Need Help Selecting a new Telescope

[Peter Kalan]

Hi all, i need some help choosing a telescope. Previous model was one of those $200 kmart types which needs to be retired. Any thoughts and ideas would be most welcome.

Currently looking at the skywatcher 100 pro ED on the HEQ5 with GO TO which the store owner seemed to talk down in favour of the Meade LX90GPS 08" SCT

Also considering the following:

Skywatcher pro 180mm x 2700mm Maksutov-Cassegrain

C8-SGT 8" Go-To XLT
200mm x 2000mm

C9.25-SGT 9.25" Go-To XLT
235mm x 2350mm

CPC 800 GPS XLT
8" (203mm x 2032mm) Go-To

CPC 925 GPS XLT
9.25" (235mm x 2350mm) Go-To

I don’t mind spending a little extra to the get the more expensive models if it means ill be able to see more with a sharper image. Ill also be looking at hooking up a camera to the setup later on.

Cheers

Peter

[xelasnave]

Hi Peter welcome from me to ICEINSPACE ....
I notice you are not into photography yet so I suggest that maybe you consider a cheaper 10 or 12 inch DOB... the dob mount is easy to use for visual.
If you are thinking of photos well think mount first..it is the mount that to a very large degree determines photo quality... the eq5 is a great mount but the eq6 is bigger .... a very good set up would be an eq6 with the 9.25 and an 80mm ed (approx 750 mm f/l)... each scope can be used to photograph thru while the other is used as a guide scope... and believe me you can get wonderful photos with a 80mm.

My gear is a 6inch sn (a reflector with a corrector plate) with an 80mm x 400mm that I use for guiding... for photos and a 12 inch dob for actually looking at objects.
I think the 12 inch GSO dobs are excellent value for money and it will be a long time before I go up to a 16inch dob..if ever..thats how happy I am with the 12 inch.

But when you move to photos and you probably will think along the lines of getting the best mount...even if you have to put your $200 Kmart scope on it cause you spent all your money on the mount.

Yesterday I pulled the eq6 apart and I am very impressed with how good they are...they can be better with more expensive bearings and replacement gears but stock they are real bang for the buck...and I think in this game no matter what you get one will always be looking at small improvements to the stock unit.

I like the 9.25 and many do ... but I would be puting it on an EQ6 mount rather than an eq5... the eq6 is heavy duty gear and will take the various items you will add to the set up if you get into photos... and you probably will ..once you take one it gets you in.

Again welcome to the forums ... in ending I will say any of the items you have listed will make you happy until you want something bigger...and there is always something bigger...
Also dont overlook a set of 80mm binos..they are great best value out there..but they need a good tripod or appropriate mount..I have a set and use them more than the 12 inch.

alex

[Blue Skies]

Definitely go the 8" or above in aperture models. If you're just planning on looking at things in the sky at this time that's what you need. The 100 pro ED would be better if imaging was going to be your thing. I'll let the others guide you through the models, although there isn't a great advantage between them - some of may come down to what you like the look of the best.

[Peter Kalan]

Thanks for the info. Guess I shouldn’t splurge out in the event that I get bored and only use the scope a few times *doubt that will happen. Didn’t really consider a dob as the price was much cheaper than the rest, dunno why but I always seem to associate price with quality, which from what I can see isn’t always the case. After doing some reading it seems dob’s are great value for money, but are they easy to assemble and would it withstand being taken apart and re assembled every time I needed to use it? as there are quite a few steps in my garden and I wouldn’t be able to carry the entire assembled unit up the steps

If not what’s the other option? Ideally I’d like to spend up to $3000 but that can be stretched to $4000 if need be. I’d prefer to go all out now instead of buying an entry level scope then upgrading in 6months

I’m leaning towards the skywatcher PRO ED 100. I know the lenses are pretty good, but would I be limiting myself in terms of what I can see with this scope when compared to a 12inch dob?

