I'm in a difficult position!

[Interstellar_Explorer]

Hey guys,

I really appreciate all the answers I got on the previous topic!

And I send thanks to everyone who spent their valuable time just to answer my silly questions!

But I have run into another problem now,

They're 3 telescopes that I need help choosing between.

1: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Celestron-21024-76-mm-Firstscope/dp/B001UQ6E4Y

2: https://www.amazon.com/Orion-SpaceProbe-Altazimuth-Reflector-Telescope/dp/B0732TBPJW

3: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Seben-700-76-Reflector-Telescope-Scope-Astronomy-Astronomical/330401482786?epid=1582303130&hash=item4ced768822:g:oTcAAOSw2gxYnFSJ 

(And yes, I am still stuck on number 3 because I've seen very good reviews and that it offers the best bang for your buck, But I could be wrong)

 

Thanks for reading my post!

 

Any help would be highly appreciated!

[Shibby]

Hi,

Well, all three of those have the same aperture, so in terms of bang for buck I suppose the first one is best. However, I'd find it difficult to recommend any of them. It may be better to save up a bit longer and go for something like a Skywatcher 130P, which is a great starter scope for visual astronomy and will allow you to see a lot more than the 'scopes with 76mm aperture. The cheapest way to get hold of those optics is with the dobsonian: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/reflectors/skywatcher-heritage-130p-flextube.html

Edit: Or, look second-hand. Most of my kit is second hand and I highly recommend the used market.

I hope that helps,

[Interstellar_Explorer]

19 minutes ago, Shibby said:

Hi,

Well, all three of those have the same aperture, so in terms of bang for buck I suppose the first one is best. However, I'd find it difficult to recommend any of them. It may be better to save up a bit longer and go for something like a Skywatcher 130P, which is a great starter scope for visual astronomy and will allow you to see a lot more than the 'scopes with 76mm aperture. The cheapest way to get hold of those optics is with the dobsonian: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/reflectors/skywatcher-heritage-130p-flextube.html

Edit: Or, look second-hand. Most of my kit is second hand and I highly recommend the used market.

I hope that helps,

Hey Shibby! Thank you for answering my silly question! ? 

I have a really tight budget of 80€ 

And, sadly,  I can't spend more than that

So I really need to know which one would you prefer in terms of view-quality and all around accessories?

Thanks!

[John]

Personally I would try and save up some more money rather than buy a 76mm newtonian but if your budget is fixed then I think I'd go for the Orion Spaceprobe or the Seben one because they will be a bit more versatile. The Orion brand has a better reputation than Seben and will have better re-sale value when and if you want to upgrade to something more capable but the performance of these two particular scopes is likely to be similar. The little celestron scope will be OK for casual low power scanning but the design does not make high power viewing at all easy.

 

 

 

[Shibby]

Yeah I think I'd agree with John. If you can't save up or look second-hand, then the Orion and Seben are probably better for lunar/planetary observing as they have higher out-the-box magnification options. The Celestron would be better for wide-field deep-sky objects such as Andromeda, however I would recommend the Skywatcher version over the Celestron, as this doesn't have a finderscope.

[Interstellar_Explorer]

4 minutes ago, Shibby said:

Yeah I think I'd agree with John. If you can't save up or look second-hand, then the Orion and Seben are probably better for lunar/planetary observing as they have higher out-the-box magnification options. The Celestron would be better for wide-field deep-sky objects such as Andromeda, however I would recommend the Skywatcher version over the Celestron, as this doesn't have a finderscope.

Ok thanks!!!

[Interstellar_Explorer]

12 minutes ago, John said:

Personally I would try and save up some more money rather than buy a 76mm newtonian but if your budget is fixed then I think I'd go for the Orion Spaceprobe or the Seben one because they will be a bit more versatile. The Orion brand has a better reputation than Seben and will have better re-sale value when and if you want to upgrade to something more capable but the performance of these two particular scopes is likely to be similar. The little celestron scope will be OK for casual low power scanning but the design does not make high power viewing at all easy.

 

 

 

Thank you very much!!!

[RT65CB-SWL]

If I was in your position, I would go for the one mentioned by @Shibby - It maybe a long wait to save up for, but the star positions are not going to change that much within the next millenium.

I used to own a 'scope similar to the last two you have links to. The fork mount was terrible. In the end I gave it away to a neighbour's son as he was showing an interest in space/astronomy.

[Interstellar_Explorer]

16 minutes ago, Philip R said:

If I was in your position, I would go for the one mentioned by @Shibby - It maybe a long wait to save up for, but the star positions are not going to change that much within the next millenium.

I used to own a 'scope similar to the last two you have links to. The fork mount was terrible. In the end I gave it away to a neighbour's son as he was showing an interest in space/astronomy.

Hey Philip! Thanks for answering! If you don't mind, may I ask whch telescope was the one you owned that was similair to the one I linked? Thanks again!

[N3ptune]

These 3 are toy telescopes! unless it's for a 6 years old (first scope), I would also save some money to get something better...

[daz]

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/heritage/skywatcher-heritage-100p-tabletop-dobsonian.html

Only a few pounds more, larger aperture than the Seben, reputable brand, reputable dealer!

 

[RT65CB-SWL]

41 minutes ago, Interstellar_Explorer said:

Hey Philip! Thanks for answering! If you don't mind, may I ask whch telescope was the one you owned that was similair to the one I linked? Thanks again!

I think it was a Tasco 700/76 newtonian reflector. Don't get me wrong, Tasco used to make some good 'scopes... that is until everything more or less had 'Made in Hong Kong' stuck or stamped upon them.

