Setups for visual astronomy

[@atzutzu]

i just bought my first telescope after about 6 month of research in the used market... for 380 CAD ( 260eur) i got the skywatcher classic 200p, with the 12 and 18mm x-cel eyepieces ( along with the variable polarizer) - honestly its worth checking the used market and waiting for a good opportunity. thanks for the video!

[@angeltensey]

I've got my equatorial used with minor lack of parts this way for a fraction of it's stock price. Spend around $20 to bushcraft a replacement for missing part. Almost as good as new

[@3dfxvoodoocards6]

10:00 - An interesting option for a cheap refractor is also the Bresser achromat 102/1000 mm with EQ3 mounth, 2 eyepieces (10 mm Plossl and 25 mm Super Plossl) and a 3x Barlow (which is evidently not really practical, but still included) at 300 euro or 320 $. With a focal length of 1000 mm it should have considerably less colour aberrations than the 500 or 660 mm versions. It only has a 1.25 inch focuser on the other hand.

[@Baldharlow]

Great overview! Thank you! Keep bringing us terrific content.

[@danielbrowniel]

Im so glad you posted on my facebook group, your videos are so straight forward.

[@genefoster8936]

Great job Damian. My first purchase was the Orion 127mm Mak-Cas on a Starseeker IV alt-az goto mount. I upgraded the diagonal and got the Orion 9mm Edge On eyepiece. My second purchase was the Apertura 8" Dob.

[@ianfoster8908]

Thank you for your feet on the ground, eye in the sky videos, very helpful. As a newbie, I bought the S-W 127 Mak on an AZGTi mount about 12 months ago. I certainly support your comments although the only thing I have to compare it with is an 8" SCT owned by an experienced amateur astronomer. He is not that amateur, he has discovered two comets which are named after him. The go-to mount has helped me get into DSOs and the Mak certainly satisfies me. It is relatively easy to transport; I house it in two tools boxes, one the OTA and one for the mount; this I have done to get to a really dark sky site. Fully assembled the rig light enough to carry out into our front garden. I have Bortle 2-3 skies and provided I get a bush between me and a street light I get good views. I power the mount up with 8 rechargeable Li cells.

[@BogdanDamian]

@Ian Foster Hi Ian! The 127Mak + GTi mount is a very good and capable setup. With respect to portability and viewing experience, it's very hard to top that combo.

[@steel440]

I loved my little 5 inch heritage so much I saved up and bought the 10 inch go to flex tube. Love and use both

[@edf2953]

Another excellent video Bogdan. Great job! I totally agree with your comment about upgrading the star diagonal which comes with a new refractor telescope. I recently purchased a Celestron Star Sense 102 AZ refractor and while the scope is of sufficient quality I chose to upgrade the diagonal to the Celestron Dielectic 90 degree Star Diagonal. I think I will follow your advice and add at least one Baader eyepiece to my collection. I will enjoy the longer eye relief. Anyway, thanks for sharing your knowledge with the community. Ed

[@dgdave2673]

Hi Bogdan, watched a few videos of yours. Awesome 👏. Subscribed. How about the Rumak 6” Mak from iOptron? Very less reviews, but seems a solid Mak that somehow has flown under the radar? I got one from iOptron directly and seems very good in couple of seeings. Weather has been mostly crappy off late. It has a nice smooth dual speed focuser and comes with a dew shield too. I use the Alt-Az pro mount

[@BogdanDamian]

@dgdave2673 Hi! Thanks for subbing 🙂 Good to know that the Rumak 6" Mak is a good telescope. I personally haven't heard about it, but now I'm intrigued. I'll try to get my hands on it and do a full review. Clear skies!

[@jonathonspears7736]

I'm looking at getting my first setup and decided on an 8inch Dobsonian. spending the rest of my budget on a couple of lenses and a high quality barlow.

