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I'm pulling my hair out with this

johnkirkpatrick

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johnkirkpatrick

johnkirkpatrick

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OK a while back I had decided to buy the skyliner 250px and a nice set of wo uwans. But since I got married and been decorating the house my budget has fallen quite a bit and a am having to choose between the skyliner 200p or explorer 200p on eq5.

I know the basic pros and cons with both scopes and weight hight or easy to transport are not an issue, but for some weird reason I can pick from them. My new (smaller) budget has made me decide on the meade 4000 ep/filter set as this will give me all eps at a low cost ;) as I will not be spending anymore for some time on this great hobby.

So this was where the skyliner 200 came into place being an f6 and more forgiving of lower spec ep's, but I also really like eq mounts and though at f5 and less forgiving on cheap eps I fear the meade 4000s would be as terrible as the supplied eps.

What I dont know is if the optics of both give different views, Both being 8" and both skywatcher thought they might be the same mirrors.

Would greatly welcome your thought, Not the best set-up i've picked but affordable and hoping to last me a few years and hoping to be very happy with it too.

Johnk

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mdstuart

mdstuart

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I would say the mirrors will be of similiar performance. You will get both views on here. I personally like the dob mount. It is easy to set it up..the downside is no long exposure photography...So what are you most likely to use it for...

F5 yes mine is F5 and it does cause seagulls at the edge of the FOV with any eyepiece of >15mm and I have tried loads. Even my new Hyperion cannot focus all the stars at once in the FOV.. I suspect an F6 woudl not be very different. You would need to get a SCT which is more expensive to get away from the fast F issue..

So my vote is the dob 200..

Mark

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pvaz

pvaz

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This is me sitting by my 8" dob. They are about same size.

http://stargazerslounge.com/members-equipment-gallery/102482-me-my-dob.html

As to using the dob it's really simple. Pick it up, put it down, remove caps, insert EP and observe. ;)

I would strongly recommend a red dot, a telrad or a rigel quickfinder. It makes all the difference. As to tracking, once you get the hang of it you can track easily at 300x while keeping the eye at the EP. It toke me only a few sessions to get used to it, but an EQ would always be better in that department.

F6 to f5 will make a difference, i think.

BTW regarding the EPs. Maybe you don't need that many. 99.99% of the time I use 31mm, 15,5mm, 10mm and 5mm (that's 2 eps and a barlow) and has you can see on my sig I observe just about anything. That way you could probably save the money from the ep kit and maybe get 2 nice TV plossls and a celestron ultima for the same price in the 2/h market. Those are guaranteed to perform well at low f ratios and they hold their value. Just an idea, but if you go this way don't try to save on the barlow, it will cost you more later on.

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Beulah

Beulah

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This is me sitting by my 8" dob. They are about same size.

http://stargazerslounge.com/members-equipment-gallery/102482-me-my-dob.html

As to using the dob it's really simple. Pick it up, put it down, remove caps, insert EP and observe. :p

I would strongly recommend a red dot, a telrad or a rigel quickfinder. It makes all the difference. As to tracking, once you get the hang of it you can track easily at 300x while keeping the eye at the EP. It toke me only a few sessions to get used to it, but an EQ would always be better in that department.

F6 to f5 will make a difference, i think.

BTW regarding the EPs. Maybe you don't need that many. 99.99% of the time I use 31mm, 15,5mm, 10mm and 5mm (that's 2 eps and a barlow) and has you can see on my sig I observe just about anything. That way you could probably save the money from the ep kit and maybe get 2 nice TV plossls and a celestron ultima for the same price in the 2/h market. Those are guaranteed to perform well at low f ratios and they hold their value. Just an idea, but if you go this way don't try to save on the barlow, it will cost you more later on.

Nice kit!! ;)

I'm a two-EP-and-barlow person too - I like to travel light. :)

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pvaz

pvaz

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hehe thanks.

I think I'm done for life in that department. I mean I could always use a couple more and just stop using a barlow but it's not like I really need them. The cheaper EPs ware my 1st ones which I kept for situations when I have kids having a peek. Better safe then sorrow.

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johnkirkpatrick

johnkirkpatrick

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i could do with a die cut foam case if i buy the eps you mentioned but where from? The meade 4000 what they really like some say ok and some say no.

I've never seen through a ep other than the ones supplied with my astromaster 130

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Doc

Doc

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I would imagine you will see seagulls with all cheaper eyepieces in a F5 scope.

