Skywatcher Heritage 130 extras

[Ls1980]

Hi all,

Recently bought my first telescope - a Skywatcher Heritage 130 - and I am enjoying it immensely. I know it is small, but I wanted to make sure I love the hobby as much as I thought. Plus if I upgrade, this little scope will become my travel scope.

I would appreciate some assistance however. I am looking for some accessories. Perhaps some better quality eyepieces, a barlow and anything else someone can suggest. I recently got a laser collimator and a barlow. The barlow does not work unfortunately as I cannot get anything to focus - even in daylight. Luckily it was a cheap one.

I have done a lot of searches on Amazon and have shortlisted a few, but I am nervous to spend money only to find it does not work with the scope - or is subpar. Suggestions on most forums I find are mostly for eyepieces and stuff that has to be shipped from the US and I would prefer to buy local.

Currently looking at a SVBONY 40mm 1.25" Plossl and a SVBONY Eyepiece 1.25 inch 4mm Plossl to start with. Also looking to get SVBONY Fully Mutil Coated 1.25 Set 66 Degree Ultra Wide Angle HD (6mm 9mm 15mm 20mm) later to upgrade the current eyepieces.

I would love some suggestions from people with similar scopes on what to buy to enhance my viewing experience. I am also interested in getting a eyepiece with a bit more power than the 10 I have on the scope. Would love to see Saturn and Jupiter a bit bigger than the tiny dot I see at the moment.

Thanks in advance.

[mura_gadi]

Hello,

With the 66degree eyepieces I seem to remember that the 6 and 9mm are well worth while getting, the other two less so. You might be better off with a 18mm Starguider (or sim.) for $75 for the mid range. Anything under 10mm and a TBM II is worthwhile at $50+ dollars, only 50degree or so though.

Plenty of reviews for the 66 degree eps around, just check to see how they work for your telescope's focal length first.

With your 40mm that would fill in the gaps pretty well, assuming it came with a 25mm ep.



Steve

[rrenew]

I have found the SW-H130 to be a very good and versatile scope. Some comments on extras based on my experience:

1) a 5mm eyepiece will be used infrequently, the magnification reveals the limit of mechanical stability for this scope - but a 7mm ultra wide angle (82 degree afov) eyepiece (like the Meade 5000 6.7mm) is very useful for high-power views. Any 5mm plossl will have such short eye relief you will find it difficult to use.

2) the most useful low-power eyepiece will be a 32mm plossl like the GSO 32mm plossl which is a fair-quality, low-cost option. Longer focal length eyepieces will give lower power viewing but background light pollution will appear too bright (except in very dark sky locations).

3) a full cats-eye or laser collimator is not needed - try making a collimation cap and learn to use this.

best of luck!

[Malcolm]

A sheet of plastic card from Officeworks to make a shroud, use adhesive velcro strip to secure it so it slides inside the tube. Measure twice, cut once. A bit of plumbers tape on the focuser to take up the slack.

It's possible to fit the mount to a tripod, like a Bunnings surveyors tripod using a timber insert nut into the base board alongside the pivot bolt if one with the correct pitch can be found. A better option is a nut could be held into place with a washer drilled for three or four dome head wood screws after using a chisel to recess the nut neatly into the base board. I have a 130P on a Virtuoso tracking mount with a WiFi dongle that fits onto a Star Adventurer tripod.

I already have the Bunnings tripod which is being used for a Celestron C5 wedge so I might modify the original dob base with the recessed nut method so it can go on the tripod for an SW 90mm Mak which came on the Virtuoso mount.

[croweater]

Hi Ls, I used 3mm black eva foam sheet off ebay for a shroud . Works well. Whether you use plastic sheet like Malcolm or foam make sure you do it. Makes a big difference not only cutting out stray light but I found it stopped my breath from fogging the secondary mirror.
Cheers, Richard.

[Eldest_Sibling]

The vast majority of laser collimators arrive needing collimation themselves, and before one may be used to collimate a telescope. If the laser is mis-collimated, mis-collimating of the telescope itself may occur.

I use passive tools to collimate my reflectors, and with excellent results. I have a laser-collimator myself, but I don't care for it. Conversely, others swear by them, particularly whilst employed within the barlowed-laser technique.

Passive tools consist of sight-tubes, Cheshires and collimation-caps...

https://garyseronik.com/a-beginners-guide-to-collimation/

https://garyseronik.com/collimation-tools-what-you-need-what-you-dont/

If you want to use a laser-collimator, do make certain that it's collimated...

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=collimating+la ser+collimator

Then, as you go up in magnification, up to the highest powers of which a given aperture is capable, the telescope has to work harder to produce sharp, pleasing images, therefore the collimation should be as precise as the mechanics of the telescope will allow.

[mura_gadi]

Hello,

In regards to collimation I think its worthwhile pointing out the scopes F ratio affects the easy of collimation. Roughly the collimation spot is the cube of the F ratio. So a F6 will have a 12mm landing area and still be considered collimated if your in the circle.

The slower the newt the less inclined I would be to recommend a collimator. Collimators give you confidence to try and a good rough mirror alignment, but you should still star test prior to a viewing session. So, its not a be all and end all either.

I would second using Gary's collimation pages I found them very useful. Also highly recommended - is https://www.astro-baby.com/astrobaby/help/collimation-guide-newtonian-reflector/

As a newb I had to have one, but now I think its best value was just for the confidence it gave me.


Steve
Ps. But still a newb

[Eldest_Sibling]

With reflectors, Newtonians specifically, what you see is what you get: a longer tube, a longer focal-length and -ratio; conversely, the shorter, the shorter...

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...short and compact, yet more difficult to collimate. The 150mm f/5, and the 127mm f/4(natively), are easy to carry, easy with which to wrangle, and easy to store away when not in use.

Then...

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...longer, heavier, yet easier to collimate, and easier to reach the higher powers where exclamations of "Wow!" and "Look at that!" are heard. But, alas, the 150mm f/10(mock-up) and the 114mm f/8 are not so easy to carry, to wrangle with, and to store.

These days, we all want telescopes like the first two, and to match our "smartphones", but that comes with a price to pay: they're simply more difficult to collimate, hence all the more reason to learn and master the art of same, and with tools; not to mention quality barlows, 2x and 3x, but I did anyway.

For the lack of a better analogy, they're just like my favourite brand of cookies. The price hasn't changed, but they're smaller, and not as tasty as they once were. I then make do, with tools; bowls and spoons...

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The "cookies" are then ever so tastier, and utterly delightful.