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Newbie from Bolton - First Telescope Decisions!

mcooke999

By mcooke999
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mcooke999

mcooke999

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Hello Everyone! I'm Michael and i'm a newbie to Stargazers Lounge :)

I have always been deeply interested in the night sky and astronomy, I got a decent pair of 7x50 binoculars with a camera stand when I was younger and loved the views of the moon and consilations. Unfortunately, I was way too young (10y/o) to fully understand what amazing possibilities there were out there! In particular I want to view the planets with a decent amount of detail, as well as the andromeda galaxy and orion nebula to start with...

Now i'm 22 years old and want to buy my first telescope! I've done some research already and i'm starting to understand the terms and differences between the vast range out there I think I might have come to a decision on which to buy.

I fancy either the Skywatcher Skyliner 150P or 200P Dobsonian!

This is based on:

My Budget of under £300

The ease and simplicity of the Dob mount

I live in the country so light polution and thus transportation problems are not an issue.

QUESTIONS TO YOU GUYS :D

Am i talking sense with this scope?

Would you reccomend any others as possible alturnatives?

Is the 200P worth the extra cash?

Do I need any other EP's other than the standard 48x and 120x?

Kind regards

Michael

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Dave S

Dave S

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Hi Michael.

Welcome to the forum.

I'm not a dob expert but I think either are excellent scope for the budget you have.

I'm sure someone more in the know will enlighten you further.

Cheers

Dave...

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Nexus 6

Nexus 6

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Hi Michael, good choice on the scopes you have mentioned, I would certainly recommend a couple more ep's but that may push your budget if you go for the 200P which is better as you get the extra aperture so giving you the chance to see even more, as you have what seems like dark skies you will really get the benefit of the larger size. A lot of dob owners use a Telrad red dot finder http://www.harrisontelescopes.co.uk/acatalog/Telrad_Red_Dot_Finder.html, a good aid to helping you find your way around the nightsky.

Here's a link to Stellarium,, free software really handy, apologies if you already have it

http://stellarium.org

Hope that helps good luck with the scope :)

Alan

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brantuk

brantuk

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Hi Michael and welcome to SGL :)

You may fancy a couple of wide angle 2" eye pieces eventually and/or some high power planetary ones. But I would get used to the supplied ones first and join a local astro soc. You'' be able to try different sizes and types to get an idea of what you're comfortable with :D

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mcooke999

mcooke999

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Thank you to everyone for you very kind welcome! You all seem extremely friendly :-)

Hi treble 9, welcome along. I'd guess that you are up

towards winterhill from Bolton, to be away from the LP. I'm over in Rossendale, not too far from Tod astro. We've got decent skies over there. Hope you enjoy your scope when it arrives.

YM

Yes your right! I live on scout road near belmont in a converted farm house so not many other buildings for miles around! We also have a house in north wales near abersoch and the sky's there are the darkest i've ever seen, with the milkway easily visible with the naked eye! Its stunning and an ideal place to take my 200P if i got one!

From everyones advice above, I think i'll wait before I get any additional eye pieces although I do really want something like 250x for planets.

Where is the best place to get a scope like the 200P dob 2nd hand? as ideally I want to spend as little as possible initially?

How often does this scope need collimating? and is this an easy job?

I apriciate all your help and advice so thanks

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BAZ Senior

BAZ Senior

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Hi Michael welcome to the lounge.

It will eventually need collimating, especially if you transport it, it will seem daunting at first, but after a while it almost becomes second nature.

Here's a link to a tutorial, written by a fellow member, and gives a detailed method for collimation.

Astro Babys Guide to Collimation

Enjoy the scope when you get it.

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brantuk

brantuk

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Magnifications of more than 200x to 250x is really around the limit for most scopes in the UK due to the weather and "seeing" conditions. You'll need a very clear night in a really dark site and a well collimated scope to make use of that.

Collimation is a doddle once you know what's going on and why/how you're doing it. So don't be put off if it seems hard at first. Some people collimate at the start of every session - others leave it 2-3 sessions before re-doing it. Sometime as the temperature changes it may need re-collimating mid session due to the changing shape of the mirror and tube.

Once you've been here a month and your post count goes above 50 you'll be able to see the For Sale section - you'll find plenty of bargains there :)

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