In my F4.5 scope I used to see them using Meade 4000's and Hyperions. When I swaped to WO UWAN's almost all of them went away, I maybe get a few in the last 5% of the FOV.

IMO I would get the F6 Dob and the best eyepieces you can afford, maybe just a couple then build up from there.

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pvaz

pvaz

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The main difference between the cheaper and the more expensive EPs is the quality of the edges. Most, if not all, the cheap EPs can't focus the entire FoV at once when they are used in scopes with lower f ratios (f/6 and under). Basically that's what you get for the money. That problem is even more noticeable with wide field eps. If you keep with plossls (which have a field with a 55º to 60º diameter) then you can get top quality pinpoint stars from edge to edge with EPs under 100£ (a TV plossl goes for like 50-60£ 2/h and around 80£ new).

If you don't mind that problem then it's not much of an issue and you won't have to spend as much money.

PS-> I share Doc's opinion. f/6 will be kinder then f/5 and for visual f/5 won't give you any advantage. Re. EPs I think a sharp edge is almost a must when using a dob, 'cause you can let the object drift for longer without tracking and so you avoid introducing vibrations.

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Mark at Beaufort

Mark at Beaufort

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John

In my time I have had and used Newtonians (dobs and eq mount), refractors, SCT and Mak Cassegrains and without doubt the easiest and most convenient has been a Dobsonian.

Unless you really want to go into Astro Imaging I would go for the 8" Dob. You can always spend a fortune on eyepieces to get quality across the field of view but buying sometime like Hyperions or some of the better Skywatcher EPs will satisfy you for years.

Always remember that Stargazerslounge is a great place to buy and sell secondhand equipment so you can always upgrade when funds become available.

Wish you luck in your decision.

Mark

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pvaz

pvaz

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seagulls = stars at the edge show as a V instead of a point.

That seams a great kit of EPs but I wouldn't see use in that many. As a rule of thumb I think that less then 50% increase in magnification is barelly noticeable.

ie. To me there's no point having 100x and 120x, that looks the same. If I have 100x then the least I need is 150x to actually notice a difference. But that's a personal opinion.

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pvaz

pvaz

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Well this is a PERSONAL opinion based on my taste and some trial and error with cheaper EPs. I only started this hobby last September so bare in mind not everyone likes the same thinks and I'm far from being the most experienced person.

- For wide field an EP in the range of 25mm to 32mm (I use a 31). To be used for large DSOs and as a finder ep.

- Then a mid range EP in between 12mm and 16mm. To be used for smaller DSOs and planets/moon under very bad observing conditions.

- A power ep in the 10 to 8mm range. Used for very small DSOs (such as the blue snowball) and for planets/moon on average conditions.

- A high power 4-5mm ep for planets/moon on good seeing conditions.

Both the high power and the mid range eps can be replaced by using the other 2 eps with a barlow. I think this is the very least to cover just about any situation. After that if you realize you have a gap you can add to it as needed.

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Doc

Doc

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I agree with Paulo.

You only need four eyepieces. Mine are as follows:

28mm - For just scanning the universe and widefield for capturing those large objects.

16mm - For objects like M57, M27 smaller objects like open clusters, and planets

7mm - For small planetaries, globular clusters and craters on the moon.

4mm - Craters and globular clusters if the sky is steady.

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Chris H

Chris H

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I'm a bit late getting in on this thread but I would recommend the Skywatcher 200p on a dob base. Get it, play with the ep's that come with the scope and then have a think about which way you want to go. Plossl's are fine but with a dob you might want to enjoy some wide or super wide field views. You will probably find a chair or stool is necessary for comfort.

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johninderby

johninderby

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The 200P dob has very good optics. You won't be able to beat the performance vs price ratio with any other scope. Although I have a bigger dob as well, I still like the 8" as it's a bit of a Grab-and-Go scope in comparison that's easy to move around but still gives pleasing views.

At f/6 the TMB type eyepieces from Skys The Limit will work very well indeed and are identical opticly to the TS HRs but cheaper.(£36.00 ea.).

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1-25-6mm-58-Degree-TMB-designed-Planetary-eyepiece-/160441809935?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Telescopes&hash=item255b13bc0f

To give you an idea of the size here's my 200p Next to my OO 14" dob "The Blue Whale".

John

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