ok lets start again

[wizardaire]

I started a post few days back looking for a scope and even went as far as ordering it, then few hours later phoned and asked them if they could hold on for a few days to make sure that is the 1 i wanted

not sure if i have just jumped in to fast just becuz the scope is the easiest i could find ( am very concerned that i just wont be able to figuer things out )

i am not the most tech person on the planet :iamwithstupid:and worry i'll buy a scope for a family christmas present just to spend endless nites trying to set it up

the only things i'm sure of now after weeks of fustration is i do not want a reflector scope, i need something that is portable 6-8inch and something that i can try some planet photos with (webcam or camera) i ordered the LS 8 inch and they are holding it for me BUT is that the rite 1? ( i know every1 to there own) but i think my kids will have grown and left home by the time i finally make a choice i am reasonably happy with.

with all this time spent looking and mind changing we now have a £1800-2000 limit but that must cover everything like scope ep's power all that stuff .

this forum is AMAZING i have read and learnt so much here over the last few weeks that i have confidence that i will make the rite choice now given the opinions from some great people and the fact that i have now slowed down a bit and thinking a bit more logic ( i sooo want to go live with the stars )

i want a scope that i can connect to a laptop so even my grand kids can look and be amazed ! also i have a special needs boy that has vision in only 1 eye and need to be able to make sure he gets to see the amazing stuff above our heads ( he has a spotting scope but cant look in the ep for long due to the strain on his eye) may be the LS is the rite 1 lol i just need to be as sure as i can.

sorry that this post is so long and thankyou all again for being such great people

[glowjet]

I think with your dilemma you will need to give this some more thought, you say you do not want a reflector but the LS is just that, did you mean refractor ?, if it is your intention to show what can be seen on a laptop then perhaps you may want to consider the use of a video camera such as the Wartec 120N or one of the new range of Samsung cameras, which can be attached to the scope, these produce, so I believe, extremely good images, something else for you to throw into the melting pot, this coupled to your LS should give excellent results for all of your family to observe at the same time, but they come at a price but may be worth the extra expense if it gives you what you want

[sabana]

Get a good Refractor and a GEM. Can't go wrong with this set up.

[onesmallstep]

I started a post few days back looking for a scope and even went as far as ordering it, then few hours later phoned and asked them if they could hold on for a few days to make sure that is the 1 i wanted

not sure if i have just jumped in to fast just becuz the scope is the easiest i could find ( am very concerned that i just wont be able to figuer things out )

i am not the most tech person on the planet :iamwithstupid:and worry i'll buy a scope for a family christmas present just to spend endless nites trying to set it up

the only things i'm sure of now after weeks of fustration is i do not want a reflector scope, i need something that is portable 6-8inch and something that i can try some planet photos with (webcam or camera) i ordered the LS 8 inch and they are holding it for me BUT is that the rite 1? ( i know every1 to there own) but i think my kids will have grown and left home by the time i finally make a choice i am reasonably happy with.

with all this time spent looking and mind changing we now have a £1800-2000 limit but that must cover everything like scope ep's power all that stuff .

this forum is AMAZING i have read and learnt so much here over the last few weeks that i have confidence that i will make the rite choice now given the opinions from some great people and the fact that i have now slowed down a bit and thinking a bit more logic ( i sooo want to go live with the stars )

i want a scope that i can connect to a laptop so even my grand kids can look and be amazed ! also i have a special needs boy that has vision in only 1 eye and need to be able to make sure he gets to see the amazing stuff above our heads ( he has a spotting scope but cant look in the ep for long due to the strain on his eye) may be the LS is the rite 1 lol i just need to be as sure as i can.

sorry that this post is so long and thankyou all again for being such great people

Hi

You're reading too much into 'types' of scope as ALL scopes will show you the same objects, the influencing factors being aperture, eyepieces, sky quality ('seeing', light pollution, cloud), and your own eyesight. Also, the 'best' scope is the one you will use so no scope is right or wrong as we all have individual observing needs.

Given the responses to your previous thread you ended up with a bad case of information overload so you were probably more confused over scope choices. The Meade LS8 looks to be a good scope and that make is certainly popular with Stargazer Lounge Lizards (is that the correct collective noun???). If you think

that it would fit your astro needs then go ahead and buy it, be prepared for the learning curve, and stick with it.

HTH!

[faulksy]

if what you say you dont want a reflector and you want 8" of aperature your only option is a sct/mak. you can get a refractor at that size but cost **** loads more

[hemihaggis]

just my 2pence worth , you say you fancy an ls 8 , well meade customer service is terrible , i have a meade lol , and the only person in the uk that can fix them is steve at telescope house ,(he is a good guy though ) i think in your position i would be having a look at a celestron cpc ... or i belive our wonderful sponsers are doing a deal on a celestron c11 with a mount for around 1600 ... mega big scope !!

