First Scope advice please

[lavoisier]

Hi all

I've been interested in astronomy for some time now but never done anything practical. I'm learning my way around with a pair of binoculars. I would like to buy a scope and have my heart set on a Skywatcher 220p with EQ5 mount.

My question is should I buy a basic model of the scope and learn my 'craft proper' or should I wait and buy a Go To version? Will I meed a motorised mount and most importantly how easy is it to find objects using setting circles(I think that's what they're called, they are for Dec and RA)?

Any help and guidance gratefully received

Thanks in Advance

Paul

[Astro_Baby]

It's hard to give you an answer because so Much depends on you rather than the scope. Certainly the 200/EQ5 combo will give you lots .of room for upgrades but I would suggest factors other than the strict technical performance of the scope will be critical.

These include , but are not limited to......

How much time do you have to learn the sky ? Ie if your time is limited then you may find it hard going especially given the British weather which has been atrocious for the last three years.

Bear in mind the 200 on the EQ mount is quite a handle, it's quite bulky and heavy so if you have to be portable that should also be .a consideration in your choice.

Personally I found a 200 kind of hard to work with without goto, my time is limited and I also have to drive to a decent site. On top of that I found the scope rather hard to steer round the .sky on it's eq mount because it's quite cumbersome......if you haven't seen the size of a scope like that then you should take a look first because it's quite a big beast.

Setting circles......they are virtually worthless on most mounts and that includes the eq5 ( and for that matter the heq5 as well )......most people without goto would do what's called star hopping where you use other stars to find stuff rather like join the dots.

If goto dobsonian style scopes had been around when I was buying that's the way I would have gone. The only advantage in an eq mount is it's tracking for imaging really. A dob with tracking and goto would have suited me as well as anything.

As I say though you need to think about size, weight and your time available as key to the decision.

[Astro_Baby]

Ps sorry ....forgot......welcome to the forum as well

[brantuk]

Hi Paul and welcome to SGL

I personally don't get on with eq setting circles largely because work and weather conspire against me for viewing opportunities. As AB says - they're not allways accurate enough and many people do star hopping and/or use star maps, which can save a lot of time fiddling around with RA/Dec scales in the dark.

That said - it's a comendable skill and can give you a very good feel for where you are in the sky. If you plan on AP then tracking (at least) is essential, with goto (on top) I find extremely useful and a great time saver.

It's really a personal choice that really only you can make - hope that helps

[NGC 1502]

Hi Paul & welcome.

Some very good advice here, but I'd like to add that contacting/joining

a local astronomy society would give you the chance to see some scopes

and talk to the owners, and if you are lucky even look through the scope !

There is no substitute for seeing scopes up close, to get an idea of size

and suitability. Or maybe visit a dealer that has a showroom ?

Telescope reviews ( like here on SGL ) are also helpful.

Best regards, Ed.

[You can't be Sirius]

There is no substitute for seeing scopes up close, to get an idea of size

and suitability. Or maybe visit a dealer that has a showroom ?

I concur with this. The more I looked at what was available considering my needs, the less certain I was about what was best for me. I took the time to visit a showroom full of scopes and quickly found the perfect scope for me. I know that if I hadn't done so I would not have made the choice I did, nor would I have been able to experience the hands on required to make that decision. I think the biggest problem with broadband is the amount of buying decisions we make without getting up close and personal with the product.

[F64]

Yep you can not beat hands on and asking advice etc

[dweller25]

Hello Paul and welcome to SGL.

A 200mm reflector is a really excellent all rounder.

I bought the Skyliner 200mm F/6 Dobsonian and it was superb optically. I was ready to use this setup in 5 minutes and when used with wide angle eyepieces tracking was very easy - even at x300.

I then mounted the same scope on an Equatorial mount and whilst I has motorized tracking it was awkward to use as the eyepiece position changed a lot depending on where you pointed the scope.

The better experience was Dobsonian mounted.

You can now buy motorized Dobsonians with GOTO .......... might be worth considering

Modern setting circles are not really big enough so GOTO would be a better solution.

HTH

[lavoisier]

Thanks for all your input. I think I'm better off with a GO To to be honest. I was out with my pair of 25x100 binos and I had trouble getting Jupiter into view so I don't think I'd be much use with a Dob!

Cheers

[weso]

whatever you decide to buy stick a telrad on it, worth £40 of anyones money.

just dont try it with your binos