looking for the most simple refractor telescope

[happy-kat]

Researching and considering options is great.

[jestar]

Sorry dweller 25, I keep getting interrupted and so hadn't read your last post before I posted my last post.

[dweller25]

Thanks John for your concern, the truth is I don't know which mount I want. Not really true, I would like the skywatcher EQ5 pro but at £499 I really feel I should at least try to find a cheaper alternative, especially  if  I'm going to ignore a great deal of good adivice and   blow most of my budget on the a telescope which i'm told is going to be very disappointing.

Any Ideas?

Refractors are nice - I have two, a 4" and a 5"......

But the hard reality is that the skywatcher 8" dobsonian at £270 will outperform them.

And before you ask why have I got the refractors - it's because I like refractors

I still think the 8" Dobsonian is the best performance/ price combo for you - nice and easy to set up too.....

I think the very best thing for you to do is go along to your local astronomy club and try/see somes options.

[RichM63]

Heck I thought this thread title was about 'most simple options'! Any novice would by now want to put their head in a bucket with all the great expert advice.

A small light weight refractor would be more than happy on an EQ3-2 mount or an EQ5 with a few quid spent on an RA tracking motor (no GOTO).

I don't think that any kit purchase can be based on the use by a 3 year old (post #1) I have a 3 year old grand daughter. I my experience even if I know that the Moon is focused and centered and I'm accurately tracking, she doesn't have the skills, language or otherwise to express anything other than a vague oooow or 'nothing'.

Nor is she tall enough or stiff enough to stay at an EP, it just doesn't work. (holding her up to the EP, doesn't work either)

I hope in the future that my grand children will be able to share this amazing hobby with a viable interest, but at the moment, unless I can do video projection onto a tv screen, it is just not appropriate.

Someone mentioned an ST80, I stuck my newly purchased S/H onto an EQ3-2 full manual control and am more than happy with the results.

[nightfisher]

Heck I thought this thread title was about 'most simple options'! Any novice would by now want to put their head in a bucket with all the great expert advice.

A small light weight refractor would be more than happy on an EQ3-2 mount or an EQ5 with a few quid spent on an RA tracking motor (no GOTO).

I don't think that any kit purchase can be based on the use by a 3 year old (post #1) I have a 3 year old grand daughter. I my experience even if I know that the Moon is focused and centered and I'm accurately tracking, she doesn't have the skills, language or otherwise to express anything other than a vague oooow or 'nothing'.

Nor is she tall enough or stiff enough to stay at an EP, it just doesn't work. (holding her up to the EP, doesn't work either)

I hope in the future that my grand children will be able to share this amazing hobby with a viable interest, but at the moment, unless I can do video projection onto a tv screen, it is just not appropriate.

Someone mentioned an ST80, I stuck my newly purchased S/H onto an EQ3-2 full manual control and am more than happy with the results.

I think this post has a good point, i would go with a dobsonian telescope for the time being

[Paul M]

Heck I thought this thread title was about 'most simple options'! Any novice would by now want to put their head in a bucket with all the great expert advice.

A small light weight refractor would be more than happy on an EQ3-2 mount or an EQ5 with a few quid spent on an RA tracking motor (no GOTO).

I don't think that any kit purchase can be based on the use by a 3 year old (post #1) I have a 3 year old grand daughter. I my experience even if I know that the Moon is focused and centered and I'm accurately tracking, she doesn't have the skills, language or otherwise to express anything other than a vague oooow or 'nothing'.

Nor is she tall enough or stiff enough to stay at an EP, it just doesn't work. (holding her up to the EP, doesn't work either)

I hope in the future that my grand children will be able to share this amazing hobby with a viable interest, but at the moment, unless I can do video projection onto a tv screen, it is just not appropriate.

Someone mentioned an ST80, I stuck my newly purchased S/H onto an EQ3-2 full manual control and am more than happy with the results.

Hallelujah!!! 

[John]

Heck I thought this thread title was about 'most simple options'! Any novice would by now want to put their head in a bucket with all the great expert advice......

That's a bit harsh. I'm sure all the suggestions in this thread have been made in good faith and revised occasionally as the thread progressed and more of the original posters aims and intentions emerged.

