Advice on a first Telescope

[Beocat]

Hello everyone!  I'm sure you, have answered questions like mine before but I didn't see anything directly related in my quick search to my main concern. 

 

So, a little background.  I've been interested in the stars since I was a little girl.  I still remember standing out in the middle of our street and watching Hale-Bopp in the sky above our home.  I remember my father being given an old reflector telescope from a neighbor who was moving too and looking at Jupiter and its moons through it as a young girl.  I was so interested, my parents gave me a rather cheap tiny refractor telescope (the tripod was so small, it was pointless to use since it couldn't pivot correctly) and I made do with that for a while.  Over the years, I've often considered buying a telescope for myself (with some light astrophotography capabilities, nothing outrageously flashy mind you for a first buy) that would have great views of the planets and moon as well as the ability to spot some DSOs.  I've had this yearning about every 6 months for years and years (I've come to the conclusion it isn't an impulse buy)...  I wanted a dobsonian but there is one thing keeping me from getting it.  For many many years, I have suffered from extreme shoulder and neck pain.  The pain waxes and wanes like the moon and is from a bad disk in my neck.  On top of all of that, the past few years of work have caused a lot of nerve damage from the disk (likely due to repetitive stress and inflammation) so my arms and hands are extremely weak. 

 

At this point, my doctors have told me that I am not allowed to lift anything heavy at all.  Twenty pounds is still doable...thirty pounds is pushing it.  The weakness is becoming more problematic and the pain is nauseating.  So, if I were to get a dob, I would without a doubt, need to enlist my husband to move it for me.  >_>  He might be willing to do that once every few months but I doubt he'd do it more than once a month (I'm thinking 3x a year is his actual max).  He has no interest in stargazing like I do but I would eventually be relying on his photography expertise for imaging assistance (not to mention he has all the good lenses and cameras - I imagine once I start pinging him with photography questions and getting him to assist me with taking pictures he'll get sucked in).  What I really want is something I can bring out with me weekly that is lightweight enough that I can carry it by myself and not regret it the next day.  Twenty pounds is doable, thirty pounds is pushing it.  I'm thinking of going with a Cassegrain now due to my personal limitations.  With a budget of $1000 (I am hoping to still get a dob some day...maybe if I can get my husband interested enough in astrophotography to help me carry one frequently enough to accommodate the price...), I have considered the Nexstar 6SE.  I probably won't be purchasing anything until around Christmas (it storms every day and night right now...) and will likely end up visiting the local astronomy club a few more times first.  The 8SE isn't that far out of my allotted budget (and I'd probably be okay with forgoing the purchase of movies and books for a few months to make up the difference if the pros are that much better) so I've considered it, even though it is a touch out of my weight limitations. 

 

Any recommendations for one over the other with this consideration?  Have I maybe overlooked another scope that would work better for me?  The weight limitations aren't hard stops, but the heavier the package the less likely that it will get used often and if it is heavy enough to cause any pain or inflammation, I'll probably stop using it altogether.

[lenscap]

Hi, and a warm welcome to SGL.

I know nothing of AP but how about a Skywatcher  Heritage 130 for visual only.

It is much recommended on this forum as a starter scope, is easy to use. and weighs less than 15 lbs

.https://www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes/skywatcher-heritage-130p-flextube.html

You could think of adding a second scope for AP at some point, I will leave that to others to recommend.

 

[Ruud]

Would a dob combined with something like this also work or you?

I found this on here: https://www.astronomics.com/jmi-wheeley-bar-telescope-transporter-meade-10-12-inch-lightbridge_p14944.aspx

A friend had a similar setup which his dad made for him (probably for a third of the cost of this thing). Anyway, a dob +wheels could be less expensive than a C6 and reach deeper at the same time.

I have a nexstar C6. It works and it is't heavy, plus the base and the tripod separate easily. Still, you can get four dobs of that aperture for the same money.

 

[Knighty2112]

The 8SE on the GoTo mount is a good alround scope, and should be OK weight wise I believe if you carry the mount out first, and then the OTA itself. Check th specs for the individual weights of both the mount and OTA just to make sure though. Even better if you could see one in the flesh somewhere to check it out.  

[bingevader]

Hello and welcome!

Where would you be observing from?

