Did anyone else struggle to decide....

[bish]

There will be times when you wondered why you bothered spending the money. Rubbish weather/work etc can curb enthusiasm. A lot will boil down to how deep rooted your interest is and how much money you have tied up relative to what you can afford.  I had the cash ready for a bigger dob ready but my wife really needed a holiday ,so booked one up. I can live with the 10" for now and the holiday took priority. Not sure I could have sold the 10" though!

 

Despite rarely getting to dark skies with good weather I would still have a huge scope sitting in the shed if money were no object. The few nights I do get make it all worth it.

[barkis]

There is much you can do prior to committing money to this way of life we call astronomy.
You can read a lot about it, you can join a local Astronomical Society, where you will get a feel for the 
subject, and get a sense of the love affair some folks have for it. You will probably join the group on nights out
for observing sessions on  which members will be pleased to let you use their particular set up to gain the viewing experience.
Different Instruments you get to use will give you an inkling of what area you would particularly like to pursue, and thereby
the type of telescope you would opt for.

Of course all this is obsolete now, as you have already taken the plunge.  
I think you will get an Idea of how much fortitude and stickability you possess,  on your first cold night out under the stars.
If the sights you see don't hold you there, then you might not get the bug that is needed, and I don't mean the Flu. one .
I'm sure you'll stick with it, all of us here did .
Good Luck.

[BXRO]

Bought my first scope off Gumtree, it's a skywatcher 130P on an eq2 mount, not the world's best scope but for less than £100 I got a taste still using it however it will probably be homeless the middle of next year. My advice don't spend a lot initially buy something cheapish and Experiment

[Hobbes]

Like many on here I started slowly with Bino's and gradually invested in more capable and expensive kit as it became apparent that this was going to be a long term hobby. It also allowed me time to decide which field my interest lay in. In my case its principally visual astronomy.

Almost all my purchases have been brought second-hand which has saved me a fortune and the upgrading process has been been part of the excitement as more and more objects come within the range of my equipment.

Five years on I've just got my dream scope - an 18" Dobsonian (secondhand again!) and I am a very happy chap.

Whatever you decide to do is good - just enjoy the journey!

[swamp thing]

On 12/19/2016 at 18:39, ronin said:

 

On CN a long time ago (not necessarily in a galaxy far, far away) there was a question - Do you see more in an 80mm refractor or a 10" reflector.

Sounds simple doesn't it, actually sounds a bit pointless. But if you take the 10" out only when you are likely to get in a good decent nights decent observing, then it may not get out much whereas the 80mm might get out 5 to 8 times as often, once a week or twice a week, for the odd hour here or there.

Oddly there is someone on SGL that is noticable by their absence since getting a "big" scope. Is it they are out under the stars at every oppertunity and too busy to post, or it hasn't lived up to expectations and they do not know what to say.

 

 

" But if you take a 10 out.......... It may........... the 80mm  might........"     Seriously???? 

But if you are merely explaining what you may do then I might understand where you are coming from  

Signed "Big" scope owner with plenty to say......

 

[Stu]

5 minutes ago, swamp thing said:

 

" But if you take a 10 out.......... It may........... the 80mm  might........"     Seriously???? 

But if you are merely explaining what you may do then I might understand where you are coming from  

Signed "Big" scope owner with plenty to say......

 

A lot of this depends upon circumstances. If you have the freedom from family commitments to get away every new moon to dark skies, then a 20" is the way to go. If you still have a young family for instance then a more portable or grab and go setup will (may) suit you better.

My 4" frac is still my most used scope, although that may change now I have a 12" setup semi permanently in the garden.

[Paz]

I started off with some cheap binoculars, then went on to ~5' scopes, then went on to a 14" scope.

Im very happy so far but I've taken it slowly and have been fairly patient. Most of my stuff is second hand which saves money but takes more time and effort.

[SonnyE]

2 hours ago, Stu said:

A lot of this depends upon circumstances. If you have the freedom from family commitments to get away every new moon to dark skies, then a 20" is the way to go. If you still have a young family for instance then a more portable or grab and go setup will (may) suit you better.

My 4" frac is still my most used scope, although that may change now I have a 12" setup semi permanently in the garden.

I managed to work mine down to what I hoped to achieve with my interest, and then shopped for the equipment to do that.

I wanted to image the things I could not see otherwise. So I needed a reliable and trouble free telescopic lens and camera. And that is exactly why I have what I do. (And not a room full of things I don't use)

Most evenings I carry my entire telescope and all, in one hand to my mount. Then go back inside and carry out my laptop.