Opinions on the best approach will vary as there are quite a few options available.

[esxste]

If budget isn't a huge concern, have you considered the celestron av

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[esxste]

Stupid ipad. The celestron AVX series? http://www.firstlightoptics.com/advanced-vx-goto.html

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[glynnlondon]

I think if the scope is principally for the wee fella something like an st 80 would be the way to go. Hopefully he takes to the hobby and maybe upgrade in 5 or 6 years time when he is older. Right now I reckon he will be excited with a simple scope when he visits grannys house.

[glynnlondon]

On a side note Ive now got a picture in my head of newbies with their heads in plastic buckets of various colours. Lol wonder if televue do one in green and black !

[jestar]

I look good in a bucket,

I have a very fetching orange one with newbie engraven on the front!

I am very pleased that people have made sure I understand the pro's and con's on every front, I've made a list.

" The little fella " come to visit "granny" every weekend and sits in front of her lap top scouring the internet for hours looking for  anything to do with the univers. He likes the little songs you can get but  he has also watched the schumacher Levi 9 thing several times. He has been doing this for nearly a year. I have six grand children all of whome I love equally, Vincent is different, possibly a little odd. 

Granny has always been vaguey interested, but no more than most people so if she's going to sit on the garage roof on a cold clear night she wants the best equipment she can afford, on top of which she has been reliably informed that she can expect up to 70% of the cost back if she sells the equipment.

She will also have to spend a lot of time learning to use the equipment (at which time she will be back for more advice) and will find this a lot more difficult if she has been persuaded to buy a scope that, although, easier, better, cheaper, more thrilling, more rewarding, and in every way a better choice, is not the kind of scope she wanted.

So........ "looking for the most simple refractor telescope" 

[wuthton]

Here's my summing up if it helps.

Best visual views = a dob.

Good views, easiest to use with a child = Mak on a Az Goto mount.

Simplest refractor is a Startravel 80 on an Az mount but there are big sacrifices for simplicity.

[happy-kat]

ST80 on a AZ3 mount or mercury 705 on AZ3 mount.

The later is £89 including mount and telescope right now from first light optics.

I love the ease of use of my ST80 on the AZ3 and at around £123 to get going and dead easy for you to take out side and set up or put in car and go to a dark site. I am also using the tripod with my camera to take night time photos.

Better eye pieces will improve the view in any telescope.

Each thread is about one or the other.

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/223257-new-scope-for-young-eyes/?fromsearch=1

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/221730-lucky-7/?fromsearch=1

For me if I find a grey smudge I will then go inside and look on the computer for the hubble image and find out how far away it is it puts the awe in to finding a grey smudge. If finding by hand is too slow then perhaps a goto AZ mount would better suit.

[Chris]

I look good in a bucket,

I have a very fetching orange one with newbie engraven on the front!

I am very pleased that people have made sure I understand the pro's and con's on every front, I've made a list.

" The little fella " come to visit "granny" every weekend and sits in front of her lap top scouring the internet for hours looking for anything to do with the univers. He likes the little songs you can get but he has also watched the schumacher Levi 9 thing several times. He has been doing this for nearly a year. I have six grand children all of whome I love equally, Vincent is different, possibly a little odd.

Granny has always been vaguey interested, but no more than most people so if she's going to sit on the garage roof on a cold clear night she wants the best equipment she can afford, on top of which she has been reliably informed that she can expect up to 70% of the cost back if she sells the equipment.

She will also have to spend a lot of time learning to use the equipment (at which time she will be back for more advice) and will find this a lot more difficult if she has been persuaded to buy a scope that, although, easier, better, cheaper, more thrilling, more rewarding, and in every way a better choice, is not the kind of scope she wanted.

So........ "looking for the most simple refractor telescope"

It's a difficult one primarily because the kind of scope you have your heart set on isn't going to be the best scope for your grandson to use.

If you have your heart set on a refractor something like an skywatcher evostar 90 would work well and is as cheap as chips. It's light, easy to carry and has a long focal length which will show much less chromatic aberration than the st80.