If it was going to be from you back garden, then you could consider a permanent pillar mount.

You'd only need to assemble the OTA then which would bring down the weight and assembly some-what.

You'd be looking at something different to the Nexstar then though.

Cheers.

[bobro]

From your post is looks as though your main interest is astrophotography. A dob is a great scope for capturing light at low cost and so is typically used for visual. For longer exposure AP (usually means deep sky objects) a dob isn't so good as it limits exposure time due to the alt/az mount which causes rotation of the field of view and so objects aren't sharp.

For DSO imaging an equatorial mount is best. The good news is that AP doesn't require lots of aperture and so lighter scopes are possible. You could also start off by using a camera and standard lens for AP - very light.

A NexStar 6SE is on an alt/az mount and has a long (for AP) focal length - suited to visual but not for imaging anything other than the Moon or planets as they are bright and can be imaged with short exposures. This scope is not suited to long exposure imaging.

A single scope doesn't exist that is good for visual and most AP. Best to decide what you wish to use the scope for e.g. visual or imaging and then what types of objects.

[Mr niall]

You might have more flexibility if you opted for something like a skywatcher ED80 on an EQ5 Mount, you can move the mount and scope around easily enough on their own and you’d still have a good platform for astrophotography later on. Otherwise yes, I have a 130p too, weighs nothing, costs very little and punches way above its weight - have you considered whether you want to be standing or sitting? A big dob can get uncomfortable after a while - with something smaller like an SCT or refractor (or 130p actually)  it may be easier to find a comfortable position.

[carastro]

Since you seem really keen on doing some astrophotography, I am going to agree with some of the comments above, that a Dobsonian is not suitable for this.  

What might suit you is an equatorial mount capable of guiding with a Skywatcher 130PDS newtonian sitting on top (or the American equivalent).   This will go some way towards the type of scope you want and it is relatively cheap too.  The cheapest mount that guides is likely to be an EQ5 (I am not familiar with this mount, but I believe there is more than one version, but you really need the guiding capability for Astrophotography.  I think in America that Orion do similar versions of the Skywatcher mounts.

These will cost you just under £1000.  The 130PDS is good for observing as well and will give a nice field of view for imaging.

Weight wise you can take the mount outside in sections and assemble and then place the scope on top.  A permanent set up either on a pier or in an observatory would make you life even better if it were possible. 

Carole 

 

[Beocat]

@Ruud  If my husband can imagine or see it, he can build it.  How long it takes him to do it...he has a lot of projects going on in the garage all the time.

@bingevader  I would be doing mostly from my front yard.  The backyard has lots of trees, and the side yard will have plenty of trees in the near future (the man who owns the land next door has forgotten it for the past 10-15 years and a forest has taken root).  If it were in the backyard, I could maybe convince my husband to make one but not in the front yard.  Then there's the salty air.  Everything rusts, even if it isn't supposed to.

@bobro  My main interest is in viewing planets and the moon (viewing DSOs and stars would be great too).  I'd love to do some photography, but I would likely only focus on planets and the moon until I get my feet under me well.  Eventually I want to do deep space photography, but I will have a long learning period first (I have no delusions about that).  If I can do some astrophotography, the chances of getting my husband more interested in it would be increased a lot.  I imagine most nights I would simply be out there watching the skies.

I'm definitely looking at the Nexstar 6SE (SCT) and will be looking up some of these other suggestions.  Crazy thing is, I did get the telescope from my childhood (the one my father was gifted) which is a nice sized Newtonian - he hasn't touched it in well over a decade.  Problem was that it was full of cobwebs, the primary mirror had an inch of pollen and dust on it and I was forced to take it apart to clean it (blasphemy I know but that's what happens when you leave it pointing up with no cap - it was useless in that condition).  Haven't been able to collimate it properly yet =/  It is ridiculously heavy (so I have to have assistance to move it, it's the base that is heavy) and the placement of the eyepiece actually is a bit painful for my neck to bend to (so I haven't been able to collimate it in one sitting - though I'm starting to suspect the eyepiece is actually broken and it might not be my alignments.  I think anything not metallic may have dried out and broken down in all this time.).  Still trying to get it right and I'm hoping to have it fully fixed within a few months (when the weather cools down again). 

