Newbie advice please

[juliec76]

Hi

Hubby really wishes to get into star gazing etc but as complete newbies what telescope would you recommend with a budget of £150 or less, is it even a visible amount or am i underestimating the costs involved for a beginner.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Julie

[ronin]

You will get told every possibility and recommended every scope.

It is possible, a lot depends on realistic expectations and to an extent scope preference.

Has hubby a preference for one scope type or another - Refractor, Reflector, SCT/Mak ?

You will get told that the reflector gives the biggest aperture per pound but me (being difficult) like refractors and if I were given a reflector I would assume the person had taken leave of their senses. To my thinking a lot matter in getting the right scope, otherwise it will not get used.

Will dig around for options.

Any clubs around you to visit or is he not supposed to know of this?

Quick Edit:

The is a Reading Astro Soc, they have a meeting it would seem tonight about telescopes called Telescope Technology: http://www.readingastro.org.uk/category/news/events/

Not sure if members only but it could be useful as all types should (would) be on display.

[ronin]

So far:

Skywatcher Evostar 90 on an Alt/Az mount or the EQ2 mount @ £137

The scope I think is a good all round first scope, it would be nicer on the EQ3-2 but that is £226.

The 150P dobsonian is just under £200, but a useful scope and size.

Personally I do not go highly on the 130 dobsonians, they need a table to be used so starts getting 2 bits immediatly. Prefer to plonk one on the ground and get on with it.

There are 130P's on EQ mounts the Celestron 130EQ MD at £155 is good as it has motors to track objects a bit.

There ios a Skywatcher 130P on an EQ2 mount at £165 - the Celestron does not state "P" (=parabolic mirror = Better)

There are 1145 scopes but these are fast and this causes problem, the Skywatcher Skyhawk is f/4.4 and this is likely to be problematic to keep collimated and get future usable eyepieces for.

**Tracking is NOT goto.

One other bit to look at ot for is that the focal length is a match to the tube length (more or less).

Some scope are a Bird-Jones design, the tube will be about half the focal length maybe less. Avoid these, they have a barlow built in and this causes problems in normal use and setup.

All reflectors will need a collimator at some time, scope maintenance and any type you will find yourself needing an extra eyepiece or four.

Took these from the FLO site

Equitiorial mounts take a little bit of setting up, but not much.

[Tinker1947]

Have a read through this.....

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes.html

[nightfisher]

I would suggest as a first scope the skywatcher Evostar 90mm               http://www.firstlightoptics.com/evostar/skywatcher-evostar-90-eq2.html

These are a pretty good scope for the money, will give good Lunar views and planets, will also show some of the brighter deep sky objects

[Sirius Starwatcher]

If it were me I would go for the SW heritage 130 flexitube. A lot of telescope for your money easy to operate great fun. Welcome to SGL good luck with your choice

[juliec76]

Thanks to you all, hubby unaware of present choice ;-) so advice greatly appreciated.

[happy-kat]

Hi

Your budget can deffinately get a useable telescope and you have come to the right place to ask questions to help you.

I have the heritage 130p and also a small refractor.

The refractor gives lovely wide views and is super quick to get using, but more money is spent on the lens so the aperature is smaller at 80mm so ultimately I see more with the heritage but even still I can see the main bands of jupiter with my little scope and it is dead easy to set up it is used on an AltZ 3 mount.

I can use my heritage sitting on a garden chair with the heritage on an upturned bucket which are in the garden so it is only the telescope I take outside.

If there is a need to sit to observe then a AltZ mount might be better suited with a refractor on it like the Evostar 90 (though perhaps not the equatorial mount if sitting though I have not tried one).

This is a good read here

[bomberbaz]

Skywatcher Evostar 90 on an Alt/Az mount  would be my choice as advised by ronin and here's why:

• Mount that holds the telescope is easier than the eq (equatorila) mount. Simply plonk it on the floor, get  it roughly level and away you go.
• Very forgiving on eyepieces (thats the bit you look through) so no need to shell out the same again to get a decent view if you upgrade.
• Looks like a traditional held view of  what a telescope should look like by a lot of people.
• Lightweight and easy to assemble/dis-assemble.

[happy-kat]

An equatorial mount follows the Earth's rotation (automatically if with motors fitted) and takes a bit more time to setup and the telescope can end up in less favourable positions as the mount rotates, where as an Alt/Az mount moves left right and up down so it is easy to plonk on the ground and positon and look.

