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Skywatcher 250 on EQ6

daz

By daz
in Member Equipment Reviews

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daz

daz

Posted
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Heavy bit of kit this, but spending a bit of time balancing and it moved very smoothly.

Predictably with clear skies, the moon is close to full, so not much chance of feint fuzzies, so I stuck to old favourites.

Double cluster was just superb.

Aldebaran and Betelgeuse were just ....... red!!!

Saturn was just jaw-droppingly amazing, I mean, just ................ well, you know what I mean!! I had my 7mm ortho on this, with my Orion 2x barlow, and it was simply glorious!

The moon was as I've never seen it before. The terminator definition was breathtaking and so much detail ....

Pleiades - well, I nearly fell in!!!!

Colours, so many colours in the stars - never really appreciated this before ............

I've had to come in as I've work tomorrow, but it was a real wrench! It needs a tweak on the collimation, which I'll get done at the weekend, but I am most impressed.

First mod will be to install the GOTO upgrade, 2nd will be to change the focuser. After a Crayford, the R&P just seems 'sticky'!! I have to say, there is very little image shift with it, but I miss the smooth action....

Off to bed, tired, cold, very happy :rolleyes:

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John

John

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Nice report Daz,

I remember seeing through the 10" Dobsonian for the first time so know exactly what you mean. Particularly the Moon - you feel like you can reach out and scratch plaster :shock:

It's interesting how we all (well some of us !) bang on about apo refractors and yet a simple newt, at about a tenth the price of the equivilent apo, is capable of delivering stunning images, and no false colour to boot. My Revelation 8 is proving simply amazing on the Moon and Staturn as well as DSO's. 10 inches of aperture must be even more stunning.

On the EQ6, I found the HEQ5 too heavy for me (wimper !) so you must need real muscles to handle a 10 inch newt on the EQ6. I bet it's a very steady mount though - my HEQ5 certainly was.

Thanks for the report Daz

John - born-again Newt fan :love4:

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daz

daz

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I've got some embroiders rings coming so I can rotate the tube a little easier, and I think I'll put a second dovetail on, just for carrying purposes.

John - yes it is a heavy lump - lumps, the OTA is no light weight, but once the tube is balanced, easy to move.

:rolleyes:

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MartinB

MartinB

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Sounds great Daz. On the subject of apos and newts and what you can see, we aren't getting any observation reports for our monthly target :nono: guess the weather has been grim but this week end, could everyone have a peep at M42 and send in a note describing what you see. Will be especially interesting to see what this scope turns up

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Andrew*

Andrew*

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sounds an amazing set-up. Pretty huge I imagine!

But -

Saturn was just jaw-droppingly amazing, I mean, just ................ well, you know what I mean!! I had my 7mm ortho on this, with my Orion 2x barlow, and it was simply glorious!

You're talking over 350x!!! It must have been a good night to allow that!

:rolleyes:

Here's me thinking I was good with an 8" on an EQ5... :wink:

Andrew

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  • 2 weeks later...
Alliboy

Alliboy

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Hi Daz

I'm new to this forum in fact I'm new to astronomy and I have the same telescope as you.

Amusingly I tried to buy your scope on eBay but was beaten to it by you. I think anyway. I really got my hopes up but they were dashed. Never mind because about a week later another came up

Item no on eBay 230085260896

So I bought it.

I have tried it out a couple of times and yes I also was taken back by the stunning views of the moon and Saturn and generally very pleased with it. Having a motor driven scope for the first time highly amused me as I panned around the periphery of the moon effortlessly and also going away and coming back 15 mins later to find the scope still pointing in exactly the same place made me smile profusely .The focuser is a bit naff I feel and there were a couple of bits missing such as the main OTA dust cap and the EQ6 eyepiece tray which I am trying to source. I found this out after travelling all the way to Bodmin in Cornwall to collect it. Darn!

One thing that is puzzling me and I thought you may be able to help me with is that the 2 counterweights even when at their most extended positions don't allow me to balance the scope fully. Is yours the same?

Alex

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Alliboy

Alliboy

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I have the same problem as you with weights on my EQ5 with a 20mm Newt. Thought it was just that the scope was too much for the mount?

I hear you but I think the EQ6 is supposed to handle up to a 14" newt and it was all supplied together initially. Its as if the counter weights supplied simply aren't enough. I would have thought that the supplied counter weights should be able to balance the mounts maximum load. Crazy!

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daz

daz

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Sorry all - missed the replies to this.....