. dont be scared of eq mount and polar aligning , i used to have an altaz mount and wonderd before getting an eq how difficult it would be to set up ....... piece of cake , very easy for visual ...

dont forget about the 127 mak celestron or skywatcher , at around 400 pounds brand new , they are fantastic scopes , are amazing on the planets , very tough and need little maintanence , surprisingly good on dso`s , simple to set up and very portable (im always banging on about them lol) , great optics and punch well above thier weight . you could get a mak for 400 , and take the family to a nice villa high in the pyraness or maybe lanzarote , get some winter sun and try out your new scope in with some real dark skies .....win win win

[umadog]

To be honest, you'll never be sure until you buy it. If you don't want a reflector (you don't really say why but imply it's portability) then your only option of an 8" is an SCT or a Mak. Just remember that SCTs have big tripods whereas Dob has small bases. When the chips are down, they're both equally portable. Yeah, the tube on a Newt is longer but that's only one part of the equation. An equatorially mounted is going to be a lot bulkier than an alt/az scope.

To be honest, though, you've thought about it enough and are in a position to make a decision. Every scope is a compromise so just buy a 6" or 8" SCT, which seems to be what you want, and get observing! Use a wedge if you want to take longer exposure photos. An alt/az mount is fine for planets. Be wary of Meade's customer service.

[Orion_the_Hunter]

Hi, I'd have to agree with some other posters here. An 8" SCT would tick most or all of your boxes. This one is a good easy to use one: First Light Optics - Celestron NexStar 8SE

This type of 'scope would allow you to observe most things and will be great for Planetary imaging.

However just to throw a spanner in the works Dobs are an excellent choice for observing. They offer by far the best value for money and ease of use imo. A Dob is ok/good for Planetary imaging but definately not good for DSO imaging.

They are great for DSO and Planetary observing.

As a physically disabled observer I find my Dob very easy to use.

Have a read of my write up, see if it helps you to decide. http://stargazerslounge.com/member-equipment-reviews/132996-skywatcher-skyliner-200p-8-dob.html

HTH,

Ed

[wizardaire]

thanks for all the good advice i thought that i had made my mind up untill i came across this

Meade LX80 AZ/EQ 8" Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope

this seems as tho it may be the best of both worlds ,dovetail so that scope can be changed if wanted , an alt-azimuth mount for easy setup and the imaging capability of a German equatorial mount if in time i wanted to do the long exposure imaging later on.

it doesn come out in uk till about feb-march next year but mayb worth the wait especially as it is still within our budget.

any opinions on this scope and the possibilities that it may have would be most welcome.

[onesmallstep]

Hi

Being a new scope look out for reviews both online and in the astro mags.

[wizardaire]

yh but would it be worth waiting to be able to get those reviews ..4 mayb 5 months when i could be looking above my head rite now lol does the mount sound as tho it would be worth the wait...if it was out before you bought your scope would you have got it ?( reviews being good of course)

[Uranium235]

Im not sure an SCT is something you should try getting into imaging with as it will present many complications (focal ratio, guiding difficulty etc.). The mount it comes on looks interesting though, but ive never seen meade sell the mounts alone (not in the UK anyways).

If you do get it, you might also want to consider getting an ED refractor too, becuase if you point that SCT at M31, all youre going to get is the core (M31 is a massive object). Ideally, you may end up with a range of telescopes to cover all focal lengths (300, 600, 800, 1000-1200mm).

Mix and match, try them all

[onesmallstep]

Hi

I've had a look for LX80 reviews on the net but no joy at the moment. Does it have to be Meade or does the Celestron 8SE mentioned above look like an option?

[angusb1]

Its often said here when new members are asking for advice about which scope to buy, but I think you would really benefit from joining your local astronomy society and going along to a couple of observing sessions to try a couple of scopes out. I think it will really help you to make up your mind which is for you. You wouldn't buy a new car without test driving it would you? You will have a much better chance to get what you want for yourself and your family first time round if you try a couple of different types of scope out before you buy one. With the budget you have you should be able to get something that will provide you with years of fun - best of luck!

[wizardaire]

Celestron 8SE looks just as good plus better price but i was looking at LS8 due to the educationul possibilities with it having the Astronomer Inside me software also if it works self aligning but that is not as important as it was at the beginning ( all this reading is making me think that mayb i could acually do a 3 star align )

i dont think that other than price there is much (to see) between the 2 just the LS8 has more direct info with it.

[wizardaire]

i wish i did have a astro near me but nearest is 3 hrs drive away and hubby works away most of the week so dont really have that oppotunity i think i would make my mind up in like seconds if i had a chance to try lol but hayho thats life

quote...Im not sure an SCT is something you should try getting into imaging with as it will present many complications (focal ratio, guiding difficulty etc.). The mount it comes on looks interesting though, but ive never seen meade sell the mounts alone (not in the UK anyways)""""

no but i could wait till i ready and then add apo other side or diff scope to dovetail.

