Which first telescope under £150 / $200 Skywatcher Heritage Onesky AWB 130 Video 3: Simple Mods
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- Опубліковано 24 сер 2024
- A couple of quick and easy improvements to this budget telescope. In this video I show how to improve the performance of the focuser, and how to build a light shroud using simple materials from a craft or hobby shop.
Recently bought a heritage 150 and did the mods as suggested, massive improvement.
Great tip.
Hello and thank you for your channel ! The PTFE tape is a good tip, my daughter's Heritage 130P (a really and easy good beginner scope) will get soon this "upgrading" :)
Was thinking about buying the 150mm version of this. Was worried about stay light hitting the secondary mirror. Thanks a lot. Will now hit buy in the Amazon application.
Thank you for these videos. I just bought this telescope after seeing your videos. Excited!
Thank you for that video. I want to buy that telescope and i'm looking for how many informations about it I can find. And your 3 videos gives me more than I excepted. Thank you!!!
Hi Graham,
Excellent job on the light shroud; SO much easier to see how to do this, step by step, by watching you do it vs the written directions on the various astronomy forums like Cloudy Nights. I bought this scope as a dedicated one hand grab and go to take to the park but even there are some parking lot and security lights so this shroud should improve the contrast.
Really enjoy all your videos, always something to learn with your focused, clear explanations along with some inspiration.
Good stuff, all your videos. Keep it up!
Doug in Oregon
Doug Rennie Thanks a lot Doug, receiving positive feedback makes it all worthwhile. I think it’s a great little scope, and my recent moon experiment with the tube on a driven mount showed that the mirror is of good quality. Clear skies to you! Graham
Jenham's Astro
Hey Graham,
I wholly agree with your assessment of the One Sky; I bought it on a semi-impulse, thinking this would be a decent one hand carry to a local park when I wanted some wider horizons than those I get from my patio, and liked the cause I was indirectly supporting. No tripod or observing chair to haul, just the scope and a few eyepieces. I determined that I could sit on the top of one of the picnic tables in the park, put the One Sky next to me, and rest my feet on the bench seat. I did, and it worked out well. Comfortable observing position with easy scope movement. And the One Sky surprised me optically....in a good way. The stars were near pinpoint, the helical focuser, initially a concern, worked fine ONCE I used your plumber’s tape mod (good one!). Detail on the Moon was more than acceptable. No, it’s not refractor sharp and contrast. I have a Tele Vue 85 so that’s my platinum standard. But the OneSky is just fine, with your 2 mods in place, for an hour or so of casual, pleasant observing.
What’s your next video going to be on?
Thanks once more for all your good work.
Doug in Oregon
Thanks Doug, my normal setup of WO GT81 plus a million cables makes the appeal of a simple scope that much greater, and the 130 seems to cope with being moved around surprisingly well. As you say, it's perfect when you want to escape the viewing constraints at home; my neighbour's trees in the case of my garden! I'm hoping to pick up a SW 127 mak next, and revisit some of the projects i've done with the C90. I'm no AP expert and prefer to leave a lot of that processing aspect to others and make videos about affordable scopes, as a lot of people seem to be put off with a bad start in astro which is a shame. I'm hoping the 127 will suit that purpose and maybe challenge the little Celestron! Not quite the view in your TV I expect, but we'll see how it stacks up for £250. Graham
Actually the helical focuser is a very good design, the focuser gives good precision focusing with just a very light twist. I put the tape on my focuser about 5 years ago and it works great! The tape is also like teflon and gives a very nice smooth adjustment when you twist the focuser.
Super pour ce tuto bien réalisé, je viens de recevoir le matériel et je vais vite l'installer. Merci pour les conseils
Bonjour je vends un oculaire 6mm 66" sw
Thank you very much for your solutions !
Those are neat little telescopes, if there was a modification I'd suggest it would be to remove the mount and put it on a proper tripod (ball head or alt-az) because when I look at it in the store I can't see being outside and away from lights (house etc) and then having a convenient "table" to sit it on vs. any basic tripod; otherwise you option is to put it on the ground and sit beside it.
