In the telescope market, need advice

[3mm3]

Hello, I am just getting started in this hobby.  I am looking to purchase my first telescope but its a bit overwhelming with all of the choices available.  I just completed reading the book Nightwatch and learned a lot from it and got a better idea of what I may be after.  However I am still needing some input on making my first telescope purchase.

Here is a list that have interested me.  From seeing my list I'm clearly lost.  My goal is to see as much as possible in the sky.

http://skywatcherusa.com/dobsonians/sky-watcher-dobsonian-10-254-mm.html

http://skywatcherusa.com/dobsonians/sky-watcher-goto-collapsible-dobsonian-10-254-mm.html

http://www.meade.com/lightbridge-12-f-5-truss-tube-dobsonian.html

http://www.celestron.com/browse-shop/astronomy/optical-tubes/c6-a-xlt-(cg-5)-optical-tube-assembly 

http://www.celestron.com/browse-shop/astronomy/telescopes/omni-telescopes/omni-xlt-150-refractor-telescope

 

[Putaendo Patrick]

As long as you're not thinking of trying astrophotography, a Dobsonian reflector is probably your best option in terms of value for money, ease of use and all-round ability.

However, personally I would recommend a slightly smaller 8"/200mm version. 10" and 12" models are really quite big telescopes that can be difficult to move and set up. They are, in general, more sensitive to collimation (fine tuning the alignment of the mirrors). They will also, in general, be more demanding on eyepieces - which can equate to spending significantly more.

Meade, Skywatcher and Zhumell are all good brands to look out for.

[alanjgreen]

Hi 3mm,

It looks like you are a visual observer from the scopes you listed. Let us know if you are astrophotography (as this will change the mount type that you need and likely the scope too)

For visual, ifyou want a scope that will last at least a couple of years then don't go smaller than 8" aperture.

As patrick says, the 8" dobsonian is a good starting point and will show many many night sky objects. The 10" is bigger but not that much, visit an astro shop to view a 10" one before you decide as you will be armed with the size/weight specs.

What is your max budget?

Are you also interested in motorized mounts, if so then a celestron 8SE is another one to consider. SCTs can get you closer to the objects with their long focal lengths but you sacrifice the wider field view that the dobsonian will give you. Or a 8" dobsonian with goto motors is also available.

Motorised will let you spend more time observing as no time is spend finding the objects.

Consider which types of objects you want to see, if they are small like galaxies then an SCT can get you closer. If they are wide like some nebulas and star clusters then a dobsonian would be better.

Either way, aperture is king and the bigger you go the more objects will be at your mercy. As you can see from my sig, I have a C11 and it gets me to a wide range of objects. I miss out on some wider nebulas and star clusters that dont fit into the field of view and I have to pan around to see the various parts.

Budget is the key, then size & weight impact your setup & storage time/space.

Alan

 

[Knighty2112]

If you've never used a telescope at all before you might find the larger telescopes a little too big to start with. An 8 inch dob is a good compromise though. Unless you have some place where you can easily store your scope remember you will most likely have to set it up and break it down every night. Large heavy scopes tend not to get used as much as smaller lighter scopes in general, so before you commit too much money to anything too large you might be best of with the Celestron 150 refractor, or the C6. Out of the two personally as a first scope I'd go with the 'frac as you will get a good all round scope for both planets, lunar and DS0's too and won't have to worry about collimation either.  

[3mm3]

Currently I don't have an interest in astrophotography as I feel I would be adding another hobby to the list.  I may dip into that in a few years but for now I'm just going to keep it a visual hobby. 

What is your max budget?  I'm trying to stay at or below 1500 to start out

With the Dobsonian style of telescopes I like the collapsible style for storage and ability for easier transport but have an odd question.  How does ambient light affect the open area of the telescope?

With the motorized telescopes, can the scope be used just like a non motorized model?  I really like the idea of conquering the sky unaided but at times I'm sure the goto feature would be nice.

[Putaendo Patrick]

With collapsible Dobs, it's usual to cover the open truss tubes with a "shroud" - you can buy these, or make one yourself with some thick cloth, elastic or velcro. Collapsible Dobs are certainly more compact for storage, but in fact are usually a little heavier.

Some goto computerised mounts can be operated manually, but many can't - so check the specifications carefully. You can get goto Dobs, although they can be quite expensive. There is also a sort of half-way model made by Orion, which has a computerised system but no motors. You nudge the telescope following arrows on the handset until you are on target. http://www.telescope.com/Orion-SkyQuest-XT8i-IntelliScope-Dobsonian-Telescope/p/102012.uts

[Gabby76]

A reflector on a dobsonian mount is a great scope to start observing with but as said be aware that they can get large and heavy fairly quickly.

