First scope advice please..too much choice.

[Stargazer_00]

Reposting from another thread as this is the proper place for the topic

Hi all,

I am sure there are a million an one threads about new people wishing to start up astronomy asking for advice but please bear with me. I will value your responses greatly in my selection.

Let me first explain my own experience, my ambitions and my situation.

I have no experience whatsoever with any telescope. I am an absolute beginner, I know maybe 3 or 4 constellations in the sky but have had a burning desire to learn more about the universe i inhabit for a long time and now can afford to follow it properly.

I live in a small town (approx 200k people) which has a moderate level of light pollution. On a clear night there is a band of orange on the horizon in all directions but as you rise up past 15 degrees or so from horizon stars are visible with the naked eye. All major star consetllations should be visible with the naked eye. A short 10-15 minute drive from my house in any direction would be in much better conditions and certainly my back garden has zero local light pollution so after a few minutes my eyes adjust very well to the darkness, the only problem i have with LP is the town's orange glow. I do not know how to gauge the level of magnitude i can view.

My interest in astronomy is one of vision only not imaging. I dont have the budget to stretch that far at the start, maybe one day but not now. I would like to see good views of the moons surface, the system's planets, stars I cant see with the naked eye, the various DSOs that are relatively easy to spot. I appreciate that my light conitions make viewing any difficult DSOs impossible to find so I neednt gear up for them just yet.

Now; I've spent the last few days reading posts here and reviews there and have swayed between purchasing a number of different scopes but just can't seem to make an absolute decision.

My budget is £300 but up to £400 if required, i expect this should buy me a good starter scope. I have no idea what accesories I should be getting for day one, maybe none? eyepieices for sure at some point soon im sure.

Portability is a big deal for me, I dont want some giant dob sitting in my house as it'll get in the way - I want a scope I will use not just some giant that is as big as my budget will stretch.

I am undecided on getting a scope with GoTo, I like most novices, see this as instant access to the sky which I guess it is. I just dont want it to hinder my ability to learn where things are on my own if and when I choose to learn the sky for myself. If no GoTo then I would probably at least like a scope with a motorised base which can automatically track an object across the sky to save me having a headache from day 1 learning how to manually, contstanty adjust the scope to keep an object in focus.

Still with me? Bit of an essay.... my apologies.

The scopes i'm looking at are as follows:

Meade ETX 80 - cheap, easy to set up, good portability, auto star, built in barlow

Celestron NexStar 90 SLT - looks like a direct comparison as the Meade ETX 90 but at a significantly cheaper price point. The meade is out of my price range but this is in it. No barlow, has auto star

Celestron NexStar 127 SLT - as above but bigger aperture, looks like its better all around. F11.6

Celestron NexStar 130 SLT - bigger aperture but also only F5.

Skymaster Skymax 102 Synscan AZ GOTO - looks like a better version of the 90 above, equal to the meade etx 90. no barlow.

Skymaster Skymax 127 SynScan AZ GOTO - as above but better. more expensive obviously. top of my budget.

I find myself looking more and more at MAKs, not sure why. I guess they appear compact and give good images.

I am not scared of technology, I do want to learn the sky eventually.

Please give me your advice

The good advice I already got was Skywatcher Explorer 130p AZ GOTO

Is there any benefit getting a higher priced makcas (127) over a 130p reflector?

I am concious that I dont want to get a ridiculous scope that doesnt work for me but I want a good scope i wont want to replace straight away.

[rowan46]

the smaller dobs 150p are very compact in fact it takes less floor space than any of the scopes you mentioned. it has a bigger apparture so gives a better view. as to the others I have a 127 sct a similar sort of performance to the scopes you are thinking of. the celestron 127 slt is the same scope as the skymax 127 synscan. same firm different badge. the maks give great views of the planets and moon. the 130p reflector will give a more wide field view and imo gives a nicer view of open clusters. the 150 dob is cheaper bigger and gives a brighter image on all objects. Ask anyone, that extra inch makes a difference.

[Stargazer_00]

I dont fancy a dob, i just want something compact and portable which doesn't seem to be a dob for me - as clear as it is it will give the best all round performance it just isnt the scope i will use a lot so I cant buy one on that basis.

I need something small that packs a punch.

I looked at the 120 refractors this morning and they are in my price range. I decided that getting GoTo is money I should spend on optics instead but am extremely wary of EQ mounts. I am finding it very hard to find MAKCAS on AZ mounts. Are there any sets that sell this way?

I also read on this forum that 120 refractors wont be any good at all on moon or planets... why is that? I must confess I dont understand CA at all. I am confused, on paper a 120mm refractor should solve all my needs.. I like the idea of a wide field of view but would like to be able to see jupiter and saturn with the correct eye pieces. I get the impression that a MAKCAS will only resolve a tiny field of view.

I have no experience with what to expect when i look through the scope, what is the field of view like on a MAKCAS? If I pointed it at the centre star of orions belt would I see either of the other 2 adjacent stars? Is that what I would see in the field of view of a 120mm Refractor?

