How to spend £1,500+?

[RobH2020]

Hi all,

I'm relatively new to astronomy, currently enjoying my entry-level-price Skywatcher 150P dobsonian and BST StarGuiders.

However, I like to daydream and long-term plan for everything, and astronomy is no exception.

So I wanted to ask a thought experiment...

If I had say £1,500 to spend just on a scope and mount, what would people recommend and why? Massive dob? A cassegrain? A refractor? or bump it up to £2,000 or £5,000 if that makes a big difference! (I don't have anything like this to spend at the moment, but just to daydream!).

While I may be interested in astrophotography in the future, here I'm just considering visual astronomy.

Am also aware of GoTo mounts etc. so do feel free to factor in their inclusion/exclusion in this daydreaming.

I know eyepieces, filters and other accessories are a whole extra ballgame for spending, but I've read a lot about those separately so no need to consider here (from my perspective).

So any thoughts? : )

Cheers,
Rob

 

Edited February 27, 2020 by RobH2020

[CraigT82]

3 minutes ago, RobH2020 said:

I live in a "bright suburban" (red/orange) environment and would rather focus on what's best for there rather than what's beset for a dark-sky location. Am more interested in DSOs than planets,

Unfortunately, what's best for bright urban environments is the planets! And moon.  If you're into DSO the best thing to spend your money on is petrol, unless you're happy to see the same handful of bright DSO over and over again. 

[RobH2020]

1 minute ago, CraigT82 said:

Unfortunately, what's best for bright urban environments is the planets! And moon.  If you're into DSO the best thing to spend your money on is petrol, unless you're happy to see the same handful of bright DSO over and over again. 

Fair enough Craig!

I've removed that part of my initial post now to prevent that limiting the "scope" (as it were)!

[CraigT82]

Well if was was thinking of spending £1,500, and I already had a 150mm F8 and lived in a city... I'd probably buy a Skywatcher AZ-EQ6 to mount the 150p on with tube rings.  This would open up the world of goto and dozens of DSO, which may only be a faint smudge in the EP due to light pollution but DSO nonetheless! It would also provide steady and stable tracking for high power planetary and lunar, and it would also provide a good base for starting imaging in the future

The 150p is a very capable scope and will go very nicely mounted on the AZ-EQ6 (in alt az mode) to be used as an all round instrument

[Piero]

Having a budget limit is important, but understanding your interests is even more, I'd say.

Let's simplify a bit..

Imaging. This has rather different requirements. Personally, I would keep this as separate.

GoTo. Are you interested in GoTo mounts because you don't like star hopping much? 

 

A 10" (solid tube) dobson is a noticeable step up from your 6" and a very good all-around. Personally, I would get the "manual" version (=no GoTo) and learn how to move around the sky. I would then add a decent collimator, Sky & Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas, and 3 decent eyepieces to cover 5-4mm, 2mm, and 1mm exit pupils (basically eyepieces with focal lengths of ~25mm, 10mm, and 5mm). I would also get an adjustable chair and an AstroZap dew / light shield.

This telescope can still be moved by one person without too much effort and fits in the backseats of a car, if you want to take it out to darker skies. 

One day you might decide to get a second grab 'n' go telescope like a 80mm F6. This could be used for wide field imaging too if you add a GoTo mounts like a SkyWatcher HEQ5 PRO.

[RobH2020]

11 minutes ago, CraigT82 said:

I'd probably buy a Skywatcher AZ-EQ6 to mount the 150p on with tube rings. 

Just had a look at that. My gosh, what a beast! "two telescopes can be mounted simultaneously in parallel." 

 

[RobH2020]

19 minutes ago, Piero said:

One day you might decide to get a second grab 'n' go telescope like a 80mm F6. 

I've actually got a 70mm refractor (assume you're talking refractors here), but it's a very cheap Celestron Astromaster 70az. The mount is absolute pants, doesn't stay where you put it at all. so I can't really use it. Not sure if the optical tube is worth keeping and swapping the mount, or if the whole thing is too basic...

