Nitecoda

I am new to astronomy and decided to start with Binoculars. A pair that seem well recommended are the Opticron 3030689 Adventurer T WP 10x50 which I picked up from Amazon for less than £90.

Thank you, I'm fortunate enough to have Steve as relative neighbour and have taken a good look through his site and posts, thank you.

Actually, no, not yet. Now that I have learned more I have more detailed research I want to do but I have a very good idea of what I want, with thanks to everyone who has helped with this thread. I'm starting to know the things I didn't even know I didn't know! The skies are incredible tonight and I'm getting lots of pleasure just looking at Pleiades and surfing the milky way with my 10x50 binoculars. I really think there's value in taking my time in this decision and learning the sky along the way. I may even invest in a tripod for my binoculars and buy a better set of binoculars before I jump to a scope! I'm waiting for access to the classified ads so I can see if there are any deals to find from users here. I'm having so much fun in the slow way that I don't want to rush to the fast lane and miss out on the foundational learning.

Thanks for the heads-up 👍 What software are you using to visualise this? Thanks

It's starting to come together, I'm now discovering, and deciding where I'd like to save and where I'd prefer not to compromise. Thanks @ScouseSpaceCadet

Cracking! The basket is looking a lot like this now - but I'm likley to go with a small selection of fixed eyepieces with a wide FOV.

Living where I do is a bonus, dark-sky-wise, but my back garden is also surrounded by trees and nearby housing. I live in a valley so I don't have unobstructed views across the horizon. I do however have relatively access to these dark skies and 200m hills that require a short drive and then a walk. I hope this quality of Frac won't be too much of a compromise over an 8" dob.

I think I'd be hard-pushed to move away from the 102 APO now. I will look into the 1.25 Diagonals. Rigel Quikfinder looks to be worthy of consideration. Thank you

@Mr SpockI can swap out the EVM SZ and take advantage of teh Baader Zoom and Barlow combination offer - at £303 - which is only a smidgen over the price of 3 x fixed length eyepieces...... I'm not sure if I still need the Adaptor if I go for the Baader Clicklock 2" DiElectric Star Diagonal (???) I like the idea of a 2" diagonal to give me the option for both 1.25" and 2" later. I need to finalise the finder (I like the idea of red dot) and may also need a finder shoe if the telescope doesn't come with? I might be arriving at a sub-£2k back garden option.....

Thanks @Cosmic Geoff, I do have a lot to learn, I am aware somewhat of the impact of focal length and objective diameter combination. I was going for a shorter focal length for portability and felt that an f/7 was a happy enough medium, though an f/10 may be better for our initial target objects. I don't know if any of us will appreciate the difference but I'm quickly learning if it's likely, thanks to this forum and research. I do appreciate the input from all of you on this. Thank you 🙏

I really like some of these suggestions @Louis D. I did not know that about FCD-100 but the scope I'm looking at isn't a double EPL-53 either, I think the second is Lanthanum. I'd be happy enough with discoloration limited to super magnification. I may push the field setup back to next spring/summer and instead for an EQ mount, similar to @Mr Spock solution. The APM SZ may be over-kill and too much of a catch-all, I was trying to keep viewing simpler for kids (and me if I'm being lazy I suppose). Point taken on RDF. Thanks

Now that is food for thought. My feeling (perhaps incorrectly) is that I should invest as much as I can into a single solution, rather than go half-cocked with two that don't quite make the cut..... (I accept that this may be an ill-informed and unreasonable response from a beginner) Great options there though @dweller25

@Mr Spock The Starfield setup comes in around £1,800 *the 2" to 1" adaptor not included in this example. I think the saving here is coming from a combined mount and stand in the EQ5, and moving away from the EPM Zoom to some fixed length eyepieces. Am I losing any noticeable benefits (other than cost) with 1.25" eyepieces vs 2"? Maybe, for now, I build for the back garden and add a mobile tripod for field trips at a later date......

Thanks @Mike Q, great feedback. I don't think I'll get away with two 🤐

Thank you @Cosmic Geoff. I looked at the Moon, Mars (albeit close to the horizon), and Jupiter through a 102/500 Skywatcher StarTravel with various eyepieces at the latest gathering of my local club. I've also looked through a friends 76mm Takahashi. There was a lot less false colour through the Tak and it made the Skywatcher look almost fake and out of focus to me. I know I can't compare the equipment at the price points, and I'm not proposing a Tak. I'm trying to find that happy medium. Ideally it won't be an expensive premium scope - I didn't think that was what I was aiming at with a £900 Frac. I'm happy to consider lower quality glass if it's not going to result in a lack of excitement when we use it for live viewing only. Thanks

I have looked at the Moon, Saturn and Jupiter through a 6", 8" and 10", and was impressed, but wondered if this would: limit my viewing to lunar and planetary prevent me having an impromptu 20min session be a pain dragging up 200m climbs to local dark sky sites limit imaging options for the future Give the same degrees of contrast and detail in sub-optimal conditions ...compared to a grab 'n' Go frac

This looks like a quality setup. Bearing in my mind I have zero equipment to start with, i wonder where the savings are made specifically to get this in budget. Also, wonder how portable the tripod is for putting into a backpack and hiking uphill. I know I looked at the Starfield option (because I think it's actually the exact same scope but branded otherwise) and thought it was the exact same price - but looking again, I think the price on FLO includes VAT, but not at Astrograph - that would make a 20% difference.... 10mm and 16mm eyepieces are recommends then? Are they 2"? And a Baader diagonal by the looks of it - I'd go clicklock for ease.

