New to stargazing

[JamesF]

With the 130P you'll see them *easily*. I think you'll really struggle with the other two. You should also be able to see some detail on Jupiter and Mars and if you're patient (Neptune can be hard work) see all of the planets in our solar system. Somewhere I have a photo of Saturn that I took through my ST80. If I can find it I'll post it with a shot I've taken with my 127mm scope. Visually it's different, but you'll get the idea.

James

[Charlie_132]

Okay, thanks thatll be a great help

So do you think my best bet is to buy the 130 scope ?

With that one would it be a case of just setting It up in the garden and gazing up at the dark clear sky and seeing a number of different things ?

Also how easy is the heritage 130p to pack away and put back up ?

on another note, if i was to buy a Celestron astromaster 70az telescope, would i be able to set it up in the garden and see just as much but not in as much detail ?

[Stu]

I'd go with the 130p heritage. You'll be able to see more than with the other two you mention, it's a known brand and will be easy to set up and pack down

Stu

[Stu]

Btw, I know Lukeskywatcher on this forum has a 130p heritage, he can probably give some good opinions on it

Stu

[JamesF]

My personal opinion is that it's by far the most rewarding of the scopes you've suggested, certainly. I should probably also point out that no single scope is brilliant at everything, but again in my opinion the Heritage 130P is a very good compromise to start out with. It's also true that different people find they prefer different types of scope and don't get on with others. I can't tell you what you will find works for you.

And yes, it largely is just a case of taking it outside, allowing a short while for it to cool and then finding things you want to look at (which is something that requires practice in itself). Putting it outside the back door half an hour before you think you want to go out is probably sufficient in this case. It's not a huge scope, so you may want to put it on a table or some other support for comfortable use.

As far as I'm aware it's a doddle to carry about and set up/pack away. You just need to make sure you have the truss rods fully extended otherwise it can't reach focus.

James

[Charlie_132]

okay, i think i will buy the heritage 130p, whats the cheapest i could purchase it for including delivery ?

what is everybodys views on this one - http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5800504/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CPhotography%7C14419436/c_2/2%7C14419436%7CTelescopes%7C14419507.htm

is that one any good ?

[Stu]

I understand money can be tight but you do get what you pay for. May be worth saving for a little longer?

[Charlie_132]

What is your opinion of the argos scope ?

The price seems reasonable if I'm likely to see anything as good as the 130 heritage

[Stu]

I don't think the Argos one will be as good. The tripod and mount looks quite flimsy and will probably be quite wobbly so hard to get decent steady views. Don't believe the magnification specs either, they are totally unrealistic.

FLO do the 130p for £140 delivered. It is a larger diameter scope so will collect more light and will give better views I believe. Much more stable mount too

Stu

[Jon Sales]

Go with the heritage for now unless you can stretch about £400 for a big Dob which will wow you every time you use it for years to come

[Charlie_132]

Oh, £140 is a lot of money ... I'm not sure if I would be willing to pay that amount for my first scope

If I brought the Celestron Astromaster 70AZ, would I be disapointed by the results ?

[Stu]

Hi Charlie

Have a search on the forum, there are plenty of threads discussing these scopes such as the one.

http://stargazerslounge.com/showthread.php?p=2045004

Of course you can go for the 70az and may be quite happy with it. Your earlier posts said you really wanted to see saturn well. I have just been trying to suggest a scope which I think will give decent views of it. Perhaps going to a star party or finding an astronomy club near you might be an idea to get a look through a variety of scopes.

Cheers

Stu

[Charlie_132]

okay, i ll have a look about on the foum and see if i can find a few more reviews, at the moment it seems like chosing between a 70az scope or a 130p score is rather like chosing between bed and breakfast at a hotel or all inclusive ... theres no competition whatsoever.

im only using 10x50 bins at the moment but on a clear night i struggle to find anything that amazes me, it all looks the same as it does by eye .. just a tiny bit bigger but not much atall

if i buy the 70 scope, would i see a massive difference and be able to pick out exactly what i wanted to see (rings of saturn very small?)

where as if i buy the 130 i will see the rings of saturn quite big and i will be able to pick out mostly everything in the night sky pretty easily, bearing in mind that at the moment im only interested in seeing most planets and just seeing anything that i can focus on

[Stu]

I've not looked through a 70az so am not sure, someone else would have to assist you there. I suspect you would be able to see saturns rings but probably not in much detail. I think I've advised as much as I can. Good luck with your choice

Cheers

Stu

[Charlie_132]

okay, well thanks for all your help, i'll let everyone know what sort of scope i decide to purchase as and when the time comes (hopefully very soon!)

[JamesF]

This is a (very poor quality) image of Saturn I took using my 80mm telescope last year. I'm estimating a fair bit and it's really not a good way to think about things, but I'd say with the 70AZ you'd see an image a little more than half that size relative to the field of view. If you're happy with that then perhaps you'll be happy with the 70AZ.

With the 130P I think you'd be able to make out the rings and see the shadow of the planet across them. It'll still be small, but as long as the seeing is good you should be able to pick out far more detail.

It's a fair point that the 130P is more expensive, but it really is an unavoidable truth that good optics cost money. It has been posted elsewhere in SGL this evening that a decent telescope mirror needs to have a surface perfect to within a thousandth of the thickness of a human hair. You just can't produce that kind of accuracy cheaply.

I think it's good advice to find an astro society near you and visit when you can see a few scopes and what sort of views you get. We can offer advice, but only you can decide what will make you happy.

James

[BinocularSky]

If I brought the Celestron Astromaster 70AZ, would I be disapointed by the results ?

To put it bluntly, it depends whether you expect a precision scientific instrument or a toy. The realities are (a) that decent kit costs and ( astro kit is relatively far less expensive than it was a couple of decades ago.

[scogyrd]

Don't forget Jupiter is low down at the minute, which means you're looking through much more of the earth's atmosphere to see it, so the viewing conditions will not be as good as when it was higher in the sky. It'll be getting worse as the night progresses too.

[Charlie_132]

Brought a celestron firstscope 76

Got a few very stupid questions ...

1. I attached the 4mm piece but can't see a thing when I look through it, just a dark circle ...

I took the part off where the mirror is but that obviously isn't right, so I've put that back on, any advice ?

[Charlie_132]

Been having a play about with it and I can't see anything, I can see a circle when I turn the lights on but in darkness I can't even see a circle ... I close one eye and look through and its just darkness, can't see a thing

I can see more through 8x30 binoculars ...

I can't even pick out 1 star with the scope

I can't see where I'm going wrong ... I put the eyepiece in and then look through it, scan the sky and I can't even pick up a dot .. Then look through the 8x30s and see it small

Surely the telescope should pick something up ...

Even if I take the eyepiece out and look through it I can't see anything in the sky

Its a clear night and there's loads of stars out .. But I can't see anything!

[JamesF]

Perhaps trying it out during the day might help?

James

[Charlie_132]

Just had a look and all I can see during the day is a white circle ...

So during the night I see either nothing or a dark bluey black circle

During the day I see a white circle ...

[JamesF]

Then my best guess is that it's a long way out of focus.

What do you mean by "took the part off where the mirror is"?

James

[Charlie_132]

How would I focus it ? I've tried turning the 2 bits at the side but they just make the eyepiece holder go up and down ...

And oh don't worry about that, I was using it backwards to start with basically lol ... I'm using it the correct way round now

[JamesF]

"making the eyepiece holder go up and down" *is* focusing it.

Try winding it all the way out, then look through the eyepiece as you move it inwards, with the scope pointing at something you'll recognise that's a reasonable distance away.

James