Graeme Hay Yes I put it on an alt az mount sometimes to reduce the osteopath bills. Helpful that it’s got a decent dovetail bar.
I saw a neat little home made flat top tripod online for use with these table top scopes. Can't remember the channel though
@@astroshlibber9654 "Eyes on the Sky"
Yes, thanks
VERY NICE SERIES THESE 3 VIDEOS. tHANK´S, i JUST ORDER THIS SCOPE and I was worried on how to make a shroud for it. Boom your idea convinced me, cheap, super lightweight and it is very matte black.
congratulations. Besides, you published it so shortly ago, wow I'm one of the lucky persons to find your videos on this scope. Regards from Mexico city!!!!
Salvador Ochoa You are welcome and enjoy the scope. For the money you can’t go far wrong. Clear skies to you. Graham
Good job with the classic mods. Also for those bothered by aesthetics you can get black ptfe tape. keep upi the good video content :)
Astro Vlogger Thanks. A tube handle may be the next addition. All for less than a tenner!
Two excellent suggestions, plumbers tape and a handle, I already use a peg on my Mak focuser, I may get some of that tape for one of my cheap scopes
@@JenhamsAstro Just saw these videos, as I also bought the Skywatcher Heritage (considering a good tool for the cost). Concerning the handle: there is already one! It is the oblong aperture on the side, which is there exactly to carry the scope.
Thanks for the tips!!
very handy tips. thanks!
Awesome
Great video i will try these out! Cant wait to get my 130p
Very helpful video as usual. I don't think you could use this scope design for daylight terrestrial viewing without this light shield mod, the contrast would be horrible.
Autoxdriver Thanks. Yes you are right; this would be a strange choice for a spotting scope! I seems surprising that it works at all with an open tube, but somehow it does.
Good evening! Wouldn't it be easier to buy a full-fledged and full-size Newton 130
650 pipe on an equatorial mount and fully observe what to do with unnecessary unnecessary problems!?
Could you be kind enough to provide a blue-print/measurement of the shroud?
Good video
Simple common sense/hands-on modifications, I appreciate watching your video!
Maybe this seems obvious to many, but I have been looking for a video on how to COLLIMATE the AWB 130 scope. Any advice or video on this bit?
Thanks. I use a cheshire collimating eyepiece. There are some good tips on the Astrobaby site.
@@JenhamsAstro Thanks!
Great "how to" video! I just picked up a 2nd hand but practically new AWB OneSky for a great price, and am going to look for these foam sheets to set up a shroud as shown in this video. Just one question, though: Did you install velcro at the top top of the shroud to connect it to the "objective" ring, or is it just that the shroud stays in place due to it being the same diameter of said ring?
I used a couple of Velcro pieces so that the foam does not get dragged down the tube as it is extended and retracted. But I’m sure they are other ways to secure it, like black duct tape.
Hi everyone. Great Video and solutions. By the way does anyone know how to remove primary mirror to clean?
I tried to unscrew bottom side screws but "bottom cup with primary mirror" seemed to be sealed or glued :( so I don't know how to clean Primary Mirror.
Hi Johann, if you remove those 3 screws on the side - the black ones not the silver ones on the end, then the mirror cell and mirror can be removed for cleaning - mine just dropped out so care is needed after the last screw is removed. You don’t want to try removing the mirror from the mirror cell, and you can clean it without doing this. I’ve cleaned mine up this way no problem, and it doesn’t disturb the collimation (although it’s worth having a quick check of this after reassembly). Hope this helps, Graham
@@JenhamsAstro THX I'll try
Hi Jenhem, very nice and informative video. I am currently using a 70mm celestron astromaster and i live in very warm and humid light polluted skies(bortle 8-9). Some concerns i have is if this telescope would be a significant upgrade or not and whether there will be any issues due to my climate.
I think you should look at a larger step up in aperture to see much difference, probably to at least 150mm. I’m not sure if you need portability to travel to darker skies? If not then I’d look at an 8” Dobsonian or a 150 or 200mm Newtonian.
