I have the SpaceProbe 130ST, but the only thing limiting the cameras is the damn rack and pinion focuser that's literally all plastic except the knobs I'm pretty sure.
I have made similar mods to my 130 PDS and also flocked the tube. I have had the scope a number of years and never had an issue with dew on the primary, I put my dew heater around the secondary adjustment knobs and that seems to provide just enough warmth to stop the secondary dewing up.
So you put a dew heater on the thumb bolts on the secondary? Does that really work? I have the 150 pds and I have some problems with dew if I'm not using a dewshield
In the UK all that’s needed is a dew shield. Heaters can be detrimental due to the heat affecting your images. That’s why you try not to target directly above house rooftops
Hello, thank you for watching and for the question. The focal length of this telescope is 650mm and it gives a nice wide ish field of view. Therefore, whilst you can see Jupiter's moons and Saturn's rings, they will be quite small. You can add a 2x Barlow lens which will double the focal length and therefore double the magnification, however I feel that a longer focal length telescope around 1000mm would serve you better. Hope this helps. Clear sky's!
next step for more contrast blacken the mirror edges and the silver focussor tube that enters the main scope and put a piece of black felt opposite the focussor :)
This is caused by not having a flat field. The stars at the centre are round and pin point but at the edges are trails. A coma corrector will help cure this on a Newtonian, and a field Flattener with a refractor telescope.
@@AndyofAstro i have the coma corrector that you listed in the description. And I’ve upgraded the 2in ring that comes with the reflector. I thought maybe it was a collimation problem but I collimated but nothing happened
@@Gordonlanguam ah ok, it also needs the correct back focal distance between the coma corrector and the camera sensor. I have to add 55mm between my coma corrector and camera sensor, but it can be different for different cameras. Hope that helps.
@@AndyofAstro i took a measuring take and measured the end of my CC to my camera in inches which was 2. Which is 50.8 mm. Ill probably look around for 1mm spacers
Hello, it depends what you would like to achieve. Are you interested visual astronomy or astrophotography? The best starter visual only telescopes are dobsonian telescopes, as they are so easy to use, just up down, left right - 200p dob is a superb example - but not suitable for photography. If you think you might like to get into photography, then a 130PDS is superb (it must be a PDS version, the P versions can not achieve prime focus with a DSLR, the PDS versions can achieve prime focus). However the 130PDS needs a good mount. An Eq5 pro or ideally HEQ5 is a minimum. Equitorial mounts are tricky to master, but long term if photography is your goal they are essential. I do however think the 130PDS is superb and really love using it. With good collimation it is a great short ish focal length scope for mid sized objects for photography. It is also great for solar system first views, all be it a bit small. Hope this helps.
I'd recommend including links to all the upgrade parts so people know where to look.
It makes the video far more useful.
Hey, finally got around to adding the links to the parts. May the skies be ever in your favour!
I have the SpaceProbe 130ST, but the only thing limiting the cameras is the damn rack and pinion focuser that's literally all plastic except the knobs I'm pretty sure.
Thanks for this demonstration. Excellent.
I wish my 130 had a six inch mirror.
Yes! Me too! Haha, made a mistake in the one!
It’s a 5” mirror in the 130PDS
Yep I made a mistake
Great video thanks! I'm waiting for my 130PDS to arrive and already ordering different things you've mentioned here to pimp mine :D
I have made similar mods to my 130 PDS and also flocked the tube. I have had the scope a number of years and never had an issue with dew on the primary, I put my dew heater around the secondary adjustment knobs and that seems to provide just enough warmth to stop the secondary dewing up.
So you put a dew heater on the thumb bolts on the secondary? Does that really work? I have the 150 pds and I have some problems with dew if I'm not using a dewshield
@@Calzune Hi, I only have a few heater around the primary and the guide scope, however there are secondary mirror dew heaters available.
@@Calzune It seems to, I have never had a problem with dew on the secondary mirror
In the UK all that’s needed is a dew shield. Heaters can be detrimental due to the heat affecting your images. That’s why you try not to target directly above house rooftops
Hi. How does this telescope show and draw planets? Is it worth taking it as a light tube on AZGTe for observing and photographing planets?
Hello, thank you for watching and for the question. The focal length of this telescope is 650mm and it gives a nice wide ish field of view. Therefore, whilst you can see Jupiter's moons and Saturn's rings, they will be quite small. You can add a 2x Barlow lens which will double the focal length and therefore double the magnification, however I feel that a longer focal length telescope around 1000mm would serve you better. Hope this helps. Clear sky's!
I already have a 250pds and Im looking forward to adding the 130 or 150 to my arsenal. Great vid :D
next step for more contrast blacken the mirror edges and the silver focussor tube that enters the main scope and put a piece of black felt opposite the focussor :)
I've just got some felt to make a 'shower cap' to go over the primary mirror end of the scope to stop light leaks!
Great vid. Some really useful info there.
Handy video, thanks. Can i ask where you got the hard case shown at the beginning of the video from - I'd like something similar for my 130pds
Hello, thanks for the message. The case I built myself from plywood and got the fittings from eBay/Amazon.
@@AndyofAstro then kudos to you sir 😊
Bought my upgrade parts … arrived today.
Interesting stuff. All new to me so thanks 😉
Прекрасная труба! У меня ее старший брат - 150750 PDS.
Would you happen to know why my stars in the corrects arent sharp? like it trails? I have sharp stars in the center but not the edges
This is caused by not having a flat field. The stars at the centre are round and pin point but at the edges are trails. A coma corrector will help cure this on a Newtonian, and a field Flattener with a refractor telescope.
@@AndyofAstro i have the coma corrector that you listed in the description. And I’ve upgraded the 2in ring that comes with the reflector. I thought maybe it was a collimation problem but I collimated but nothing happened
@@Gordonlanguam ah ok, it also needs the correct back focal distance between the coma corrector and the camera sensor. I have to add 55mm between my coma corrector and camera sensor, but it can be different for different cameras. Hope that helps.
@@AndyofAstro i took a measuring take and measured the end of my CC to my camera in inches which was 2. Which is 50.8 mm. Ill probably look around for 1mm spacers
what were you doing with the laser on the little wooden stand?
Hello, checking the Lazer collimator was accurate. The dot should stay in one place as the Lazer is rotated.
@@AndyofAstro Thanks for the reply! Thought so! Didnt think you needed to check something like that. Will have to do so.
Is this a good visual scope for beginners? Thanks!
Hello, it depends what you would like to achieve. Are you interested visual astronomy or astrophotography? The best starter visual only telescopes are dobsonian telescopes, as they are so easy to use, just up down, left right - 200p dob is a superb example - but not suitable for photography. If you think you might like to get into photography, then a 130PDS is superb (it must be a PDS version, the P versions can not achieve prime focus with a DSLR, the PDS versions can achieve prime focus). However the 130PDS needs a good mount. An Eq5 pro or ideally HEQ5 is a minimum. Equitorial mounts are tricky to master, but long term if photography is your goal they are essential. I do however think the 130PDS is superb and really love using it. With good collimation it is a great short ish focal length scope for mid sized objects for photography. It is also great for solar system first views, all be it a bit small. Hope this helps.