skywatcher heritage 130p OTA with Celestron nexstar 4SE mount

We all started somewhere! We are a friendly bunch! Most of your questions can be posted here, but if you are interested in Astrophotography please use the new Beginner Astrophotography forum. The response time will be much better.
Post Reply
Evltoy
Earth Ambassador
Articles: 0
Offline
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jan 18, 2020 6:25 am
4
Location: Victoria
Status:
Offline

skywatcher heritage 130p OTA with Celestron nexstar 4SE mount

#1

Post by Evltoy »


Hi All, I posted this on the old site and though I would keep the topic going

Hello All,

I'm very new to Astronomy and the family just got a nexstar 4SE for Christmas. Even though we have been happy with what we have, I now have the opportunity to get a skywatcher heritage 130p DOB really cheap.

My understanding it that the skywatcher heritage 130p is a better scope for deep sky than the 4SE.

Is it possible to mount the skywatcher h130p to the nexstar 4SE mount?

This would mean we would have a nice 5' scope on a goto mount.

Thanks
Wayne


Reply from old site

From Voyageur's
Hi Wayne,

This once-noble forum is no longer under administrative support and has many problems with spammers. Most of us have moved to a new site: https://theskysearchers.com/

Please consider joining us there.

In answer to your question, I do not think it would work to mount the SW Heritage 130 on the 4SE mount. Two different mounting mechanisms, for starters. Then, even if you were able to attach the SW OTA to the SE mount, there might not be enough clearance between the bottom of the tube and the mount. If you mounted it almost at the bottom of the tube, maybe it would fit, but the top end would be very top-heavy and unstable. You'd likely have to fully retract the lower section of the tripod legs to bring the SW eyepiece to a comfortable viewing height; not sure if it would be low enough for the kids to reach or how stable it would then be.

But if you can get the SW 130 "really cheap," by all means, buy it! It is a great scope. No reason you and the family can't start using it to improve your knowledge of the night sky. And then you would have two scopes, for twice the fun.
Mary
Evltoy
Earth Ambassador
Articles: 0
Offline
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jan 18, 2020 6:25 am
4
Location: Victoria
Status:
Offline

Re: skywatcher heritage 130p OTA with Celestron nexstar 4SE mount

#2

Post by Evltoy »


Update,

I ended up getting the SW h130p. It turns out that the dovetail on the OTA fits the mount on the 4se. The only issues I have found so far are;

1) Part of the mount on the 4se is designed for a 4" OTA. You would not be able to just swap the 4se OTA with the 5se OTA and get a perfect fit (even though the 4 & 5se use the same GoTo Tripod). To overcome this issue I put on either ends of the dove tail some adjustable wedges to mount the OTA snug to the 4se mount.

2) The EP is high for short people. I'm short, my wife is shorter, but we are ok with lowering the Tripod legs and/or using a small step stool.

3) Top heavy and clearance on the 4se mount. If you mount the h130p too far forward you can reduce it from being too top heavy and putting less stress on the 4se gears. If you mount OTA almost upright you can get the rear of the OTA close to the 4se mount without it touching and it will clear all the time. Weight wiae the 5se OTA is heaver then the h130p. Yes I understand after extending the h130p you change the weight load, but its not that much.

I have yet to test it out at night. I'm hoping I will get better performance with the 5" over the 4" with Nebula's.

Cheers
Wayne
Voyageur
Orion Spur Ambassador
Articles: 0
Offline
Posts: 682
Joined: Mon May 06, 2019 1:50 pm
4
Location: Leelanau County, Michigan, USA
Status:
Offline

Re: skywatcher heritage 130p OTA with Celestron nexstar 4SE mount

#3

Post by Voyageur »


Well, sounds like you are pretty good at DIY and not afraid to try different workarounds! Hope it works out for you! Keep us posted. Even if you are not happy with this setup, it was still a good idea to get the scope, which is a nice one.

And glad you joined us over here!
Scopes: Vixen VMC200L, D=200mm, F=1950, f/9.75; Televue 2" Everbright diagonal. Coronado PST; AstroTech EDT 80mm, F=480, f/6.
Mounts: Vixen SXW/Starbook (original); Stellarvue M2C alt-az.
Eyepieces: Televue: 55mm Plossl, 22mm Panoptic, 17.3mm Delos, 13mm Nagler, c. 1980, 11mm Plossl, 7mm Nagler, 5mm Radian; Meade 15mm Super Plossl; VERNONSCOPE 2.4X BARLOW
Binoculars: Leica 8x32 Trinovids, circa 1997; Orion Megaview 20x80, Orion Paragon Plus mount.
User avatar
JayTee United States of America
Universal Ambassador
Articles: 2
Offline
Posts: 5619
Joined: Thu Apr 25, 2019 3:23 am
4
Location: Idaho, USA
Status:
Offline

TSS Awards Badges

TSS Photo of the Day

Re: skywatcher heritage 130p OTA with Celestron nexstar 4SE mount

#4

Post by JayTee »


Pictures of your setup would be really nice to see. Also it helps us visualize what you've actually done.

Cheers,
JT
∞ Primary Scopes: #1: Celestron CPC1100 #2: 8" f/7.5 Dob #3: CR150HD f/8 6" frac
∞ AP Scopes: #1: TPO 6" f/9 RC #2: ES 102 f/7 APO #3: ES 80mm f/6 APO
∞ G&G Scopes: #1: Meade 102mm f/7.8 #2: Bresser 102mm f/4.5
∞ Guide Scopes: 70 & 80mm fracs -- The El Cheapo Bros.
∞ Mounts: iOptron CEM70AG, SW EQ6, Celestron AVX, SLT & GT (Alt-Az), Meade DS2000
∞ Cameras: #1: ZWO ASI294MC Pro #2: 662MC #3: 120MC, Canon T3i, Orion SSAG, WYZE Cam3
∞ Binos: 10X50,11X70,15X70, 25X100
∞ EPs: ES 2": 21mm 100° & 30mm 82° Pentax XW: 7, 10, 14, & 20mm 70°

Searching the skies since 1966. "I never met a scope I didn't want to keep."

Image
Evltoy
Earth Ambassador
Articles: 0
Offline
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jan 18, 2020 6:25 am
4
Location: Victoria
Status:
Offline

Re: skywatcher heritage 130p OTA with Celestron nexstar 4SE mount

#5

Post by Evltoy »


Voyageur wrote: Mon Jan 20, 2020 3:29 am Well, sounds like you are pretty good at DIY and not afraid to try different workarounds! Hope it works out for you! Keep us posted. Even if you are not happy with this setup, it was still a good idea to get the scope, which is a nice one.

And glad you joined us over here!
Thanks for the kind comments. Yes I'm a bit of a DIYer.. I have over 10 years experience in RC aircraft (planes, helicopter & drones), so we had to fabricate up our own parts etc in the early years.

JayTee wrote: Mon Jan 20, 2020 4:39 am Pictures of your setup would be really nice to see. Also it helps us visualize what you've actually done.

Cheers,
JT
I'll try my best to get some PICs up. Its has been sometime since I have been on forums and upload PICs

Cheers
Wayne
Post Reply

Create an account or sign in to join the discussion

You need to be a member in order to post a reply

Create an account

Not a member? register to join our community
Members can start their own topics & subscribe to topics
It’s free and only takes a minute

Register

Sign in

Return to “Beginners forum”