INTRODUCTION TO THE SKY WATCHER 130MM EQ2 TELESCOPE.
The Sky Watcher 130mm EQ2 reflecting telescope is a good starter telescope for either a young budding astronomer or someone who is looking for a good entry telescope.
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The Sky Watcher 130mm EQ2 telescope comes well packed with easy to understand instructions on putting all the parts together. It also comes with a sturdy aluminium mount which is collapsible and easy to carry.
The focal length of the telescope is 900mm and has a 130mm (5.12″) mirror. This gives the telescope a focal ratio (f/) of 5.9.
The telescope comes with a red-dot finder scope. This can be complicated to set up and the author recommends that if you are finding difficulty with this then you should seek advice from other members of your local Astronomical Society.
Two eyepieces are supplied with the telescope, a 25mm wide field eyepiece and a 10mm one for detailed work. A 2x Barlow Lens is also supplied.
The EQ2 mount does not come with a drive system. However, a drive can be purchased and fitted. This is a battery operated drive and the rate can vary over a long period. If you plan to take photographs with your new telescope then the author suggests that you keep your shots to less than 3 minutes maximum a shot and taking more shots than planned.
Conclusion
The Sky Watcher 130mm EQ2 telescope is a very good introductory telescope for the new astronomer. It is easy to put together at the beginning of a session and take down at the end. However the author recommends, where possible, to assemble the telescope in daylight. This will allow you to adjust the red-dot finder and balance the telescope.
Accessories are easy to get for the Sky Watcher 130mm EQ2 telescope. This includes additional eyepieces, filters and if you find the red-dot finder scope hard to manage you can also get other finder scopes that will fit.
The only negatives that I can find regarding this telescope is that the Right Ascension and Declination controls are apt to stop moving or come off. This can be very frustration when you are following an object. Another negative I have found, and touched on earlier, is the drive. It can slip at times or can vary over long periods. There is no warning light on the drive itself saying that the batteries are running out of power. But then a good observer and astrophotographer always carries spare batteries.
Thank you for your review of the Sky Watcher 130mm EQ2 telescope. I am fascinated by the idea that we can look at, and observe faraway planets, stars and cosmic events from here on earth. I haven’t yet peered at space through the lens of a telescope, but I hope I will enjoy that privilege soon.
I do have a few questions though. What months of the year offer the best experiences to a beginner and what times on the night are best? Are there places to test out the EQ2 telescope before making a purchase?
Hello Oluseyi and thank you for your comments.
Anytime of the year is good for observing. But because the summer nights are short observing deep sky objects, like galaxies, can really only be done at the darkest times, around 11.30 GMT to about 3 AM GMT. In winter though the nights are longer, which means longer observing times.
As for testing out the telescope not many places will let you take a telescope away and try it out for a night, especially if one is new to astronomy and has had no experience of using one. My advice to you here is to join a Astronomical Society, you can Google to find your nearest one or visit your local library who should have details of the local societies. Here you will find other amateur astronomers who will be willing to let you look through their telescopes and advise you on the best one to buy.
Thank you again for your comments.
Dave.
Hi Dave,
I enjoyed your review of the Sky Watcher 130mm EQ2 telescope, you certainly provided some insight in what to look for when choosing a telescope. I’ve always been fascinated by the stars, and like you, first learned about the constellations by sight, looking into the night sky. Orion is my favorite one.
I too am interested in astrophotography, what can you tell me about selecting the right telescope that can accommodate a camera lens?
Rudy
Thanks for your comments Rudy. It is well appreciated.
Most telescopes can be used for astrophotography but I would recommend a good make and steer clear of the the very cheap refractors on the market. Also, make sure the telescope is on a equatorial mount. This would make tracking easier when you take long duration photographs. Here again, I would recommend a DSLR camera to use for astrophotography.
Depending on the type of photograph you wish to take I would suggest you try out different lenses. If you want to take a picture a constellation then a 25mm lens would do. If you want to try photographing a galaxy the a longer lens, say 100mm to 10000mm.
Others may say different and it comes down to experiment and what works best for you. If you plan to take up astrophotography seriously then I would suggest you join a Astronomical Society. There you will find people who have been doing astrophotography for a while and will certainly give you very good advice.
Dave.