Best First Telescope

[Steve777]

Hello

I hope you might help me in my choice of a first beginner to intermediate scope. I was first interested in astronomy at school, had a 60mm refractor, so I'm coming back after a long (too long) break. I'm looking to have my family members club together so I can have a new scope for Christmas. At the minute there are 3 scopes I would like advice on: skyliner 150 (dob), skyliner 200 (dob) and Skywatcher 150p. Now I really want any points of comparison (which is best?) between 150p and skyliner 200, since they are roughly the same price. But in the event I can only afford a skyliner 150, is this a bad scope.

Also, to me (from a naive perspective, the mounts for the skyliners look as though they might involve lots of bending & be awkward to use. Is this the case. Also, are there any decent refractors between £200-£300 that might be worth considering?

I should establish I want to use for planets, moon & deep sky thus the identification of 6 inch to 8 inch reflector scopes.

I look forward to your advice.

Best

Steve

[onesmallstep]

Hi and welcome to SGL

The three scopes you mention are virtually identical. As I own a Skyliner 200 I will be biased and plug this one, 77% more light grasp than the 150 and still portable.

Did your 60mm frac come with an EQ mount as the Explorer scope comes with one as a bundle and needs aligning which is a straightforward process but the AltAz mounts of the Dobs are easier to use.

HTH!

[ollypenrice]

The Dobsonian mount has two great virtues. 1) It is very cheap to make, so most of your money goes into the optics. 2) It is smooth, stable and intuitive to use. As it can really only be used to hold a telescope with the eyepiece at the top it is not possible to mount a refractor this way. You therefore need a mechanical mount of some kind and cheap ones are nasty and unstable.

The advantages of an 8 inch Dob are, therefore, enormous. You might want to contrive a raised block of some kind in the garden if bending is an issue, and/or you can sit down to observe which is a good idea anyway because a stable eye sees more.

I'd go for the 8 inch if you can but the 6 inch is good. That amateurs can now buy good, well mounted 8 inch reflectors for £271 (FLO's price) stikes me as simply incredible.

Olly

[Steve777]

Thanks guys, I'm really looking forward to getting back into astronomy again!!

John, the 60mm was pretty basic, just the basic wobbly tripod. From what you are saying Olly, I am tempted by the 8 inch skyliner, since that comes aligned right? Olly, on the price thing, I remember when I was at school, late 80s, the vast cost of decent scopes.

Thanks to you both again!

Best

Steve

[Steve777]

Sorry, John, it was you who said you owned to 200p, and you have both turned my thoughts to that! Cheers

Steve