1st Telescope on a very tight Budget

[gillipies]

Apologies for the same old, same old kind of ‘I’m new and don’t know what to buy’ thread but I’m sure you can appreciate there’s a hell of a lot of information out there and finding the bits relevant to you and your budget can be a bit of a headache!

So… I’ve been interested in astronomy since I was a lot younger but up until now I’ve just been using the good old naked eye to look at the same old constellations and night sky phenomena. I bought a ‘beginner’s guide’ kind of book a couple of months ago which has spurred me on into going a little bit deeper into the subject (and not forgetting Stargazing Live!).

Compared to most on this forum I do have a *very* small budget (around £100 or less) which I realise is not going to get me award winning photographs or anything close to what a lot of people on here describe seeing… however such are financial pressures at the moment that’s about the limit!

From what I have read, a refractor telescope seems to be better for relatively close objects, and a reflector for further away? As a bit of a compromise I’ve been wondering about getting a pair of binoculars and also a reflector telescope. But how much would you actually see with a pair of say 10x50 binoculars?

I saw in Jessops yesterday a Ta1100-102 which had 50% off the price and is now £90 – is this good value for money/a good telescope? Can anyone recommend anything else decent for around that price? I was also looking at the Celestron Astromaster 70AZ.

My last question should be fairly straightforward – are there any good shops in the West Midlands area (ideally Birmingham) where I can go to have a look at the size etc of different telescopes? There’s only Jessops I can think of which has virtually nothing in stock at the moment. I’ve seen people mention the idea of going to a society meeting and trying out some scopes there but I get the impression anything I might try there would be way beyond my budget!

Any help and advice on the above points would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks.

[sunshine185]

Change your writing please, is dark writing on dark background.

[Pigz]

the celestron astromaster 114eq is available at the top end of your budget for 100 its got a 114mm mirror and is a reflector its the biggest scope you would be able to get for your money i would rekon but also have a look on ebay just make sure you collect it yourself if you can and you can have a look at the condition of the mirrors etc before purchasing from ebay link for 113eq £100 free delivery or amazon have it for £107 ABC Digital Cameras>C21045 Celestron Astromaster 114EQ

[Orion_the_Hunter]

Can't read your post - black writing on a dark grey background!!

[LeeB]

Tal 1 off ebay check the mirrors are clean and free from marks the rest is bomb proof (make sure its a later model with 1 1/4 inch focus tube (it has a little thumb screw)) date on plaque on bottom of tube look for post 1998)

Should pick one up between 40-60 pounds with two eyepieces (ps throw away the solar filter its dangerous)

Mount is stable and at f7.3 easy to collimate.

You will not find a better made scope under £200 inho

You mention a tal in the post at half price if its a tal1 110mm thanks also a bargain new.

[gillipies]

Sorry folks, first post - cut and paste job from word... didn't realise it would actually post in that colour! Doh!

Thanks for the advice so far :-)

[Catweazel]

If you can push your budget a bit you could go for a SkyHawk:

First Light Optics - Skywatcher Skyhawk 1145P

You will get a warranty and not need to worry about mirrors etc!

[Moonshane]

you can get some genuine bargains on U.K. Astronomy Buy & Sell but it helps if you can go with someone to have a look for you. if you are at all handy, you could buy a used 6" reflector for well under your budget and make a dobsonian base Telescope Dobsonian base from basic materials. this would give very satisfactory views and far better than bins or a cheap refractor. steer clear of Jessops and Seben.