Sky-Watcher 250P DS NEQ6 Pro Synscan

[sbooder]

Sky-Watcher 250P DS NEQ6 Pro Synscan Review

PART: 1

I bought this scope to replace my Orion Optics UK GX250 on an EQ5 Dual Axis Motor Drive Mount. Not that the OO UK scope was bad, it was a nice scope but it was 11 years old and although the optics were in good condition they were dated. The mirrors on the GX250 being 11 YOA were OO UK’s standard coating, before they bought in the Hilux as standard for their OTAs.

The GX250 has gone to a good home and the new user will have many hours of enjoyable observing until their budget allows, like mine eventually did, for an upgrade to a scope the gives better images.

OK that is the upgrade bit out of the way.

So, the new set up. I will start with the scope and its good points and progress to any misgivings I have and then onto the mount & tripod better points and then, its cons.

To give it its full title, the Sky-Watcher (SW) Explorer 250P DS, which in fact is a scope with a 254mm primary (10”), is one of the best Newtonian Reflectors I have ever looked through. I have had in the past to compare it to, the OO UK GX250, a Celestron C10-NGT, a OO UK 200mm Europa Hilux coated and a Helios Explorer 200mm, and not one has given the images I am getting now. The OO UK Europa 8” came close, but lacked the aperture to compete overall.

The primary mirror on the SW has a Quartz coating which after its first use gave me a scare, as it takes a little time to clear from a coating of condensation, with ugly black marks the like I have never seen before. This soon goes and leaves the mirror as spotless as when it arrived. I was calmed on this point by Steve from FLO (First Light Optics) who relayed the way these mirrors are made.

The DS (dual Speed Crayford Focuser) is a dream to use after years of R&P (Rack & Pinion) toil, and once tweaked shows almost no slop. But there is a bad point that I will come to in the cons section of the OTA.

This is a heavy scope (compared to the GX250 that is), the GX250 weight in at about 8KG, and although I have not weighed the SW, I am guessing it is at least 13 to 14gk. This is only a problem if you are lacking in strength, so a warning to those out there of a slight build…this is not for you, unless you have a permanent set up (e.g. and Observatory).

Once collimated this scope produces cracking views of DSOs (Deep Sky Objects) and the view of M42 (Orion Nebula) was almost half as big again as with the GX250. M81/M82 (Bode’s Nebula) showed form and M101 (Pinwheel Galaxy ) was just a little more than a smudge (but only just).

I have yet to have any good observations of Planets with this scope, because Jupiter is almost gone by the time I set up and Saturn is too low for me with my Southern horizon being marred by buildings, but I will update when I finally get some good views of either the Planets or the Moon…That may be tonight (04.03.11).

Cons:

Weight, is the over

riding issue with this scope, but there again it is a 10” Newt so what can you expect.

The DS focuser, I did say earlier that there is a problem, well there is. The only bad point is, that the barrel of the focuser is badly machined and the flat that the pinion rides on has a concave, that is to say it is not flat at all. This can be fixed, for those of a more confident nature, by rubbing down the flat.

on doing this very thing. I took the plunge and was jolly glad I did.

At the moment that is all I can say against the SW 250P DS, but I will have a section at the end of part 2 for any other foibles I find.

[Bigdaddyjeff]

Nice review Simon,this is exactly the scope i'm going to be getting but not sure whether i'll be getting just the EQ6 or the full on NEQ6 GOTO.....depends who's selling one for now!

After your review though i'm even more excited about getting this set up

Gaz

[RogerTheDodger]

Gaz, consider gettin the syntrek version and using the EQDIR addon to give you GOTO, it needs a laptop but is only £45.

[Bigdaddyjeff]

Ok thanks Roger,very good idea which i didn't know was an option. I've posted a wanted thread in the appropriate section so will see what comes up there too.

Gaz

[EntropyStar]

Thanks

[Gina]

That's the scope I'm getting next, I already have the NEQ6 Pro Synscan mount. Thank you for you excellent review

Currently have a Celestron AstroMaster EQ 130 with a dreadful R&P focuser.

[sbooder]

I am glad the review helped. I will be posting Part 2 soon. I have had the scope for a while now and have a lot more to say about it...95% good...do not worry though the 5% bad is not really bad, just little qualms.

[kirkster501]

I hear that for visual its tricky to use this scope? The EP ends up in some uncomfortable places on such a large device. For me personally I'd only be using this for AP so not such an issue.

Any comments on that aspect at all please?

Rgds, Steve