Starter Scope (2 Choices)

[herblegerble]

HEY THERE EVERYONE.

I have been searching for many a night looking for a good beginner telescope at a suitable price. I have narrowed it down to two.

Sky-Watcher Startravel 102 (refractor) with GOTO: Sky-Watcher Startravel-102 (AZ) SynScan GO-TO Refractor Telescope (10207) - Warehouse Express

or..

Sky-Watcher Skymax MAK102: Sky-Watcher Skymax-102 (AZ) SynScan GO-TO Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope (10210) - Warehouse Express

These 2 scopes really are at the upper end of my budget. I am hoping to use the scope I do choose for mostly DSO's like nebulae, galaxies and globular clusters, and maybe the occasional view of the planets. (Aswell as the moon of course!)

I live in an area which doesnt have too much light pollution, but it does have a little.

Any advice is appreciated,

Cheers.

[John]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

If your interest really is mainly deep sky objects then I fear that the 4" aperture of the scopes you list will really constrain your viewing.

In my opinion satisfying views of these objects start with a 6" scope under dark skies with an 8" being better still.

Your budget would extend to an 8" scope if you can dispense with the need for a GOTO mount and consider a simple dobsonian mounted newtonian.

Just some food for thought.

[Black Knight]

You can get the same model Startravel 102 from First Light Optics cheaper here: First Light Optics - Skywatcher Startravel 102 SynScan AZ GOTO

Similarly the 102 MAK here: First Light Optics - Skywatcher Skymax 102 SynScan AZ GOTO

Alternatively, if you can do without the GOTO stuff you could pick up something like this: First Light Optics - Skywatcher Skyliner 150P Dobsonian and still have plenty of change for stuff like eyepieces etc.

EDIT: ^^^ What John said . Oh, and I'm not affiliated to FLO at all

[herblegerble]

Thanks for the reply.

Would something like a Sky-Watcher Explorer-150PL (EQ3-2) Parabolic Newtonian Reflector Telescope (10949/20448) - Warehouse Express

Perhaps suit me better, even if it comes with a little bit of annoyance and frustration of finding my way around the sky?

[lw24]

Hi,

I'd echo what jahmanson said, however, if you had to stick with the two you suggested, I'd say the Skymax 102, purely because with 4 inches of apeture, most deep sky objects wont be great to look at, but planets, double stars, the Moon and the Sun (only with an appropriate filter!!) will, which is what the Skymax 102 is good at.

That being said, if all you're going to look at are the Planets, the Moon and certain double stars, GoTo isn't really needed.

I'd also recommend purchasing from either Rother Valley Optics or First Light Optics, to ensure great customer service.

Clear Skies

[herblegerble]

Having had a quick look through the FLO website, I found another 2 scopes that are probably within the budget. They aren't 6 inches but they are 5.1, as I am struggling to find a 150mm scope within £350 and I cant use a dob as I wouldnt be able to observe from a flat area.

The two scopes are:

First Light Optics - Celestron NexStar 130 SLT

and

First Light Optics - Skywatcher Explorer 130P SynScan AZ GOTO

Anyone know why there is a rather substantial price difference between the two scopes when they both have a 5.1" aperture?

Thanks again.

[sevs23]

Look for used scopes as well. I've now got a Skymax 150 and a Startravel 120., both second hand. As there's no planets about at the moment the ST120's being used and am really enjoying it.

Both were cheap, the ST120 being £100 used, and the optics are great

[spaceboy]

As advised by other member you would be much better off getting a dob First Light Optics - Skywatcher Skyliner 200P Dobsonian which perform superbly on DSO's and aren't too shabby on planets either. The change you have left can be invested in star atlas and a telrad finder.

[lw24]

As advised by other member you would be much better off getting a dob First Light Optics - Skywatcher Skyliner 200P Dobsonian which perform superbly on DSO's and aren't too shabby on planets either. The change you have left can be invested in star atlas and a telrad finder.

Herblegerble stated that they cannot use a dob as they do not have any flat land to place it on.

Anyone know why there is a rather substantial price difference between the two scopes when they both have a 5.1" aperture?

Those two scopes are likely to be identical, just branded differently. For some reason or another, Celestron puts a higher RRP on their 'version'. If you were to get one of the two, you may aswell get the Skywatcher.

A good starter setup for you could be:

Skywatcher Explorer 130P SynScan AZ GOTO + Cheshire Collimating Eyepiece - £310

Tal 2x Barlow Lens - £40

Total of £350

The 2x Barlow Lens will effectively double your eyepiece range, as it has the effect of halfing the eyepieces' focal length. For example, supplied with the telescope is a 10mm and a 25mm eyepiece. The 2x Barlow will 'turn' the 10mm eyepiece into a 5mm eyepiece, giving more magnification. It will do the same with the 25mm eyepiece, and will 'turn' it into a 12.5mm eyepiece.

Therefore, you will logically have 4 eyepieces instead of 2: 5mm, 10mm, 12.5mm and 25mm.

Clear Skies

[spaceboy]

Herblegerble stated that they cannot use a dob as they do not have any flat land to place it on.

Dam how long did I take typing my post

Even so dob leveling isn't an issue. Many members in the dob user section have found ways around it with simple boards and adjustable cabinet feet.

[herblegerble]

Thanks everyone for the replies, I think with lw24's setup, seems pretty doable, so I'll probably go with that