Can you shown use some examples of photos from this set?
Can we add the tripod on dobsonian telescope?
The base of the 130p does not have a thread to screw it onto a tripod but there are a couple of options: 1) build a simple wooden platform and attach that to a tripod, assuming it’s a suitable one, and then sit the scope + mount on the platform, or 2) separate the optical tube from the Dob mount and attach it to a tripod/mount which accepts tubes which have the standard vixen dovetail mounting bar, as used on the 130p. Actually there is a 3rd way - put the scope and mount on a small table if you have one.
hello i just bought this telescope and im wondering if i should get A3 or A4 foam sheet?
A3 will work better.
Great work Jenham! Do you still use the Skywatcher 130? Greetings from Romania 🔭🔭🔭
Thanks Alex, my 130 has been "on loan" to a friend and lockdown means I can't pick it up for a while. When I do I'll definitely use it.
Neighbours with security lights, trees (😬), trampolines, boiler outlet pipes........
Astro Shlibber I know... things sent to try us! TPOs on my neighbour’s trees as well! Happy days.
Hello there! I'm new to astronomy and this site. Thank you for the very helpful videos! I did purchase this scope and am very happy with it. I am having an issue with back pain while trying to use the red dot finder on objects near the zenith. Is there an 90 degree adapter that I can use or a different finder all together that would be appropriate for this scope? Thank you in advance!
Hi Bob, I’m not aware of an adapter for an RDF like the one on the 130 (they are available for bulkier Telrad RDFs but I mention this for completeness only, as Telrads don’t suit small scopes). You could look at right-angled optical finders e.g. an 7/8/9 x50, but, having just checked my 130, these won’t be ideal as they will be too heavy, and not easy to install on the existing mounting. So unfortunately I see no easy answer. An option might be to raise the scope up higher as a partial fix? A slightly larger scope with a standardised finder attachment (“shoe”) would be a different story, but not so with the lightweight 130 in my opinion. Sorry not to be more help. Graham
@@JenhamsAstro Thank you for such a fast response, I will attempt to raise the scope in some fashion. I will do my best with my back and living in a Bortle 8 area.
Hi, I wanted to ask you something. I have had this telescope for a year now and I also bought the Barlow lens to observe the planets better. I have had little opportunity to try it because currently there are no planets in the evening sky (Jupiter now drops rapidly in the horizons). However, I wanted to improve my photography and upon inquiring they told me to buy a CCD, however this telescope being not automatic but manual would be "useless". What do you think and what would you recommend? I would like to significantly improve my shooting with this telescope. Thank you
Hello, the 150p is best suited to simple visual astronomy. If you want to do astrophotography with an Astro camera you need a scope which is driven to follow the stars, and one with a longer focal length. You could put the 150’s tube onto a driven equatorial mount, but you are still left with a scope which has a short focal length, and also one which does not have a sensitive focuser which is essential for astrophotography. In summary I don’t recommend using the 150p for anything other than simple lunar photography.
@@JenhamsAstro I mainly don't use the telescope to observe deep objects since I'm currently focusing on planets and I have a fairly polluted sky so for deep objects it's not possible. I had recently purchased a Barlow to magnify the observation of planets such as Jupiter, the result is certainly better and I wanted to capture the image that the eyepiece saw directly, without using the phone which compromises the image. So is buying a CCD absolutely not recommended for this telescope or can it still be compatible to slightly improve photos? Many have told me that it is not suitable for astrography, but I would like to learn more about this and then move on to a professional one in the future
I would not buy an Astro camera for planetary imaging with this scope. You need to be able to achieve a very precise focus and then video the target for many seconds.
Thanks for the video. Will this scope offer noticeable improvements over my little Celestron 76mm FirstScope? It looks very similar though I know the diameter is larger on the 130
I’d say the difference won’t be that noticeable, probably a 150mm aperture or more would be better.
@@JenhamsAstro thanks 😊
Which eye pièces do you use? Thx
Is the Sky-Watcher Star Quest 130p basically the same telescope as this one, but just the mirrors are concealed? I’m looking to get a telescope for both day and night viewing. So confused on which to get!
