Beginner Telescopes - Old vs New (130P/AWB Onesky vs Astroscan)
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- Опубліковано 6 тра 2023
- In this video I compare a beginners scope first made in the 1970s - the Edmund Scientific Astroscan, to a modern equivalent - the Skywatcher Heritage 130p/AWB Onesky. I'll look at their specifications, their design features and how well they work.
The 130P is available here:
www.firstlightoptics.com/begi...
The AWB Onesky is available here:
shop.astronomerswithoutborder...
The Edmund Scientific Astroscan is no longer available to purchase new but can be found on auction sites. - Наука та технологія
Back in the 1990s I bought an Astroscan for $250 specifically to observe the comet Hale-Bopp. It was well suited for that task. Its wide field of view with the 28mm RKE eyepiece that came with the scope was wide enough to fit the whole comet. You might have mentioned that the Astroscan came with the RKE eyepiece, which is actually I pretty nice lens. Some people swear by them. It is also an exceptionally rugged scope that is virtually water proof! Not just fun to use, but actually very useful for certain observations. The Pleiades also fit nicely into the field of view.
Grear review, Keep a hold of the astro scan as I think they will become collectors items in the future. Regards from Oz
It’s awesome you found one of those Edmunds. I could never sell mine. It’s just too fun to hand to children at star parties. They seem to love it. That’s a really fun comparison you made. My Edmunds is out of collimation and it’s just something I’ve been putting off. There’s a good article online where a guy tilts the secondary using electrical tape on the threads essentially cocking it over. That’s a lot of work and trial by error. I’ve never owned the Heritage but I considered it once. It looks reasonably fun and practical too. Great review. Enjoyed the comparison.
Thanks Garnett, they don’t come up for sale often in the UK so I grabbed it. I did see someone shimming the plastic window to fix the collimation. Mine seems close enough to alignment that I’m not tempted to fiddle with it. Enjoying your solar videos ( as I look at the rain here!) Graham
A very nice vide. I have an Astroscan from back in the 70's, i wish i was there to add so much more. I used mine alot. For its time, and price you could not beat it. The other scope is the killer now. I would love to have one now. They both would be great for camping or if you live out of town. Now with the cellphone mounts and the new astronomy apps astrophotography is easier then ever. Like you said, hands down they both are great scopes for the time there in...... Thanks again for your video......
Superbe vidéo et bonne continuation!!
An interesting video - I blame the the likes of you and Small Optics for getting me back into astronomy. 14 months ago, I bought a second hand 6" Skywatcher reflector with an EQ 3-2 mount for £105 and had a great time with it. However, I now own a Skywatcher 127 Mak, a TS Photon 6" newtonian (which is waaaaay better than the equivalent Skywatcher) and a DwarfLab ll, along with various accessories. Thanks to you blokes, my wallet is always under strain!
Sorry about that!! Clear skies to you.
The red telescope went from a 😮 face at 7:11 to a 😲 (8:14). Now I can't unsee that, lmao
I have the SW130P. It has taken me a few months of working with colminating it and I finally have it right where it needs to be.
That’s frustrating, I use a Cheshire collimation eyepiece with mine.
If its frequently out of collimation, you may try double checking that the tube is fully extended to the end of both trusses. I have an occasional issue issue where one truss may be just a credit card thickness short of full extension and it throws out the collimation. Id say just get used to adjusting it every session. The collimation eyepiece that came with it, lives in the focuser, so when I setup, I can check it, give it a tweak and good to go.
*JUST DONT MESS WITH THE SECONDARY*
I love the Astroscan but apparently there is no way for you to collimate it yourself if the mirrors move out of alignment.Bushnell do a clone of the Astroscan called the Voyager but it's optical quality is often criticised although I can't comment as I have never looked through one.
I look at used Astroscans every now and then, not for the 21st century tech, but because it's so wacky looking in an instrument that still can be used for astronomy. I'd want one as a bookshelf oddity as much as a usable telescope (but would want to look through it occasionally regardless). I have four reflectors from 76mm to 12", and each suit me well for different purposes. I'm just drawn to the physical looks of the Astroscan. ....I got the 3" (76mm) well after I had the 4.5EQ and 8" Dobsonian, just for grab and go on partly cloudy nights, and the 12 well after the 8 just to capture more dim objects and more definition on ones I already acquired. I'd guess the Astroscan would do great on objects like Pleiades, M6 and 7, and other clusters where the wide field would be an advantage. Unless I'm studying central sections of things like Orion Nebula or want the center of M11, I use the smaller scopes regardless. Thanks for your presentation, and thumbs up.
I just liked the Astroscan rather than needing it. Such a crazy yet clever design.
@@JenhamsAstro, agree. I don't NEED one, I just WANT one!!!
Continue your channel
Hey jenham. I have a celestron 130 eq and it came with a motor drive. I was wondering if you could help me with how to use it?
Hello, I haven't used the 130eq but as it is a popular beginner's scope there are lots of review videos on UA-cam for setting it up and using it.
@@JenhamsAstro hey. Thanks for the reply. Actually the use of mount is easy. But the proper way of using the motor drive( what speed for what altitude) is nowhere on youtube
@@Noob.astronomer sorry I can’t be more specific but I see that there is a speed knob rather than a setting for stars (sidereal) vs lunar movement. Trial and error may allow you to see what knob position tracks the stars well.
The AWB looks like a larger celestron firstscope.
i had a Skywatcher Infinity 76mm - a mini copy of an Astroscan - the carry strap was so you could cradle it - like a little Baby Jesus - in your arms. Better than trying to hold 10x50 Binocs for more than 30 seconds. Try to hold up 10x50s you have to be Roger Moore not Patrick Moore.
Agreed, I struggle handholding binos for long.
How does the Skywatcher telescope compare to the Mak telescopes you own? Thanks!
The Skywatcher is a simple package which can provide a wide field of view at low power, and comes with a mount. The Maks have much longer focal lengths and hence have smaller fields of view with a given eyepiece (e.g. my example of a 28mm EP providing 23x at 2.4 degrees FOV in the 130P vs 54x at 1 degree FOV in a 127 Mak). The Mak's high magnification is great for planets, the moon, double stars and globulars, whereas the 130P is easier to use with its wider field, but can't give very close-in views of small objects as well. The Mak needs a mount of course whereas the 130P/Onesky is supplied with one. So 2 very different scopes really, both very capable.
The OneSky is a fantastic scope except for one fatal flaw - the focuser is *terrible*. Loose fit makes the eyepiece tilt off-axis and the only thing to do about it, is wrape teflon tape around the eyepiec holder; which makes it too tight to focus without moving the scope and litters your tube with shreds of tape debris.
Also, it doesn't have enough in-travel for a barlow, so that I have to extend the tube and then collapse it about ⅜". You can move the primary forward, but then you won't have enough out-travel for some eyepieces. The best solution for me, was to just make a couple spacers out of plastic tube, to put on the trusses to stop them short of full extension.
I really wish I had bought a 150p, but it wasn't available to me. And I really, reeeaaally wish I could find a small alt-az tripod mount that doesn't cost twice as much as the scope did, to make it packable.
I agree the focuser is it’s weakness and needs taping to make it work. The ability to vary the tube extension is very handy though.
Hi Jenham, do you have a contact email?