[nicoscy]

If you are "stuck" in the city, you should consider a goto mount, a CMOS camera, a light pollution filter and enjoy Electronically Assisted Astronomy, as another option to be able to see things which you would normally have to go to a dark site to see. 

[Solar B]

I believe that you can only find out 

what you are going to really like via

trial and error / many of us have gone 

through vast amounts of equipment 

and are still not satisfied 😂

Brian 

[mikeDnight]

£1,500 might just buy you a second hand Takahashi FC100D or FS102. Mount it on an AZ4 until you can afford a better mount. You may never long for anything else. Get the best telescope your money can buy first and don't throw scope funds at fancy mounts. The fancy mount will come along in its own good time. 

Edited February 27, 2020 by mikeDnight

[RobH2020]

1 hour ago, Solar B said:

many of us have gone through vast amounts of equipment and are still not satisfied 😂

Haha yes that sounds like a risk!

 

[RobH2020]

46 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

£1,500 might just buy you a second hand Takahashi FC100D or FS102. Mount it on an AZ4 until you can afford a better mount. You may never long for anything else. Get the best telescope your money can buy first and don't throw scope funds at fancy mounts. The fancy mount will come along in its own good time. 

Thanks for the recommendation! Do you prefer refractors at these price points then than reflectors or cats?

[mikeDnight]

2 hours ago, RobH2020 said:

Thanks for the recommendation! Do you prefer refractors at these price points then than reflectors or cats?

As a visual observer only, I never fail to be thrilled by the laser etched lunar and planetary views, and the needle sharp star images that a top class refractor delivers. And yes, I much prefer a very high quality refractor over anything else. It's more than just the stunning wide field views and the ability to use extremely high magnification, its the comfort and ease of use that goes along with it. Also, there's virtually no cool down time with a doublet refractor, so I can go out at a moment's notice, make an observation and carry the whole thing back in within a matter of just a couple of minutes. A small to medium aperture refractor packs an amazing punch for its size, and a scope of 4" to 5" can often give finer views of the Moon and planets than much larger reflectors. In 40 years of using all kinds of telescopes, I've only once seen a SCT show an image of Jupiter that impressed me. The refractor  nearly always produces a detailed view. So as a visual observer an SCT would be my very last choice of telescope. Newtonians are fantastic performers, just not as fantastic as a quality refractor. For example, from a totally personal standpoint, I would much prefer a quality 4" refractor for lunar and planetary observing over a 6" or even an 8" Newtonian. I was loaned a 10" F6.3 Newtonian which has been stood in the corner of my observatory for the best part of 9 months, as my 100mm is my preferred instrument nearly every time. 

Maksutov's, both Cassegrain and Newtonian are excellent, and are often advertised as being "apo refractor like", but they don't have the same wide field capabilities as a refractor, and to my eye don't deliver the same level of sharpness. A number of years ago, in a sky & telescope review of a ( 5") 130mm AstroPhysics triplet, a (5") Takahashi FS128 and a 7" Intes Micro Newtonian Maksutov, the FS128 showed brighter deep sky views than the 7" Mak'. 

Its really down to personal preference, and most telescopes today are good enough to offer a lifetime of enjoyment,  so I'm sure you'd enjoy whatever you eventually buy. But if you're looking for a first class no hassle scope that will never need recoating or colimating, and will be as good in 100 years as it was on the day you bought it, then you should really look seriously at a top end refractor. A good 100mm refractor is a joy to use and will give amazing views of the Moon, planets, wide star fields and very high power views of close binaries. Even deep sky can be unbelievably satisfying under reasonably dark and transparent skies. And a 4" refractor is easily transported to dark sites where it will really leave you wowed! 

But don't let me influence you in any way! 

 

Edited February 27, 2020 by mikeDnight