Old Orion 127 mak Vs New Skywatcher 127 mak

[Worzsel]

Yes I am a she. I did name myself after a male scarecrow though so easy mistake to make, i'll forgive you

I have decided on the Skymax 127 It ticks all my boxes at the moment. I have been tempted by others suggestions though and have enjoyed hearing peoples opinions. The 'Dob Brigade' do seems to really love their 'scopes... Maybe that'll be 'scope number 2 but i think I ought to get 'scope number 1 out of the way first eh.

Anyway, it's still not been ordered as now I can't make my mind up about the mount.

:sigh:

[andyr]

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!

Hi Sarah

Good choice with the 127 on the EQ3-2, that was my second choice after the 150P (which I went for in the end back in January) it looks huge to begin with, but you'll be suprised how quickly you get used to it.

I love my 150P and my little boy calls it "Daddy's big telescope", though I don't notice the size now, in fact the only heavy bulky thing now for me is the mount, the scope's a one handed carry job now.

Good luck with your new scope and I'm sure you'll be as happy with it as I am with mine.

Andy

[andyr]

I have decided on the Skymax 127 It ticks all my boxes at the moment. I have been tempted by others suggestions though and have enjoyed hearing peoples opinions.......

Anyway, it's still not been ordered as now I can't make my mind up about the mount.

:sigh:

I'd go with the EQ3-2 rather than the Supatrak, slightly more durable in my opinion and you could always buy motors for it at a later date. Also no need to buy a Powertank either with the EQ...

But others may disagree.....

Andy

[Worzsel]

Thanks Andy, The Eq3 is the way I am leaning I think. How long do things take to be delivered from FLO ? We have had cloud for a week solid, I know if I order it we'll be in for a terrible summer so i might wait till after my holiday.

What have you managed to see with your 150 ?

I am so looking forward to looking at the moon and saturn. I have binoculars at the moment, the cheap Lidl ones but I can never hold them still enough to see anything although that might be down to wine as much as anything else.

[Keiran]

I think it depends on how much time you are going to want/ be able to spend with the scope at night...

If you are willing to put the hours in to the night, to find what you are looking for, then get the EQ mount.

I can not comment on the sturdyness of the Synscan or Syntrac mount as i have never expirienced it... but if you do not have a vast amount of time and just want to get out and look around, the goto is the way to go.

You will need a power supply for the goto, but if you are going to use it out in your garden, then its easy to use the 240v from your house.

Unless you really know your way around the sky, then you will find it hard to find the things you are looking for to start with... you will be very please though when you do find something on your own with out goto.

I think that goto makes life alot easier and you will be able to see more or less what you want.

Either way, what ever decision you come to you will be happy, because seeing through a scope will just blow your mind....

As I said last night, try and find somewhere where you can compair the two before you buy... Even if you travel, it will be worth while

HTH

Keiran

[andyr]

Thanks Andy, The Eq3 is the way I am leaning I think. How long do things take to be delivered from FLO ? We have had cloud for a week solid, I know if I order it we'll be in for a terrible summer so i might wait till after my holiday.

What have you managed to see with your 150 ?

I am so looking forward to looking at the moon and saturn. I have binoculars at the moment, the cheap Lidl ones but I can never hold them still enough to see anything although that might be down to wine as much as anything else.

I ordered my scope on a Saturday night and it was delivered on the Tuesday, FLO were fantastic...

With my 150P I've spent many many nights looking at the moon in great detail, Saturn with it's moons, I caught Venus for over half an hour at sunset on three consecutive nights. As for DSO's I've seen M42, M43, M45, M57, M81 and M82 so far. Light polution's a pain where I am, so I tend to spend several nights on one object usually.

I can't wait for Jupiter.....

Heeheeheehee.... wine can have that effect, though with the EQ3 you should be able to track and hold your wine glass at the same time

Andy

[Worzsel]

If you have a go to mount do you have to use the motors every time you want to move the scope or can you disengage them and do it manually ?

[Cornelius Varley]

If you have a go to mount do you have to use the motors every time you want to move the scope or can you disengage them and do it manually ?

If you have an equatorial mount you can disengage the clutches allowing the mount to be slewed manually, but the motors can drive the mount at 800x sidereal rate which is quite fast. The AZ-goto mount can only be driven by the handcontrol but can be slewed at 800x sidereal rate aswell.

Peter

[Worzsel]

Thanks Peter.

Are they noisy ? I don't think my neighbours would much appreciate it if they were althougth it might be a bit of payback for their barking dogs and squalking parrot!

[Cornelius Varley]

The Skywatcher goto mounts are fairly quite when slewing and almost silent when tracking at sidereal rate, the non goto motorised equatorial mounts are totally silent.

Peter

[Keiran]

My HEQ5 isnt that noisy at all, the celestron goto CG5 is though, I dont no about th AZ mounts, but i would assume that they would be quiet

[Worzsel]

Cool, thanks all