To read more about the brand 'Sky-Watcher' please click here to go to Wikipedia or here to go the their official Website.
I bought the Skywatcher scope rather than any other brand due to the support and availability of spares and accessories in South Africa.
This is a photo taken of the sun with a telescope like the one on sale.
This scope has two main parts: The actual telescope or tube and the tripod or mount.
The Telescope (Refractor)
- Diameter/Aperture: 150mm
- Focal Length: 1200mm
- 4-layer multi-coated achromatic lens
- Aluminium tube
- Dew cap/Sunshade
- Adjustable Objective-lens Cell
- 9x50 achromatic finder scope
- 56% more light than 120mm, 116% more light than 102mm
- Giant smooth rack-and-pinion 2" focuser with a 1.25" eyepiece adapter
- Professional-class instrument, allowing serious research of the planets
The Mount - HEQ5
Sky-Watcher Pro mounts have been designed for use by novices and experts alike. These mounts provide extremely high precision tracking and have built in auto guider ports. This heavy-duty HEQ5 Pro mount is a smaller version of the sturdy EQ6 Pro mount. It is specially designed for observers who need the steadiness of the EQ6 Pro mount, but find the EQ6 Pro mount too physically demanding.
For novice users the user-friendly menu allows automatic slewing to over 13,400 objects. Even an inexperienced astronomer can master its variety of features in a few observing sessions. The SynScan Hand Control also has the ability to connect to a computer via a RS-232 cable. Once the connection has been established between the computer and SynScan Hand Control, many commercially available planetarium software programs can be used to control the HEQ5 PRO Mounts, They also come with features that advanced astronomers can appreciate:
• Positioning Accuracy up to 1 arc minute. Accuracy enhanced by software collimation error (mount mechanical error) compensation.
• Stepper motors with 1.8° step angle and 64 micro steps driven.
• Slewing speed up to 3.4°/sec (800X).
• Auto Guider Interface for astro-photography.
• Guiding speed selectable from 0.25X, 0.50X, 0.75X, or 1X.
• Object database containing complete Messier, NGC, and IC catalogues.
• Minimal vibration for steady long-exposure photography.
• Periodic Error Correction.
• PC compatibility.
• Upgradeable hand control via internet download.
Telescope Mounting Method: Tube Rings
Tripod: Stainless Steel Legs
Counterweight Shaft Diameter: 1.8cm
Counterweight Shaft Length: 21.5cm
Counterweight Shaft Material: Stainless Steel
Mount Weight (without counterweight): 10Kgs
Mount Height: 35cm
Total weight: 15kgs (without counterweights)
Motor Type: Microstep driven 1.8 degree stepper motors
Motor Resolution: 0.144 arc sec (or 9.024,000 steps/rev.)
Power Supply: 11 to 15 V DC 2Amp (Tip positive)
Gear Ratio: 705
*8" Dovetail Bar
SynScan Hand Control
The mount has an onboard computer to track stars, pleanets, moons and other celestial objects.
What does the offer include?
1 x Sky-Watcher SK15012 Refractor Telescope (New R 6252.00)
1 x Sky-Watcher EQ5 Mount with Syncan Go-To functionality (New R13820.00)
1 x 12V Battery Pack for supplying the mount with power (New R 1150.00)
1 x Barlow Lens (New R 400.00)
1 x Moon Filter (New R 225.00)
1 x Solar Filter (New R 170.00)
1 x 26mm Super Plossl Eyepiece (New R 525.00)
1 x 10mm Super Plossl Eyepiece (New R 525.00)
Over R 23,000.00 worth of kit and all goods are less then a year old.
Here is more pics of the mount and the hand held computer interface.
