Sky-Watcher Explorer-250PDS Anyone own one?

[Astro_Baby]

I have one thats been owned by two people and me - and I am selling it soon. Its just too big and bulky. So far its been owned by three people including me and has only been outside about 5 times in its entire life. I will make it 6 so I can check it over prior to sale but it will be up for sale as soon as I find time to move it on.

Its all very well for people to say its not that heavy - try lugging it up 8 flights of stairs at 2am in the morning when your fozen cold from being outside for 6 hours in at 0' - its quite a different thing from carting it across a living room carpet in a nice cosy house.

Even the 8" is now too much for me and if I werent emotionally attached to it that would be sold as well.

[Earl]

The 250 Flex is not exactly a light thing to lug about when attached to the base.

I am tempted to get a solid tube though as I could pop it on the EQ6 or use it for bench pressing

Edited March 26, 2011 by Earl

[andrew956]

This picture is Scarey could never get my head round it everytime i looked for reviews on this scope this picture came up. I f she is so ugly it would be better removing her from the frame would`nt it.

[mr saddo]

Well let me know how that works out for you.

Mr Spock - I dont have a problem with EQ mounted scopes myself and I agree with you. Pushinga scope around to track is VERY distracting thats exactly why I prefer motorised scopes BUT personally I find even a 200 very trying at times. Its big and its bulky. Yes the views are good, yes its very capable but I'd never want to bolt someone into one without making them aware that big refelectors on EQ mounts are not without their problems.

I see too many of them for sale on astro forums from people with bad backs or just plain fed up with the scope (ebay recently has had a glut of 10" OO and Sky-Watchers on EQ mounts) and I think that sums it up.

Until you have seen the pyhsical size of one of these things you need to be wary is all and plenty of people find the whole thing of rotating a big scope in its rings a real nightmare. Its easy enough with a TAL 1 or a Sywatcher 130 its somewhat different witha bigger scope. I am not exactly inexperienced and I have had a fair few nights with mine where I have cursed it mightily.

Once when the scope slipped badly while rotating the tube in its rings - was nearly a disaster - only me getting hit by the scope on my knee stopped a major catastrophe, twice the scope ripped up some of the rings felt and stuck itself fast into the rings and a few time trying to rotate it has caused it to push the mount out of alignment requiring a Synscan restart. Thats why I eventually came up with a simple rotating ring idea.

Well thats put me right off!!!!! reading this about a 10 " newt 250 pds, i have a pier, but like you say its lifting it, and where will the e.p be? thing ile stick to getting a 6 inch one? good advice yours pau .l

[kirkster501]

I have often thought this would be the case about Newts on an GEM. Glad to hear the experts confirm!

That's why for visual I am sticking with my CPC1100 (I entertained the idea of flogging it but I am not going to now for this reason). I am going to get a Skywatcher F4 Quattro for AP purposes so focuser position is not an issue.

Steve

[JimmyC]

Thread revival! Was just doing a google search for reviews of this scope - kind of glad i came across this to be honest as, let's face it, that scope is enormous. I was almost going to buy one of these but i don't think i will now, i think i will settle for something smaller. So with the budget the same, i've got the 200P and Evo' 6" refractor OTA in the shopping basket as well as a nice HEQ5 Pro Happy days!

[Adaaam75]

Guys this has been an eye opener for me but I have been toying between a SCT and a Newtonian for a while now. I won't be buying for at least a year because I am building my roll top shed Obs first. My main concern with the SKY Watcher 250PDS is that I am installing a pier and and concerned how high the eye piece would be in certain positions?

Does a pier mounted Reflector have fundamental problems over a SCT or am I missing something obvious? Putting aside the eyepiece in strange locations topic above!!

Thanks

[Gary Walter]

Hi Mick + Everyone,

   I too am buying the Skywatcher 250PDS. I was to have ordered/paid for it last Monday via RVO but they informed me that Distributor OV closed last week due to C19 pandemic, So I buying my pds250 Immediately! OV reopens for dispatching.

Firstly I,d like to Introduce myself to Everyone because I just this week joined stargazerlounge.com and this my first posting.

my name Gary from York & two years ago after a 45 year! break I took up amateur astronomy again when I retired and August 2018 bought myself a Skywatcher star discovery 150mm WiFI reflector AZ & I love it as I always liked reflectors.

I just bought my first imaging camera, an entry level ZWO ISI224 C colour because processing mono way above my capabilities & my computer is a 12 year old windows Vista. But this Wednesday night pointed my 150 mm with imager at moon and some fantastic (to Me!) picture attached 

anyway I decided last month on pds 250 mm as my interest is DSO and am prepared to sacrifice any ‘awkwardness’ & weight, as some above members discribe it - of eyepiece positive for fact I want a big relector for DSO & I get ‘more light for my £ “ and need EQ to try and have a go at DSO imaging go and I just love reflectors.

I am getting an eq 6 pro mount .

my question Mick (or anyone) is I studied on reviews that many complaints of earlier model 250 P had problem with ‘Undersized’ 58mm secondary mirror, but if I read things correctly the new PDS you have is upgraded with a larger 60+ mm secondary mirror.

Do you happen to know if yours arrived last month with the Bigger secondary mirror. Any help appreciated.

Hope your pleased with it !!!  & as soon as OV reopens I will buy mine from retail shop as I understand it ships direct from importer OV to me.

 

thanks, ‘Gaz’

                

Edited April 10, 2020 by Gary Walter

[Gary Walter]

. 

Edited April 10, 2020 by Gary Walter

[Cornelius Varley]

@Gary Walter Hello and welcome to SGL. Please check the start date of this thread (March 19 2010). Also "Mick UK" has not logged on since March 2014 so you might not get an answer from him.

ps text size fixed and colour of text restored to the default for you.

[Gary Walter]

Thanks, 
      If anyone may know about size of secondary Mirror on 250 PDS , that is very much appreciated 

thanks again 

[johninderby]

From the Telescope Express website.

[Satsumo]

I was wondering about the rotation issue....is it not feasible just to have two extra tube rings fitted to the tube (but not to the mounting plate) - top and bottom to just limit the scope's ability to slide up and down.  That way the actual mounting rings can be loosened as much as you like to "free" the scope so you can rotate it and then re-tightened?

 

New to this, so apologies if I'm missing something obvious.

 

Ta

Sat