[angusb1]

i wish i did have a astro near me but nearest is 3 hrs drive away and hubby works away most of the week so dont really have that oppotunity i think i would make my mind up in like seconds if i had a chance to try lol but hayho thats life

I forget sometimes that I am lucky to have one in the town I live in.

Personally I took the plunge and bought second hand when I started so that if I ended up buying something I didn't like it minimised the loss as you can usually sell something for roughly what you paid for it that way. I don't know how I'd feel about buying a scope for your kind of budget second hand though - its a bit different with a £150 newtonian.

If you are thinking of waiting a few months until the new Meade you mentioned before comes out, you could always buy a cheap, small scope in the meantime, maybe a small dob like this or a fairly long achromat on an alt/az mount. It might help you decide what you want to spend your budget on, it will give you a chance to actually get on with the hobby, learn the sky and you can always sell it on again when you know what you want to spend your larger budget on. Even a small scope can provide great views of the sky.

Hope this helps.

[umadog]

I'm not sure that Meade is worth waiting for. The "best of both worlds" stuff looks like marketing hype. In ether alt/az or eq mode it will still be a heavy mount that needs a counterweight. The only difference is that you have the option of true alt/az motions because the RA axis points at the zenith. So what? You can plonk any EQ mount outside, have it point to magnetic north (takes 10 seconds), not bother with a real polar alignment, and just get on with things. You'll probably still get a few minutes of tracking for visual observation. Or you can just not track. It's not like the mount won't function as a telescope support if it's not polar aligned. If for some reason you don't like the tilt of the polar axis on an conventional EQ mount then just adjust push the tilt of the RA axis as far as it will go in one direction and you'll be close to alt-az.

I wouldn't wait months for something that isn't so different to what's already out there and is a solution looking for a problem.

If you want both portability and AP then the best alternative is to buy an OTA alone and a real alt-az mount which truly is light weight (e.g. the Vixen Porta II) and add an equatorial mount later if/when you choose to do AP. This way you'll have a real grab-and-go option rather than a pseudo-grab-and-go.

In fact, how about this:

Awooza.com :: Vixen VMC200L Telescope with PORTA II Mount: Camera & Photo

It's a Vixen OTA on the Porta II mount and it's within your budget. Here's the OTA review: http://www.vixenoptics.com/PDF/Vixen%20VMC200L%20Article.pdf

It's a really nice OTA and it's not closed like a conventional SCT so you don't have the cooling issues. You'll be observing much faster with the open tube. Another bonus is that you have a real focuser and aren't moving the mirror to focus as with the SCT. Moving mirror has certain drawbacks, such as focus drift, which you'll care about if you're imaging. The Vixen is probably the better imaging scope from these points of view. Vixen also do a version of this scope which is optimised for imaging, but that's probably not necessary for you at this point. Vixen have an excellent reputation optically and you're backed up by a 5 year warranty. None of this dodgy Meade customer service.

BTW, I don't own one of those scopes and I'm not affiliated with Vixen. But if I was buying a Cat, it would be one of those.

[Charon]

Its often said here when new members are asking for advice about which scope to buy, but I think you would really benefit from joining your local astronomy society and going along to a couple of observing sessions to try a couple of scopes out. I think it will really help you to make up your mind which is for you. You wouldn't buy a new car without test driving it would you? You will have a much better chance to get what you want for yourself and your family first time round if you try a couple of different types of scope out before you buy one. With the budget you have you should be able to get something that will provide you with years of fun - best of luck!

I second this excellent advice off Angus.

[hemihaggis]

where abouts are you wizardaire ? "3 hour drive " .. that must be a slow car lol

[wizardaire]

lol ( have a big white van ) but i live in fishguard wales have found that mayb astro place in swansea which is about 1hr and 40 min away from us but that on a friday each month 7-9pm so hubby wont be home and with our transport service to there ,there is na way i could get me and the kids there it would be bus (45 min) then train (30 min) then train again (1hr) just would not be practical.

as i live in pembrokeshire i was wondering if there are any members from around my area that had a scope that mayb i could get to see but being new here i just don't know any1 lol (not reflector !!).

[onesmallstep]

Hi

Try the following link, Welsh groups belonging to the Federation of Astronomical Societies.

Federation of Astronomical Societies - Member Societies

HTH!

[wizardaire]

thanks did check this site a while bk but as you can see there is no pembrokeshire county listed closest is swansea which i just cant get to.

[angusb1]

I think the answer to your problem is to get in contact with the Preseli Astronomy Group. They are pretty local to you. When you do you should tell them you had some trouble finding out about them and maybe suggest they join the Federation of Astronomical Societies

There is a lot to be gained from local astro societies, as well as letting you look through their telescopes they are a good way of meeting other local enthusiasts.

[sabana]

Plenty of dark Sky regions in West Wales lucky so and so's