Sullivan1

2 hours ago, ScouseSpaceCadet said:

I have a great time observing doubles & planets with mine. Seeing conditions dependent, the telescope can manage over 200x. Again with decent seeing 180x with a decent 4mm eyepiece on planets is a joy with Saturn's atmospheric banding visible. Jupiter's GRS, festoons and barges are observable. The colour of double stars is well presented. Only the hardest splits and fainter doubles are troubling, however some of that difficulty can be attributed to the poor skies I live with.

Agreed a 4" f7 telescope isn't 'ideal' for planetary observing however it is a managable, easy to mount all rounder for the price.

@Sullivan1 before choosing any telescope, please think about and/or ask for mounting advice. Do you already own a mount? The mount is often an after thought and besides weight considerations, ease of storage and handling, the price of the kit can suddenly double or triple!

Also you need to manage expectations. There is a thread here with just that in mind.

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/196278-what-can-i-expect-to-see/#comment-2060941

 

thanks for your feedback its much appreciated. And at the moment I don't have a mount but of course which one I choose entirely depends on the scope that I decide on for length/weight that the mount will need to bare.

I would like a refractor partly due to how user friendly they can be - and 4" refractors are a bit more grab and go, whereas a 6" reflector such as the skywatcher explorer 150PL seems harder to store and mount. - though I'm also conscious of the aperture benefit of something like that

Thanks for sending the link to that thread, very helpful!

Hello everyone,

I'm relatively new to this hobby and there's a few telescopes I've been looking into across a few budget points. I'm most interested in the planets, the moon and double stars, though would definitely like the ability to explore other things, so a good 'all rounder' would suit me best. 

The first is the Sky-Watcher Explorer 150P F/5 which is relatively cheap, but seems to have good reviews.

The second is the Altair Ascent 102ED F/7  which despite not having many reviews seems to be a solid choice

The third is the more expensive option, the Sky-Watcher Evostar 100ED DS-Pro  F/9 - which has better glass than the former.

If anybody has any opinions on these choices or any additional options that aren't too expensive that might perform better I would love to hear everyone's input!