Skywatcher Explorer 150P EQ3-2 or Skywatcher Explorer 150PL EQ3-2?

[lennon890]

Hello,

I posted a question on this website earlier this morning asking for advice on SkyWatcher telescopes. Every person that replied said that it would be a very good buy. I was wondering if anybody could tell me which one they would suggest and why,

the Skywatcher Explorer 150P EQ3-2 or the Skywatcher Explorer 150PL EQ3-2?

The URLs for the two items are:

Reflectors - Skywatcher Explorer 150P EQ3-2

Reflectors - Skywatcher Explorer 150PL EQ3-2

There is also a Wratten coloured / colored filter No 82A for telescopes on eBay, does anybody know if the filter would fit the two telescopes mentioned above?

The Url for the filter is:

Wratten coloured / colored filter No 82A for telescopes on eBay (end time 08-Sep-09 16:08:58 BST)

Thank you for taking the time to read this! Many of my questions have been answered recently - thank you to everybody,

-Lennon890

[John]

They are the same scope except that the 150PL has a longer focal length (1200mm) over the P (750mm) - you said in your other post that you were mainly interested in the moon and planets and longer focal length scopes are often preferrable for those objects, hence the recommendation to go for the PL over the P. Both good scopes though.

I would not rush into filters to start with - get a scope and get used to using it 1st then post some questions on which filters are really useful and which are not.

John

[brianb]

An f/8 Newtonian is a lot less critical of collimation, you'll probably have to do it only once whereas an f/5 Newt is likely to require collimation almost every time you use it. And the longer focus scope will work well with cheap eyepieces. Really this is a no-brainer, the only reason short tube scopes are popular is that the manufacturers get more of them in a shipping container.

[lennon890]

Thank you for your advice Jahmanson,

-Lennon890

[steveinuk]

Hmm, I was told a shorter tube is better for photography :o/

[OliverP]

I am thinking of getting a SkyWatcher 150P or PL on an EQ3 Pro GoTo Mount. I want to do planetary and deep sky viewing and I live in a fairly light polluted area. Which would be best?

Thanks,

Oliver

[raisindanish]

Same goes for me was thinking the shorter tube makes it more portable on the eq3 mount, however light pollution is something holding me back from buying a telescope all together

[The Frog]

Hi Folks, I was also looking at buying the 150PL on an EQ3-2. I am torn between the short tube and long tube because I do need the scope to be portable because I live under street lights, pylons and an aircraft holding patern!!!! (maybe a new house instead?). I have read about poorer image quality on short tubes? I will always be a "when I get a chance" astronomer and wonder if this will make a big difference? Can anybody help with some advice?

[Caldwell 14]

If your main interest is observing solar systen objects I wouldn't buy a Newtonian of any fl if iI was you unless you enjoy observing your planets in the middle of a cross of light, star spikes make Newtonians un-useable for planetary observation IMHO. Honestly if solar system objects are your bag buy a refractor or a Mak

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/omni-xlt-series/celestron-omni-xlt-127.html

http://www.widescreen-centre.co.uk/Products/Celestron_Omni_XLT_102_Refract.html

[Skybrowser]

I started off with the 150PL and it's a long old tube but you get used to it. The 150P is much shorter. Both are good scopes but I would personally opt for the PL due to the greater focal length. It's ok to look at refractors or Maks but budgetwise, you may get more for your money if you select a reflector.

[newman]

If you're not into imaging, consider a dobson mount instead. The budget that would go on an eq mount would allow you to get larger aperture, a 200p dob might be in reach of your budget then?

Shorter focal lengths tend to make for smaller f/ratios - "faster" scopes. The reason to manufacture them is not to put more of them in a shipping container - a faster scope will require less exposure time for the same shot than a slower one, making them more suitable for astrophotography. This is why short tube apos are held in such high esteem among astrophotographers. The tradoff with fast scopes is that optical abberations of the mirror / eyepieces become more evident, so you need more expensive gear to cover for that. There's plenty of eyepieces that perform great at f/8 and above, but a lot less of them still perform great at f/5, for example.

Therefore, for visual, I'd go with the long tube given the choice between the two. But do consider a dob mount and getting a 200p instead if you want a universally capable visual instrument. It'll be better for visual than either of the two scopes listed above. Another factor to consider is that the EQ3 might struggle with the longer tube - weight capacity is just a number; a part of the equation when going for that rock solid mount is also tube length. Longer tubes require heftier mounts, and 1200mm focal length is a lot to hold - it may be a bit shaky on the EQ3 when trying to focus or when it's windy. I haven't tried this particular combo so I might be wrong, though.

If you're primarily into planets, a Maksutov would be a great choice; easily attainable high magnifications coupled with good optics and portability is a winner combination. It's just that there's always some target you haven't seen when going DSO hunting, and with planets... well, you're fairly limited when it comes to target choice

[sanmatt]

Hi Folks, I was also looking at buying the 150PL on an EQ3-2. I am torn between the short tube and long tube because I do need the scope to be portable because I live under street lights, pylons and an aircraft holding patern!!!! (maybe a new house instead?). I have read about poorer image quality on short tubes? I will always be a "when I get a chance" astronomer and wonder if this will make a big difference? Can anybody help with some advice?

I have the PL and its perfectly portable. And pretty light also. And I say this as a girl who hates lifting anything, including the shopping bags!