[Alan64]

The Sky-Watcher "Heritage" mentioned previously has its U.S. counterpart, the AWB "OneSky", here...

https://shop.astronomerswithoutborders.org/products/awb-onesky-reflector-telescope

It's most versatile, and in observing from 20x(and binocular-like) up to 200x and beyond with the aid of 2x and 3x barlows.  If you decide on that one, we may then help you with selecting eyepieces and a barlow.

The telescope and its mount sits very close to the ground as it comes.  Some place them on small tables, others, on tripods, and at the desired height for comfortable observations.  A 130mm aperture is considerable, and capable of thrilling the user, when compared to those telescopes of other entry-level kits at the same price-point which are not as capable.  

However, given your condition, star-hopping, manually, in the hunting and finding of objects to observe, may not be the best idea.  A go-to kit would probably make observing easier for you, a Celestron 6SE, or an 8SE if you prefer.  You would have the assistance of motors and the computer to move the telescope for you.  Both telescopes, however, have rather long focal-lengths, particularly an 8" Schmidt, which are not ideal for deep-sky imaging, neither the telescopes nor the SE mount.  You would need a go-to German equatorial mount for that, and an EQ5-class mount at least.  Also, the telescope must be of a much shorter focal-length, and a refractor from 60mm to 80mm in aperture.

Astrophotography of deep-sky objects is the most work-intensive aspect of astronomy, and almost an utterly different animal compared to visual observations with eyepieces.  I understand that that's the ticket to get your husband interested.  In that event, I would suggest that you read this book on the subject, and to discover what it is involved and required...

https://www.amazon.com/Deep-sky-Imaging-Primer-Second/dp/0999470906/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

I wish you the very best in your endeavours.

[Ben the Ignorant]

This six-inch f/5 tabletop dob weighs only 9 kilos, right at your twenty pounds limit:

https://www.teleskop-spezialisten.de/shop/Telescope/Dobsonian/till-200mm/Bresser-Messier-6-Dobson-Newton-travel-telescope-with-accessories::3462.html?language=en

Plus, it's white, the most sensible color for something that's operated in the dark. And Bresser (cousin with american company Explore Scientific) guarantees the optics are free of gross optical defects.

It is the lightest, most compact and least expensive of the 6-inch dobs. After you set it up on a table it is more convenient than the six-inch f/8 dobs that rest on the ground. I suggest adding a green laser pointer (10€) to allow aiming without bending the neck.

[Cosmic Geoff]

I think you need to clarify your objectives, bearing in mind that one telescope design will not suit all tasks, and some designs are intended for specialised purposes.

Is light weight a high priority? In that case consider small apertures, or SCTs.

Do you want a  GoTo mount? This will enable you to find faint or obscure objects quickly, rather than spending ages with charts or learning the sky. But some people just can't get on with the gadgetry.

Why are you considering a Dobsonian if you can afford a SCT or a mount with GoTo? Or do you mean  a B I G Dobsonian?  (It'll be heavy).

You can combine planetary astrophotography with visual observing, as the telescope and mount requirements don't differ greatly.  But the requirements for serious deep-space astrophotography are quite different - a HEAVY mounting, a small telescope, a lot of costly accessories and a  lot of learning, by all accounts.

I would suggest that you start with a 127mm Maksutov on a GoTo mount - the whole kit weights about 8.8 Kg and you won't be lifting it all at once - the telescope itself weights around 3.5Kg.  The outfit is designed to be portable.  It's a good instrument (for its aperture) for observing planets or doing some basic planetary imaging, and if you have dark skies you will be able to see (and find!) some galaxies.  The eyepiece position does not change much however you aim the scope, so you won't have to stand on a step or contort yourself to look through the eyepiece.   If you get on all right with that, you can consider getting something else, maybe bigger, or having that pier in your favorite observing spot.

I can lift and carry a complete C8 SE SCT outfit, (the C6 has the same mount so is not much lighter) but I'm still relatively fit.  One is supposed to keep the OTA/mount head assembled as a unit - there is no grab handle so fitting the OTA to the mount is not something you want to be doing above concrete in the dark.  Currently my C8 & mount are sitting on a stool beside the tripod. (The tripod is relatively light and is clearly designed to be portable - it's much lighter than an EQ5).