Gray999 Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 Hi everyone,This is my first post, wanted to get into astronomy for a few years now and finally decided to do it!I'm 50 in February and thought it was about time! Looking at getting a Skywatcher 130P, read a lot of reviews and it seems to be a great starter. So will be asking for some advice!So Hello. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astronymonkey Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 Hi fella,best wishes and welcome to the forum. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avtaram Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 Hello and welcome to SGL.Avtar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baggywrinkle Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 Welcome to SGL.....better late than never ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronl Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 Hi and welcome to the lounge,that's a nice starter scope, you will get lot's ofhelp here in S G L. Enjoy!Good Luck and Clear Sky's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swag72 Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 Welcome to SGL! Glad that you found us. This is a great place for information and a couple of folks know what they are talking about too!!!Look forward to seeing you around Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie P Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 Hi Welcome to SGL, SW130 was the first telescope I purchased but it wasn't too many months before myself buying a larger one... enjoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Spock Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 Hi, welcome to SGL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray999 Posted December 27, 2013 Author Share Posted December 27, 2013 Thanks for the welcome! Going to look online today and sort out buying the telescope, no doubt I'll probably see something else that I like so I will be asking questions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Presland Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 Hi welcome to SGL from Pete in Bedfordshire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pig Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 Hello & welcome Shaun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charon Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 Welcome aboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd8137 Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 Hi and welcome from me have a great new year Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michigander Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 Welcome to SGL, Gray!Dana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glowjet Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 Hi Gray and welcome to SGL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesM Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 Hi Gray and welcome to the forum. If you are looking for a type of scope that offers the best value for money then stick with a dobsonian (a newtonian reflector on a dobsonian mount). This design ensures that most of the money goes into the scope and by that I mean a larger mirror that will enable you to collect more light (light = resolution = detail). In my opinion the best starter scope you could buy would be the Skywatcher 200P which is currently the U.K's best selling scope and for good reason. Providing 8" of aperture will certainly provide you with some great views and it is at this aperture that you start to see enough detail to maintain your interest in observing the night sky over the longer period. The 130 scope you mention is a good performer too but sadly at this price range like many others the mount that it comes with is not sturdy enough making fine focusing a bit frustrating as you wait for the scope to stop twitching about whilst also still maneuvering the scope to keep the object in view, particularly noticeable bad at high magnification when viewing planets. The dobsonian platform although simple in design does make a difference in this area.Having said all of the above, the 200P scope does come in at a higher price and I am making the suggestion only on the basis of what is the cheapest in the longer run as you are likely to want to upgrade from anything smaller once you get started. One other advantage of my recommendation is that the 200P will hold its value much better than a cheaper scope because it has a proven track record of performance and build quality and is therefore more popular to others starting out and who may wish to upgrade. It will also save you money too because you are entering in astronomy at a level where upgrading can be delayed for a longer time, though having said that we are all prone to the none condition of 'aperture fever' which is a condition that involves constant desire for the next biggest scope - we are all sufferers here and there is no cure! Plenty of people here that are happy to give you advice over on the beginner sections but thought I would write a few lines here to help you get started. Probably a good idea to give some idea of budget as well when asking questions that involve purchasing as there are some very nice scopes out that are looking for new owners!Clear skies and enjoy the forumJames Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesF Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 Welcome to SGLJames Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wookie1965 Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 A warm welcome to SGL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HIP3802 Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 Hi, Gray999 and welcome to SGL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sologuitarist61 Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 Welcome to SGL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizibilder Posted December 27, 2013 Share Posted December 27, 2013 Hello Gray999 and welcome to SGL!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gray999 Posted December 27, 2013 Author Share Posted December 27, 2013 Wow! Thanks for all the replies. JamesM you have got me thinking now!I'm not going to rush this purchase, are there any shops that anyone can recommend? Enjoying reading and learning about something new.Thanks again everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knight of Clear Skies Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 Welcome to SGL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSiriusly Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 Hi Gray999, welcome to SGL,One of the best shops is First Light Optics (FLO). They are the sponsor of this forum and their link is at the top of the page. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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