I really want high resolution, high magnification views of the moon surface as this is the easiest target to learn. I'll get a moon map and learn its georgraphy. Ideally the same scope should allow me to see jupiter (bands and moons) and saturn with its rings and the other planets at least as discs. After that seeing stars I cant see with the naked eye - I doubt this scope would then be able to resolve any DSO galaxies or nedulae, I am fine with that for my first scope. I want to start with the moon in best possible view and the planets and then work my way around the sky after that.

What is the best compact scope for that? Maybe even a cheap spotter scope and a cheap MAK is an option? So confused now..

[bigbox]

Hi Stargazing, firstly wecome to SGL...

Having read what you have said so far, my advice, as a year old astronomer would be to go to your local society have a look around and get a feel for what you might want or your local retailer.

I had the very same problems last year when i was starting out in this amazing hobby. i was asking questions on here and other forums but it was'nt until i went to a fairly local retailer that i made my mind up , having played with everything in the shop. Don't get me wrong the guys n girls on here will give all the advice you could wish for & its sound advice, listen to what they (we) say but go and see some equipment so you have an idea of the size you'd like. Remember the bigger the aperture the more you will see.

Best of luck finding what you want/need!

Regards Ady

[rowan46]

if you want high powered lunar viewing you can't beat a mak unless you get an expensive refractor. The mak in my eyes is made for lunar viewing. It's not the best for dso's but it's not awful. Some of the larger targets may not fit but you'll get most of them.

The mak doesn't suffer from the false colour on the moon that cheap refractors do but it's contrast may not be quite as good on planets as a refractor, however it's not so bad.

The 127 mak does fit most of your criteria it's not so hot on dso's but it's not a complete washout. as to which of the 2 to have they are the same scope on different mounts. I prefer the celestron for the couple of extra quid. it's a bit sturdier and the software is a bit zippier

[Stargazer_00]

Thats great advice, thanks.

I am down to two probably quite different scopes now

Skymaster Startravel 120

Celestron NexStar 127 SLT

My only hang up now really is can the GOTO base, can it be moved like a normal AZ mounted scope if the batteries run out?

What sort of views will a 4 inch refractor give?

[bigbox]

i had the skywatcher startravel 102mm on an eq2 mount until just before chistmas and i had some fantastic views with that scope, such as saturn, jupiter & M42. so i would imagine the 120 would be slightly better... Can't comment on the goto mount though as i wanted/liked the idea of an EQ mount as it was all part of the learning curve for me. It helped me learn the sky, rather than pushing buttons and it going to the coordinates i put in...

[malc-c]

Not 100% sure about the AZ goto mounts, but the EQ mounts have clutches that can be released and the scope moved by hand.

The Nestar 127 is a cracking little scope, ideal for planetary and luna observations. Being compact tube for a long focal length it means you'll get the high magnifications but still have excellent portability.

I have mine on an EQ5 goto which makes for a really stable platform... as the mount was surplus after I upgraded the main scope's mount to an HEQ5.

[rowan46]

no the alt az goto mounts have to be powered get yourself a power tank with it and it will have plenty of power. A 4 inch refractor at that end of the market will show a lot of false colour on the moon and planets and brighter stars and is likely to be soft around the edges. lots of people get on with them though.

[M4lcs67]

I have the Celestron 127 SLT and have found it a great little scope. Like you I was wanting something portable and also compact and the 127 certainly ticks those boxes. Easy to set up and also has goto so finding objects is a little easier. If you ended up plumping for the Celestron I would seriously recommend getting a powertank otherwise it will eat batteries at an allarming rate. This scope is within your budget, so in the interim you would have a nice set up to be getting on with. I use the 25mm ep the most and it gives some good results.

Also may be worth investing in a couple of good books/sky atlasses. The newbies bible is Turn Left At Orion and everyone on Stargazers Lounge recommends it as the definative guide to starting out. Amazon sell it for about £16-17.

[sticks]

Hi - I recently bought a Celestron MAK 127 SLT after lots of research and soul searching, (I became like a rabbit startled by headlights and was almost unable to make a decision) - so I know where you are coming from.

The MAK is a great little scope and very portable, (the main deciding factor for me). You need to budget for a power tank (£30 Maplin), a case (£30 Maplin), a dew shield (£20 FLO), a moon filter (£20) and some better eyepieces (you can get a couple of BSTs for £80). I have spent about another £20 on minor accessories as well. This adds £200 to your original purchase price!

Your £400 budget would need to be increased or you could go for the Skywatcher Skymax 127 Supatrak for £300, (without the go-to facility), and try living without some of the extras for a while - but you will want them pretty soon...

One thing you must be prepared for is that your astronomy will become "telescope centric" and you will be reading an almost infinite number of equipment reviews and opinions for ever while your sky research shrinks alarmingly. I wonder how long for?!

On the Go-To question - I could live without it to be honest. This would retain your interest in learning the sky properly. The best thing about Go-To is not having to bend double and peer through a finder every time you want to see a new target - often on your knees... But you do have to set it up amd align it at each session, which gets easier with experience but is pretty baffling at the start.

Best of luck with your decision making - don't get distracted by the nuances of the choices you have to make - wait 'til you start to look at eyepieces!