[@samaeru666]

Personally, for a less than 500$ budget, I'd recommend the Bresser 6" dobsonian (the short one, at 750 focal length). Also a 2" focuser, short so easy to transport, and the tube can be mounted on any classic mount as it has a vixen plate. And 339€ in Europe, you can also get the eyepieces you recommend ;)

[@BogdanDamian]

@Neko San Good choice, especially when your focus is good light gathering capacity combined with portability. Clear skies!

[@davidwittmann6555]

got an 8 inch dob and love it.

[@vince953]

Hi Bogdan, I appreciate these videos there great. I took your advice for a dobsonian for deep sky viewing and love it. What's the next step for a future scope?

[@BogdanDamian]

@Vince Hi Vince, I'm glad you like my videos. Also congrats on your new Dob! What to get next depends on what size the new Dob is and on what you want to do/observe besides DSO. You could always get a bigger Dob for better DSO observations. Alternatively you could get a good 4"-5" refractor for awesome planetary observations and astrophotography. You could also go for something light and compact as part of a future travel setup.

[@oz6123]

People underestimate a great pair of binoculars and mount for $300. Otherwise, buy the biggest aperture scope used.

[@anthonyhaynes8738]

If I was 5'5" and wanted screws in my neck

[@Johnnybox81]

Dont forget additional budget for a collimation laser (Cheshire etc.) If going for a dob.

[@andrewpattie358]

I think svbony bits r very good for the money the 68° r not bad and the barlow lenses r good too I wouldn't go for a flex tube as u need darkness and not many people will have that in there garden also finding something to put it on that is solid can be a pain i think the skywatcher 130m would be a good first scope the eq mount isn't that hard to work out and the tracking will make life so much easier

[@hypatch8014]

Note that the TS Optics gold-line expanse clone 66 degree wide-field 13mm long eye relief multi-coated konig-with-smyth-field-lens eyepiece is actually produced by Synta, even though BD always refers to it as the "TS Optics" eyepiece. You may know Synta as the manufacturer for Sky-Watcher, Celestron, Meade and some Orion products.

[@sr9652]

What would be the best eyepieces to use for a omni xlt 120xlt refractor Celestron?trying to get as zoomed up as possible and was told the 8m-24mm. Celestron eyepiece with the Barlow would be as close as my telescope can get?can u help me out with this?

[@BogdanDamian]

@sr9652 The maximum theoretical magnification of your telescope is 2x the aperture size (120mm) = 240x. With a zoom EP set to 8mm + a 2x Barlow you would get a magnification of 250x. Focal length of the telescope divided by the focal length of the EP. Even though that is a bit over the maximum, it won't be bad. Go for it!

[@danielbarbieri8199]

In the case of 1000$ budget. Why do not buy a 8" dobsonian and spend what is left with good eyepieces ? In that case, keeping the 30mm GSO SuperView eyepiece, which 2x barlow, and other eyepieces would you buy in the Explore Scientific catalog ? The Barlow can be another brand.

[@BogdanDamian]

@danielbarbieri8199 It's definitely a good option as well. Going for eyepieces from explore scientific is a good way to improve the views. They are excellent upper mid tier eyepieces.

[@UchihaRull3z]

Hello! Great video. What do you think of the Skywatcher 102/600 NEQ2 refractor?

[@BogdanDamian]

@UchihaRull3z I believe it's a great telescope very well suited for planetary observations and for some brighter and bigger DSOs as well. Thanks to the 2" focuser, you'll be able to use eyepieces with longer focal lengths, which is very good. The mount looks to be sturdy as well. Check out my review of the Evostar 90mm as well, as there are a lot of similarities between the two telescopes.

[@UchihaRull3z]

@@BogdanDamian Thank you for your reply. I ordered the telescope. Do you think the Svbony SV191 is a good beginning eyepiece?

[@BogdanDamian]

@UchihaRull3z As a beginner eyepiece, the sv191 is very good. Much better than the standard eyepieces the telescope comes with. I recently made a review about it as well.

[@Matthew-by6vl]

I am new, so take everything I say with a grain of salt. I currently have the Celesteron 127SLT and have loved it for the most part so far. You recommend changing the diagonal, and I read an article saying how the diagonal that is included is good. Have you personally viewed with standard vs aftermarket diagonals? Just curious.

