First telescope around £300?

[mulder85]

Hello,

I am just starting out and I would like to buy my first telescope. I need some help on that.

To begin with, although I appreciate the deep sky and plan to explore it, my main objective is planetary onbservation, and my main focus the gas giants, Jupiter and Saturn. So idieally I would want a telescope which can give me crisp, clear and hopefully large views of them, although I understand that they are far so it is not the easiest task in the world.

I have read about the types of telescopes and mounts and I am going for a reflector as that's what my budget/performance restriction suggests. I am between a Skywatcher 8" Dobsonian and a 6" Explorer of the same brand. From what I've noticed, telescopes on EQ5+ mounts come slightly more expensive than Dobsonian. Is that right? What do you think would be the best of these 2 for a beginner? My understanding is that Equitorial gives you better motion but needs to be stable and aligned, whereas the Dobsonian mount gives you good stability but not as good motion (altazimouth). The telescope will mostly be used on a balcony and a rooftop. Not interested in GoTo for now, as I would like to learn to read and navigate the sky first.

So, could you guys provide with a couple good suggestions for a telescope which gives me as big and clear views of planets as possible, and costs around £300? Thanks a lot in advance!

Alex

[Langy]

Hi Alex and welcome to SGL.

I'm fairly new myself so I'll leave it to the experts to give advice on this.

The EQ mounts take a bit of getting used to, but when you do they are easy to align and i the end a dream to use.

Just one thing that you haven't mentioned is if you plan to do any imaging at all, it may be best now thinking if you do and how far you want to go. Even basic imaging may sway what you have currently asked for.

[rory]

Visual only , get the 8" on a dob mount . Can't go wrong. Shows enough objects to keep you going for years.

The art of " nudging" does not take much practice .

[andyman]

Or what about a 10" dob goldilocks of scopes. a used one should be within your budget...but not as kind on cheaper eyepieces than the 8"

[dweller25]

Another vote for the 8" Skywatcher Dobsonian - it can be equatorially mounted later if required.

[Alien 13]

Good point by Paul, think carefully about imaging the urge to capture planetry images can be irresistable and a lot of newtonion scopes wont achieve focus with a camera.

It might be worth looking at the 127 Mak too if planets and lunar are your prefered objects.

Alan

[mulder85]

Thanks for your answers guys.

Langy and Alien 13 - I wouldn't rule out imagine. But I don't even have a DSLR yet. It is definately something which I would consider, though. I suppose the Maks are better for photography even if they come in smaller aperture?

Andyman - I've heard 10" or more is too much to handle for a beginner. Is it itrue?

Dweller25 - what are the challenges involved  in succesfully mounting a DOB on EQ at later stage? I had actually thought about that idea.

[Langy]

Langy and Alien 13 - I wouldn't rule out imagine. But I don't even have a DSLR yet. It is definately something which I would consider, though. I suppose the Maks are better for photography even if they come in smaller aperture?

Lunar and Planetary imaging is usually done with a webcam, as cheap as under £5 new for an xBox webcam as a starter point.

[mulder85]

Paul, that's certainly a relief. I've got a £15 Microsoft Lifecam HD. Should be enough, no?

Another thing - Isn't EQ better for imaging because of the EQ movement? And I suppose for smooth eye/imaginng movement you would go for a motorized mount?

Sorry If I am talking silly, n00bs do that

Alex

[andyman]

My first scope was a 10inch dob and found it easily managable.obviously its bigger and heavier and takes slightly more storage space but apart from that found it fine

But if wanting to do imaging at a later date then i would go for the 8"

[mulder85]

Andy- Thanks, that's good to know. But I think the cheapest  10" Dobsonian comes at a hefty £450-£500, right?

[AlexB67]

If you are prepared to wait around a bit and shop second hand a 10 inch can be got second hand for that price of 300 pounds.  Thing is whether you want to risk it, but if you see something just ask here what to check for and no doubt you will get lots of help.

Especially given you live in the London area there are usually quite a few buys not far away.  Astro buy and sell sell second hand 10 inch Dobs quite regularly like GSO, skywatcher models, all in that similar price range.

http://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/

with good reputation. I have bought 3 things from there so far, all in excellent condition. It is a dedicated astronomers buying selling site.

You can also have a look at  ebay but prices are frequently overinflated, but sometimes some bargains can be had.

Good luck

[Myopicus]

+1   8" dob   

[AlexB67]

+1   8" dob   

True, also a good choice and right on budget new coming to think of it 

[mulder85]

@AlexB67 - Thanks for the link, I checked it and there are surely quite a few good deals there!

