~£150 budget: new or second hand?

[heathenwoods]

As the subject line suggests: I'm going to give myself a Yuletide present of c.£150 or so to spend on myself and what I'd like is a scope that isn't my eldest lad's 'Firstscope' (76/300) which has got us both further interested in astronomy but is quickly reaching its limit. I like the look of the Skywatcher Explorer 130s and also similarly priced dobs. The thing is I keep wondering what I could get for £150ish second hand? Is it worth it compared to buying new and with a warranty? I'm not massivley fussed by having a warranty, astronomy seems to be a pastime that inspires people to care for their kit. I can't quite work out (or trust) eBay and i've not been looking astro buy and sell long enough to get a feel for the going rate of things (and I've a week or so to go before i can see the buy and sell section here).

So, I guess what I'm asking is: what can i expect to get for £150 second hand by way of a newt/mount or a dob?

Also, is it worth considering a refractor in that price range. Slight caveat: as a beginner I'll probably be happiest with an all round scope until i decide which path (viewing/imaging) to go down...

(apologies for repetition, deviation and hesitation but Fitou's such a grand grape )

[rory]

around 90mm of refractor,maybe 102mm in second hand market.

dob's would give more light gathering for your money though,youd get a 6" id hsve thought, might have to go higher for an 8" though.

try the buy and sell site,someone might have the link somewhere.

good luck

[rory]

U.K. Astronomy Buy & Sell=

here.

[sunshine185]

You have already had a "first scope" and realised that you do have an interest in astronomy, therefore, if i were you i would just hold out a little while longer, do a little more saving up to get maybe 200-250, then you have the budget to get yourself something that could quite easily last a lifetime.I am thinking of a second hand 200p dob, which could be the only scope you ever need.

[AndyH]

A Tal 1 (110mm mirror, F7.3) is one of, if not THE best 2nd hand bargains on the market.

They come up all the time on ebay. Expect to pay up to £80(they are £200 new). Keep an eye out for one nearby as sellers rarely will offer postage due to the bulk and weight. Buying 2nd hand means you can sell it for what you paid for it. Gives you room to buy perhaps another eyepiece or 2 or other items.

Will give fantastic views are solidly built(you could through the tube down the stairs and it would be fine). They're heavy, but this isn't a bad thing as it means the scope doesn't wobble when looking through it when you touch it. Splits into 3 easily managable seperate parts(pedestal, eq mount head and tube). The optics(mirrors) are suberb, supplied accessories are excellent as is the finder scope.

They're so cheap 2nd hand, everyone should have one !!

Andy.

ps: Here's a review with some nice pics of the scope....... http://www.opticalvision.co.uk/documents/65.pdf

[LeeB]

A second vote for the tal I use a 10" orion ,but also own a 110mm tal1 as a heavy grab and go, it can be carried as one unit and at the secondhand prices available they are a steal. I stripped and resprayed (red its russian) it cost me the princely sum of £42 and came with two good eyepieces. The 25mm plossl is lovely and gets regular use in the 10" as well. jupiter last night was superb multi bands and detail swirl in the northern equatorial. Also collimation is less critical than some shorter f scopes and is additionally more tolerant because of being aspherical mirror. At F7.3 the none parabola is not an issue.

[NGC 1502]

Another vote here for a second hand 6" Dob or Tal 1. If you tread carefully, there is not much to go wrong with either of these. If you know someone who knows about scopes who could come with you to check, then theres almost nothing to fear.

How about contacting a local astronomy club for help ? There could even be someone there with a suitable scope to sell - worth a try at least.

Good luck in your search, Ed.

[damnut]

I would also point you in the way of a dob, if new then the 130p flextube is a penny under budget!. So you will get more apperture if you go used.

[heathenwoods]

Thanks everyone - lunchtime food for thought!

I have an inexplicable draw to Russian space-related things (my eldest, bless him, has Yuri as a middle name...) so the Tal 1 sounds brilliant. I'm keeping dobs in mind and, now I've had recommendation and looked past the fact that the tube print is the same as the tabletop one we've got, the 130P is head of the pack for new scopes.

I do mean to get along to one of the East Midlands meets near Belper but it has to coincide with a variety of family-related circumstances and, of course, the weather!

The idea about a scope for life is probably one I'll come back to in a few years when (i) my youngest is in school and my missus is working fulltime and (ii) I decide to specialise in one area of viewing.

Thanks for the answers At the moment, a Tal-1 and a couple of nice EPs sounds a good idea.

[haitch]

You should be able to get a 2nd hand TAL-2 for your money I would have thought. We've got one at my local astro society and they're good solidly built gear with reasonable optics. You can sometimes have difficulty on some older models getting non-TAL EPs to focus.

[heathenwoods]

Just done some reading into Tal-2s and they sound great. I'll have to keep my eyes peeled. Cheers.