Newbie - Skywatcher 130PM Discontinued

[JimBobs63]

Hello,

I'm a newbie dipping the toe for the first time!

I have been giving serious thought over the past few weeks to buying a first scope, and had rather settled on the 130PM - right for my intended use, very good reviews and bang on budget.

I was going to have to wait just a few weeks before purchasing the scope. However, I have found in the past few days, to my dismay, that it appears to be discontinued!

Anyone know why? It seems to be such a well-regarded scope for it's class/price. I don't understand why it should be taken off the market. I notice that there is a non-paraboloidal alternative (130EM) but I wasn't intending to make compromises...!

I suppose it might be available in stock from some outlets for a while...

Oh dear!

Jim

[Astro_Baby]

Does seems strange to me - perhaps Sky-Watcher would rather push the long tube version. Theres not much wrong with a non-parabolic mirror in a longer focal length scope by the way.

Perhaps Steve from FLO could comment.

Its weird because when I bought the 130PM they had just discontinued the long tube version.

[John]

Hi - welcome to SGL !.

I think that scope is a good (and popular !) 1st scope choice. I'd phone around some dealers (starting with First Light Optics as the top of the page) and see if they have some stocks left - you never know you may land a bargain !.

I'd be suprised if there are none available anywhere in the UK.

Good luck !.

John

[morphics]

Apologies for digging up an old thread, but I came across it a couple of times while researching my first telescope so wanted to add my experiences for future searchers.

From what I've found, the 130PM is now pretty much unavailable new. I did find a couple of online shops listing it for £199, but shopping reviews cast doubt on whether these shops actually stock the items they list.

In the end, I went for a non-motorised 130P, which can later be upgraded with a motor for £30 (budget single speed) or £70 (multi-speed).

It's a bit of a shame that you can no longer buy the combined package, but at least the EQ2 mount offers a good (albeit slightly more expensive) upgrade path.