What reflector should I get?

Hi people,

Good forum you have here.

I am looking to buy myself an 8" reflector, either the Skywatcher Explorer 200p or the Celestron Advanced C8-N. I think that these telescopes are identical, it is the mounts that are different, is this correct?

How do the EQ5, HEQ5 (Skywatcher) and CG-5 (Celestron) mounts compare?

At the moment, I am not interested in any type of Go To control, I am quite happy dialling in coordinates manually and fine tuning and star hopping across the sky. But I think I might like a tracking motor.

The way I see it, these are my options.

1. Get the Skywatcher with EQ5 mount, buy and fit motor for EQ5. The dual axis motor is not much more than the single axis motor. This works out a good bit cheaper than option 2, which is:

2. Get the Skywatcher with HEQ5 mount. Has motors.

3. Get Celestron with CG-5. No tracking motors.

4. Get Celestron with CG-5 GT. This has Go To System, costs a little more than option 2.

Has anyone any experience with any of these mounts? Any recommendations? I can't see myself upgrading any time soon, so I would like to get the right one now. Will be doing a bit of everything with the scope, moon and planets and dso. Probably more dso than anything else. Astrophotography looks interesting, but I haven't really looked into it. Do I need much more than a digital SLR?

I have a bit of experience with biggish telescopes and motorised mounts. Last winter my neighbour lent me his 10" Meade Cassegrain, which I used as much as conditions allowed, but unfortunately I had to give it back. I had a lot of fun with it, will never forget seeing Saturn for the first time.


Thanks,

Tom

Go for the Celestron with CG 5 GT.

Else you will always wish you went for a motorised and GT mount.

(You will always end up wishing you had a bigger and better scope anyway.
It's called "The Astromomers' Disease". No cure possible...ever.)

Peter.

Tom,

If you are interested in astrophotography then you should get the best you can now rather than wishing you did later. Even if that means waiting a little longer until the funds are available.

I can only speak for the CG5 since I've never owned a HEQ5. All I can say is the CG5 is fine for pretty much everything you mentioned. I would suggest you look at the goto options on both. I used to be a real fan of finding objects manually, but trust me the novelty wears thin after a few freezing nights and you will wish you had a goto mount. Especially when doing photography.