Orion vs Celestron vs SkyWatcher

[NCC-1701]

Hi there!!

After years of looking to the skies with dreamy eyes I finally have enough money to buy a scope (I though that this day would never come...). However, I'm a newbie on this hardware matters so I need your help in deciding which scope would be better.

My goals would be viewing and enter the amazing world of astrophotography so my budget and a lot of research led me to three newtonian scopes:

- Orion SkyView Pro 8" EQ Goto

- Celestron C200-N/GT Advanced

- SkyWatcher HEQ5 Pro Goto

Since you are Masters in this astro thing which one would you chose?

thanx a lot

Cosmic hugs

[johninderby]

They're all made by Synta so the optics are the same. Only some slight differences between the Orion and Celestron mounts.

The HEQ5 is a more suitable mount though as it's quieter and has more capacity so I'd pick the one with that mount.

John

[NCC-1701]

Hey John thanx!

From the three the Skywatcher is the one that I'm more into buying. But your opinion would be much more important, so I'm glad I was chosing the one with the best mount.

Cosmic hugs

[johninderby]

There are quite a few SGL members that have the HEQ5 / 8" newt setup so I'm sure you'll be getting replies from some of them with their experiences.

The HEQ6 mount would be an even better choice, but I realise that it might not be within the budget.

John

[NCC-1701]

The HEQ6 mount would be an even better choice, but I realise that it might not be within the budget.

John

yeah...

[NCC-1701]

I think I'm decided for the SkyWatcher 1000/200 HEQ5 Pro Goto... yeah...

[Deneb]

I nice setup would be a Skywatcher 200P DS Newtonian with a HEQ5 Pro Goto or Syntrek version. The Syntrek has the same stepper motors as the Pro - the only difference being the handset & also it's £100 cheaper.

You could buy a little gubbin called an EQMOD adaptor which you can send co-ordinates of objects via a planterium software using a laptop to your mount, instead of using the SynScan Handset which gets provided with Pro version mount.

A little review of the 200P DS can be found here:

http://stargazerslounge.com/equipment-reviews/96329-new-skywatcher-200p-ds-1st-light-review.html

Nadeem

[Astro_Baby]

I did a review of the 200/HEQ5 some time ago - the sco0pe specs have been improved since I bought mine - the review is here Review of the Sky-Watcher 200/HEQ5

[Moon Lander]

Hi Kay. I recently bought the 200PDS on a HEQ5 PRO mount. The only disappointment has been the obligatory cloud cover that has been around since At least that has given me time to get it set up properly and test it during the odd hour the cloud has disappeared. You do need to know though that it is a big, heavy mount, so you need to think about how far you will need to be moving it.

[NCC-1701]

Hey Deneb, Astro_Baby and Moon Lander! Thank you all for the help, tips and advise! Your reviews were very helpful!

However, I searched the Portuguese stores for the 200PDS and unfortunately I couldn't find it not even to compare the price with the 200. Not cool....

The problems that can appear when our scope finally reaches home can be scary, especially for a newbie like me, but you guys are so inspiring that make us feel confident!

Thanx

Cosmic hugs