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Skywatcher Explorer 300P DS OTA

Ben Ritchie

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Ben Ritchie

Ben Ritchie

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I'm contemplating buying a 300P OTA, and wondering about the practicalities - i've owned a 300P Dob before now, so know how big it is! Size isn't necessarily a problem, as I have an EQ6/pro in an observatory so it would be a daylight 2-person lift onto the mount. However, i'm wondering:

- can the standard EQ6 pro cope with it? counterweight-bar extensions, extra weights etc.? It will be visual-use only.

- where is the balance point? presumably much of the weight is in the mirror, so at the zenith the eyepiece will be up in the air somewhere? I have quite a high pier already (the mount saddle is about 5' off the floor) so wondering if i'll be up on a step-ladder trying to use it?

- looks like it comes with a standard Vixen dovetail? I have dual Vixen/Losmandy ADM saddle on the mount, is it worth upgrading the dovetail to Losmandy

- what's the DS focuser like? Compression ring? Solid for heavy eyepieces? I didn't like the singlespeed on my old 300P Dob and upgraded to a Moonlite, is the new one better?

- Would I save myself some grief if I went for the 250P instead?! the plan is that i'll be fairly regularly swapping between the Newtonian and my 5" refractor, depending on what takes my fancy, so although it's not going to be a setup/tear-down every night thing I don't want it to be too much hassle. But aperture is cool, especially if you've got an observatory to keep it in....!

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George

George

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I have the 250PX which the EQ6 handles no problem, for visual the 300 shouldn't be a problem on the EQ6 tho you will need extra counterweights. I have 4 5kg weights on my setup 250 + ED80 and it only just balances with the DSLR, guider and a few other bits.

The balance point is around a 3rd of the way up from the mirror, handling wise I found the easiest way was to park the OTA parallel to the ground to mount/unmount the OTA. I have to use steps if I want to eyeball at the zenith.

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Ben Ritchie

Ben Ritchie

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Well thanks to blisteringly-quick delivery from FLO and OVL a large box arrived at 8:50am this morning (so quick, in fact, that it appears to have outpaced FLO's order acknowledgement, so the arrival was something of a surprise!).

I went for the 250P DS in the end, and think I was certainly correct - it's big-but-manageable, I think the 300P would have been too big. Haven't mounted it yet, but...

- looks like it comes with a standard Vixen dovetail? I have dual Vixen/Losmandy ADM saddle on the mount, is it worth upgrading the dovetail to Losmandy

This one at least has the standard Vixen dovetail. I've swapped it for a much more solid Ambermile one. That looks to be ok, will report back once i've mounted it on the EQ6.

what's the DS focuser like? Compression ring? Solid for heavy eyepieces? I didn't like the singlespeed on my old 300P Dob and upgraded to a Moonlite, is the new one better?

Functional, no, maybe, and somewhat. A Moonlite it isn't, but appears to be alright. Main irritation is the 'scratch the heck out of everything' setscrews, the 2"-1.25" adapter is also somewhat industrial but unscrews to a T-thread too which is a nice feature.

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Ben Ritchie

Ben Ritchie

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Well the EQ6 copes with the 250P quite happily, and in daylight it's an easy one-man lift onto the mount. So that's good...

You need a ladder to use it though

... but i've discovered this with the 250P too - unfortunately with my rather small (8x6) observatory it's somewhat problematic.

Should have got the Dob version :)

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tooth_dr

tooth_dr

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LOL, I'm using the 250px with an ED80 on top, and it is a tight squeeze in my 8'x6' obs! My pier is three feet high, another few inches for adapter plates, then the EQ6. I rarely do visual but I can see the problem with using a ladder as in mine there simply isn't the room!

Health to use the new scope anyway, I love mine. I fitted the cheap SW motor focuser, and it makes life much easier when focusing as you don't have to reach up.

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