saturated with information...still mostly clueless

[owenfay]

Hello All-

I am brand, spanking new to all of this and have utterly no idea what I'm doing. However, I'm reasonably confident -having read many of your posts- that I've grasped the most important objective of astronomy:

To woo women.

With that goal in mind, what could possibly go wrong ?

I'm going to buy a telescope in about a month and I'm still not entirely sure which direction to go. I'll give you a rough idea of what I'm hoping to achieve and if any of you are kind enough to respond, I have two questions which I'll save until the end.

1. I don't want a motor. I'd like to take my time with this and learn charts, etc. slowly. I'm not in a rush and would like to take the time to learn all the skills. Also, I look forward to boring my wife by using words like 'azimuth', so any kind of computer/motor seems a little like cheating.

2. I would like to get a telescope that allows for upgrades over time. Some of the models I've looked at seem suspiciously locked in. Flexibility seems key.

3. I live in southeast London and while I have a pokey garden, it's north-facing and completely unobstructed. Light pollution aside, there's a ridiculous amount of unblocked sky. Added to that, I'm not too far from Greenwich. Which brings me to

4. Size and weight. As an amateur's amateur, it doesn't make any sense to me to buy something that I can't move around reasonably easily. This strikes me as a common mistake and as my initial ambitions are to learn, one I can avoid.

5. I'd like to strike the beginner's balance between planets, starts and dso's. I have no delusions about what I can see, but this has got to be a telescope that can get me well into the intermediate stage.

6. Let's say 300 pounds, all in.

So with all this in mind, my two questions are as follows:

1. Quick. First model that leaps to mind is...?

2. What's the one mistake you wish you could have avoided when starting out ?

Cheers,

Owen

[LukeSkywatcher]

Hi Owen

You dont seem to want to be left with no flexability, so i am guessing a DOB is not really on the cards.

Taking that into mind, the first scope that jumps to my mind is this:

First Light Optics - Skywatcher Explorer 130P

Its well within budget and there is room to upgrade in the future. Its a VERY popular choice for a starting scope (for those that dont want a DOB).

I honestly cant say that anything i have done since owning scopes has been a mistake. It has all been a learning experience.

I am finally now in a happy place regarding the gear i have and the setup i use because i have fine tuned it over the years to suit my needs/wants/ability.

[Skybrowser]

If you're not overly concerned about imaging yet, perhaps a Skywatcher 150P on an EQ3-2? It would come in under budget and you can add motors or "go to" later on?

The mounts can of course cost a hell of a lot more than the scope so you may still have to upgrade it you get seriously into imaging. You can still get some very successful shots from an EQ3-2 but don't think it will work well for some stuff, especially DSOs requiring very long exposures and loads of subs.

I started off with a 150PL (slightly longer than the "P") and an EQ3-2 and loved it. I still have them both but use mt 200P and HEQ5 all the time these days.

You could also look at a refractor - perhaps slightly lighter in weight and more portable, but perhaps the smaller aperture may not fit the bill for you.

You will of course get various opinions on SGL and may get a bit confused.com so why not seek out a local astro club first and download Stellarium (free) to start with? You can see the scopes and mounts for yourself then and make your mind up as to what works for you? Good luck with choosing!

[owenfay]

Thanks for the advice. It's extremely helpful. I'm trying to balance ambition with reality and the last thing i want is a piece of kit that ends up in the back of the shed after a few months.

Much appreciated.