Help, it the wife's birthday....

[Legohead1977]

Good evening all, my wife has hinted for some time that she would like a telescope for occasional viewing of the night sky. With a pending birthday next week I thought I would take a quick look online and order a telescope. Two hours later and I realise I have no idea what I am looking for or have no understanding of what I am reading. I have stumbled into this forum and after looking through some of the threads I thought I would ask the question so I can get some sleep :0)

I only wanted to spend around a £100 due to already buying a few things and a pending holiday. I have come across the below and wanted to know if this is suitable for our needs and ultimately would it be worth it? On a related subject my wife loves birds so I'm not against buying some binos (I'm learning the lingo).

Any help would be appreciated and thank you for taking time in helping.

http://www.telescopes.com/telescopes/telescopeawardsarticle.cfm

The 114 EQ appears to have won an award and can be bought for around £110.

I also came across the below on Amazon which is half the price of what I was going to spend.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Celestron-Travel-Refractor-additional-Eyepiece/dp/B006MCYAH4/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1401920245&sr=1-1&keywords=Telescope

Thanks again.

[Scooot]

Hi and welcome.

http://binocularsky.com/binoc_choosing.php

I don't know much about those scopes but I think binoculars might be a safe option at first and if the occasional viewing turns into a hunger for more then you can both do more research into an appropriate scope. The above link might help you choose some suitable bins.

Anyway good luck with the present hunting.

[Charic]

Legohead1977........Hi, As soon as I started to read the first line........occasional viewing..... I said to my self "Binoculars".

Scoot has beaten me to it, with a sound answer, and the perfect link to explore.  I have some revelation 15x70s (Forget them)  they wont offer much? I prefer the steadiness of the 7x50s and the wider views they offer. ST's site will explain most things for you. Ask if your unsure!

Until your wife's interest grows, the binoculars will offer excellent value, will often have  better results than some high-street telescopes and can be used all-day too!

[Myopicus]

Totally agree with Scoot.  The joy of binoculars being that they are useful for so much more than astro (and the star colours are amazing!). If you want to improve the binocular astro experience get a monopod & bino mount (relatively cheap) which will aid stability, and then if you have both still got the bug . . . buy a scope together.

This is the route to ease your way into future purchases of small expensive bits of glass 'together'.  

[Legohead1977]

Excellent, thanks for your advice. I will have a read of the article and go from there. Is there a paticualr set of binoculars that you recommend?

[Charic]

As the magnification increases, so does the vibration, and it becomes harder to hold steady. Check out your wife's pupil size, by age. try and match this to the binocular as a start. This allows the maximum amount of light transfer from the binocular to the eye, too much is wasted, too little is degrading. As we get older our eyes dilate but the size gets smaller, so having too much light from the binocular will still give a bright image, but your eye will reduce the aperture of what it can accept, despite what the binocular is giving. . A good healthy young person can achieve a dark adapted pupil of 7mm?  Divide the Aperture of the binocular by the magnification, so in my case i have  a pair of 7x50s   50/7 gives 7.14 exit pupil size   my 15x70s give  5.6mm exit pupil. But at this magnification, they are hard to hold steady. 

As already mentioned above,  the link to ST's site,  Philips do a great little book called Stargazing with Binoculars. The 2010 version was £7.99 from WHS. there is a newer version.  A great little guide with some further suggestions as to what's available on the market. 

Best option would be to maybe get the wife to check and look through some binoculars to see what looks right and feels comfortable. maybe buy the book and a voucher to buy the binoculars ?

As magnification increase, the width of your view will decrease, This will affect the amount of stars that you can see at any one time, so if checking out a constellation of stars, then a wide field of view is essential.  10x50 and combinations below that would be fine. Then look at the weights, the feel, construction, brand names, so much to take in unfortunately. 

My choice is 7x50 but investigate the others. They even come with IS? Image Stabilization, so no need for tripods, but they are not cheap!

Check here http://www.garyseronik.com/?q=node/13 for someone elses view about exit pupil size , and check here for some of steves reviews. http://binocularsky.com/binoc_choosing.php

[Legohead1977]

I will take another look in the morning, I dint think I can absorb anymore info :0)

I had a quick look on Amazon and these popped up

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nikon-Aculon-A211-50-Binocular/dp/B00BC9SE1U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1401926415&sr=8-2&keywords=7x50+binoculars

However will review tomorrow, thanks again for all the advice.

[Charic]

I'm a Nikon user (cameras) so branding alone I would say yes. Check their site http://www.nikon.com/news/2013/0129_aculon_a211_01.htm  I also like Strathspey Marine,  but maybe slightly dearer, http://www.strathspey.co.uk/shop/front_page.html

Choices are enormous, but what we read and learn may still be no substitute to actually trying a pair in the hand. Try them yourself, and ask the wife what she thinks of them, next time your in a shop.  If she likes them, that's a start?

Binocularsky has all the answers, you just gotta browse your way though the site until you understand what its all about. Who said bino's were just simple optics, And did you know, they actually need setting up correctly too. first the left eye, then the right eye only,  by adjusting or applying the dioptre correction! many folk miss this feature?

[LeeB]

I would get this, its £128 , superb for the price and will show far more than any bino, it also looks more like the telescope she requested. http://www.firstlightoptics.com/heritage/skywatcher-heritage-130p-flextube.html

It will show the belts on jupiter the rings of saturn nicely and the brighter Deep sky objects are within reach, its portable and can be upgraded.