[@BogdanDamian]

@Matthew Hi and thanks for your question. Maybe I wasn't clear enough in the video, but the included mirror diagonal isn't bad by any means. It's definitely good enough to let you enjoy your telescope especially in the beginning. But, when the time comes and you feel ready to upgrade things, then upgrading the standard diagonal is usually a good idea. Similar to upgrading the standard eyepieces telescopes normally come with. I currently own the 102mm Mak from Skywatcher, which comes with the same mirror diagonal as the Celestron. It's decent, but I always had the feeling that the image could be a bit brighter and also the way very bright objects like Venus or Jupiter are reflected (a bit uneven and with some internal reflections) started to bother me after awhile. I then decided to upgrade the mirror diagonal and went for the prism diagonal from Baader. This showed me how much potential in terms of image quality was really there. I've done some extensive testing on this topic and also made a video where I talk about it. Here is the video should you want to check it out as well: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6HZqGeJrppnnMU I hope I could make things a bit clearer now.

[@Matthew-by6vl]

@@BogdanDamian Thank you for the clarification. I'm sure that your eye to the night sky is more keen than mine. I am starting to upgrade my eyepieces. I just purchased a Explore Scientific 62 degree 26mm eyepiece that I like very much so far. I was thinking of with getting a svbony 7-21 zoom or a second hand Explore Scientific 6.7mm 82 degree. Suggestions, if not for something different? About me, I got real sick a few years ago and was hospitalized for a year and a half and started watching rocket videos on KZbin, got out, got an annual pass for Kennedy Space Center...was blown away, and the natural progression was astronomy. I just recently joined my local astronomy club and love it every month. You have been a big help with my new obsession...I mean hobby. Thank you and keep up the great videos.

[@BogdanDamian]

@Matthew Glad that you are back on your feet and that you picked up this wonderful hobby of ours. Explore Scientific makes some great eyepieces including the 62° series. So good choice there with the 26mm. If you want a zoom eyepiece, then get the Hyperion Mark IV from Baader instead of the svbony even if you get it second hand. The 6.7mm 82° from Explore Scientific is great, but such short focal length eyepieces are used for planetary observations and since planets appear small in the field of view, the 82° AFOV of the eyepiece is kinda wasted. I would rather get a used 5mm or 7mm DeLite from Tele Vue instead. There shouldn't be a big price difference between the 82° and the DeLite. Btw. I was at KSC in 2019 and was blown away as well. Having an annual pass must be awesome. I hope that one day I can witness a live rocket launch. Clear skies!

[@Matthew-by6vl]

@@BogdanDamian The Baader has a click zoom, or whatever you call it, where there is a noticable click between zooms? I've heard that eyepiece recommended by a few people now, but haven't seen any secondhand. The only ones I've seen are around 300, and frankly, I'm on disability since being out, and I can't afford that much. Do you have any tips, tricks or websites that I can find one secondhand, or just eBay? Thanks for your time and love your content.

[@BogdanDamian]

@Matthew I agree, the Baader zoom is a bit expensive if purchased new. There are some interesting listings on Astromart (astromart.com/classifieds/search?q=baader&category_id=8). Maybe you can find something there. Other than this only eBay comes to mind. As for the click stop of the Baader, yes you are correct. There is a click and a soft snap when the marked focal lengths are selected.

[@maievshadowsong5436]

Sal Bogdan, vreau sa imi cumpar un telescop, buget am cam tot asa 1000 - 1300 euro. Stau pe ganduri intre doua telescoape Skywatcher 254/1200 flextube (i really need the space) sau Bresser MC 152/1900 (am vazut si Skywatcher MC 150/1800) Vreau sa le folosesc mai mult pt planete si probabil ceva deep sky, adevarul e ca nu sunt sigur ce o sa imi placa sa vad pt ca sunt incepator total Cat de mare e diferenta in calitate cand vorbim de planete intre astea si cam ce recomanzi sa cumpar ? Multumesc anticipat.

