Potential next purchase!!

[Brendan of Borg]

Hi folks,

My savings have finally reached the 'three figure' mark and continue to rise slowly, like yeast!!

A the moment I am using (and very happy with) a Meade ETX 60 (60mm Dia and Focal length 350mm + F/5.8) but I want to upgrade.

Seems like lots of folks like the Skywatcher Explorer 150P EQ3-2 and at £250 seems reasonable!

My query is though is this: is it enough of an upgrade to what I am already using? Need to know if Moon/planets and poss DSO's would be improved upon?

I have a fair amount of LP alas so wonder if a bigger aperture invites more LP?

Any help from you 'wise ones' would be well appreciated!

Thank you, you beautiful people!

[LukeSkywatcher]

If my maths is correct you are using a 2.? inch scope and are thinking of upgrading to a 6 inch scope?

That's a good leap in apeture. The bigger apeture will certainly suck in more photons. The improvement should be very noticable. I guess bigger apeture also allows the scope to suck in more LP also but thats not really a problem because there are ways of cutting down on it: filters,shields etc.

P.S.~~~i am certainly by no means a "wise one", so expect my comment to be devoured,chewed up and spat out by the wise ones.......................unless i am right of course...............which is a rare event.

[Brendan of Borg]

So Paul! To me it's food for thought eh!

Cheers.

[LukeSkywatcher]

You may also consider going for a SW Skyliner 200P Dob. That's an extra 2" apeture (8" in total) for roughly the same price. It all depends if you prefer Alt-AZ mounts or EQ mounts and whether you plan on doing astrophotography.

[pvaz]

150mm capture 6.25 times the light a 60mm captures.

So yes, it's a good leap. As to light pollution, 150 will always show you more then 60 regardless of conditions. Of course in a dark site the difference will be even more.

[John]

My 1st "proper" scope was a 6" newtonian and it followed a number of years with a 60mm refractor. The difference in views was huge even to my then inexperienced eyes. The only area that I stuck with the 60mm (which was a Japanese made F/13 scope) on was double stars which it did rather nicely. On everything else the 6" newtonian was far superior.

[Brendan of Borg]

Yeah the 200P does look quite awesome!! Looks like it might be a bit clumsy from a storage POV!!?

£265 seems a good price from FLO too! Mmmm tempting!!

[Brendan of Borg]

btw I only have experience with Goto mount so, any issues with the new mount seeing as I am learning to star-hop now??

[yeti monster]

Dob storage shouldn't be a problem, in reality you only need space for the base, as the scope can rest in a vertical position, upon the base, and there's likely enough room within the base for a modest sized EP case, red lamp, star charts, wooly hat and gloves.

[Brendan of Borg]

Thanks folks for all your replies. A hunting I will go.....