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will this Skywatcher Explorer 200P EQ5 ...........

gedmac

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gedmac

gedmac

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first of all like to say hi to you all:hello2:.complete novice but i have spent a few hours trolling through various posts and the one thing that seems to stand out is SIZE.i,m looking to buy a scope which will mainly be backyard gazing,hoping to view some dso,s aswell as planets etc.will the scope mention be easy to cart in and out?will it be ok to store in a garden shed(well ventilated)?and other worries as a novice are ease of setup and collimation.any views appreciated and feel free to suggest other scopes etc.max budget around 400 pounds.thanks:icon_salut:

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John

John

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It's a good scope but, for visual use, you might want to consider an 8" dobsonian scope:

Dobsonians - Skywatcher Skyliner 200P Dobsonian

I say this for 3 reasons:

i. A dobsonian is really easy move about to set up - you just point it where you want to look.

ii. The dobsonian is an F/5.9 scope which makes collimation a bit easier and a little less critical.

iii. The cost of the scope will allow you some £'s for accessories, once you have a chance to get to know it.

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Space Beagle

Space Beagle

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Great scope to get as it is quite a capable all rounder, but as Nadeem says the EQ5 is fine for visual work but if in the future you'd like to get into imaging a mount with a larger load capacity would be advisable - like an HEQ5 Pro or an EQ6.

Ive had my 200P for a year or so and it has been a great scope to learn on - and there is a wealth of info on it on this forum. See Astrobaby's review on her website for a start!

Doc

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Keiran

Keiran

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I have this scope and did have that exact setup... But i quickly sold the EQ5 and bought a HEQ5 Pro...

The scope is a brilliant first scope, and it never ceases to amaze me.

The goto is a brilliant function, it maybe out of your budget though.

It is great for everything, i have done a little AP with it and is brilliant on showing up them DSO

In wouldnt buy an EQ5 synscan, unless really cheap... as it would limit your options in the future :D

This scope is heavy and is on the upper limits for the weight of this mount.

The EQ5 will be a good start for you though... It isnt too hard to move in and out of a shed, and this is where i keep my kit :)

Collimating the 200p is easy...

HTH

Keiran

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gedmac

gedmac

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well thanks for all the quick and facinating replies,i must admit when first delving into the idea of buying i was tempted..........nay swayed towards a goto small setup but having read so much on this forum i now want more aperture for my bucks:D i dont envisage driving out to "dark skies" it will be backgarden viewing with very limited knowledge and a wifey who doesnt see the facination:)the dobsonian sounds great i was just a little worried on the weight aspect.now to the the next part.....ease of setup and collimation,will this be a problem?i am an electrical engineer by trade so i would think i have enough basic skills to manage,just lack of knowledge.keep on expanding my knowlege base cheers....ged btw thank you all for the warm welcome

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Odd Dob

Odd Dob

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I have the same scope on a HEQ5 Pro with GOTO.

TBH, I find goto to be a pain as much as anything else. It's much easier I found (in the limited time I've had to use it) to navigate manually with the handset with a start chart showing equatorial co-ordninates. Esp with it being a newt, you have to rotate it to get the EP in a sensible position, which can easily ruin your alignment.

I also have a Dob. For harder DSOs involving lots of star-hops, I find the Dob a massive faff. For planetary work the Dob is just irritating because its inherent instability being so noticable at high magnification.

Setting up a EQ mount is more of hassle when initially setting up, but once it's sorted it's done. With a Dob I feel as if I'm fighting it all night.

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John

John

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......I also have a Dob. For harder DSOs involving lots of star-hops, I find the Dob a massive faff. For planetary work the Dob is just irritating because its inherent instability being so noticable at high magnification.

Setting up a EQ mount is more of hassle when initially setting up, but once it's sorted it's done. With a Dob I feel as if I'm fighting it all night.

Thats interesting - I've tried a number of EQ mounted setups and have always found them much more awkward and irritating to use than the simple dobsonian / alt-azimuth approach ;)

Not sure I'd agree that dobs have "inhent instability" either - the ones I've used are rather more stable and less prone to vibrations than their EQ mounted equivilents - they have needed "nudge drive" of course which can be fun at 350x !.

Different scopes suit different people though and there is a great deal of choice around these days :mad:

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Odd Dob

Odd Dob

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Thats interesting - I've tried a number of EQ mounted setups and have always found them much more awkward and irritating to use than the simple dobsonian / alt-azimuth approach ;)

Not sure I'd agree that dobs have "inhent instability" either - the ones I've used are rather more stable and less prone to vibrations than their EQ mounted equivilents - they have needed "nudge drive" of course which can be fun at 350x !.

Different scopes suit different people though and there is a great deal of choice around these days :mad:

Well the world would be a duller place if we were all the same.

Knowing me though, give me 18 months, I'll be bored of endlessly building and aligning my EQ mount and be back to the dob again :mad:

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gedmac

gedmac

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hi again some interesting points:evil6:i think the 200p will be my choice,i dont want to end up with a load of fancy kit and then find my interest waning:icon_confused:hopefully the simplicity of the dob coupled with what i would expect to see from an 8inch tube will then spur me on to experiment further,many thanks for all your replies...............ged

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