However, I think I was the first to suggest a maksutov and I stand by this advice. The short tube will show a lot less wobble at the eyepiece due to the much smaller lever arm, the eyepiece height will remain more constant with a maksutov, they also show pretty much no chromatic aberration so give razor sharp views.

In fact your thread has made me realize that I myself should sell my 4 inch refractor and buy a 5 or 6 inch maksutov for my az4 mount! :-)

Whatever you decide please get some kind of tracking mount because you will have you work cut out keeping the object in view whilst you get Vincent to the eyepiece if not.

I wish you all the best and I hope you guys enjoy the hobby as much as us lot:-)

Chris

Edit : Literally the only down side to a maksutov I can think of is that you need a dew shield to stop the front glass dewing up. The narrower field of view can be compensated by using longer focal length eyepieces.

[happy-kat]

As a newbie trying to learn more, do GoTo mounts track the object as well once they find it?

[wuthton]

As a newbie trying to learn more, do GoTo mounts track the object as well once they find it?

Yes they do.

That is why it'd be easier to use with a child. It is always surprise to a first time telescope user just how quick targets move across the field of view.

[esxste]

As a newbie trying to learn more, do GoTo mounts track the object as well once they find it?

I haven't got a GOTO, but have been looking very seriously at getting one. The assumption I have from all that is that yes, they very much do track the object once its locked in. If it can work out where to find the object at any given time (once properly aligned), then keeping track is child's play

[dweller25]

I look good in a bucket,

I have a very fetching orange one with newbie engraven on the front!

I am very pleased that people have made sure I understand the pro's and con's on every front, I've made a list.

" The little fella " come to visit "granny" every weekend and sits in front of her lap top scouring the internet for hours looking for  anything to do with the univers. He likes the little songs you can get but  he has also watched the schumacher Levi 9 thing several times. He has been doing this for nearly a year. I have six grand children all of whome I love equally, Vincent is different, possibly a little odd. 

Granny has always been vaguey interested, but no more than most people so if she's going to sit on the garage roof on a cold clear night she wants the best equipment she can afford, on top of which she has been reliably informed that she can expect up to 70% of the cost back if she sells the equipment.

She will also have to spend a lot of time learning to use the equipment (at which time she will be back for more advice) and will find this a lot more difficult if she has been persuaded to buy a scope that, although, easier, better, cheaper, more thrilling, more rewarding, and in every way a better choice, is not the kind of scope she wanted.

So........ "looking for the most simple refractor telescope" 

Nicely put Jetstar .....

So........ "looking for the most simple refractor telescope"

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/evostar/skywatcher-evostar-90-az3.html

It's an achromat not an Apo on a manually controlled mount

Or if you want an APO - then the Skywatcher 100ED is an excellent choice as already discussed

I promise to stop discussing Dobsonians

[happy-kat]

It might be worth ringing a supplier and talking through what options, bundles might be possible if you are after an APO.

So you can chose the mount you want and then see if you can also chose the scope and get a good price for a bundle.

Things things can be heavier then they look so it might be worth considering weight of the items you are considering too.

[nicks90]

i'll be another one that stumps up with the Mak suggestion for the first scope on an alt/az go to mount - as mentioned previously the celestron 127 SLT comes way in budget and will deliver everything a long / cumbersome / large refractor will - with the added benefits of being light and easy to handle, sensible eyepiece position and a good goto mount. Plus no real CA or other horrible visual abherations that come with refractors or fast newtonians.

[Chris]

Agreed, the celestron slt range have probably the most user friendly budget goto system on the market. Well worth checking out! They also have refractor version if we cannot convince you with the maksutov, but it's a short focal length refractor so it will show chromatic aberration on bright objects like planet's.

I would link you to the celestron slt range but it's a bit a bit fiddly with a tablet pc:-)

Chris

[Chris]

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/telescopes.html

Managed it:-)

[John]

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/telescopes.html

Managed it:-)

Nearly ......

Here is the Celestron SLT section:

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/slt-series.html

[jestar]

Hi,

Can anyone tell me the main differences between the skywatcher EQ5 pro synscan and the skywatcher AZ GOTO mounts ?