very, very new to this

[todd8137]

Hi and welcome from me, what's you budget for a scope research is the key bigger the better I say ,but the best thing to do is get to a meeting if you can,there should be some club local to you ,there will be lots of different types of scopes shapes and sizes

Enjoy Sgl

Pat

[Quatermass]

Hi and welcome, getting a new scope hey.. fun fun fun.. take your time and get what your really need. I started with a 130p but quickly wanted something bigger so took it back and got the 200p and eq5 mount. If I could go back in time with the same budget I would get the 200p and eq5 again and thats 2 years on if I had more money I would get the HEQ5 and the 200p if I was hard up I would get the eq5 and the 150p all great set ups. Best advice and I can give you is get along to your local astronomy group and try out as many telescopes as you can. Also have a read of my blog to see the journey I made from getting the 130p to present day.

[AuntyCis]

Hi & another welcome - I am also fairly new to this and I can really recommend spending some time on research. To begin with I had absolutely no idea about the different types of telescopes and accesories, but after a little while on here and with some books from the library it all started to fall into place.

My partner and I started out with a set of 10x50 binoculars (recommended starting equipment, as there are some very pretty things to look at with these!) and now have a Skywatcher 130P scope, which we are very happy with for the time being. Yes we will almost certainly upgrade to something bigger in the future, but its a good start without spending silly money right away.

My partner also wants to try his hand at astro-imaging and is starting with just a camera (no telescope) - he got a good deal on a secondhand digital SLR camera and lens, so again he can learn the ropes without breaking the bank!

The other essential equipment is patience - you will need it to deal with cloudy weather (and no matter what kit you decide to buy, as soon as you buy it you can guaruntee cloudy weather!)

Enjoy!

Cis

[michigander]

Welcome to SGL, Les!

Dana

[gurneyfan67]

Hello and welcome Les Enjoy SGL Folks here will set on the right path.

[gingergeek]

Hi there and welcome to SGL