newbie scope advice

[bennylee79]

Hi all,

I've been gazing at the night sky (when the clouds [removed word] off and let me) for a few months now through my 15 x 70 revelation bino's and loving what i see, but now i'd like to take the plunge and get a good beginners scope. TBH i really dont know where to start, ive done a bit of reading up and it seems that a newtonian reflector is a good place to start. i'm looking at around £120 - £150 for a basic set up. Do i go new or is 2nd hand a good option? if 2nd hand is where is the best place to look? im always a bit weary of ebay. if new is this best option ive seen this scope, Sky-watcher Skyhawk 1145P EQ1 Newtonian Reflector Telescope, for £115 + £4.99 delivery. Again not too sure where to start. I live in Wrexham, North Wales, does anyone know of any shops in the area who deal with scopes, new or 2nd hand? Or is the internet the best option?

Cheers for listening

Ben

[John]

Given that you have been using and enjoying the Revelation 15x70's I really think you need to consider a scope with an aperture of at least 130mm, preferrably 150mm. I don't think the Skyhawk 114mm newtonian will deliver any lasting enjoyment for you and you would be wanting to upgrade very soon after purchasing it.

My advice would be to save for a little longer so that you can afford one of the Skywatcher dobsonian or equatorially mounted 150mm newtonians. Another £50 or so and you are there

[bennylee79]

Thanks for the reply John. What are the main differences between a dobsonian and a newtonian? which would suit a newbie better? also which one travels better because i understand some scopes dont like to be moved around too much. sorry to be a pain.

[John]

They are both the same optical design - newtonian relfector. It's the mounting that is different. The dobsonian mount is a simple up / down / left / right affair which is very effective but low cost so the bulk of your money goes on the optics.

[faulksy]

stockport binoculars and telescopes is quite good but around 90 mile round trip. a dob would be good as john said or come and have a look through mine give you a bit of a idea

[MorningMajor]

You mentioned buying second hand and there are certainly good scopes available second hand. Of course it can be a bit of a risk buying like that - I would be wary of Ebay - but not write it off completely - if you know anyone with experience - or perhaps ask a local astronomy group for help you could get a bargain.

Astronomy Buy and Sell is very popular, but I've never bought from there so can't really advise,

I've bought a scope, eyepieces and accessories from members here and have been delighted with the outcome so have a look at the classifieds here, I honestly believe from long standing members you won't be ripped off.

Good luck

[cantharis]

What are the main differences between a dobsonian and a newtonian?

´Dobsonian´ really refers to the mount - or lack of it. A Dob is a Newtonian reflector mounted in a rudimentary Alt-Az mount that is manually shoved into position. Personally I much prefer an equatorial mount that will track.

[Ibbo!]

a dob can be much quicker to move across the the sky easier to set up and give bigger bang for the pound

also makes you learn the sky as opposed to using goto mounts

Steve

[crazyjedi]

I have a Skywatcher 150 newt and can deffinately recommend it as a fab scope. I got mine on an EQ mount as I wanted to learn how to set up and use the EQ mount cuz I have the ambition to progress to astrophotography at some point.

A Dob mount would be quicker to set up and easier to use though.