Really confused

[wozza]

Right i thought i knew what scope i wanted but now im not so sure .I was looking at either the skywatcher 130 m or p but i am now thinking maybe a heritage 130 dob and there is also a meade ds 2114atc for sale near me

so which one does what best ?

My budget is around the £150-£180 mark would only be taking it into the garden or the field across the road and very occasionally go to the Quantocks so it doesn't have to be too portable but i would like to maybe be able to connect up a laptop so we can all see what is being viewed

so which one should i be looking at ?

[Glen]

Id go for a dob wozza IMHO quick to set up.

Glen

[brantuk]

Hi Wozza - you really need to decide what you want to do with it and then pick the appropriate type of scope and mount. It's good that you set a budget.

For viewing dso's only then the largest aperture newtonian within budget is advised. This can be on either of the two basic types of mount EQ or Alt/Az. Bear in mind a dobsonian is an alt/az mount.

For photography the trend is for short tube wide view appochromatic refractor scopes with low focal ratio. An EQ mount is neccessary for this because accurate tracking is paramount. It will aslo need guiding. Appos are expensive - glass optics being dearer than mirrors.

For imaging planets then a long focal length Maksutov or Schmitt Cassegraine is usually the choice of scope due to longer focal length and sharper images. Either mount type is fine with tracking. Webcams produce favourable results.

To hook up a pc/laptop and view/image all types of object, then you're into spending many times your budget. You'd need goto and tracking, and guiding with a second scope and camera. It's expensive and there's a steep learning curve.

That said - all scopes are capable of of viewing anything to a lesser or greater degree. You often see members with two or three different scope types for that reason.

I would advise that if you're just starting out, then a manual newtonian on an EQ mount is ideal to learn the sky and what's up there over the seasons. Alt/Az, or dobsonian mounts are also good but I allways think an EQ gives a better understanding of the movement of the skies relative to the Earth. Others will say an EQ is more difficult/longer to set up, but once practised the difference is negligible - we're only talking a few mins difference.

Generallly, remember that larger aperture size is better, electronics are expensive and reduce the money put into the optical quality. A 130P and a 150P is a good start and highly recommended. An RA motor is a useful upgrade at modest cost. And leave budget for extras like collimator, ep's, dew control, etc.

It's allways worth considering second hand - astronomers tend to keep their kit in very good condition and there are bargains to be had.

Hope that helps

[barkis]

Why not wait until a 150 Dob comes onto the For Sale Board.

A 6" is not so much heavier, and you get the extra aperture.

Just a suggestion.

Ron.

[ajg]

I picked up a very nice 6" SkyWatcher dob for £150 s/h a couple of years ago. It's a nice scope with a slower focal ratio than most dobs, so it's very forgiving of cheaper eyepieces.

As has already been said, there's bargains to be had out there!

Keep your eye on the for-sale section here on SPF, fleabay, astrobuysell, SPA classifieds ... there are others too. Be careful though. Ask as many questions of the seller as you like. If anything feels like it isn't right, walk away.

[malc-c]

Haven't you just asked the same question in this thread http://stargazerslounge.com/beginners-help-advice/130523-skywatcher-130m.html#post1699489

No one can make up your mind... it has to be your choice.

Some comments though...

The mead is 114mm so has less aperture than the 130P so. The scope is almost f9 which would be fine for the moon and planets, but would struggle with faint deep sky onjects IMO. However it does have goto which depending on your point of view can be useful for a beginner in finding things.

The 130P having a parabolic mirror will give very good images and has slightly more aperture, with an f5 focal ratio is a good all rounder. OK it is undriven and and lacks the goto of the mead, but you could always purchase the additional motor drive at a later date.

At the top end of your budget is the Skyliner 150 Dob from Skywatcher - this gives you 77% more light gathering than the 114mm Mead. Yes it's as basic as you get with the mount, but you're getting a lot more aperture for your money.

One thing for sure, you won't have much left over for your camera to hook up to a laptop... minimum budget for a DIY phillips web cam modified would be around £90, and then you really need to have a driven scope with good optics, so you might want to look at the 130P supatrak, as this in my opinion would be the best compromise.

Explorer 130P SupaTrak Auto Telescope | Telescopes | Rother Valley Optics

1) - It's just on the edge of your budget at £189

2) - It has the same optics as the 130P Newtonian

3) - It has a motorised mount so once set up will track objects to keep them in the viewfinder

4) - Has 30% more light gathering than the Mead

If you want full goto, the synscan version is £244 which would be the equivalent of the Explorer 130P with RA motor

Explorer 130P SynScan™ AZ GOTO Telescope | Telescopes | Rother Valley Optics

Like I said, these are just suggestions, at the end of the day it has to be your personal choice...