Best telescope for £100?

[Holliejo]

Hi everyone, 

Can someone advise on what the best telescope is for around £100-120? 

I think my partner wants to use it for looking at stars and planets, but i have no idea on what to look for! 

Thanks! 

[carastro]

This is probably the only new scope you will get for £100.

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

This would probably be better as is enables a longer focal length.  (More power).

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

Have a chat with the retailer (they sponsor this forum), though I think you can only speak to them via E mail but they are good at replying and would maybe ring you to discuss if you give them your phone number.

Carole 

Edited November 3, 2019 by carastro

[Cosmic Geoff]

Have a look at 'beginner telescopes' on the FLO (sponsor) website.  If you want the maximum aperture for your money, you want the lowest-cost tube design (Newtonian reflector) and the cheapest design of mount (mini-Dob) - hence the recommendations above.

Be aware that budget equatorial tripod mounts tend to be wobbly, and also baffling for beginners to set up. 

Also check out your expectations against small-telescope reality by checking the 'what can I see' thread somewhere on this forum.

[Holliejo]

Thankyou for your reply! I have seen a couple of 2nd hand ones, however i have no idea whats good and what isnt. One of them being celestron ps1000 

[Holliejo]

Thankyou Geoff, i will take a look! 

[Cosmic Geoff]

I have seen a couple of 2nd hand ones, however i have no idea whats good and what isnt. One of them being celestron ps1000 

I don't know anything about this telescope except that it seems to be what we call a 'department store' telescope here, and the sales copy claims a maximum magnification of over 800x.

This level of magnification is quite unusable in practice, and claims of this sort are generally a cue to run away quickly.

[Stu]

32 minutes ago, Holliejo said:

Thankyou for your reply! I have seen a couple of 2nd hand ones, however i have no idea whats good and what isnt. One of them being celestron ps1000 

I would avoid the PS1000, it has a very fiddly and probably not very stable mount which will be frustrating to use. The scopes which Carole pointed to are excellent suggestion, the 130P in particular will show plenty and is simple to use.

[bingevader]

1 hour ago, Holliejo said:

Thankyou for your reply! I have seen a couple of 2nd hand ones, however i have no idea whats good and what isnt. One of them being celestron ps1000 

If you already have this 'scope, then why not give it a bash first?

It's not fab, I think it's a Jones/Bird design (a spherical mirror and corrector, rather than a parabolic mirror), but worth a go.

We'd be happy to help you get started using it.

It would give you an idea as to whether stargazing was something you were likely to take further.

Then, if your partner isn't happy with it, you can save up and buy something better.

BTW, What are the other 2nd hand 'scopes?

[Alan64]

I have the PS1000.  Avoid it like the very plague.

This rather... https://www.firstlightoptics.com/reflectors/skywatcher-heritage-130p-flextube.html

...but not the 100P and at f/4.  That one is configured as an astrograph, in disguise.