If it were more difficult, I would think I could lose interest soon in the endeavor...

I took 4-5 months refining my purchases, and the direction I've gone.

[Moonshane]

The main think I'd urge people to consider is that there's really no such thing as 'the final scope' or the final whatever. As you go through the hobby you'll find that your interest goes in any number of directions. At this point your equipment may become obsolete for you. There is in the UK and USA at least a very active market and common mentality of buying and selling good quality and well cared for used equipment. Therefore selling good quality, well cared for equipment at 50-75% of the new price is very common. I'd suggest in the early days to buy used and then as you specialise or understand the limitations or benefits of equipment you can buy new, selling the older used equipment in the knowledge that the new stuff is likely to be retained for longer and therefore you feel the actual benefit of any depreciation.

[nightfisher]

3 hours ago, Stu said:

A lot of this depends upon circumstances. If you have the freedom from family commitments to get away every new moon to dark skies, then a 20" is the way to go. If you still have a young family for instance then a more portable or grab and go setup will (may) suit you better.

My 4" frac is still my most used scope, although that may change now I have a 12" setup semi permanently in the garden.

Puzzled, do you not have an ED120, if you do i would have thought it would be your most used

[CraigT82]

1 minute ago, nightfisher said:

Puzzled, do you not have an ED120, if you do i would have thought it would be your most used

I'll wager Stu's referring to his Tak

[Stu]

4 minutes ago, nightfisher said:

Puzzled, do you not have an ED120, if you do i would have thought it would be your most used

Craig is right Jules, I don't have an ED120, can't think why anyone would have one...... Doh! I'm sorry, couldn't resist.

I find the Tak very good for the kind of observing I do, plus it is just about airline portable if I need it to be, the 120ED is just a little too big for that.

I would like a larger aperture frac at some point, probably around the 130 ish mark as a good balance of portability and capability. A nice FS128 would add to my Fluorite collection .

[wookie1965]

I used binoculars for 25 years before I bought my first scope Skywatcher 150p on a EQ3-2 mount bought HEQ5 tripod for that second hand bought eyepieces although nothing like Ethos, Naglers  or any that dear stuck with the BST`s. When I needed something motorised because of health reasons bought EQ5 Goto and got a Skywatcher 200p thrown in second hand now I have got a Tal 100rs between them I am more than happy just about portable. I would love to look through a big dob with expensive eyepieces just to see what it was like but I don't think I would get a big dob now I wouldn't be able move it

[John]

Reading the responses to this thead, there seems to be 2 broad approaches:

- gradually acquiring / replacing equipment over a period of time (years often) as interest deepens and experience is gained.

- a sort of "big bang" approach where someone starting in the hobby spends quite a bit on kit trying to get a setup that will last quite a while.

Neither of these are right or wrong but I guess the 2nd way does pose quite a bit more risk and I think this might be where the original poster is currently ?

 

[TheShape]

Right here goes. I appreciate all your answers and recommendations. They're all so much appreciated and respected. I have (for now) refrained from spending my £1500 on scope/mount etc. I shall purchase (unless someone can recommend an better one) a meade (I hear groans and see rolling dyes) etx90. It'll cost me £500. Has a storage/transport case, and a bag for the tripod. This way I won't be 'wasting' my money if I decide astronomy is not my bag. I'm. Hoping it will spur me on to greater things though. The portability is a a big plus for me atm. I can even buy a camera to attach to it and track with the laptop. I see that as a big plus. I'll be able to learn all about that site of things, then if/when the time comes, I can upgrade to my earlier mentioned kit and transfer the camera etc over to it. 

If I'm not on shift, I have my three boys stop with me, 11,13,15. I can set the etx90 up (or go out with it and them) a whole lot quicker and easier than with the other scope. 

Now I've said all that, let's hear just why meade is so downtrodden.

PS, sorry if I ramble, it's what I do :-/

[Steve]

58 minutes ago, TheShape said:

I shall purchase (unless someone can recommend an better one) a meade (I hear groans and see rolling dyes) etx90. It'll cost me £500. 

You have been seeking advice in this and your other thread for over a month and have received some good detailed responses so I am surprised you have settled on an ETX90. I think you said you are buying from RVO, RVO also stock the Celestron Nexstar 4SE which cost over £100 less than the ETX90 and is significantly better. 

