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Old 06-07-2016, 11:03 PM
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Nastyacidnoise (Dane)
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Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Canberra
Posts: 8
I've had a Skywatcher 150mm F8 for a couple of years and really like it. I've also used a Newtonian, a Mak Newt, a Ritchey Cretian and a small apo and of these the Skywatcher is my current favorite scope for visual. I recommend upgrading the the focus mechanism as it's is pretty ordinary, but the original didn't stop me having some great nights of planet viewing.

The CA is controlled quite well with a fringe killer, although if you're used to a reflector then you'll still notice it on Jupiter and the brighter stars. I personally like to view stars without a filter. The fringe killer takes away a lot of the colour variation between them and objects like the Pleidaes can look quite pretty with the 'enhanced' blue from the CA.

Others below reckon that they're only for low power viewing but I think it depends more on the seeing and the quality of your eyepieces. Three of my best visual nights have been with this scope. I regularly use a 4mm William Optics UWAN or an 8mm Radian with a Tele Vue 2x barlow. These two eyepieces (at 300x) are good about half the time (given that I only get the scope out when the seeing is good). I've had one night recently, viewing Mars and Saturn near opposition, where 4mm was clearly not the maximum capable power. I tried the 2x barlow with the 4mm and although it was too much power, it wasn't far off. I got the most detail that night from a Long Pern 3mm, which I don't rate as a great eyepiece.

I've seen craters within craters on the moon, polar caps and other details on Mars, four distinct bands and the Great Red Spot on Jupiter, and I can regularly see cloud bands and the Cassini Division on Saturn. There are heaps of better scopes, of course. But for the money and ease of use, I definitely enjoy mine.
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