Old Orion 127 mak Vs New Skywatcher 127 mak

[Worzsel]

Hello !

I am sorry I am preceding indroducing myself properly with a question and a realy boing question too, i'm sure.

Is there any difference betweem the 2 ? the SH one is listed on Ebay and I have been dithering over buying the Skywatcher for months. Several 'scopes have come and go on ebay and I know I am losing out because i don't want to make a mistake.

Budget is somewhere around £300. I am completly new to astronomy, I have never even held a proper telescope before.

I have no dreams of astrophotography, I just want something to have a poke about with in the Garden and see what I can find and what I can teach myself ( and of course see Saturns rings!).

I have been reading the books, I have got the Bins, I is about time I equiped myself properly

I suppose I should introduce myself too while I'm here I am Sarah, I live in the black country and the scope I eventualy buy will be a present from my Husband for aging a significant amount of years

[astrokat]

have a look on first light optic i think for 300 quid you can get a 8"skywatcher dob my brother has the 6" and the veiws are good

[Worzsel]

Thanks Astrokat, I had considered a Dob, Indeed that is what I initaially had my heart set on but at the moment I have nowhere to store one. I have 2 small children and a seriously clumsy other half so whatever I get needs to be able to be put away.

I have been though the whole range and think the Maksutov is the best for me at the moment.

[astrokat]

ok what about a Reflectors - Skywatcher Explorer 130P SynScan AZ GOTO

new portable scope with goto at a nice price with money left over for power pack

[astrokat]

or if you really have your heart set on the mak Maksutov - Skywatcher Skymax 127 SupaTrak

i wouldn get of ebay just for the fact if you goona spend 300 quid i would want a warrenty though with the mak you may get due problems in winter costing more money for a dew sheild or heaters what sort of mount are you after

[Worzsel]

The reflector 130 was my next want after I had eliminated the Dob but i decided against it because of the collimation.

I thought i'd get a Mak on a Eq mount, have look about and see how I feel and then in a few years I could buy the 150p OTA and keep the mount if I wanted to.

Would you really recommend the supatrak over the same scope of the eq mount ?

I don't want Goto, i know it'd make me lazy..

[nicnac]

if your not bothered with GOTO i would get the one on the EQ

[Worzsel]

Oh and I though too that of i gave myself a while to see how i get on with it and learn to handle a scope without looking like a complete plank I would take myself along to an astronomy club and ask somone to teach me how to collimate.

There is a club at Birminham University i have my eye on

But then there is novice and then there is me, you know !

[Cornelius Varley]

Going back to the original question, the Orion 127 and Skywatcher 127 are the same telescope. The EQ mount would be a better buy, in the long term, as it has a greater load capacity than the Supatrak. The Supatrak is probably at its limit with the Mak and would not be suitable for the larger 150 reflector.

Peter

[astrokat]

lol ok fair enough it did make me lazy for awile Maksutov - Skywatcher Skymax 127 (EQ3-2)

[nicnac]

collimation isnt that hard, i self taught. there are a few tutrials on youtube and the primer on the subject that can be found here on SGL is very good

[Worzsel]

Thanks Cornelius I had thought they might be but technology moves so fast i didnt know if one were more up to date than the other and build quality etc. It doesn't matter now, the Ebay one has sold but thanks for replying

Nicnac, it looks mighty confusing ! Astrobabys step by step instructions completly confused me but then i do do mist of my reading at 4 am half way though a night shift so thats not difficult. I learn better if i am shown things face to face.

The views with the 130 reflector and the Mak should be about the same shoudn't they ? I think i woud be over facing myself somewhat with the 150 and it looks HUGE anyway!

[ringz]

Worszel,

Both scopes are made by a company called Synta.

The Orion version is made for the American company Telescope & Binocular and Orion is their brand name. They usually have a maroon type colour paint job.

Orion Apex 127mm Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope | Orion Telescopes

The Skywatcher is the more normal brand name. They used to have a blue paint job but are now black with white trim.

Maksutov - Skywatcher Skymax 127 OTA

The views in the newtonian(F6.92) telescope versus the Maksutov(F11.81) will vary quite a bit because the newtonian will have a wider field of view than the Maksutov because of the differences in focal ratio.

Martyn

[Ogri]

If you want something with an EQ3-2 mount . . . . .

How about this for about £35 more than the price of just the EQ3-2 Evostar - Skywatcher Evostar 90 (EQ3-2) ?

These are very capable 'scopes.

With the money you save, you could get some nice secondhand eyepieces and a couple of books, to learn your way around with.

Then later on, keep your eyes peeled for a secondhand 'scope cheap to put on the EQ3-2?

By which time you will more than likely know exactly what you want out of a 'scope, and probably have some nice eyepieces and accessories you want, already there waiting?

I don't suppose it will fold up to store out of the way quite like my ST120 on an AZ3 mount, but it might be more than ok?

It's easy to go overboard with something that might put you off using it due to the time it can take to set up, then having it cool down once it is outdoors, and a refractor should be quick for that as well.

The more you use the telescope, the more you learn, the more you want to use it, the better value you get out of your investment. The only telescope that's a bad buy, is the telescope you don't use, imho.