Hi, yes i think they are the same optically, although the StarQuest primary mirror does not have collimation screws to adjust it, which is unusual but doesn't seem to be a problem in practice. I haven't used the Star Quest myself, but reading the specs for a few pounds more than the Heritage you will get a better focuser and a flexible mount that you can operate without sitting on the floor. Don't get me wrong, I think the Heritage is great, but unless you need it's smaller size, the Star Quest could be a good option; it is more conventional and I would say better for that. By the way, the open tube feature of the Heritage isn't a real impediment to daytime use, but the shroud in my video does improve daytime images. I hope this helps. Graham
Hi, need a bit more advice. That black foam, what’s it called and what’s it’s usually used with?
I may have an issue finding that, but I’m hoping if I can acquire more details so that it makes searching for it much easier when asking around.
YukiSoba The foam sheets are often stocked in art supplies / hobby craft stores, if that helps.
Jenham's Astro , thanks for an unexpectedly timely reply on this. I wasn’t sure if this was the same right foam I was looking at for arts and craft back then, or another type of foam I’m not aware of.
But one last thing though. A thin one should be enough to suffice or hold up, right? This came to mind upon reading your reply and realising a detail I might have missed out.
Does the light shield obstruct the mirror/opening of the tube at all?
No, there's enough diameter to cope.
How comfortable is it to use from the floor? What would the height of the eyepiece be be at?
Hi Ian, I'd say it's functional but not comfortable. Lying on the floor is all very well but lifting it up a foot or so saves money on the osteopath appointments.
Do you have any videos on budget cameras to use for this? I ended up getting the skywatcher heritage 130p but my smartphone is really bad. Also do you have any ideas on how to add tracking to this telescope? Many thanks!
The cheapest option is a "webcam" type camera, with an adapter to fit into the focuser tube. Alternatively an affordable astro camera like a ZWO ASI 120MC is a good first "astro"/CCD camera. If you remove the 130p tube from the mount then the attached dovetail rail means that the scope can attach to any astro mount that can track.
@@JenhamsAstro I had heard of hooking up a webcam to a telescope but apparently you can only use them to view the moon and planets though I wanted to view the stars and nebulas or other deep space stuff too. Since people have taken pics of them with the sky watcher heritage 130p. Though I think a webcam would be best to start with. Would any webcam work cause I have a 1080p HD webcam to hook up to my PC with USB. I also got a cheap universal camera mount for any camera with my telescope. Not sure if it works with webcams though. Many thanks!!
Why doesn’t it come with a shroud?
Synta saving money I imagine. At least the fix is cheap. Clear skies!
What eye pieces would you recommend? I’m looking at a set of 6mm and 9mm SVBONY 66 degree. Also thought of getting a 3.2mm HR planetary. Any specific recommendations I can look for? Don’t want to spend a ton.
Josh Nicholson Hi Josh, what scope have you got, and what sort of budget do you have for eyepieces? Graham
i got a 4mm planetary for this telescope and 4mm is the maximum useful magnification IMO, a 5mm probably would have been better.
It's better to wait for the planets to come closer than to try zooming in on them with a telescope that isn't meant for 150x magnification. right now Venus is really close to earth (0.35 AU) as of May 2020, and I can see the phase of venus in my 25mm eyepiece (26x zoom).
Can I put a cellphone adapter on the eyepiece for pics ?
Xsauce Yes you can. I use the lighter weight one of the two adaptors I have, and it is even more awkward than usual as the whole thing rotates as you focus. Still it does work with practice.
can you use it in its compact size?
fruitcake4t No, for the image to reach a focus the tube must be extended. The feature is just to save space for storage and transport. Clear skies to you!
Neighbours with security lights which are on all night grrrrrrrr🤬
Annoying. Most people never see the stars. Maybe worth a polite word to see if they’ll turn them off on a good night?
@@JenhamsAstro I asked them over one night to look through my telescope. Problem solved and won some converts😀