[iceman]

A 12" dob would let you see infinitely more than the ED100. The ED100 is more of a photographic scope than a visual observing scope.

The OTA can come off the base of the dobsonian at any time, for storage, transport etc. The base itself stays put together. The base isn't light, but can be carried by one person - put in position, then carry the OTA and put it on the base.

The OTA of a 12" newt is about 20kg (and long), the base is a bit lighter. So make sure you can carry them. If it's too big and heavy, consider the 8" dob. Much smaller and lighter, but still easy to use and will let you see a lot more than a ED100.

The dobs are "push/pull" and you need to find/point to the object you want to view. You use starcharts and the finderscope to do this initially, but eventually you can "computerise" the altitude/azimuth motions and use something like the ArgoNavis which will tell you how far to push and when to stop. A must have accessory if you can afford it (about $1k with encoders).

The skywatcher ED100 on EQ mount would have "goto" functionality, that is, input the object and it will slew to it for you. You still need to align on a couple of objects first, as well as accurately positioning the mount with respect to the south celestial pole.
It's great as a photographic scope, chuck a DSLR on the back (with the right adapters) and you can do photography pretty easily. But it just doesn't have the aperture for great deep space observing.

The 10" dob sits right in the middle of the 8" and 12", and is an excellent, value for money scope with great aperture, portability, customisability, etc.

If you've got the money to spend, you get the 10 or 12" dob with the extras right off the bat - good quality eyepieces, ArgoNavis and encoders, stellar seat, star charts, red light torch, collimation tools, etc.

Even with all that, you'll be under your budget and you'll have a top-notch scope that will cost you much less than an equivalent size SCT (10" or 12" SCT), and show you far better, contrasty views.

[Hagar]

I can only reiterate what the others have said. As to my personal preference, I would look at an EQ6 for the mount, particularly if imaging is, or is going to be a requirement. I own both an EQ6 and a HEQ5 and find the EQ6 a world above the HEQ5 although it is much bigger and much heavier. I would seriously consider the 8" or bigger Schmidt_Cassegrain for visual and would look at an ED80 for wide field photography of Deep Space objects. The diference between the 80 and 100 is focal speed. The 80 is a F7 and the 100 is a F9. Doesn't sound like much but it does make a significant diference in exposure times and also the 100 being 900mm long makes a diference to the magnification ratio with a camera fitted.
If you were to go with both scopes you would be in a position to mount them together on the EQ6 and use one as a dedicated guide scope to improve your tracking accuracy and allow you to take long exposures.

Food for thought
Good luck with it all, but think before you jump.

[jjjnettie]

If you buy an 8 or 10" Dob to start with, later, if/when the photography bug bites, you can purchase an EQ6 and mount the OTA on it.
I have the 10" Dob and absolutely love it. Quick and simple to setup. Not too heavy for a husky girl like me to handle. The views are incredible.

[Peter Kalan]

Thanks all, after much consideration im taking up your advice and going down to my local shop in the next few days to check out 10 or 12inch dob. Hopefully i dont find the damn thing to big and pick it up on the spot so i can start looking up at the sky.

Just another question regarding which brand to get... there are a few out there.

Bintel BT-302 12" Premium $900

Meade Lightbridge Deluxe 12" $ $1500

Starhopper 12" $1900

SkyWatcher Dobsonian - SW880 (http://www.yorkoptical.com.au/ProductMenus/Telescopes/tabid/42/CategoryID/5/List/1/catpageindex/1/Level/a/ProductID/72/Default.aspx?SortField=UnitCost%2cP roductName) 10" $797


Does the BK7 glass and cooling fans in some models make much of a difference?

Also, if I purchased an EQ6 mount with GOTO and put the dob on it, could I use the GPS feature to guide it as it with a skywatcher refractor or reflector scope?

cheers and many thanks to all who are helping me out here, without whom id be a lost puppy in a big world.

