Back on the merry-go-round

[oreed]

Can I ask what's the mount made from on the SkyQuest XT?

[umadog]

I think you mean the XT6i. This has the inteliscope object locator which is a "push-to". You do a two star alignment (base doesn't need to be flat with respect to the ground) and then can type in object IDs. Using arrows and numbers it tells you where to point the scope. The system uses optical encoders and a hand-pad. It can also talk to a PC via an optional serial port cable. Works pretty well but there are no motors so no tracking ("GoTo" traditionally implies the presence of motors). The lack of motors isn't a problem at all if the motions are smooth: I've happily tracked Saturn at 300x with my 12". I suspect you'd be doing most DSO observing at under 100x, where hand tracking is completely trivial.

In addition to the locator, the XT6i has an adjustable tension elevation bearing, which is nice. The classic doesn't have that.

At F8 you'll have virtually zero coma and with a 40 mm Plossl will obtain a 1.6 degree true field of view. Nice.

It'll travel just fine so long as you don't go dropping it large distances. These things a fairly tough. A knock on the tube may shift the collimation a bit but won't damage anything.

The rocker box is made out of particle-board, not plywood. Particleboard is cheaper but heavier due to the large quantity of glue it contains. The rocker boxes are pretty tough, however. My XX12 is in and out of the car a lot and due to it bulk the rocker box often gets knocked. Despite this, it's still spotless.

You will find lots of reviews of the XT8i on this page.

www.cloudynights.com/category.php?category_id=24&pr=2x6

There aren't any of the 6", but you can extrapolate since they're pretty similar scopes.

[oreed]

Hmm like it, need to sleep on it and thanks, may be in touch again sometime.

[oreed]

I feel as though I require two telescopes, one for home and one for traveling in my motorhome, up through the highlands of scotland and the Alps. An 8"-10" dob for at home and then something like the skymax 127 for traveling with.

I was looking at the Celestron Omni XLT 127 SCT but this is £100 more than the Skymax 127 on an EQ3 mount (which would already push my budget).

Anyone have one for sale?

[umadog]

"I feel as though I require two telescopes"

Indeed!

Soon you'll be needing 3 telescopes.

[oreed]

Any thoughts on the Omni XLT or Skymax SLT? Should I spend more money now and glad I did so on the Omni F9.8 or go for the Skymax f11.8 or even the Nexstar 127 slt f11.8?? Are two 'f' stop worth £100.

[sixela]

I feel as though I require two telescopes, one for home and one for traveling in my motorhome, up through the highlands of scotland and the Alps. An 8"-10" dob for at home and then something like the skymax 127 for traveling with.

Unless you invest in a highly portable larger scope, like e.g. those on Sumerian Optics .

Not the same budget, though, especially not with Orion Optics mirrors and a premium focuser.

[umadog]

Since nobody's answered, so I'll jump in. You'll get a narrower field of view with the longer focal length, but your views of planets may be slightly sharper since the central obstruction is smaller. I'm no expert on Cats and Maks, but the difference in the focal lengths you mention is probably much of a muchness. Perhaps someone with more experience will chime in.

It sounds like you're being thoughtful about your choice and reading around. That's a good thing. Again, I'd recommend going to a show room and seeing the things. At this point, that is probably the most informative thing you can do. You may realise you only want one scope after all. That said, don't forget that if you get into the hobby your first scope won't be your last. That means you shouldn't agonise over this purchase too much. Buy something simple and easy to use and learn about the sky!

[rowan46]

I was lucky I had a small budget and something came up 2nd hand it seems to me you have too much choice.I agree with the previous poster get something cheap and small you can use. when you've used it a while you'll know what you want and you can sell it on towards a bigger one or keep it as a grab and go. as to maks and scts. maks have a slightly narrower field of view than sct's and are not so good at the deep stuff. but then visually only big dobs are good at dso's an 8" dob might be better at dso's but on most of them you're still only seeing splodges of grey the mak will be great on planets, doubles, clusters fine on brighter dso's, plenty to see and if you can't see the whole universe heck who can at least with the mak, its small, maintenance free when you decide you like stargazing you can take the time to choose your ideal dob. you want the perfect scope. so do we all but I bet there's very few people who picked the perfect scope first time. every scope is a compromise and only experience tells us which compromises we can live with. you could of course get the dob and the argument would be the same. I think that the advice you have had get to an astro group and see some of these scopes for yourself is good advice you have researched well, asked all the right questions and obviously learned a lot but sometimes a practical lesson is needed to ram the point home. sometimes the problem with too much choice and information is it robs us of the certainty required to do. I must admit i am dying to know what you come up with and can't wait to hear how you get on with your first light. I think you have a gut instinct about what you want and I also think you have enough knowledge to trust your gut. clear skies