[rwilkey]

A Mak seems a good choice for the criteria you have given, as long as you can operate it manually as well. GoTo is a good thing but nothing beats learning the sky yourself, Maks have longer cool down times. My choice is a 4" refractor, mine has no false colour, but if a refractor suffers from this then a filter called a 'fringe-killer' will deal with this, refractors are very portable and easy to set up, and give great views of the Moon and planets, especially at f/8 or f/9. So I would NOT go for the Startravel 120, as it has a fast focal ratio (f/5), look for something much slower such as f/8 or f/9.

[rwilkey]

BTW, Don't go for something with a built-in Barlow, this limits your viewing choices, many people with very long focal ratios (with Barlow) end up wanting to reduce them, better to have the choice to Barlow yourself.

[Stargazer_00]

I am thinking right now that a 4 inch refractor would be good simply for ease of use to get me into it, I am more than happy to learn how to track the scope myself so I can turn budget into optics instead of electronics. I have ordered the turn left at orion book, 3 days away.

If not the fast startravel 120, what can i get in my price bracket? There are some cheap 90mm slower refractors f10 area, but surely they are just cheap and will suffer from it?

[Stargazer_00]

Vixen A80 AMF Refractor? Cheap, 80mm f11.4, would need to buy a mount for it. Would this work for me? Would a 90 MAK or 127 MAK be WAY better?

[Jandy100]

Hi, you are me 9 months ago, a newbie with money ready to spend & not a clue what to spend it on.

Advice here is excellent, ultimately the telescope you end up getting is like buying your pants... it's going to be personal to you. Best advice I can give is go to a local Astronomical society, go to star parties & you'll get to view through all types of telescopes & then make your mind up. I did the exact the same thing and went for Evostar 120 on EQ5 mount. I had a £400 budget at first, but decided until I knew exactly what I wanted I bought a pair of 10 x 50 wide angle binos & number of books to start with to learn the sky, and then allowed myself more time to build up my budget. Overall the equipment I got (see signature) was about £600.

I can assure you with a good star map & binos you will be just as excited when observing, and you will be glad of the opportunity to save a bit longer to get exactly what you want.

Andy, Milton Keynes

[RikM]

The 80mm Vixen is nice but if you are wanting 'high resolution' views, you need large aperture for this rather than simply magnification. You can't just increase the magnification forever, there is a limit to how much detail a scope will show.

I have a Skywatcher 127 Mak and when properlly cooled down to ambient temperature (takes about an hour for me) this gives nice views of lots of objects. The larger aperture gives you higher resolution and the extra light gathering ability to see fainter objects.

That said, it is my least favourite scope and my 6" and 10" Newtonians give far better views all round, but the Mak is little if space is a premium. The optical tube lives in a padded gym bag on top of a wardrobe with the mount in the wardrobe. I use it as a travel scope on a manual altaz mount (AZ4).

[rwilkey]

The Vixen 80mm is nice for starters, but there's the mount on top, the mini-porta is not very stable, but the Porta II is good, albeit, a little expensive. Better to save up for a better 90 or 100mm in my view, but it depends how quickly you want to get observing. The Vixen will certainly suffice for the time being, but you must have a stable mount.

[Stargazer_00]

This looks like a good safe option, what do you think?

First Light Optics - Skywatcher Evostar 90 (EQ3-2)

the comment from BBC S@N Magazine makes it sound like its a good scope, it mentions nothing of the planets or the moon though.

Could I use other OTA on this mount in the future?

[Stargazer_00]

I did a total 180, thanks for all the advice.

I went for this

First Light Optics - Skywatcher Explorer 150P EQ3-2 / EQ3 PRO GOTO

My portability woes will have to woe, i figured aperture is king. it says so everywhere. this is a good affordable starting platform for me to learn on, can add to and isnt breaking my bank.

Please tell me i made a good choice :/

[rwilkey]

The Sky Watcher Explorer 150P is a great scope, great for feint DSO's and Moon and planetary and a good starter scope. f/5, so careful choice of eyepieces in future will serve you well. This scope will help you more than any other to find your feet. You will need a Cheshire Collimater as well. However, I have heard these scopes keep thier collimation well, even straight out of the box.

[Stargazer_00]

thank you for your help, you have really helped me decided what is important.

the only scary thing now is learning to collimate it, but I have confidence that with patience I will master it quickly enough... I mean i taught myself how to play the guitar in 4 weeks Im sure I can tune a telescope with a good guide (read astro baby and seems OK).

I'll get a cheshire collimator sent as well, what sort of eye pieces should I consider in the future? I'm a bit under budget so maybe I could squeeze some more in the post up front

[RikM]

The 150P / EQ3-2 is a great set-up and will give you a great intro to the hobby. (It's exactly what I started with).

BST eyepieces from Skysthelimit ebay shop are a nice step up from the supplied EP's, but to be honest, get to know your kit a bit first. The EP's that come with the scope are not that bad. With a bit of observing time under your belt, you will get a feel for the type of objects that enjoy observing most and then you get the right EP designs to suit your interest.