Lidl are selling a 50 quid scope

[PrivateWiddle]

Its a Bresser Skylux 70/700 on a eq2 clone. Retails normally for 99 quid.

Theres a pic here (its the second one)

http://www.f1cameras.com/acatalog/Bresser_Beginners_Telescopes.html

If the Lidl bundle is the same you will get

* Kellner eyepieces included - 4mm, 12mm and 20mm

* 70mm aperture

* 700mm focal fength

* Equatorial mount

* Slow motion controls

* Round steel tripod with accessory tray.

* Small finder

* Image erecter

* Diagonal mirror

* 2x Barlow lens

This discussion on "cloudy nights" is very useful having several opinions on how good it is.

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/268947/Main/268241

Here's instructions on upgrading ithe scope and mount (EQ2?)

http://www.easter-vivian.e7even.com/jim/astro/skylux/index.html

[GazOC]

I'll prolly get one, seems like a good deal.

[PrivateWiddle]

I might do that too. From what I've picked up its a quite reasonable scope. The 20mm eyepiece is ok, but the other two are poor. Its on sale fom the 15th of this month. You can't order online. Bresser market chinese scopes in Germany, and Meade also sell this model.

Lidle were selling Meade 10x50 binos earlier for a tenner, and apparantly they were quite good. Probaly all gone now.

[OXO]

That's a Bargain well worth the Money esp if say you use the Mount as a Camera Mount or use the Scope as a Guide Scope. Mmmmmmm may after get one for the kids :clouds2:

James

[GazOC]

Thats what I was thinking James, keep the mount for my Fujithingie and the scopes a freebie!!!

[russ]

Bought this little beauty Christmas 2003 for £59. Absolute bargain. Christmas pressie for my son Harry. Unfortunately I took a liking to it and broke it up. Claiming the mount as my grab'n'go setup with the 80ED and ST102, while the scope itself was earmarked as a guidescope on the C8.

The mount is slightly bigger and better than the EQ2 plus it uses a dovetail system. The EQ2 RA drive fits no worries. I had to use a 3Kg EQ3 counterweight though to balance the EQ80 and ST102. The standard counterweight is perfect for balancing a DSLR with zoom but too weeny for a bigger scope.

We never used any of the eyepieces, no point, you can buy much better ones off Ebay for £7-8. The clamshell around the tube is plastic and pretty nasty. I replaced ours with a set of 70mm Skywatcher rings from Ebay for £5.

The optics are surprisingly good and show less false colour than a Skywatcher Startravel. The view of Saturn was much better than my ST102. But you would expect that with an f10.

In short, I couldn't recommend it enough. Buy it for the kids and then claim the parts for yourself when they are bored with it.

Russ

[OXO]

In short, I couldn't recommend it enough. Buy it for the kids and then claim the parts for yourself when they are bored with it

:thumbleft: Sounds like a plan to me

[PrivateWiddle]

I wonder if you can phone up your nearest Lidl and reserve one, I imagine they will fly out the door with Christmas coming up. It may not be a Televue, but I would have loved one of those when I was a kid.

[PrivateWiddle]

Its up on the site

http://www.lidl.co.uk/gb/home.nsf/pages/c.o.20051215.p.Refractor_Telescope

15th december, get there early!

[tenbyfifty]

re: bresser skylux 70

does anybody know if its possible to remove the dewshiled at the end of this

scope and replace the objective with a better quality lense?

I don't think the one provided is very well coated - there's no green tint

like I have seen on my bins (and they were only £50 too!!!)

Are lenses sold separately anywhere on the net?

Also, is the method of fixing the OTA to the mount standard

ie simply resting it on the flat part and tightening up the wing nut

-I couldn't belive how basic this was - I thought there would at least

be some kind of lock -am I doing this right?.

Failing the replacement of the lense, would

another, better quality OTA fit on this mount?

Hope you can help.

tenbyfifty

[Ant]

if the mount uses the dovetail system, then any scope using the same system will fit - this includes almost any scope that I can think of.

Regards

Ant

[tenbyfifty]

Hi Ant

Sorry mate but i've never owned a scope before so what's a dovetail system?

My scope just rests on a flat plate then you tighten a screw onto it

to keep it place. there's no locking mechanism at all. it works ok

it just seems a bit promitive

cheers

10x50

[tenbyfifty]

typo alert :I know how to spell !!! that should be "primitive"

[FLO]

TBF,

I have just tried a Skywatcher saddle plate (43mm dovetail) and it fits ... just ... 1mm spare!

Bressers Tolerances can vary so there is no guarantee that it will fit yours.

You will need to be very careful not to overload the mount!!

Steve

[russ]

TBF,

I used to own the Lidl's scope, I know the plate you're talking about. It's the preffered way of connecting a scope because it allows for quick setup and take down. The only trouble with the Lidl mount, as you already pointed out, is the plate is held by a single wingnut. Most mounts employ two bolts to avoid accidently loosening the dovetail and the scope crashing to the ground.

If you fancy upgrading the scope, I know your mount will handle a Startravel 102 refractor no problem. Also the Skymax 90 and 102 Maksutov would be a good match. The Skymax in particular would be a nice scope to own. Superb on the moon and planets. Capable on the fainter stuff.

You could consider Antares new Sentinel 80 semi-apo which would be a good match for your mount.

The only trouble is all these scopes cost new 3-4 times what you paid for the entire setup. You can pick up the Startravel 102 for £80 secondhand. And a Skymax 90 for £100 secondhand.

A really cracking scope would be the Skymax 127 which Damien is selling for £125 (that's a stupidly low price btw). Just not sure the Astro 3 mount could handle it?

Regards

Russ

[tenbyfifty]

Thanks folks this is really useful info.

Where do I find a Startravel 102 for £80 secondhand ?

I've been eyeing these up because of their compactness and cheapness when you compare them

with giant bins. I like the idea of a wide field of view - seeing lots of stars you can't

normally see is really interesting as is looking for M objects - at the end of the day

there are only a few planets to look at.

Thanks again.

[russ]

Absolutely Andy. Forget how much it costs, this is a good little starter scope. Or a good camera platform for widefield with the DSLR.

The scope itself shows the moon and planets in reasonable detail and clarity to satisfy the young beginner.

Russ

[tenbyfifty]

Didn't you find the view of the moon lacking in contrast with the supplied eyepieces?

I get a better view in terms of contrast with my bins although without the magnification, obviously.

I'm hoping it is the eyepieces and not the objective!!!

Do you think the diagonal and barlow are worth upgrading as well or are they ok optically?

Cheers 10x50

[tenbyfifty]

All I know is that it says Bresser Skylux on the box.

Exactly which eyepices do you think I should go for ie

brand and size? How much do you have to pay to get reasonable quality eg

as good as decent bins?

Also where do the names plossl and kellner

etc come from?