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Hi from Browny - a newbie to SGL

Browny

By Browny
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ronin

ronin

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What do you want?

None do everything.

How deep is the bank account?

Where will it be used?

Any ailments, injuries or medical problems?

Trouble is you will be advised on the 3 different designs, reflector, compound, refractor.

And each will be valid in their own way.

Big reflector gathers lots of light, Mak/SCT good magnification and compact, refractor very good all round.

Mount, any preference or better any fear of one type?

Do you want a mount to track.

Do you intend to nail a DSLR to a scope and get images - that is very relevant as it wipes out several options, and imposes other conditions.

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Akiainavas

Akiainavas

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Hello Browny. To give you an advice, we will need to know what you're interested in. If you want an all-rounder ( note: there are no ideal of perfect-for-everything scopes ) an SCT might be the way to go.

Post your interests here, and we'll try to make a suggestion tailored to your needs :)

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JamesM

JamesM

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Hi Browny and welcome to the forum.

If your interested in observing then aperture is the key. The best value for money scope out there will be a dobsonian (newtonian reflector on a Dobsonian mount) and in the U.K the best selling scope is the Skywatcher Skyliner 200P. If in the future you are intending to do astrophotography then you might want to post a question or two over on the imaging sections for more specific advice. Ultimately your budget is going to be the final negotiator in what scope you end up with but as long as you stick to the main manufacturers (Meade, Celestron and Skywatcher etc) then you won't go wrong. I would recommend buying your scope from an astronomy retailer because although you might find a scope a little cheaper on Amazon etc, the advice that you can access both now and in the future from a specialist shop is more than worth any additional expense and nearly all the main retailers are astronomers themselves and can offer you that experience. 

As part of your research, you might want to consider attending a couple of public outreach observation evenings that are typically run free of charge by local astronomical societies and observing groups. These meetings will provide you with an opportunity to get up close to some of this kit (some scopes can be a lot bigger than you expect) and more importantly, you can take a look through the eyepiece to help you make sense of all those specifications and how those differences contribute to the final view. Lastly, don't forget to use the different sections of this forum to ask any questions regarding anything you are unsure about and I guarantee that in no time at all, you will be the proud owner of a scope that will be right for you and your expectations.

In the meantime wishing you clear skies and hope you enjoy your stay here.

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Browny

Browny

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Hi Browny and welcome to the forum.

If your interested in observing then aperture is the key. The best value for money scope out there will be a dobsonian (newtonian reflector on a Dobsonian mount) and in the U.K the best selling scope is the Skywatcher Skyliner 200P. If in the future you are intending to do astrophotography then you might want to post a question or two over on the imaging sections for more specific advice. Ultimately your budget is going to be the final negotiator in what scope you end up with but as long as you stick to the main manufacturers (Meade, Celestron and Skywatcher etc) then you won't go wrong. I would recommend buying your scope from an astronomy retailer because although you might find a scope a little cheaper on Amazon etc, the advice that you can access both now and in the future from a specialist shop is more than worth any additional expense and nearly all the main retailers are astronomers themselves and can offer you that experience. 

As part of your research, you might want to consider attending a couple of public outreach observation evenings that are typically run free of charge by local astronomical societies and observing groups. These meetings will provide you with an opportunity to get up close to some of this kit (some scopes can be a lot bigger than you expect) and more importantly, you can take a look through the eyepiece to help you make sense of all those specifications and how those differences contribute to the final view. Lastly, don't forget to use the different sections of this forum to ask any questions regarding anything you are unsure about and I guarantee that in no time at all, you will be the proud owner of a scope that will be right for you and your expectations.

In the meantime wishing you clear skies and hope you enjoy your stay here.

Hi James, thank you for the advice. 

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