[bomberbaz]

An equatorial mount follows the Earth's rotation (automatically if with motors fitted) and takes a bit more time to setup and the telescope can end up in less favourable positions as the mount rotates, where as an Alt/Az mount moves left right and up down so it is easy to plonk on the ground and positon and look.

Thank you for expanding on my jack and jill guide to scopes and mounts Happy Kat, I thinkn we work well together 

[Hootsitabernacle]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6rXWIVgjVQ

a useful watch

[juliec76]

wow, thanks guys.....so much to take in :-)

[happy-kat]

:-) though I should have written up down and left right for Alt/Az to fit the abbreviations.

[juliec76]

ok, so between the skywatcher eve 90 which one would be better fro a complete novice, the EQ2 or AV3?

:-)

[ronin]

The AZ3 will be the easier, it is basically up/down and left/right.

An EQ needs setting to the same latitude that you are say 51 degrees and then aimed at polaris - it is the mount that is aimed at polaris forget the scope.

Sounds confusing but for visual shound be a quick job.

I suspect the worst aspect is that on an AZ mount you basically hold the scope and aim it, on an EQ you have clutches and twiddly cable things to move the scope  Just adds to the apparent complexities.

[Fozzie]

+1 for the az3, some great advice above.. And a good starter telescope...

[RT65CB-SWL]

You will get told every possibility and recommended every scope.

It is possible, a lot depends on realistic expectations and to an extent scope preference.

Has hubby a preference for one scope type or another - Refractor, Reflector, SCT/Mak ?

You will get told that the reflector gives the biggest aperture per pound but me (being difficult) like refractors and if I were given a reflector I would assume the person had taken leave of their senses. To my thinking a lot matter in getting the right scope, otherwise it will not get used.

Will dig around for options.

Any clubs around you to visit or is he not supposed to know of this?

Quick Edit:

The is a Reading Astro Soc, they have a meeting it would seem tonight about telescopes called Telescope Technology: http://www.readingastro.org.uk/category/news/events/

Not sure if members only but it could be useful as all types should (would) be on display.

Hi 'juliec76' and welcome to SGL.

The Friday meetings are primarily aimed at beginners, though members of the 'main' society* do attend aswell, (and not to make up the numbers). I was hoping to attend lastnights meeting, (28.11.2014), but I had been at work since 0400 until 1600. Look forward to seeing you + hubby at one of the meetings in the future.

Back to the subject in question. Go for something on a Dobsoninan or Alt-Az mount. It  will be easier to use, (and easier on the purse/wallet) to begin with, until you get something bigger or hubby wants to do astrophotography. Just find a dark spot, (Yeah right! - around where I live, (near a super/hypermarket and leisure centre), there is little or no chance of that), and that is it. No worrying about polar alignment, is the mount level, is the tube balanced etc).

* the 'main' society meetings are held on the third Saturday of the month from September to June, execpt for December when it is held on the second Saturday.

[Tommohawk]

Just a thought - you could try for a second hand bargain. Maybe not ideal if a prezzy, but you might get more bang for your buck. 

I had a quick look on classified here and nothing obvious to be seen, but consider Astrobuysell website or ebay, Gumtree or Preloved.

Bit tricky if you dont know your way around the kit but if you had a question on an item I'm sure someone here would offer an opinion. 

Good luck

[bomberbaz]

+2 for the Alt-az mounted 90, he will love it.

[Ahab]

My advice is to ignore all the well meaning nonsense here and get a nice 10 x 50 set of binoculars or larger and several good beginning astronomy books. Attend star parties and club meetings and learn the sky. You will then be able to choose what's best for you and you will still get good use out of the binos.

[Charic]

My advice is to ignore all the well meaning nonsense here and get a nice 10 x 50 set of binoculars or larger and several good beginning astronomy books. Attend star parties and club meetings and learn the sky. You will then be able to choose what's best for you and you will still get good use out of the binos.

How to win friends?

[Interested]

How to win friends?

Agree about the "how to win friends" bit, but it did seem like quite good advice, lol

[Tinker1947]

Agree about the "how to win friends" bit, but it did seem like quite good advice, lol

It would be if the Op wanted a scope or bins, but its a present so bins are not on the menu to start with.....

[bomberbaz]

My advice is to ignore all the well meaning nonsense here and get a nice 10 x 50 set of binoculars or larger and several good beginning astronomy books. Attend star parties and club meetings and learn the sky. You will then be able to choose what's best for you and you will still get good use out of the binos.

Can't believe this forum member has come out with this statement. Your advice is at best ill-judged given all the OP has said and also extremely rude to other members. I feel an apology is needed here Ahab, very uncalled for comment