HTH

[Tim]

2 hours ago, TheShape said:

Now I've said all that, let's hear just why meade is so downtrodden.

I don't think for a minute Meade equipment is downtrodden. It has just settled in it's natural rating place given the years of experience the community has with it..............

Don't get me wrong, I know quite a few people who get great use out of their ETX 90.

[SonnyE]

3 hours ago, TheShape said:

Right here goes. I appreciate all your answers and recommendations. They're all so much appreciated and respected. I have (for now) refrained from spending my £1500 on scope/mount etc. I shall purchase (unless someone can recommend an better one) a meade (I hear groans and see rolling dyes) etx90. It'll cost me £500. Has a storage/transport case, and a bag for the tripod. This way I won't be 'wasting' my money if I decide astronomy is not my bag. I'm. Hoping it will spur me on to greater things though. The portability is a a big plus for me atm. I can even buy a camera to attach to it and track with the laptop. I see that as a big plus. I'll be able to learn all about that site of things, then if/when the time comes, I can upgrade to my earlier mentioned kit and transfer the camera etc over to it. 

If I'm not on shift, I have my three boys stop with me, 11,13,15. I can set the etx90 up (or go out with it and them) a whole lot quicker and easier than with the other scope. 

Now I've said all that, let's hear just why meade is so downtrodden.

PS, sorry if I ramble, it's what I do :-/

There is only one person to really concern yourself with regarding your choices, and that is you.

Nobody out here in WebWorld will be living with your choices, only you will.

And you can change your mind, change your shorts, change your direction, or bank your change.

I Thank You for the conversation. Now, have fun!

Astronomy reminds me of this Johnny Cash Song...    (Just bare with me, It's funny.)

[bish]

18 hours ago, TheShape said:

Right here goes. I appreciate all your answers and recommendations. They're all so much appreciated and respected. I have (for now) refrained from spending my £1500 on scope/mount etc. I shall purchase (unless someone can recommend an better one) a meade (I hear groans and see rolling dyes) etx90. It'll cost me £500. Has a storage/transport case, and a bag for the tripod. This way I won't be 'wasting' my money if I decide astronomy is not my bag. I'm. Hoping it will spur me on to greater things though. The portability is a a big plus for me atm. I can even buy a camera to attach to it and track with the laptop. I see that as a big plus. I'll be able to learn all about that site of things, then if/when the time comes, I can upgrade to my earlier mentioned kit and transfer the camera etc over to it. 

If I'm not on shift, I have my three boys stop with me, 11,13,15. I can set the etx90 up (or go out with it and them) a whole lot quicker and easier than with the other scope. 

Now I've said all that, let's hear just why meade is so downtrodden.

PS, sorry if I ramble, it's what I do :-/

Just go out and enjoy it now. The only thing that you need to decide is whether you are bitten by stargazing or not.  Don't worry about what other people think you should or shouldn't have bought now you have made your choice. Have fun!

[LukeSkywatcher]

I never made a choice/decision to get into astronomy. Its just something ive done for 37 yrs. It stemmed from a natural curiosity i had about something i saw in the night sky,as a 6 yr old.  I guess from that moment on, you could say i decided that astronomy was for me. Ive always had a healthy interest in the natural world around us and that includes the universe around us too. I think its something that is either in you or its not. I dont think you can force yourself to like something.

The decision i did make about astronomy, was to buy gear to use for the purpose of......

Most of my life, i used a pair of 10x50 bins which my parents bought me when i was 6 and discovered i like astronomy. It was only as recently as 2008 that i decided to buy a scope. Since then i have invested in lots more gear of all sorts. The most expensive kit i have is my 8se scope. The rest cost varying amounts. Ive always only bought gear i can afford at the time. No point in breaking the bank.

 

[Gina]

My grandfather introduced me to astronomy when I was very young and I've been interested ever since   Watched practically every episode of The Sky at Night since it began and until I had been here in rural Devon I used binoculars to watch the night sky.  The sometimes fantastically clear unpolluted skies here prompted me to get my first telescope from Amazon.  A Celestron Astromaster 130 MD with a couple of eyepieces and rather crude tripod/mount.

However, having also been a keen photographer almost all my life, I really wanted photos and my first attempt was with a webcam capturing Saturn.  Seeing the rings was wonderful!   To report my progress from those rather basic beginnings would almost take a book - I was well and truly hooked on astro imaging and now concentrate on DSO imaging.  Notable points in my astronomy life was joining SGL and buying Steve's book "Making Every Photon Count".