There's also the point that something expensive and complex/hard to handle, might put you off a bit from using it, in case you damage it. If you have a perfectly serviceable 'scope to start with that hasn't cost the Earth, that of itself can be encouraging and help acquire confidence.

Best of luck finding something nice that suits you, anyway.

eta: All that said mind, if you can lean on hubby to go the little bit extra for this http://firstlightoptics.com/proddetail.php?prod=200eq5 GO FOR IT!

[Hypernova]

Worsel,

Don't discount the dob because of it's size, the 200p takes up about a 60x60 square with it's base and it is rather stable. I have mine tucked away in one corner of the dining room where in the corner it takes up next to no space and is only about 4 foot height. Not really that obtrusive imo.

Tom.

[astrokat]

more for your money with the dob i love mine easy to use aswell

[ken spencer]

Listen I have a Skywatcher 127 and love it to bits, its small and easy to set up and gives great views of the planets and moon. Never had any issues with it. On the other hand had lots with the 8 Inch reflector on an Eq mt and took ages to set up and carry!! So Worzsel I think its an ideal first scope. All the best Ken

[ken spencer]

And here she is Picasa Web Albums - ken and Margaret - astronomy

[Keiran]

Hi Sarah and welcome to SGL

A MAK is fine, for now!

You need to have a serious think about the future. I was going to get a smaller scope to start with, but I finally settled on a SW 200p on the EQ5, abit out of your price range I no, but I have not regreted it one bit.

If i had gone with the smaller scope I would be really annoyed now, and would have been saving for what I have now.

Instead I have been saving for the HEQ5 pro, which I than now bought.

I would listen to 'ASTROKAT', the dob is the way to go, easy to use, quite a Grab n Go as well, and you will get amazing views. You will not need to upgrade for years, you might want to get yourself and EQ mount a little later on if you decide that you want to get in to AP or would like GOTO etc, but this will get you started.

Remember the bigger the apeature the more light the scope lets in, allowing you to see duller objects and in more detail.

I think that you will be more likely to damage the MAK or a Newt than a dob.

I wouldnt buy the scope from EBAY either, they are good for SH EPs and stuff but there are big bits of glass and mirrors in these things and if they break when bought from a dealer your covered, but not so much from ebay.

I would suggest getting a collimator when you get your scope, it is an extra £30 but the scope has been in transit, you dont want to get the scope, and then be disappointed because it is out of colli.

Your standard EPs will be fine as well, they will give you brilliant views as you will not know the difference.

I hope that all of this helps, and if you need to chat PM me.

Cheers Keiran

[Keiran]

Also if you could stretch your budget there is the meade light bridge HERE

This really takes up less space.

Also take a look at scopes n skies, I bought mine fron the sister company Pulsar optical and they were brilliant. you also get little bundles for free, like books and stuff when you buy your scope. HERE

keiran

[TheThing]

Ah, the dob brigade strike again! A dob wasn't in the original question. I do wish people would keep on track with answering these queries!

The 127 Mak, in any guise, is an excellent scope to start with. Plenty big enough to give excellent views of pretty much everything. some will argue that it has a small FOV so it's not good for DSOs, but it won't really cause any problems unless you have it side by side with another scope and are going bewtween the two!

Its longer focal length and 'slowness' mean that it is ideal for getting higher mags out of your EPs.

the first time you look at the moon thru one, you will be blown away with the detail.

I have a smaller 4" Mak, which is a fantastic all rounder. The 127 can only better this.

[GuillermoBarrancos]

Ah, the dob brigade strike again! A dob wasn't in the original question. I do wish people would keep on track with answering these queries!

Yeah it's getting a bit beyond annoying really.

The girl keeps telling she doesn't have the room for it. Accept that!

The Skywatcher 127Mak with EQ3-2 mount is a nice combo to start with.

An extremely popular scope that has received tons of positive reviews by many!

It's also very very portable. So you can easily carry it around to a dark sight if you wish to.

Then she can always go for a 150 Newt later on for wider FOV purposes. Wich she can put straight on the EQ3-2 mount as well.

[johninderby]

Just to add further confusion, there is also the new Celestron 127 MAK. which is actually the same as the Orion or Skywatcher MAK. The 127 is still a very small and compact scope, so if you can afford it, get it rather than the smaller MAK as there's no real difference in portability.

You could get the 127 MAK now and perhaps later on get an 8" dob which would compliment it nicely.

John

[Keiran]

Yeah it's getting a bit beyond annoying really.

The guy keeps telling he doesn't have the room for it. Accept that!

The Skywatcher 127Mak with EQ3-2 mount is a nice combo to start with.

An extremely popular scope that has received tons of positive reviews by many!

It's also very very portable. So you can easily carry it around to a dark sight if you wish to.

Then he can always go for a 150 Newt later on for wider FOV purposes. Wich he can put straight on the EQ3-2 mount as well.

HE? you mean SHE Sarah

dont mean to pick holes!

[GuillermoBarrancos]

HE? you mean SHE Sarah

dont mean to pick holes!

fixed!