Raph-in-the-sky

You are right... Astroshop regularly does this type of mistakes. Thanks for the information. I definitely don't want a telescope that is half plastic

What do you think about the Bresser Messier AC range? They have 90/900, 90/1200, 102/1000 and 102/1350

@johninderby Yes that's all very nice stuff but as John was saying that's quite a bit more than I am wanting to spend right now

Do you know where I can buy those?

Hey guys, I take out my main scope (250px Dob) to a dark site (not that dark actually 😞 ) every time I can which happened a grand total of 1 time this year due to the terrible weather and life in general. I once was told that the best scope is the one you use most often so I am considering a small scope that I would keep in my living room and would use on the terrasse probably for less than an hour each time to look between the clouds. I live in Brussels which has its fair share of light pollution so I would probably stick to targets that don't suffer too much from it (moon, planets, multiple stars and star clusters). I also would like the scope to have a nice appearance since I would keep it in my living room. Budget wise I would like to keep it reasonnable ... let's say less than 400 Eur My initial thoughts was to get either a 3 or 4' achro refractor or a 5' mak. Probably on Alt-Az manual mount as it's easier to use. Can I please have your opinion/advice on what scope and what mount?

Agreed! 10'' is really the sweet spot between aperture, portability and price.

I also use a 250p. I find the Az action pretty smooth as it is however the alt action is a bit stiff. I tried to play with the handles but I don't manage to get to the point where its just how I would like it to be. Do you ahve any advice?

You should definitely choose an 8'' Dob over a 130mm on EQ2. Regarding your second question, I would say that the next thing to buy (before an moon filter or a barlow) would be a couple of decent eyepiece. BST starguiders are highly regarded and are affortable https://www.firstlightoptics.com/bst-starguider-eyepieces.html I reckon that a 5mm and a 12mm would be great with this scope.

That's right!

Agreed. I would not advise a blind person to get into astronomy 😉

Actually if you plan to do lunar or planetary, refractors are often considered supperior. Big Dobs are really more suited for deep sky... I will leave advice regarding refractors to those who know what they are talking about. Regarding eyepiece, short focal lenght plossl (ie less then 10mm) have a very short eye releif thus you would have to really jam your eye in the eyepiece to see anything. With a 114mm your maximum theoretical magnification is x228. More realistically you should look at a 5mm eyepiece as your most powerfull eyepiece (giving you x180). Reasonably priced eyepiece that don't suffer from short eyereleif and are all round very good (actually amazing for the price) are BST Stargiuders https://www.firstlightoptics.com/bst-starguider-eyepieces/bst-starguider-60-5mm-ed-eyepiece.html If you re patient you can find those second hand for about £30/piece.

Beeing responsible is for adults! I'm just a 33 year-old kid with a big toy...and I want a bigger one!

I went from a 130mm newton on EQ2 to a 250mm Dob. Turned out to be a great move. I definitelly had a few wow moments. For exemple, seing M13 which is a blob in the 130mm but shows resolved stars and a lot of details in the 250mm. I find dobs so much nicer to use than EQ. The 250mm is the biggest scope I would consider grab and go. Size and weight are manageable and it fits in a normal sized car. I also consider it reasonably priced (especially in second hand).

Just found this. https://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/propview.php?view=159241 It might of interest.

Yay! 200mm Dob! You got a nice bargain for a great scope. Now get out there and enjoy!

An advice that is often given to newbies it to get the biggest scope that: 1) You can move around (including by car if possible) without too much hassle 2) You will use most often (that's about setting up time vs viewing time) 3) You can afford without worrying too much In many case that's a 200mm Dob

I also started with a 130mm on EQ2. It's not intuitive and kind of wobbly ... I wish I had gotten a dob straigh away

It might be a bit more expensive than what you had in mind but 200mm Dobson can go for about £200 on the second hand market. Also keep in mind that the eyepiece you will receive with most scopes are rubbish. I would set a £100 on the side for a couple of decent eyepiece (on this forum it basically means BST starguiders)

I hear a lot about this book. Do you think it's suitable for someone who has no experience in photography whatsoever ? (basically I know which button you re supposed to push to take a pic... that's it)

Well done. Telrad + 9x50 RACI is a strong combination. As for which to buy, I would go cheap but reliable. Skywatcher or TS optics are fine. Our sponsor FLO, sells pretty much the same one under its brand "astro essentials" which is the cheapest I ve seen. https://www.firstlightoptics.com/finders/astro-essentials-9x50-right-angled-erecting-finderscope.html

Do you use another finder on the side? If you use a Telrad or red dot finder on the side I would choose the 9x50. The Telrad/RFD should be enough to get you to the general area. Then again if you don't use another finder I wouldn't get a RACI (difficult for initial alignment)

I usually try to have a look a golf courses and miniature plane landing strips... They are often remote, with nicely maintained flat areas.

Actually, I do not beleive that the technology in this field is advancing very fast. Newtonian telescope is a 400 year design while Schmidt-Cassegrain is a 90-years old design... Obviously newer ones are better than the originals but many astronomer use telescope that are 20 or 30 years old. Also, you stated that you wanted to see objects as close as possible (ie. high magnification). You will quickly realise that this is not what you should be looking for. Getting the image as crisp and as detailed as possible is really the main goal.

Have you considered an 8'' or 10'' dobson? This is a very good starting point for many of us. And many keep it as it is a great balance between aperture and transportability/setting up time. Regarding the "once off", I think you should accept that it won't happen. As you learn more about the hobby, you will want something extra.

This should be confirmed by others who have more experience than me but I'm affraid that with a 6'' Dob in a red zone, you won't be able to see many Nebulae. Orion will probably be visible but I doubt you 'll see the Veil Nebula. I understand that it's not easy but I highly suggest trying to get to a darker place. I almost always drive an hour to observe.