First the 8" - I had no problem balancing my 8" Skywatcher on my HEQ5 with 2 counter weights. However, the Revelation 8" needed a bit more (as it's a 1200mm tube)

Now the 10" - Yep you need three to balance the 10" on EQ6. Mine came with 3, but many people keep the c/w's (or at least one of them) as they can be the proverbial rocking horse doo-doo's to find! Having said that, there's a company called Astrodevelopments who do some very sexy stainless steel ones (on my shopping list!!!).

If you can hold till Kelling, you may well find someone selling something suitable. Which means you can then sell the other one, should you so wish

With my Revelation 80 piggy-backed with my 350D on it, I have 4 + a smaller 2.5KG (I have heavy rings as well!) - but once it's all balanced, it's really quite smooth. Balance is critical, especially to get the most from the mount. This is still below the max payload for the scope (about 25Kgs I think!!), so yes, a 14" scope would be at that top limit.

I saw the Bodmin one come up, glad you got a good deal. Shame about the missing bits. Speak to Steve at FLO (see link at the top of any page) and he can obtain spares. It will take time because the importers are not overly fussed about supplying them, but they will eventually get them!

As for the focuser, if you strip it, clean it and regrease it (look through the Workbench section - there's a thread with pictures), it will be much better. The other main two routes you have are a) a new focuser or :lol: an electric focus upgrade.

a) is more expensive, but will transform the scope both in performance and aesthetics, whereas :D means hanging another controller somewhere!! I'll let you work out which is cheaper - especially if you want a 2-speed 1/10 focuser!!!

I posted in your welcome thread Alex - let us know what pitch you are on at Kelling (I'll post mine when I find the bit of paper!) and we can meet up over a lemonade!!

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  • 2 weeks later...
Adrian Condon

Adrian Condon

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Daz,

I am very interested in hearing about the scope and seeing some images taken by your new setup. I am trying to decide at present whether to go 10" newt + EQ6 and weight lifting exercises !! or an 8" newt and EQ5. Is the extra hassle / cost worth the difference in the "views" you get. On a scale of 1 to 10 how would each scope compare?

Are there real problems with the portability or transportability of the EQ6 especially as I am close to retirement age?

I live in an area of total light pollution, I can do delicate neddle work outside at night without any other light sources required !! so I would have to travel a few miles to the countryside to get a less polluted sky.

A mate of mine has gone for the EQ6 option and he swears by it.

I am looking forward to hearing more about the scope, like how easy is it to collimate, how often you need to do it and the focuser. Steve @ FLO is doing a nice line in focusers.

All the very best and good viewing.

Cheers

Adrian

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daz

daz

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HI Adrian

Once the mount is broken down then it's easily manageable - it just needs more trips to the car!! However, once you have the EQ6, you are unlikely to need another mount again. It will take a 14" Newt with no problems. It has a 25KG balance payload, so I can put my 10" + 80mm frac for guiding and it's fine.

It really depends on how fit you are - the weights are 5kg each (3 of them), and the head weighs 17KG, plus the tripod, and then there is the OTA as well. This is also quite chunky to say the least!! Not sure of the weight of the OTA, but it's got to be around the 15KG mark I suppose.

As for the views, well the resolving power increases by 25%, the light gathering capacity increases by 37% (if my maths is correct!!) and the highest usable magnification goes up to 508x. The two views I have had so far have been amazing - moon and Saturn. As soon as I can get an image off of it, I'll post it!

Collimation is necessary more often being a f/4.7 scope, but it has nice big chunky knobs for this purpose, so I think is actually easier the the 8" screws. But, if it becomes part of your setup routine, then it's only a minute or two extra time.

Not decided what to do with the focuser yet. ScopeStuff in the US can supply a dual speed Crayford that fits the existing base (no drilling needed!!) so I might end up with that and an electric motor add-on from my GOTO upgrade.

If you mate lives close by, I'd certainly recommend paying him a visit (or come see me in Wales :D :D) and have a lift of his.

I'll post some pics up as soon as I can - busy with DIY at the moment, and Head of Light Entertainment is being quite strict!!!! :lol:

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George

George

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I'll post some pics up as soon as I can - busy with DIY at the moment, and Head of Light Entertainment is being quite strict!!!! :lol:

Me and you both, I'm off this week and her indoors has me decorating the kitchen :D I'd sooner be painting the interior of the Obs which is what I planned todo. Gona get my own back tho cos I'm gona order the GOTO upgrade for the EQ6 ....that will teach her :D

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