Help,i need a telescope!

[saturn4me]

Hi everyone :)Ive got a budget of £200-£250 and need a starter telescope. Which one would you go for regards quality and what i could see with it as id like to see as much as possible but i know it will have its limitations.I already own a pair of binos and want to move on to the next step.Any help would be much appreciated.Many thanks Mark:D

[John]

As long as you are happy to find find things in the sky your self (with the help of a star atlas) then you can't get any more performance for your £ than a dobsonian - that's a newtonian scope mounted on a simple mount. The Skywatcher Starliner's are great - the 6" is within your budget (£180) but the 8" will show you even more and is only just above your price range:

First Light Optics - Skywatcher Skyliner 200P Dobsonian

Welcome to SGL by the way !

[philhas]

I would look up a local Astronomy group in your area and go along and try some different scopes if you can. There are many different opinions, all of them right depending on what you are looking for. When I recently got back into Astronomy I asked the same question and got the usual answers which is Dob or Newt so I got one and its great however I get more pleasure out of the small portable refractor I have on a goto mount!

[JamesM]

Mark, certainly would agree with looking through some kit first to get an idea of how best to meet your own expectations. You might find that you want to save a little more for extras too. Local astro clubs often run public observing events which can provide another useful resource to ask questions but don't forget to look out for observing groups as well.

Clear skies

James

[saturn4me]

Thanks guys.Good advice from all of you.Certainly food for thought:)

[philhas]

Mark, certainly would agree with looking through some kit first to get an idea of how best to meet your own expectations. You might find that you want to save a little more for extras too. Local astro clubs often run public observing events which can provide another useful resource to ask questions but don't forget to look out for observing groups as well.

Clear skies

James

Good point James, I certainly didn't factor in all the extra bits and bobs needed, no point having a nice scope that's let down by a poor eyepiece.

[John]

The other posters are quite right that you should have a look at / through other scopes if possible and leave some of your budget for additional bits and bobs.

My recommendation was based on you saying "id like to see as much as possible" . For the £'s spend a dobsonian is the best way to achieve that but, when you get to see some other scope designs, other factors might come into play like physical size, portability etc.

So do take your time and see /try as many scopes as you can

[saturn4me]

Thanks very much guys for all your advice,i think i will try some different scopes out first and maybe join a club.Either way i wont rush out to buy the first one i see just to be disappointed by the results.The sky will still be there in 6 months time wont it? Again many thanks:)