[Interstellar_Explorer]

17 minutes ago, Philip R said:

I think it was a Tasco 700/76 newtonian reflector. Don't get me wrong, Tasco used to make some good 'scopes... that is until everything more or less had 'Made in Hong Kong' stuck or stamped upon them.

Ohhhhh, tasco! No wonder! Yeah people say they make really bad scopes, or "toy" scopes. Anyways thanks for your help!

[John]

Some of the older Tasco's had good optics in them and were made in Japan. It was usually the poor mounting and very basic accessories that let them down. The mountings and accessories of the scopes that you list could well be their weakest point as well.

 

[Interstellar_Explorer]

27 minutes ago, daz said:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/heritage/skywatcher-heritage-100p-tabletop-dobsonian.html

Only a few pounds more, larger aperture than the Seben, reputable brand, reputable dealer!

 

Ok thank you!!

[Cosmic Geoff]

Like the others say, don't buy a 80 Euro scope. These are toys.  These cheap instruments disappoint at all levels: small light gathering power, low potential resolution, crude mount and, all too often, poor optical quality as well. Look for a better secondhand instrument, or save up for a 100 or 130mm Newtonian on a mini-Dob mount. 

[rwilkey]

21 hours ago, Interstellar_Explorer said:

(And yes, I am still stuck on number 3 because I've seen very good reviews and that it offers the best bang for your buck, But I could be wrong)

Hi IE, Seben actually gives extras if a buyer gives them a good review, that's how underhand they are.  But if you want to buy rubbish it's your choice.  I would also recommend buying astronomy gear from an astronomy supplier where you will get good expert advice. 

[bingevader]

There are a couple of 130p 'scopes on eq mounts on Astroboot atm at around £70 which is around 80 euros?

[RT65CB-SWL]

3 hours ago, bingevader said:

There are a couple of 130p 'scopes on eq mounts on Astroboot atm at around £70 which is around 80 euros?

The link is for http://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/propview.php?typechoice[]=Telescope-Reflector&titlechoice[]=For+Sale&minprice=&maxprice=  not http://www.astroboot.co.uk/AstroBoot or http://www.astroboot.eu/AstroBoot

The 'UKAB&S' or 'astrobuysell' is a popular site for secondhand astro goodies.

[bingevader]

Oops beg your pardon, I meant AstroBuyandSell!

[Interstellar_Explorer]

11 hours ago, rwilkey said:

Hi IE, Seben actually gives extras if a buyer gives them a good review, that's how underhand they are.  But if you want to buy rubbish it's your choice.  I would also recommend buying astronomy gear from an astronomy supplier where you will get good expert advice. 

Hey guys! Thanks for all the help! But my budget is fixed to 70-80 euros, and unfortunately i can't spend more then that?, but if you guys could please help me out by sending me a link of the best telescope you found for that price-range (since i'm a complete noob in buying telescopes) it would be highly appreciated!!!

 

Thanks again!

[Alan64]

Orion, of California, is very conscientious of the "toy telescope" market.  As a result, practically all of the telescopes that bear their marque are good buys, generally.    I, personally, would never purchase an Orion-branded eyepiece or accessory, and definitely not their premium telescopes, as items elsewhere that are "eerily" similar can be had for less.  But they're entry-level kits are a step up from the B-brands and certainly the generics that permeate the marketplace, as are the included eyepieces and accessories.  You get two decent and useful eyepieces with the Orion.  In future, you can get a 2x barlow, and barlow the two eyepieces, and whichever other eyepieces you may eventually acquire.

With  a 76mm f/9.2 Newtonian, it will have a small secondary-mirror, and therefore a small obstruction there at the front of the tube; similar to that of this 114mm f/8 of my own...

That small obstruction will enable you to see sharper, more contrasty and detailed images at the medium and higher powers.  Also, the longer Newtonians are easier to collimate, to align their optical system, and for best image quality.

The Celestron "FirstScope" has a deplorable reputation.  Here in the U.S., the kits have been seen and sold at wholesale clubs for US$25.  Run from that one.  Simply research it, and be enlightened.  I would never even make mention of it other than in this instance.  Here's the secondary of my 100mm f/4, and similar to that of the Celestron...

That large secondary-obstruction is precisely what robs contrast and sharpness, in the case of that one and the Celestron; but at those short focal-lengths, it can't be helped.  They must be larger, and to catch the wider cone of light from the primary-mirror.  But that fast Newtonian has a parabolic mirror, and was chosen for low-power observations only.  The Celestron "FirstScope" does not possess a parabola, yet should, as it is a fast Newtonian, too.

Incidentally, here's a 70mm refractor for scant more... https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p5217_Skywatcher-Mercury-707-AZ2---complete-beginner-s-telescope.html

[Cosmic Geoff]

10 hours ago, Interstellar_Explorer said:

Hey guys! Thanks for all the help! But my budget is fixed to 70-80 euros, and unfortunately i can't spend more then that?, but if you guys could please help me out by sending me a link of the best telescope you found for that price-range (since i'm a complete noob in buying telescopes) it would be highly appreciated!!!

 

We have already given you our advice above. If there is no way you can spend more that 70-80 euros, then may I make a suggestion:

Given the economic state of Greece, there must be plenty people selling off telescopes because they need money.  And not so many people wanting to buy used telescopes. So go out and look for one.  Have you tried Ebay? On Ebay UK there are used astronomical telescopes, better than those you wanted to buy new, for less than the equivalent of 80 Euros.  If you can travel within Greece, you can go for 'collection only' items which are often cheaper. 

Note that a used telescope may come with extra eyepieces etc, wheras if you buy new with your fixed budget, you will not be able to afford any extra eyepieces should you need them.