Flextube. Easy to store, setup and handle, and very capable, so that  your husband will not want to upgrade during the next year.......

I'm very pleased with it's smaller brother, the 130 P Flextube, as many on here. It's used as often as my 8", 12" and 18" scopes, and is my best "grab-and-go" scope.

Stephan

[C_H]

14 minutes ago, Nyctimene said:

You've mentioned in your earlier post rather dark skies in your garden, and your husband's "obsession" with astronomy. Given that, I'd choose the Heritage 150 P Flextube. Easy to store, setup and handle, and very capable, so that  your husband will not want to upgrade during the next year.......

I'm very pleased with it's smaller brother, the 130 P Flextube, as many on here. It's used as often as my 8", 12" and 18" scopes, and is my best "grab-and-go" scope.

Stephan

Thank you for responding. He is rather obsessed but doesn’t have a great deal of free time hence wanting something that’s quick and easy to set up. I’d love to spend the money on the 150 but leaning towards the 130 if I’m honest. What would you say the main differences are? Image quality? 
 

How do you set up your 130? I’ve read about people using it on tables/stools etc or even lying on the floor. 

[cajen2]

I have the 150p and it's excellent. Mine goes on a three-legged stool and is thus very stable.

1. Take stool out and plonk it on the ground.

2. Put scope on stool and observe.

Can it get any simpler?

Both it and the 130 have excellent optics but the major difference is how much light is gathered on to the mirrors. The 150 gets 33% more than the 130, making fainter nebulae, galaxies, etc easier to spot.

[Nyctimene]

17 minutes ago, C_H said:

Thank you for responding. He is rather obsessed but doesn’t have a great deal of free time hence wanting something that’s quick and easy to set up. I’d love to spend the money on the 150 but leaning towards the 130 if I’m honest. What would you say the main differences are? Image quality? 
 

How do you set up your 130? I’ve read about people using it on tables/stools etc or even lying on the floor. 

I've never used the 150 P, but I suppose, it's not a big difference in image quality, but a (minor) improvement in brightness and resolution, as mentioned above by cajen2.

I made a plywood  "T-frame" , about 15 cm height, that is attached to the Dob's ground board by Velcro, so I can take it out with one trip. Scope in one hand, small step stool and accessory case in the other one, setup time two minutes.

Here a photo of the setup, scope and T-frame placed on an Equatorial platform:

Stephan