[glenc]

Have a look here too:
http://www.andrewscom.com.au/site-section-10.htm
Guan Sheng GS-880 10", 250mm x 1250mm, $499.00 AUD
A 10" is portable, a 12" is harder to move around.

[Astro78]

You sure can with some rings. Be sure to check the weight limit for the mount though. A dob is just a Newt with a box mount they give away.

[Peter Kalan]

Finally decided to go for the Guan Sheng GS-880 10" dob
from Andrews. Thanks to all those who helped me out along the way.

I now need some advise selecting a barrow and eyepieces (some eye pieces 1.25" Plossl) are included in the deal but im assuming (given the cheap price) im better off purchasing a better model. My eyesight is prety good and i dont wear glasses so im guessing i dont need to go for the eye relief type???

Was also looking at the 2” Barlow ED from Andrews @ $79 if there’s anything else up to $200+- that would offer a vast improvement over this model pls let me know. Also do I go for a 2” or 3” barrow?
In terms of the eye pieces, looking at Orion stratus. Bintel have them on sale for $160

But I don’t mind paying a little more if it means getting something that will offer noticeable improvement. How do the Baader compare to the orion stratus. Any thoughts and info would be much appreciated.


Cheers


Peter

[Starkler]

I would suggest an Orion 2" 2x deluxe barlow. These are pretty much as good optically as almost anything out there. Available from Bintel.

[Zuts]

Hi Peter,

Barlow's are fine but I rarely use mine. I prefer to use the correct FL eyepiece. The eyepieces you get with the GSO are 9mm and 25mm which will give you 50 by and 138 by. This will be fine for DSO's but not that great for planets where you should be able to go higher.

Occasionally I use my 2.5 by powermate in good seeing to get very high mag on the moon or a planet and also for drift aligning.

Unless you are going to be doing some planet photography I would get the 2 by barlow as this would be easier to match to an eyepiece collection than the 3 by.

The GSO barlows are fine but if you want something a little better, i find my Celesron Ultima barlow is very good and if you really want to fork out there is always a powermate.

I still think though that you should get some eyepieces first but not untill after you have used the ones that come with the scope for a few weeks.

People tend to buy too many eyepieces, I am no exception and have far too many. If you are only talking about your 10 inch dob then 3 or maybe 4 eyepieces should give you all the range of magnification you will need.

Paul

[Peter Kalan]

You're right, i should wait till ive had a few sessions b4 jumping into the extra accessories, which i plan on doing.

Given that a good barrow is priced the same as an descent quality eye piece, am i better off ditching the barrow and forking out for 3 eyepieces instead of 2x eye pieces + barrow? and are there any drawbacks with using a barrow?

Peter

[PCH]

Hi Peter,

a benefit that someone pointed out to me in favour of using a 'barlow' was as follows...

You'll find that when you install a shorter focal length eyepiece (say 6mm or 9mm) to get greater magnification, the 'hole' that you look through on the eyepiece gets smaller and smaller the greater the magnification.

This makes it much more tiring to look thru for any length of time imho. So, by using a barlow in conjunction with a lesser magnification eyepiece (which therefore has a larger hole to look through), you get the same overall magnification but keep a decent sized hole to look through on the eyepiece.

It worked for me anyway, and I've seen this view put forward more than once in various threads on this forum.

Good luck whichever way you go anyway.

Do you have your scope yet ?

Cheers,

[Peter Kalan]

I didn’t know that the barrow offered eye relief. Thanks for that tip. Ive ordered a 10inch dob from andrews and should have it next week. It comes with 5x cheap eye pieces. Will check them out first then order some better one’s later. Some people claim that they barely use the borrow (as they have multiple eye pieces) Apart from eye relieve and increasing magnification, does the barrow cause any decrease in the quality of the object being viewed?

[glenc]

A barlow may reduce the quality a bit, more glass can mean less light getting through. I think it is wise to try the supplied eyepieces first.