one giant step forward, then two back

[dave34]

Its over 12mnths since i first looked through my neighbours scope and saw Saturn for the first time, it was such a rush that i caught the bug instantly, but since then deciding which scope to buy has been a nightmare, i originally decided on the SW evostar 90/900 as my first scope, then i hear about SW 130 Reflectors, i switch to this option instead, so the SW 130p it is then, well no, i hear its worth waiting and getting the 150p instead once the extra funds is saved up, so im going to buy a reflector just not sure which one, well no, ive just read another thread where someone is going to buy a reflector but a small Apo refractor might be better, i feel a headache coming on, all i want to do is look at the planets, how hard can it be to choose the right scope, has everyone else been through this when starting out as a newbie. now where did i put those nurofen.

[Tribal-Wolf]

Find your local astro society and have a look through a few scopes, people have different preferences and you won't know for sure till you try.

[mdstuart]

Dave

Over the last few years I have been through a number of scopes, gradually getting larger until I now have a 10 inch..

I found it good to buy second hand and then after a few months sell it on and get another one. Each time I lost very little money other than the postage but learned from it..

There are risks of course but if you use astro buy and sell and stick to people who you can verify are genuine by their usernames on forums like this or as above use your local astro club the risks are minimised..

Enjoy the journey..

Mark

[scuffer]

Yep , been there , spent more than I planned , you say you just want to see planets , is this true or do you want to see dso's as well

[dave34]

Planets are my prime interest, DSO's are something for the future, id get a bigger headache if i had to take them into account aswell. Dave

[Mike Hawtin]

Don't worry about getting every decision right, just jump right in, get a 6" reflector and enjoy the ride. When you've learnt the ropes a bit your future purchases will be more informed, but be warned, if you stay interested you will always want bigger and better, it's the astro equivalent of the grass always being greener just over the hill!

[dave34]

I had to chuckle at that Mike, ive got the symptoms already,and thats before ive bought my first scope, but yes im going to enjoy it, the moment i step outide my gaze goes straight to the heavens, ive got the bug alright. Dave

[scuffer]

I started looking at the 130p and ended up with a 200p dob , I haven't anything to compare it against but it's an excellent scope to start with , easy to setup , if I ever upgrade it'll probably be put on a mount so hopefully it'll last a long time? If you get a dob over a mount it'll save you money that you can use to buy the accessories that will cost as much as the scope

[Polar Bear]

Hi Dave and welcome to SGL

I had the same dilemma when I started and took advice from the forum on best choices and tried quite a few 'starter' scopes.

I also primarily like to observe the Planets, the Moon and some white light Solar. But I also like to look at Star Clusters, Doubles, Galaxies and Nebulae.

First advice I would give is to get out and just enjoy the night sky without fussing too much about equipment.

As regards equipment ensure you put good money into the mount. Preferably one you can keep as you upgrade. If I was to start again I would go for an EQ4 minimum or preferably an EQ5 with a 2" tubular tripod.

I started with a 130mm reflector, then a 150mm, went down to a 110mm then a 70mm F15 refractor and then just 20 x 90 and 9 x 63 binoculars. 2 years on I have a 120 Evostar refractor and the 9 x 63's. I wish I had bought this scope originally.

I would say for what you want to do go for the 120 on an EQ5 if funds permit it is a good planetary scope and copes well with the DSO stuff.

Paul

[Ant]

If planets are your primary interest, have you considered one of these? First Light Optics - Skywatcher Skymax 127 SupaTrak

They really are quite good for planets. This mount would also keep the object in the FOV so you can view without touching the scope.

Cheers

Ant

[dave34]

Thanx for the advice guys, ive jut come across a link to a field of view calculater on another thread, ive just had a play with it, the view of saturn with a 150pl ,10mm ep with 4x barlow is fantastic, i dont know how accurate this calculater is but if i could see saturn like that id be very happy, im going back to it now entering the scopes youve mentioned. Dave

[knobby]

dont forget the maximum mag for a scope is about 40 x per inch ish aperture depending on conditions.

In reality you'd probably never use 10mm with a 4 x barlow.

That sites good but should have a warning about max mag.

[JamesM]

Hi Dave, recommendations aside, I would like to come back to a point that Chris (Tribal-Wolf) made about getting out there and looking through some scopes first. All the reading of website about this and that specification won't mean anything to you, unless you've got something to hang these figures from, so that you can establish what you need to satisfy your expectations (and your budget). THis means that you will to get out there and start looking through some gear. Many astro societies perform observation evenings which you can attend, along with local observing groups too and you might want to check out the front page of this forum under the 'Community' heading to see if their is a 'Social Group' (in the blue highlighted area) in your local area that you can also hook up with. The real difference between all these scopes, can only be evaluated at the eyepiece. A couple of nights out at these events and you will very quickly work out what you need - it will how to pay for it that will be your next headache!:D

Clear skies

James