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Need your Help guys in choosing telescope


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Hi All I have been searching for my first telescope and posted earlier where I received lots of help so thanks for that !!

I have now narrowed my search for my first telescope after looking at reviews on the internet and help from Star Gazers to four telescopes so would like you all to have your say on which one is best.

They are the following

1.Star Watcher Sky Max 102 Syn Scan AZ goto

2.Celestron NEXTAR 90 slt Maksutov

3.Skywatcher Star Travel 102 Synscan AZ goto

4.Celestron LCM Computerised Newtonian

Please help me choose Star Gazers remember I want a easy use telescope I can just set up but does not cost the earth to search for Planets and Stars with my 10 year son.

Regards

Rick

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if you want to show your son the wonders of the universe a goto once aligned can show you alot in one night compared to a manual telescope were you could be looking all night for 1 object but once found you cant beat that felling. the st102 az is a good starter scope :) and your son wont need a stool to look through the eyepiece

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I often wonder whether a goto just seems - push a few buttons find it - next?

mind you theres nothing more frustrating than nudging all night and coming up with a big fat zero (unless the clouds roll in just before the breakthrough moment) - however theres nothing as rewarding either in the astro world for me so far - no right or wrong answer to this just not sure goto is the way forward - not for me at least - good luck with whatever you chose however.

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If you have somewhere cold like a garage to keep the scope, I would say get option 1, theStar Watcher Sky Max 102 Syn Scan AZ goto. As long as it has had time to cool down before it is used it will give you great views, especially of the planets and moon.The newtonian (option 4) will need collimating, and the ST102 will show quite a bit of false colour. Option 2, the 90mm maksutov will be a good scope but get the bigger one (option 1) if you can, it will show you more.

Option1 is a scope that will not need collimating (adjusting) to show you good views of the planets and moon, and it will show you some DSOs as well. It is also a scope that will do well with cheaper plossl eyepieces, an allround good starter scope.

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I'd go for the Skymax 102 or the 127 if you can afford it. It will give you lovely views and us low maintenance.

Get a Tal 2x Barlow for it, upgrade the 10mm eyepiece and get a dew shield for it add maks are prone to fogging up.

I've used both the 102 & 127 as well as the Nexstar 5SE and the optics are excellent for lunar and planetary viewing as well as the brighter DSO's.

The Skywatcher goto scopes have a larger object database than the Celestron equivalent even tho they are the same company, Synta.

Also but a copy of Turn Left At Orion, 4th edition, spiral bound. It will help you learn your way around the night sky and make you look really clever to your son lol :)

Hope this helps you and your son.

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Hi, we have the Skymax 127 and we love it. We had a 130 newtonian on an eq mount but it was very frustrating- you would find something, go in to get the kids and by the time they got out, it was out of sight. We changed to the skymax and it is great. The other night i was looking at the moon and went inside, had a cup of tea and got warmed up again and it was still right in the middle when I went back. It is so easy to use and if you align it properly, finds things easily. Would highly recommend it. We feel it is used more than the other one because it is so easy to set up. Good luck and happy viewing.

PS our 10 year old was blown away by Jupiter and even the details on the moon

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