If you need to travel to get to a good viewing location find out if the scope tube and base will fit in your vehicle first.

There is nothing worse than finding out your new scope is not easily transportable.

Some people mount their 200-250mm scopes and base on hand trucks to ease moving them around. There are many example to see if you search around.

 

[3mm3]

27 minutes ago, Putaendo Patrick said:

With collapsible Dobs, it's usual to cover the open truss tubes with a "shroud" - you can buy these, or make one yourself with some thick cloth, elastic or velcro. Collapsible Dobs are certainly more compact for storage, but in fact are usually a little heavier.

Some goto computerised mounts can be operated manually, but many can't - so check the specifications carefully. You can get goto Dobs, although they can be quite expensive. There is also a sort of half-way model made by Orion, which has a computerised system but no motors. You nudge the telescope following arrows on the handset until you are on target. http://www.telescope.com/Orion-SkyQuest-XT8i-IntelliScope-Dobsonian-Telescope/p/102012.uts

Ill take a look at this.

Thank you

Mark

[3mm3]

For the goto telescopes I understand you align them to certain stars to complete the alignment.  If I am surrounded by a tall tree line that covers all of the horizon view will this cause me problems with alignment?

[Louis D]

23 minutes ago, 3mm3 said:

For the goto telescopes I understand you align them to certain stars to complete the alignment.  If I am surrounded by a tall tree line that covers all of the horizon view will this cause me problems with alignment?

It can be challenging to find two bright, well spaced stars under those conditions.  You can start with two more closely spaced stars and then realign on each object once it's centered to refine the alignment with many of these goto/push-to mounts.

Being in the US, I recommend you also check out Cloudy Nights for advice and their classifieds.  There are lots of good deals on CN classifieds for telescopes under $1500 that cost much more than that when they were new.  Most are lightly used and are in very good condition.  I picked up my normally $400 AT72ED for $200 from there a couple of years back.  Apart from slight dust on the lens, I couldn't tell it from new.  I also picked up a $220 alt-az mount for $115.  Again, it looks brand new.

For large scopes, you'll probably want to find someone in the Northeast within driving distance so you can check it out in person and have them walk you through its operation.  Most folks on CN are a joy to meet in person.

[jorman]

OK. Telescope for observing is a very complicated topic as you probably realize by now. Please understand that if you want to observe DSO with any telescope. you need to have access to a very dark site. Aperture size is king when it comes to observing deep space objects. Also notice that the difference between a 8" and a 10 " telescope is not that great. I have 5" refractors, SCT 11" and SCT 14, and a 12" Dobsonian. The difference between the 11" and the 12" is negligible, but the 14" is definitely noticeable. Now your budget is key, but I can tell you that my SCT-14 with its CGE equatorial mount is not very manageable for transporting, which is why for our star parties ( Southern Cross Astronomical Society ) I purchased Orion SkyQuest 12" Go To Dobsonian truss. Truss is key for portability. The same scope with a tube instead of the truss system is a monster , but the truss dob comes apart into 9 pieces which I can assemble in less than 10 minutes ( I have clocked it several times ). Now is a Newtonian system and requires collimation( people get scared when they here collimation...) I do not have any collimation tools ( Chesire, Lasers, etc, )and I can collimate this scope in less than 5 minutes once you have done the initial set up. Food for thought !

Enjoy the views... Jorman

PS: Not recommended for astrophotography

[3mm3]

2 hours ago, Louis D said:

It can be challenging to find two bright, well spaced stars under those conditions.  You can start with two more closely spaced stars and then realign on each object once it's centered to refine the alignment with many of these goto/push-to mounts.

Being in the US, I recommend you also check out Cloudy Nights for advice and their classifieds.  There are lots of good deals on CN classifieds for telescopes under $1500 that cost much more than that when they were new.  Most are lightly used and are in very good condition.  I picked up my normally $400 AT72ED for $200 from there a couple of years back.  Apart from slight dust on the lens, I couldn't tell it from new.  I also picked up a $220 alt-az mount for $115.  Again, it looks brand new.

For large scopes, you'll probably want to find someone in the Northeast within driving distance so you can check it out in person and have them walk you through its operation.  Most folks on CN are a joy to meet in person.

Thank you for this information I didn't know about Cloudy Nights website.

