hello people I have a Question I would like you to help me with.

[orions belt]

Hello I would like some help, I'm new to astronomy and would like to get my first telescope, I'm on a tight budget roughly around £100-£150 to begin with and would like to know what telescope is good at that budget, and also refractor/reflector and what are their advantages/disadvantages.

Would really like the feedback.

Thanks.

[nightfisher]

Hi and welcome, for your budget i would suggest the skywatcher Evostar 90mm refractor here it gets good reviews

[moogoomonkey]

Have you looked at the Skywatcher Heritage 130P? Great 'lil scope IMO:

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/heritage/skywatcher-heritage-130p-flextube.html

[LukeSkywatcher]

Have you looked at the Skywatcher Heritage 130P? Great 'lil scope IMO:

http://www.firstligh...p-flextube.html

Without getting into the pro's and con's......................on your budget i would also suggest taking a look at the SW Heritage 130P dob (Newtonian reflector).

Why?

Its cheap and will give you the biggest bang for buck..........on your budget.

Even small refractors (90mm+) can cost twice as much.

Skywatcher Heritage 130P......................... Great scope.

Why pay £145 for a 90mm refractor when you can buy a 130mm reflector for less?

[skywatcher58gb]

Hi and welcome, two good starter scopes recommended from a top rated supplier, two thigs to consider if you choose either of these scopes, first the 90mm refractor comes with an equitorial mount which means you can manually track your object, also the refractor does not need collimation (aligning the optics). Second the Skywatcher Heritage 130P does need collimating occationaly which means buying a collimation device (additional cost) however this scope will gather a tad more light thus seeing more deep sky objects(DSOs) also this scope is supplied on a dob mount which is just like a lazy susan and needs to be swung around to find your target.

Hope this helps

Dave

[camoscato]

Hi and welcome, for your budget i would suggest the skywatcher Evostar 90mm refractor here it gets good reviews

That's the scope I've got. It's my first one, so I can't say how it compares to any others, but I've been happy with it.

[JamesF]

I've got to go with the flow and agree with the recommendation for the Heritage 130P too.

James

[perrin6]

Welcome 'Orions belt' ! There are people who love refractors and people who love reflectors and those who love both, but if on a tight budget the reflector is much better value for money (as stated above). Of these the dobsonian is usually the best value as the mount is simple and most of the cost is for the optical parts which are the 'heart' of a telescope and therefore enables you to see the most, assuming you develop the skills to navigate your way around the sky. Some beginners prefer to buy a small telescope that can find objects for you, called 'GOTO' telescopes, although less of your money is going towards the optical parts.

[emadmoussa]

Welcome to SGL,

If you're after a budget telescope to get you started I would recommend a bunch:

1- Seben Star Sheriff - it's good for beginners and will give you decent views http://www.amazon.co.uk/Seben-Star-Sheriff-Big-Pack-Reflector-Telescope/dp/B00649AF0G/ref=sr_1_48?ie=UTF8&qid=1357296707&sr=8-48

2 - Skywatcher 130 - It's even good for intermediate level. http://www.amazon.co.uk/SkyWatcher-Explorer-130-900-EQ2-Telescope/dp/B0017GSLT8/ref=pd_sim_sbs_ph_10

Best of luck

[JamesF]

Welcome to SGL,

If you're after a budget telescope to get you started I would recommend a bunch:

1- Seben Star Sheriff - it's good for beginners and will give you decent views http://www.amazon.co...7296707&sr=8-48

2 - Skywatcher 130 - It's even good for intermediate level. http://www.amazon.co...d_sim_sbs_ph_10

To be honest, I think if you're on that sort of budget you should avoid telescopes on an EQ mount unless you feel you absolutely must have one. At that price point EQ mounts are not great, and I'd not recommend spending money on one in preference to a dob (such as the Heritage 130P).

James

[wookie1965]

+1 for the 130 on your budget anything on a EQ mount like JamesF has said is going to be a waste, the mount is going to be very unsteady and spoil your viewing.

[inedible_hulk]

Hi and welcome to SGL. There's a reasonable summary of the pros and cons of different telescope types here: http://www.telescopes.com/telescopes/helpunderstandingtelescopesarticle.cfm

[emadmoussa]

Here's a good article on the subject - it helped me understand the differences between telescopes.

http://www.scopereviews.com/begin.html

[inedible_hulk]

Ps: as for choice of scope; ultimately this will depend on what you're wanting to observe or achieve. If you're just looking to get out there and look at lots of stuff, then the recommendations for a dob are very sound as you'll get the most telescope for your money.

For me, when I bought my scope, I decided I wanted an EQ mount so that I could learn how to use it. I opted for the Skywatcher Explorer 130p on an EQ2 mount (£25 out of your price range). I have found the mount easy to use and solid enough for webcam imaging.

What I'm trying to say is if your interest lies in having a mount, then don't be put off - they're not all a bag of jelly, just buy from a decent manufacturer. If not, then join the cult of the dob