Good Scope For £3-400

[Nick82]

Gonna start saving for a telescope and I need some advice on what to keep an eye out for at the price range of £3-400?????

Links aswell if possible please?

You have all been so helpful on here!!!!

[Nick82]

Wanna basically see as far as possible without going too mad

[Ags]

The skywatcher 200 dobsonian is a powerful instrument - enough to keep anyone happy for a long time. It might not be the best choice if you live up a flight of stairs, or if you have to have goto or tracking.

If you want goto and tracking and you are after great views of planets and the moon, then a goto maksutov like the skymax 127 might be a good choice.

If you have to travel to dark skies and it all has to go in a backpack, then the the SkyWatcher ED80 might be a good choice as a relatively small robust refractor that can stil be used at high powers on planets and the moon. Then you would need a suitable tripod to put the ED80 on...

[Joseki]

Sounds like a dob http://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-skyliner-200p-dobsonian.html (£290), though for £3-400 you could get a bigger one 2nd hand on astrobuysell uk, e.g. this one (already sold) http://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/propview.php?view=63483 esp if you wait.

reflectors on dobsonian mounts provide good light capturing capacity (to allow you to see more distant and faint objects) for the money than other options.

[Nick82]

Great advice, thanks!

I live on the top floor of flats that look over the Countryside, so I'm quite lucky there!!!

The only problem I have is that the moon is behind the building for a few hours until its right up in the sky which is early morning!!!

What I can see straight away is my star which I see out of my bedroom window quite clearly (Etamin)

[Brian Nordstrom]

Yea 150-200mm Dob , on the moon at least you get to see it Waining , the best views are seen then , the only problem is work later on that morning .

Good luck in your choice .

Brian.

[Peter Drew]

Although a 8" Dob is the usual best advice for the suggested price bracket, it might be a bit of a heave carrying it from a top floor flat unless you have access to a flat roof. Using a telescope through a window, even if open, will not give the best results, just something to bear in mind.

[Lenny147]

Go for the 250 if you can afford it

[Mr Fiery Jack]

Yer man here lives in a block of flats. Would a not a Mak not be the answer?

[Capricorn]

Yer man here lives in a block of flats. Would a not a Mak not be the answer?

Living in a block of flats several floors up has never yet stopped anyone being told to buy the biggest dobsonian that can be imagined.

A 127 Mak on an Alt/AZ does seems more applicable, just get a 32mm eyepiece.

A lot depends on the use of the words "see as far as possible", nothing can be done about the "without going too mad" that comes with the hobby. Clouds, turbulant air, wind, work and more clouds, nice clear nights and a full moon really get you.

[onesmallstep]

Hi and welcome to SGL

May I suggest reading the website of an SGL member called Astrobaby. Part of the website is dedicated to scope reviews which may give you a few ideas.

http://www.astro-baby.com/index.htm

You may also want to wait until late January onwards to take advantage of Stargazing Live.

HTH!

[gcraib]

I'd recommend the mak 127, why? Because I have one and love it!!

The OTA itself is quite portable, but even the EQ3-2 mount (which is relatively light eg compared to EQ5/6 series) may prove to be a bit of a bulk weight when making your way up the stairs. But a dob will be very difficult unless you have somebody to help you.

[Ags]

Mak on an alt-az mount. The mak can go in a backpack while the mount is manhandled down the stairs.

[dephelis]

I'll put in another vote for either the Celestron 127 SLT or Skywatcher 127 Mak, they're the same scope and for sale on FLO at the same price (last time I looked). They both come with a GOTO Alt-Az scope that can run on 8xAA batteries.

They are very portable, with the scope and mount fitting comfortably in a regular sized backpack, the tripod can be carried, comfortably, by hand or strapped to the backpack.