First Scope advice

[solarconnection]

I'm considering upgrading the binoculars to a scope since portability is no longer an issue. Therefore could anyone give some advice on which scope is good for beginners, what price range I should be looking at and any other things I may find useful when starting with a scope?

Thanks!

[Beardy30]

sywatc her 130m is highly thought of 169.00

[Tribal-Wolf]

It depends on a few things, are you just viewing or do you want to take pictures? How much room have you got? Will the scope be kept in a garage/outhouse? There are other things too but that's a start.

[jonathan]

For a cheap, easy starter scope I would look at the Skywatcher StarTravel range of refractors. They may not give as much bang for your money as a newtonian reflector such as the 130P but they are easy to use and handle, and require no maintenance.

An ST80 is £126, with it you will see some star clusters, planets, moon surface detail, double stars, Andromeda galaxy, Orion nebula.. depending on how dark your site is and seeing conditions of course. More expensive scopes will give sharper and more detailed views, bigger scopes will show higher magnification (usually, I think, depending on configuration) and fainter objects. It comes down to how much you can physically manage and how much you want to spend.

The Celestron 8SE that I have is a fine scope, but personally I would mount it on a good EQ mount rather than the Goto Alt/Az that comes with it. Celestron do scope-only deals, such as the C8 XLT

First Light Optics - Celestron C8 XLT Optical Tube Assembly

Couple this with an HEQ5 and you're set for some great viewing!

First Light Optics - Celestron CG-5 GT GOTO

These are SCT scopes, they are more compact than reflectors and require less maintenance, that is what attracted me to the 8SE. Since I have owned it I have not needed to adjust it or take it apart at all, I have added accessories to it however which has improved it's ease of use and performance.

Some people swear by one type of scope (reflector / refractor / SCT, etc) but many allow you to see the same things. It comes down to personal preference and experience as to which is best for you, and you won't know that for sure until you try some out or buy your own

[swamp thing]

Hi

You need to ask yourself a few questions:

~Whats my budget?

~What do I wanna see?

~Where am I gonna store it?

~ Where am I goona use it?

Answer these then ask away.

Regards Steve