I see quite a few people voting for the 8" Dobsonian, and I am actually inclined to it due to the cost/aperture relationship mostly. But I am awondering, id it hard to use its handling/navigation mechanism? Compared to the EQs, at least. What if I wanted to follow a planet at high magnification?

[Alien 13]

Hi Alex i just noticed that you would be using the scope on a balcony or roof top make sure you know just how big any proposed scope is.

Alan

[rory]

The 8" is popular as it's still quite manageable to lift and move in one go , and has a higher f number , so you can get away with some eyepieces that wouldn't be as good in faster scopes.

Then there's the fact that no matter how hard to fight against it , you'll be chomping to get more astro related stuff within months if not weeks or even days in most cases . So getting the 8 over a 10 leaves a bit for a nice eyepiece or atlas , telrad, Rigel, bobs knobs, raci finder , flocking ,dual focuser, uhc filter, oiii filter, flight case , drum stool , head torch, lazy Susan bearing , planisphere and camping Matt for a dew shield !!

( Breaths in)

As you can see there's plenty to tempt you with all the cloudy nights ( lol )

:-)

[dweller25]

Dweller25 - what are the challenges involved  in succesfully mounting a DOB on EQ at later stage? I had actually thought about that idea.

Just buy a pair of tube rings and a dovetail.....

[mulder85]

@Rory, I didn't know there are so many accessories to fit on your telescope? I suppose they make your life easier, right? So what you are saying is that it is better to go for the 8" and save some money to buy some extras in time, instead of spending all my budget on the 10"?

@dweller25 , Thanks a lot for the pic, It is good to know that this exact tube can get on a EQ. 

I think based on your answers, I am leaning more on a new  8"  Skywatcher Skyliner. Unless I find some amazing deal on a used 8" Explorer.

Thanks a lot for your input guys!

[rory]

@Rory, I didn't know there are so many accessories to fit on your telescope? I suppose they make your life easier, right? So what you are saying is that it is better to go for the 8" and save some money to buy some extras in time, instead of spending all my budget on the 10"?

@dweller25 , Thanks a lot for the pic, It is good to know that this exact tube can get on a EQ.

I think based on your answers, I am leaning more on a new 8" Skywatcher Skyliner. Unless I find some amazing deal on a used 8" Explorer.

Thanks a lot for your input guys!

Ok maybe it was a little tongue in cheek , you don't actually NEED any of those extras , but you'll almost certainly want one or two within a short while after using the scope.

Many find the straight through finder scope awkward to use and find alternatives such as the telrad or a right angle finder. And I personally recomend some kind of comfortable adjustable seat ( ironing chair or drum throne ) makes the whole observing experience more pleasurable.

If your budget is tight then the. 8" would be a better bet , as you can bag yourself a few extras , if not then aperture rules and the 10" is the way I'd go .

Bear in mind ( although I'm not speaking from personal experience) the. 10" Skyliner is. F/4.7 , so collimation may be a tiny bit trickier to get spot on , and it will be tougher on eyepieces.

I stand to be corrected on those points though .

[mulder85]

I see, well these are surely insightful tips. To be honest I have so many "foreign words" that I have to google in most of you people replies, but I suppose that's natural. Is there a specific learning curve that you could propose for learning how to use a telescope properly? Any fast-learning tips? Thanks

[GuillermoBarrancos]

Just stick to your last idea of the 8inch SW Skyliner dob. It's a fantastic Choice as starter Scope that will give you great enjoyment for years to come.

[ronin]

If London is central area then visit The Baker Street irregular Astronomers one night - Regents Park, once a month.

If outer edges or outside then locate an astro club and take a look at what people have and use.

That tends to be an indicator of what is useful and will actually get used - a big scope in the corner of a room gathering dust is not really much use.

[mulder85]

@guillermobarancos:thanks, i think it's pretty much settled for this one now.

@ronin : i've always wondered how these clubs work. Do i just show up there? Or register? Or what? Central London is within reach as I live in Croydon, but since I don't have a car yet, I wouldn't be able to bring my equipment there :/

Thank

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[RichM63]

Hmm, Balcony + Telescope.

A Dob stands on the ground so unless observing almost at Zenith you may be stumped by the guard rails.

An EQ mount, stands on a tripod and is adjusted for height so you should be able to easily set it for observing over the guard rails almost down to the horizon.

IMHO, a Dob on a balcony is a really bad idea.

4ft rails means that you could only use a very minimal amount of sky, unless your balcony is very very deep so you can position way back from the rails.

Not saying you can't use a Dob on a balcony, but the guard rail may be a problem, especially if you go for a big Dob.

Cheers,

Rich