national geographic premium 76/700 telescope

[leo82]

Hi all,

I received the above telescope as a christmas present from my parents.

I've been interested in astronomy for a couple of months now so I guess they saw this and thought it would make a good gift.

I was just thinking of starting off with a pair of binoculars and building up to a telescope.

I shall still be getting a pair of binoculars as I believe they will serve their own purpose in general stargazing and picking out obJects to view through a telescope.(I think i've decided on a pair of helios naturesport plus 10x50)

I've read alot of real bad reviews of this telescope and was wondering if it is really that bad? I've never looked through a telescope before except this one. I set it up using the 25mm eyepiece and focused on the moon. I've got to be honest I was impressed at how clear, sharp and detailed the moon was. I could see the craters and other things which I haven't learned yet. It was the only object readily visible and I dont have any experience to compare it to.

So, I guess what i'm asking is should I thank my parents but see if we can return it and then put the money towards a better telescope or is there scope for this one(pardon the pun), such as better eyepieces?

Thanks for reading and I would appreciate any replies.

[Peter Drew]

Difficult one this, specially faced with your parents good intentions. I think it is fair to say that most entry level telescopes are a short stepping stone to better equipment if the interest develops. They all provide much better views than the naked eye and usually more magnification than binoculars. The main downside is often the mount which can be difficult to operate or point leading to frustration. Overall it would certainly be something to cut your teeth on, it's all good practice for the future, I wouldn't, however, buy any upgrades for it unless they were transferable to an upgraded telescope. 

[Craig20264]

Yes, a very difficult one. I guess it will only become "bad" when it no longer gives you any enjoyment. I would say for the sake of harmony, stick with it, learn and enjoy the night sky, and if you still have an interest and yearn for more after a few months/years, you will be better placed to decide which avenue to go down with a new purchase.

[Ricochet]

Sounds like there were many of these being handed out this week. Personally, I think I would be inclined, as delicately as possible, to thank your parents for their excellent idea, but to see if they would be willing to return it as you believe that it is possible to get a better model for the same money that they paid. It might be a bit upsetting for them to hear now but I think it would probably be more upsetting for them if you upgrade in 6 month's time and their £150 present is discarded.

[ronin]

I would agree with Craig, live with it but do not get great expectations.

The NG scopes get poor reports however they are ultimately from the same source as the other 76/700 scopes that people get.

So in that respect saying an NG 76/700 is significantly worse then a Celestron 76/700 just is not correct. They will be decorated differently but are the same 76/700 scope.

Are you any good with a jig saw ?

Black and Decker style not 1000 piece ?

Just wondering if at some time you could turn it into a cheap and chearful dobsonian style - actually it might be at present, I have no idea. (Apologies on that)

Sounds like you can see stuff through it, and it will show more detail then binoculars will. Binoculars are fine but they deliver a different aspect then a scope does. Not really interchangeable in my opinion. I have both and I use both but I di not use a scope instead of binoculars and vice-versa.

A couple of cheap plossls would likely make a diffrence, think the least costly I know are from Skies the Limit, Forget ideas of the 4mm and I suggest forget the 6.3mm also. There will be others at similar cost just not sure where. StL is run by Alan and people here buy the BST's from him so he is well known.

Concerning the scope in general: There is better, and there is worse.

I can recall someone criticising a 60mm scope that someone had bought, a reply to it said "They are not the best scopes to start astronomy with, but they are very often the scope where many of us do start from."

Sort of summed it all up perfectly.

[Charic]

Hi and welcome.

Great choice with the binoculars, the 8x40s i own have an 8° degree field of view and give stunning results. Im sure the 10x50s will give the same result, but a tad less field of view.

As for exchanging the scope, if your parents know less than you about telescopes, you could explain that the dip-flange is faulty? It needs to go back for warranty repair/exchange?

Or just tell the truth and say that receiving the scope has fired your interest, and that you now want bigger/better, and buy your own, dealing with the NG at a later date, they may even suggest, would it be possible to return the original ( there are better regulations for the return of goods these days! ).