[@BogdanDamian]

@maievshadowsong5436 Salut! Dintre opțiunile numite de tine as recomanda flextube-u de 254mm. E un allrounder foarte bun care permite magnificatii foarte ridicate, însă e și mare și greu. Daca flextube-u pare sa fie prea mare atuncea as recomanda un refractor de 120mm. De exemplu evostar 120/1000 pe eq3 pro de la Skywatcher. Faptul că are și go-to îl face potrivit pentru începători. Pentru plante îți trebuie mai mult putere de magnificatii decât diametru. Depinde de unde locuiești, o magnificatie de aprox. 200x e cel mai probabil. De rare ori vei reuși să observi cu 300x sau chiar 400x, însă e bine sa ai și opțiunea asta. La planete nu vei observa mari diferențe între flextube și MC. Evostar-u va oferi imagini umpic mai clare.

[@kevingumfory]

I am preparing to spend 2500.00 - 3000.00. I want to do EAA and visual. I do have a pc but thats all. I "think" i want to go with a dob as I have some experience. I don't know if i should get a mount or a platform.. I live in the USA. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[@AmatureAstronomer]

If weight i a concern, I would recommend a Bresser 102mm/460mm refractor optical tube ($344), a Sky Watcher AZ GTi go to mount ($435) a SVBONY SV405CC Cooled Camera ($799), an ICE 2" LiPo Filter for Telescope Light Pollution Reduction ($19.95), a SVBONY 2 inches 90 Deg Dielectric Mirror Diagonal for Astronomical Telescope with 1.25 inches Adapter ($69.99), a SVBONY SV154 Telescope Eyepiece 2 inch Super Wide Angle Eyepiece 70 ($58.99) and a SVBONY Telescope Filter UV IR Cut Block Filter Infra Red Filter ($23.99) and a Astromania 9x50 Angled Finder Scope ($68.99). Total cost $1,819.91. Total weight 17 pounds. This setup is for deep space photography. If you want to look at planets, buy a Celestron 8SE ($1299). It comes with a goto mount.

[@ronm6585]

Thank you.

[@hakman239]

The 150p sky watch o have it comes with 25 and 10mm modified achromat not plossl

[@Herman-zc7te]

Thank you

[@karanvora6391]

can you use a Sharpstar 61EDPH II with an eye piece?

[@BogdanDamian]

@Karan Vora Yes, you can use it for visual observations as well. You just need a good diagonal and an eyepiece.

[@karanvora6391]

@@BogdanDamian Thanks so much, i was struggling to get an answer to that question for quite some time. I highly appreciate your reply, thanks again.

[@karanvora6391]

on second though could you recommend a good diagonal for 61EDPH II ?

[@BogdanDamian]

@Karan Vora Depending on your eyepiece size you could get either a 1.25" or a 2" diagonal. I would recommend the prism diagonals from Baader or the Everbrite series from Tele Vue. Both will offer top notch optics appropriate for your APO refractor.

[@karanvora6391]

@@BogdanDamian Thanks so much. I will check those out.

[@hornet224]

The fact is your equipment will not be good enough to get crystal clear planetary views that look like NASA photographs. Even Observatory class telescopes cannot achieve good results because they are not stacking images and post processing. That is not to say it is going to be gratifying just to see something at an amateur level.

[@coldfruit]

You forgot 5,000,000$: rocket ship to literally see other planets

[@repunzelk3015]

what about 10k

[@malcolmt7883]

Have your butler set up a Questar, whilst you sip a little cognac to take the chill off, and be sure to have your security on hand to keep the riffraff away.

[@Thiamat_of_the_Nightfall]

Please leave that crap goldline, there are many other options in that price range! It's not working with the 102/500 refractor. In my experience the basic 10mm plössl with a very basic 2x barlow was better, or equal (sadly) on the short focus refractor. On my 150/750 reflector it was okay, but still not worth the money.