[oreed]

Hmm.. thanks for those comments Umadog and Roawn and I feel after reading your last couple of sentences Rowan I may have let the side down or my selection being a little 'left field' from the discussions had. Anyway, to re-cap on my requirements, traveling scope in the motorhome but to also use at home, looking to explore planets, nebula, DSO's etc, possibly looking to do a little astrophotography in the future and remembering I had already ordered the Nexstar 130 SLT but was let down by the supplier, this is how I made my decision.

Oh and by the way thanks for your help on this and RE: Astro Clubs. I live 50 miles from Edinburgh and 60 miles from Kielder Water Observatory in Northumberland and 70 miles from Newcastle. Great for sky viewing but nothing much else around. If you know of any clubs in the Scottish Borders please let me know.

Anyway, I was reticent about both the MAK and Dob; the MAK for its 'f' stop, thinking, "great, planets, close ups, but then thinking there is a hell of a lot more out there". The Dob I thought, this is what I needed but just looking at the base measurements and the 1-1.5m length scopes was just a little to big for the motorhome.

So, I am unsure if this is was a wise move or not but I went and bought a EQ5 Mount, Tripod and Polarscope thinking stability, and I could add a motor if needed in the future.

Rather than GOTO and for exploring the sky I have my eyes, a few books and a little knowledge I can explore this myself. Together with the iPhone App, Skysafari on it, which allows you to move your iphone around the night sky and it identifies the objects you are aligned to, making identifying a very easy. I think I would have liked to try the GOTO SynScan system but maybe this can come later if I want to expand and develop my interest in astrophotography and long exposures. This also means that I don't have to worry about batteries and charging and another bit of kit, (although admittedly not a great extra load to lug or purchase).

The scope itself, I ended up purchasing an SW Explorer 150pds the slightly shorter tube, use for photography, the 10:1 crayford focuser all seemed like aspects of a good foundation I could add and built onto with EP's etc and expand either way in the future, a big Dob or narrow field and the MAK.

Anyway there you have it just hope it come with instructions now, and for how to put the two together and how you align the EQ5 mount, then its a case for awaiting the clear skies! I will also have to get my carpentry hat on and make some kind of padded box/container for the scope to go into when traveling.

[oreed]

So I now have my first scope 150pds / EQ5 and did I make the right decision?

Well... I was unprepared for the weight of the EQ5 mount but I am glad I have it!

I could have bought the 200p for the same price and a part of me wished I had however, the tube length and size does mean it's that bit more portable and the crayford 1:10 focuser is nice.

I bought a storage box from B&Q (approx 80x40x35cm)and have padded it out to hold the scope, the mount, the counter weight, finderscope and eyepieces etc. I just need a 200mm pipe and fit end caps to store the tripod and this will fit nicely into the motorhome, see pics below. I have now set up/down the whole kit from scratch a few times and it only takes around 5 mins, very easy, very simple.

The scope seems great but have only had an hour or so of viewing due to cloud and about 10 mins taking a few photos of 80-81 Tau & 01 -02 Tau (I think).

[brantuk]

If you're going to try imaging dso's then I would avoid alt/az mounts (including dobsons) and stick with Equatorial. You will need upgradeability to at least an RA tracking motor (with or without goto). At this level bear in mind that money spent on electrics leaves less to spend on the optics. So you'll get smaller apertures.

If you're going to be travelling in a camper van or motorhome the 150P is not going to give you any portability problems. It looks large when set up but they break down into three smaller bits. It ain't a big scope by any means.

As for "hand on the tiller" - an EQ gives you two flexi cables with control knobs for RA and DEC. If properly polar aligned you will only use the RA most of the time with odd tweaks in DEC.

Hope that helps

[brantuk]

Woops I must've been on the first page when I answered.

That's a v.nice looking scope - and eq5's a great choice - congratulations

[oreed]

Thanks now just need to save up for a range of plossl, what four would you recommend for the 150pds?

6 or 8mm?

15m

20/25?

32mm