Ideas for a new scope around £500

[KennyC1968]

Hello, my name's Ken, I'm 43 and embarking on a distance learning astronomy course but a newbie to practical astronomy.

I'm looking for help in researching a ballpark £500 telescope that I can use to aid in my study of astronomy and cosmology. Here are the features that I'm looking for in a scope. (I'm going to list my ideal requirements but understand that at my budget I may not get them all).

I would like a scope that-

• helps me see DSO and planets (in that order)
  
• is at least semi-portable (put it in the car, my backyard is terrible)
  
• doesn't need frequent collimation
  
• is motorised so I can use my laptop to control it
  
• in future lets me expand into astro-imaging using ccd tech
  

I know that this may be a tall order for £500, so please feel free to offer up opinions that exceed this, after all, if I invest in a scope, I will want to buy one that lasts rather than feel the need to upgrade in a year or 2.

So far, the helpful guys from my local society (Cheers guys) have suggested the Skywatcher Explorer range and (excluding photography) its been suggested that an Azi Goto for sheer visual enjoyment in exploring the night sky.

Does anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks in advance. Ken

[onesmallstep]

Hi and welcome to SGL

First Light Optics - Skywatcher Skymax 127 SynScan AZ GOTO

The link of for the SkyMax 127 Goto which should be suitable for your needs as set out in your thread. It also comes in under budget so you can spend the remainder on accessories.

HTH!

[ollypenrice]

It is a tall order and not possible if, by photography, you mean deep sky. For that the minimum mount would blow your budget. (The Skywatcher HEQ5.) The Maksutov mentioned above would allow a good range of objects to be seen and you'd be able to image the planets but it will not allow deep sky photograhy for two reasons. Firstly the mount is altazimuthal so objects slowly rotate while being tracked. Secondly the focal ratio is far too slow. An F4 scope would need exposures one ninth as long. This F ratio will only allow the brightest DS objects to be captured.

Remove DS imaging from the list, though, and the Mak is surely a good contender. Fast frame cameras (wecams upwards) are by far the best for lunar, planetary and solar imaging and don't mind being alt-az mounted for the short captures involved.

Olly

[NickK]

I think one that lasts would be either a dob or a newtonian. This would give you the aperture and the focal length. Then use a barrow to increase the focal length for planets or a reducer for the larger but dimmer DSOs.

Next is the diametrically opposed requirements of visual vs astrophotography. Astrophotography is about the mount; visual is about the scope.

A newtonian will be the jack of all trades but not necessarily the master of any.

The best scope is one that you'll use. A dob is a great put down and go scope. It's aperture will provide the biggest bang for buck however it will not allow you to go into astrophotography unless you get very specialised.

[umadog]

If I were you, I wouldn't include collimation as a criterion for telescope choice. You're needlessly restricting your options this way. Collimation isn't hard and it doesn't take long. If you learn how to do it then you've learned a lot about how your scope works. Frankly, imaging is more technically challenging than collimation.

If you do decide to look into Newtonians, here is some brief info you may find useful. A Dobsonian is a Newtonian mounted on a simple atl/az mount. Newtonians and Dobsonians are not different telescope designs. Newtonians tend to be fairly fast focal ratio so you get quite wide fields of view. You can increase the focal ration substantially with a barlow lens. This is useful for planetary imaging. Focal reducers are not commonly used with Newtonians, partly for technical reasons and partly because a Newtonian can easily be made at fast focal ratios.

Most telescope deigns are good all-rounders. Newtonians are very cheap per unit aperture and so excel at giving good DSO views as it's easy to buy a large one and they're easy to mount. If well made, they can also yield exceptionally good planetary views.

[swamp thing]

Hi

May I enquire as to why you wish to be messing about trying to control a scope with a laptop?

It seems as if you are trying to over complicate an otherwise simple task.

You did say your back yard was terrible for observing from, therefore you need a portable scope.

The novelty of setting up ridiculously complicated kit when miles from anywhere in the cold dark night will wear off very quickly indeed.

Laptops are not really designed to be used in cold frequently damp environments, so you will have to cater for this.

It is also introducing another electric gizmo that may well suddenly bring your observing session to a shuddering halt by deciding to throw a tantrum.

When you have driven a while to get to dark skies and spent an age setting it up, this might be a little frustrating.

My advise would be: if you must transport your scope to observe, keep the set up as simple as possible.

Good luck with your choice

Regards Steve

[Andymac79]

One thing is for sure, when you think you have decided, something else will pop up. And gain...

Look for a used one maybe, you will get more for your money

Andy

[KennyC1968]

Thanks for the heads up so far guys.

Your advice regarding scopes is very much appreciated. I just want a scope that I will grow into (skills and interest wise) but it seems as though this is very hard to acheive.

I take your point about collimation Umadog, noted

Also Steve, I just like my IT kit to talk to each other, I don't think that if i was putting into the car that I would be carting laptops about that much too. I'm sure that there will be some wireless 'sky-fi' type of interface that will enable me to use phone or ipad to drive the scope, again I appreciate what you say about complicating the set up, it will just be a challenge to get them to talk, its just an IT interest thing. Im not shy with a soldering iron but it will be secondary to the stargazing

I think it's been said more than once to me that I need to buy the scope that I will use, that sounds good sense to me and the Mak does sound a good all rounder (apart from imaging).

Anymore opinions out there??

Ken

[umadog]

Orion's Intelliscope Dobsonians have a "push-to" navigation device which can be communicated with via a serial port. It just sits silently on the scope unless needed.

If you are into Maks or SCTs then you could buy a nice OTA now and put it on a simple alt/az mount with no gizmos. A fancier mount can be added at a later point. The simple mount will always be useful for grab and go purposes. The more complex and heavy mount useful for AP.

[George!]

Skywatcher 200p Auto Dobsonian. Excellent, for transport, controling via latop and good for seeing some DSO's. Dont get Goto! You will get bored very easily and very quickly. Its a joy when you find things. It also saves you alot of money for eyepieces and accesories.

[ollypenrice]

I'm first and foremost an imager and so I'm stuck with IT as the only way of doing things.

The last thing I want anywhere near me if I'm doing visual observing is a screaming load of screen brightness destroying my night vision. Turn down the screen? Put red acetate over it? It will still wreck your night vision and, as Steve says, will throw enough tantrums to absorb most of your evening! Really the computer and visual observing do not go together. You need to dark adapt and dark adapt some more and then twice over the same again.

When people ask me to help at the Dob after I've been at the computer on the imaging rigs I'm totally useless. I can't see a darned thing.

Olly

[umadog]

Really the computer and visual observing do not go together.

Absolutely. I'm normally into automating everything with computers. I'm visual only and keep my logs in SkyTools and use it to plan observing. However, I never take my laptop into the field. Just doesn't work.