My home is actually not in too bad of a location.  Its fairly dark for the most part but nothing like where I grew up in the southwest mountains. I think the big issue here is just dealing with the tree line. 

[Dave In Vermont]

I'm with the advice given thus far by Putaendo Patrick leading.

It may seem early to be talking about accessories, but I'd make an exception here: The Zhumell Dobs come with a RACI (Right-Angle Correct-View) Finder-Scope. Perhaps the others do to, by now. But the RACI is important, as it could, literally, spare your neck. An RACI is a scope with a 90° diagonal mounted into it, which spares the user from trying to look for objects while trying to sight up the tube of the telescope itself. You'd need Yoga to pull this off easily! See below:

 

RACI by Orion

I concur with a 200mm (8 inch) being the best for general usage. And the 200mm is at what I call "the sweet-spot" in terms of the ability of being able to see just about every type of object one could wish to see - and see these well - and having the size to show you a new one every night for the rest of your life. And more, too! A larger scope could be good, but one could find some problems with moving them around and fitting into a car, etc.

Happy Hunting!

Dave

[3mm3]

1 hour ago, jorman said:

I purchased Orion SkyQuest 12" Go To Dobsonian truss. Truss is key for portability. The same scope with a tube instead of the truss system is a monster , but the truss dob comes apart into 9 pieces which I can assemble in less than 10 minutes ( I have clocked it several times ). Now is a Newtonian system and requires collimation( people get scared when they here collimation...) I do not have any collimation tools ( Chesire, Lasers, etc, )and I can collimate this scope in less than 5 minutes once you have done the initial set up. Food for thought !

This is a very nice telescope.  With easy breakdown and assembly its very appealing.  I have been searching to see if this comes in 8 or 10 inch but seem to be failing.  Does this telescope come in either of those sizes?

[3mm3]

9 minutes ago, Dave In Vermont said:

It may seem early to be talking about accessories, but I'd make an exception here: The Zhumell Dobs come with a RACI (Right-Angle Correct-View) Finder-Scope. Perhaps the others do to, by now. But the RACI is important, as it could, literally, spare your neck. An RACI is a scope with a 90° diagonal mounted into it, which spares the user from trying to look for objects while trying to sight up the tube of the telescope itself. You'd need Yoga to pull this off easily!

Thank you for the heads up om this!  If the telescope I purchase does not include this I will definitely purchase one to save my neck.

[Cosmic Geoff]

I seriously think you should start with a smaller and easy to manage telescope, and use that to find out where you are as regards what you like and don't like about amateur astronomy.   If you invest $1500 to start with, you may find yourself with a Dob that drives you mad because you cannot locate fainter objects, or a Goto that frustrates you because you can't look at Venus without connecting a battery and going through a setup and aligning routine.  Better to find out what suits you before spending all that money.   And there's no rule that says you have to own just one telescope.

And where are you observing from? Urban sites are not good for observing galaxies and the like. Small bright or stellar objects that can be seen with  a SLT like the 6SE are less affected, and GoTo is good for finding objects in the urban murk.  GoTo will still work even if your view of the sky is very restricted - just do a 1-star align near the area you want to observe.

If you want to see galaxies, that calls for a dark skies site, and possible travel, and here you might want the light grasp and simplicity of a big Dob, or the time-saving of a GoTo to bag more objects in a restricted time.

[Louis D]

4 hours ago, Cosmic Geoff said:

If you invest $1500 to start with, you may find yourself with a Dob that drives you mad because you cannot locate fainter objects

I have had absolutely no problems locating faint objects with my well under $1500 dob equipped with Sky Commander DSCs.  However, I rarely align them because I know where to look for most objects now.  The exceptions are new objects and Uranus and Neptune.

[Astro Imp]

2 hours ago, Louis D said:

I have had absolutely no problems locating faint objects with my well under $1500 dob equipped with Sky Commander DSCs.  However, I rarely align them because I know where to look for most objects now.  The exceptions are new objects and Uranus and Neptune.

Ah but you're an experienced observer, the OP isn't and frustration can soon set in when you've seen the easily found objects and want to see new more difficult objects.

[alanjgreen]

I agree with astroimp, for a first scope "goto" is great to keep the excitement coming.

the goto dobs are big, so a trip to Boston to visit an Astro shop and see some in person would be well worth your while.

You have the fall back of fitting a Celestron starsense unit if you would rather the scope aligned itself! They do a version that works on skywatcher scopes too   Here it is on a skywatcher Dob!