Hi fellow SGers 👋 I'm pretty new here but have enjoyed devouring the forum over the past couple of weeks. I tried to resist buying a scope too early 🙄. I've made my way through a large share of a couple of decent books 🤓, I've been to a star party 🥳, I've played with my binoculars , and now, I can't wait any longer, I'm jumping in 😈. I will share this hobby with my wife and children (11 & 13). Initially our interest lies in the moon and planets because, as complete beginners, I think there's a lot more awe and amazement to be had seeing our celestial neighbours in greater detail - an instant gratification thing. I think it'll also avoid the disappointment of real-time viewing of nebulae and galaxies as faint, fuzzy, white blurs, compared to the wonders of the universe we see with Brian Cox. Though we would like a scope that would be flexible enough for us to start to explore the milky way and some brighter DSOs with a reasonably wide field of view. We're only interested in viewing at present. I live in an international dark sky reserve in Dorset so we'll spend 80% of our time observing from home, though we have far better sites at elevation within a 20min drive that we want to enjoy regularly. For this reason, the setup should be reasonably light and portable. The range of 102 F7 FPL-53 Refractors have caught my eye, and I might be landing on the Tecnosky from Astrograph. This is what I'm considering, (prices EXCLUDE VAT): Tecnosky 102/700 F7 FPL-53 EDO APO Doublet £874 Berlebach Spica Alt-Az Mount (£158) with 200mm shaft and a 3kg counter weight (£74) Ibis Obelisk Carbon Tripod with Ball Head (£265) APM 2" Prism Diagonal (£180) APM Super Zoom 7.7mm-15.4mm Constant 67° AFOV (£324) Baader Planetarium Sky Surfer V Red Dot Finder (£91) Total price (including VAT) £2,360 I hadn't realised at first that the prices I was looking at were net of tax and this is more than I would want to spend. I'd like to get in below a target of £2,000 but I don't know where to make savings. Questions Is this a good scope for my goals? What else must I consider outside of this 'family' of 102ED. (Note, I would like to keep CA to a minimum so prefer EPL-53 option) If only viewing, and not imaging (at present), is my snobbery for EPL-53 justified? If I need to find a 20% saving where do I look? Should I go for a 3" scope? I chose the APM super zoom for ease of use, and this model over the Baader Zoom because of the fixed FOV at 67deg across the magnification range. Is this the wrong way to approach eyepieces? Should I go for individual fixed length eyepieces over the zoom? If so, which would provide the range I would need for my goals? Should I go for 1.25" eye-pieces in favour of 2"? To save cost and weight? What would be better? Please, somebody help me spend £2k as sensibly as we can. I know there'll be many varied opinions but it's really the nuts and bolts I'm seeking advice for, right now, I don't want to be swayed away from a Refractor (unless it's an absolute no-brainer 🤪). I still have a great deal to learn and thank you in advance for your help. Thanks in advance, Mark 🙏

Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Clusters and Nebulae, and Autumn constellations. I've just found a local event taking place tonight at The Astronomy Centre, Durlston Country Park, on the Dorset coast. The centre consists of its own observatory dome and learning centre. Entry is £3 and this will be my first time looking at the night sky with any device other than my naked eye. Weather permitting, tonight will offer the chance to see the Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Clusters and Nebulae, and Autumn constellations. Are there any other Dorset folk here, perhaps even Wessex Astronomical Society or Weymouth Astronomy Club members? Link to site: https://wessex-astro.org.uk/durlston-events/

I now have stellarium, thank you.

Thank you, I shall take a look here at reviews. I had visited, including the sister site, but hadn't looked at the product reviews. Thank you.

Great news starhiker! I'm pleased to hear of your progress. I plan on just laying back in a camping chair, wrapped in a storm jacket and blanket, lazily gazing at the heavens. I figure all I'll need is some binoculars, a star map, and maybe a red lens torch. I can hit one if the highest points in Dorset in about 10mins, so a portable setup such as this would be a great way to start.

This is my second post here. My first explained how how intend to enter this hobby slowly, by reading and simply observing and learning the night sky. I usually rush into things too quickly so I'm curtailing my nature and I'm already pleased to have made this decision. By browsing this forum I'm already gaining interest in things I never thought would appeal. Now, for those who would like to help me spend a little money..... I'd like to buy an entry level pair of binoculars so I can get a little closer to clusters, perhaps even make an attempt at the Orion Nebula - I'm not expecting much but I do live under reasonably dark skies and the milky way is obvious with the naked eye, it would be good to explore a little closer. I'm after a fairly wide field of view because I want to jump around constellations and obvious waypoints as I learn. It seems a set of 7x50 or 10x50 would fit the bill. I have a budget of up to say £150. Do you have any recommendations for where I should start please?

Thanks to all for some very kind and helpful replies. I shall research other books but will ensure I make good progress with the two I have first as I don't want to jump around without focus and end up not learning anything solid. It's also a really good recommendation to journal my progress. Thanks to all.

Thanks Alan. I do wonder if any SGL members will be there, and whether there's any actual stargazing going on. So far, in my short time jumping around these forums, I haven't anybody else from my county...