Newbie - scope on a tiny budget?

[c3po]

having recently been really captured by astronomy i'd really like to get myself into astronomy but have a really tight budget of £150... not much i know, but what could i get for the money that would allow me to see planets, as well as some of the brighter DSOs.

i'm no stranger to 2nd hand items and would gladly consider something from the likes of classifieds or eBay if it was going to do the job and then sell and upgrade at a later date.

recommendations wanted please folks!

[Astronut1982]

Hi c3po,

You could do a lot worse than buying one of these bad boys:-

First Light Optics - Skywatcher Explorer 130

This is the very same scope I started out with & I was very happy with it. Its big enough that you will be able to see several deep space objects & will also give you excellent views of the Moon & the planets. Its not too big either & doesn't take too long to set up either.

If you find aan extra £20 you also buy this instead:-

First Light Optics - Skywatcher Explorer 130M

Its the same scope but with a right ascension drive which will track objects for you as long as you polar align & set it to the correct altitude. Don't worry, these are easy to do, you can get advice on here if you are unsure though.

I think buying either of these scopes would get the most out of your small budget.

Jeff

[themos]

A friend of mine picked up a used TAL 6 inch reflector on an equatorial mount for about £120. So, getting your hands on a quality instrument for that budget is possible but you may have to wait a bit.

[Astro Imp]

If you are thinking of going down the used line a good place to look is Astro Buy and Sell.

This site is very well regarded by members of SGL. Have a look and if you see something that takes your fancy get advice from SGL.

Be very careful on eBay.

[c3po]

If you are thinking of going down the used line a good place to look is Astro Buy and Sell.

This site is very well regarded by members of SGL. Have a look and if you see something that takes your fancy get advice from SGL.

Be very careful on eBay.

thanks for the tip! I'm heading over there now...

just out of interest, does anybody rate the Celestron Astromaster 130EQ (with RA Motor )

[nightfisher]

thanks for the tip! I'm heading over there now...

just out of interest, does anybody rate the Celestron Astromaster 130EQ (with RA Motor )

the astromaster is okay, not brilliant, not bad, i would second the idea of a decent second hand Tal reflector, they come up on fleabay fairly often

[c3po]

i've seen a Skywatcher 130p dob on 'PreLoved' owner says its never been used and belonged to a family member...any good? Also, would anybody have experience of teh Celestron PowerSeeker 60AZ?

I'm not expecting miracles of my £100-150 and can always sell on later when i upgrade, so please keep the suggestions and comments coming!

[paul schofield]

mmm WHY HAS IT NEVER BEEN USED, I just sold my SW130p on ebay for £125. And it was absolutely perfect, so there are some good things to be had on there. Problem is you never know who you are buying from. But yes beware and check before you part with your hard earned. Steer clear of Seben whatever you do. Sky-Watcher 130p Dobs I have only heard possitive things about. Good luck.

[Rapallokid]

In my opinion a Dob would be the simplest to use if you are starting out and you may get a bit more apperture for your money. I also second the "avoid seben " recommendation.

[c3po]

mmm WHY HAS IT NEVER BEEN USED, I just sold my SW130p on ebay for £125. And it was absolutely perfect, so there are some good things to be had on there. Problem is you never know who you are buying from. But yes beware and check before you part with your hard earned. Steer clear of Seben whatever you do. Sky-Watcher 130p Dobs I have only heard possitive things about. Good luck.

thanks for the avoidance warning, i've heard bad things about the Seben 'scopes from all over the place, so will make sure i avoid them like the plague.

From what i gather, the SW130p on PreLoved was bought as a gift for the gent who owned, and as far as i have been told he was getting on in life, as such the scope it sat in a corner gathering dust after a few short uses...so *should* be near mint condition

[themos]

will make sure i avoid them like the plague

That may be overdoing it a bit. When faced with the plague or a seben, go for the seben

:-)

[LukeSkywatcher]

You can have a Skywatcher Heritage 130P for less then £150.

Very good 5" Dob.

[RikM]

First Light Optics - Skywatcher Heritage 130p Flextube

[daf1999]

First Light Optics - Skywatcher Heritage 130p Flextube

This is what I just got from Sherwoods along with a TAL Barlow x2 - excellent bit of kit for starting out.

[Grunthos]

having recently been really captured by astronomy i'd really like to get myself into astronomy but have a really tight budget of £150... not much i know, but what could i get for the money that would allow me to see planets, as well as some of the brighter DSOs.

You may wish to consider a binocular.

£150 will get you a decent instrument and a tripod.

Many astronomers have started with binoculars (some of us still love them!).

Maybe something like a Celestron Skymaster 15x70 mounted on a Horizon 8115 tripod?

Would leave you with some loose change for a decent Star Chart...

[SamAndrew]

Theres a nice Tal-1 on ebay right now