It takes no storage space and simply carry and plonk down on either a table or on the grass with a  blanket to sit on.

[Sandraj]

I agree, the 130 flextube would be a much nicer present and what a wonderful surprise she would get opening that. 

[brantuk]

Plus one for the 130P Flextube - but if your budget is strictly limited to under £100 then you'll find this hard to beat for the money:

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/heritage/skywatcher-heritage-100p-tabletop-dobsonian.html Hth

[purdo]

Hi, I'll put my 2p' s worth in as well. Great advice already given, I have binos as well, but I find I cannot hold them steady enough, I do use them occasionally to view the sky, but they were not bought for that. I bought them for bird & animal viewing.  Good suggestion the 130 or 100, If I had given a hint & received this, I would be  well over the moon , you could always buy the binos as a surprise for Christmas.  Scope v Binos!

[Chinapig]

As a first step into astronomy, binoculars are also ideal for simply learning your way around.

Compared to a telescope, the wider field of view - which is also the right way round and the right way up - is a great way to find out what's where in the sky. And sweeping a dark sky with a good pair of binos can be pretty inspiring. Another advantage of binos, is that it's easy to pop a pair into a suitcase for holidays etc. That can be awkward, even with a small scope.

To add to the book suggestions above, a copy of Turn Left at Orion is also a mine of helpful what's-up-there-and-where-to-find-it information to anyone starting out in astronomy, with either a telescope or a pair of binos - or even both!

Whether you start with binoculars or telescope, the other one will be a natural progression! I'd agree that one for birthday and one for Christmas would be a perfect solution!

Best of luck with the present hunting.

Cheers

S

[Legohead1977]

Sorry for the late reply but I had one of those days yesterday.

Thanks for all the input, do I go for for £89 Starwatcher option or the £109 114q?

[Helen]

The mount on the £89 Skywatcher will be MUCH easier to use than the one on the 114eq, so I'd say the former every time!  Buy it from First Light Optics and you'll get great aftercare service too, so if your wife doesn't like it you will easily be able to switch it for something else.

Helen

[Legohead1977]

I have just found the 114EQ for £99 online.Only a £10 difference.

Thinking about it the Starwatcher option may be more practical due to size and being topve easily from room to room. That said I'm not put off by the size and tri pod of the other one.

Which one would give a better experience?

[Legohead1977]

Sorry Helen, I only just saw your reply. Thank you, I am swaying to this one.

[brantuk]

I'm with Helen - the reasoning is sound - the tripod and mount on the 114 are pretty naff and can ruin the experience of a newbie even with a larger aperture - so the Skywatcher 100 is what I'd choose.

You'll want to get some binocs too at some stage - I still use three different pairs despite my scopes cos some objects are better in bins than with a scope. Keep your eye on Liddl - they often have a very respectable pair of porro prisms for around fifteen to twenty quid.

[Schorhr]

Plus One for the Heritage 130p, it is worth the stretch, gread wide field views, decent starter scope for planets as well.

[Legohead1977]

Excellent, didn't realise the bins would he so cheap.

Will place an order when I get home this evening :0)

[Charic]

.........re-reading the original post, the Skywatcher 100 could  be a suitable telescope, and would a pleasant item to store in the living room in full display, and would also make a good talking point when visitors arrive. The telescope still needs a sound sturdy base to set-up and view from, not advisable to view from within the house, looking through a glass window, or just being in the house due the thermal currents at the window, you need to be outside.

It wont be long, to see the limits that this telescope offers, especially if you want to see further into  deep space. It just doesnt have the light bucket effect that a 6" 0r 8" telescope can offer, and with the nights being so short now, and lighter than winter nights, you may not get the best from it for a few Months yet! That said I am comparing this to my Skyliner, which isnt fair? But to be honest, my Skyliner is resting till the nights get darker, Its just not dark enough here at present. I probably wouldnt be able to use the little 100 here at all.

For  occaisional viewing this telescope may be the answer to your solution, and it can always be gifted away or kept as a display item, in the future due to its cuteness, if it doesnt get the useage? 

Binoculars I believe will last a lifetime if maintained correctly, my 7x50s are well over 20 years.

I believe a good pair of binoculars will last much longer than this "1st Scope?" and you really should get out and try to peer through a telescope and see whats best for your wife.

This telescope will be as usefull as a chocolate fireguard, when it comes to bird watching!

A good 7x or 10x50  binocular will satisfy all three interests ?   Astronomy, Bird watching, and wil be great in her handbag whilst on holiday!  try fitting a telescope in her handbag?

In respect to  the brantuk link, FLO has a thread here, http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/208138-skywatcher-heritage-100p/

I will still suggest, take longer to decide on your telescope system, Binoculars first.

[Hootsitabernacle]

another vote for the heritage 130p.......

[Legohead1977]

Thank you for such a detailed reply and taking the time to help.

Time is not in my side I'm afraid, my wife's birthday is next week. I didn't consider the light nights and the impact that this would have. Maybe bins and put the scope on the back burner until Xmas?

Why is this so difficult :0(

[Sandraj]

If your wife has been hinting for a telescope, I would get her a telescope, not binoculars yet, if her birthday is next week, its still ok as FLO deliver very quickly. Honestly the telescopes mentioned, especially the Heritage would be an excellent buy and she would love you forever 

[Legohead1977]

A colleague has just come back from Costco which has the celestron nexstar 90gt for £120.

Any opinions on this?