We should be getting ultra-fast broadband next month and then I intend to develop my website - currently on hold due to a very slow internet connection.  I'll be putting most of my astro and electronics projects on it and may include my astro progress.

[Roy Challen]

On 19/12/2016 at 20:41, TheShape said:

The £1500 is for a Skywatcher ed80 ds pro (apparently good for normal observations, but picked for Astrophotography).  The mount and tripod is a Skywatcher eq6 goto (future proof).

I did have a celestron 130EQ astromaster from Amazon (which I figured would not be stable enough for Astrophotography). It went back, while I had a return window.

I now currently own some 10x50 bins. Any clear night, out I go, finding my way around the sky. 

I have recently found (and like the look of) meade etx80, and etx90 which are very versatile, but obviously aimed mostly for observing. Far cheaper than £1500 too. 

For ten years all I had was an etx 70 (predecessor of the 80). From a dark site it did alright, well, saw m87 with.

I would suggest that you think about your expectations from this hobby before spending big. And definitely consider buying second hand - all my gear now is s/h.

As others have said, the best kit is the most used and my most used are my binoculars.

[TheShape]

Hi everyone. Thanks again for all your replies, some more welcome than others I might add :-/

Anyway........Here is what I have FINALLY gone for.

SkyWatcher SKYMAX 127 SynScan AZ GOTO Telescope

Not my first choice.....I couldn't (or cannot ATM) justify paying out £1500.

Not my second choice.....was put off my members here.

So please now go ahead and diss if you like or tell me its 'a good un' to get my foot in the door.

I felt like I had been 'told off' my certain members on here the other day. Nearly didn't buy anything full stop!

I can't help it if I am indecisive :-/

[CraigT82]

3 hours ago, TheShape said:

Hi everyone. Thanks again for all your replies, some more welcome than others I might add :-/

Anyway........Here is what I have FINALLY gone for.

SkyWatcher SKYMAX 127 SynScan AZ GOTO Telescope

Not my first choice.....I couldn't (or cannot ATM) justify paying out £1500.

Not my second choice.....was put off my members here.

So please now go ahead and diss if you like or tell me its 'a good un' to get my foot in the door.

I felt like I had been 'told off' my certain members on here the other day. Nearly didn't buy anything full stop!

I can't help it if I am indecisive :-/

Don't worry about it mate, just like real life there are all sorts of personalities on here, some a bit blunter than others! Just be thankful you're not on the cloudy nights forum, there many more colourful characters on there!  

The skymax 127 is a cracking little scope, it will give you good views of the moon and planets. The best advice I can give is to make the effort to get out to real dark skies when you can. It really does make all the difference! (For DSOs of course.... Doesn't really matter for moon and planets). 

[iPeace]

On 12/19/2016 at 17:39, TheShape said:

Right, I'm getting my all wound up and annoyed (maybe I annoy you too). Thing is, I can afford to buy a scope and mount (got them picked already) for just under £1500. This is all I need to start (observing) then add the camera, reducer etc later (for Astrophotography). What I'm wondering is, am I alone in finding it hard to decide if I'll still be keen after a year. Will I be 'blown away' by what I see in the skies. Obviously everyone on the forum is a keen astronomer, but did you ever initially struggle to part with your money. 

I read books,  magazines, watch YouTube all the time about space and planets. I just find myself currently able to 'submit payment' on my basket. 

It'd be nice (if anyone is still reading) to see your comments and hear your stories about getting started (and parting with your cash). 

Feeling indecisive for sure. HELLLPPP. 

I made a conscious decision to start minimal, all decent kit but compact and portable so as to have no excuse at all not to use it. Even then I put off actually purchasing anything for a while, worried there may not be enough clear nights in the year to justify the outlay.

Then I thought, what the hell.

That was less than a year ago, a year in which I have acquired three scopes, several mounts and tripods and a full set of premium eyepieces. And two very nice pairs of binoculars. I don't regret it.

But I am a gear nut, so perhaps this is all beside the point.

The main thing is that I promised myself beforehand that within the first year I would see Jupiter, Saturn and the Moon as I had never done before. I didn't know enough about astronomy to look any further, but I knew that this was doable and would be worth it.

I kept my promise, and have been grateful for everything else I have been able to see. It has been great, and that in a year bemoaned by others for offering so few observing opportunities.

So set realistic goals and keep insisting that your glass is never less than half full.