Lastly, the NG will work upto a limit, if you find that limit too soon, its time to move on, so get what you can from the NG for now, learning and working towards your next telescope?

[Guest]

Keep it and enjoy using it.As time goes by you may well meet other back garden astronomers and you can compare yours with their's.In time you may well upgrade.But stick with your nice gift for now.Happy new year to you.

Martin.

[leo82]

Thanks for all the replies.

I think I shall keep it and use it as a learning tool, afterall, it's my first telescope and I need to learn how to use one. I dont mean to sound ungrateful I just didn't want to waste my parents money.

[Gazabone]

It is all about enjoyment and from what you say, you are going to enjoy it. I would strongly recommend attending a few meetings of a local astronomy society if you possibly can. You will find how to get the most out of any equipment you have, get to look through other people's scopes and find ways to still enjoy astronomy on nights that clouds obstruct the views.

All the best

Gareth

[brantuk]

My thought is - if you hang on to the scope you're folks will be happy. What you can do is join a local astro society and pop along to their observing sessions with your scope. Take your dad with you to one or two of them - once he sees the wide array of gear available and compares the views through your scope with other scopes - he'll be only too keen to help you upgrade at a later date - he may even be the first to suggest upgrading - and everyone's happy. 

[leo82]

I have had to return the scope. The mount had developed a fault so rather than get a replacement I decided on a refund.

[leo82]

I will be getting another scope. My original plan was to start off with binoculars and build up to a scope. However, since having a suprise scope for christmas I have got the bug!

Budget wise I would say is difficult as i'm still new to astronomy so spending alot of money for something that may get stuck in the loft or sold on for a great loss Would be less than ideal. On the other hand, I would want something that I wouldn't have to upgrade pretty much straight away. I think my overall budget will be £200.

What I want out of the new scope is difficult too.

I saw the moon with the original scope was a real eye opener. I guess lunar and planets. If i'm stargazing with the binoculars and spot some star clusters I guess a scope would be ideal for a more closer look and not to mention the most obvious, galaxies and nubula. Pretty much everything lol. Is there such thing as an all rounder?

After saying that I realise £200 is being optimistic, it's alot to lose but not much in terms of quality.

The binoculars are a great investment i've already spotted andromeda and pleiades.

[Peter Drew]

At a budget of £200 I would say that a 150mm Skywatcher Dobsonian has got your name on it. Probably the best all rounder at this price point. 

[happy-kat]

With in budget is the 150p dobsonian mount. Most bang for buck on the mirror coupled with a simple but effective mount.

Other considerations are where will the telescope be stored in relation to observing location, will there be flights of stairs etc.

[leo82]

Thank you Peter Drew I shall have a look at that.

[Ricochet]

I agree, for £200 a new SW 150p dob is your best option. You could look for a 200p in the used market but for effectively your first scope buying new from a proper astro trader who can give you decent after sales support is probably best.

[leo82]

With in budget is the 150p dobsonian mount. Most bang for buck on the mirror coupled with a simple but effective mount.

Other considerations are where will the telescope be stored in relation to observing location, will there be flights of stairs etc.

Hi happy-kat

From storage to observation point will all be on one level from the old pantry to the back garden, no difficulty or obstacles to really consider.

However, I might at some point take the scope to a more dark site.

[leo82]

I agree with you Ricochet on buying new. I wouldn't really be able to know what to look for if I was buying used.

[RikM]

I would echo the advice given above that with a £200 budget, the SkyWatcher Skyliner 150P Dobsonian is a great place to start. I would also add a Rigel QuikFinder to stick on the tube as It makes it easier to see where it's pointing (not as easy as you might think).

The nice part about a Dobsonian mount is that it incredibly easy to set up and use, and not expensive to produce, so you get a much larger optical tube for your money. With visual observing, larger aperture (diameter) is generally better.

[happy-kat]

Also telescopes can be mounted onto different tripods so get extended use as the hobby grows.