Total Beginner

[Gav Monk]

Hi Guys, I'm after a lot of help really choosing the right telescope for me, I am a total beginner but i'm really excited to get started.
I've seen that Dobsonians seem to be popular.
I want to be able to have a good look around the night sky etc, but I'm also interested in photography so want to combine the two.
I've only a small budget though, around the £200 mark, I know i'll be limited but need to start somewhere.
So any help or advice is appreciated.
Thanks

Gavin

[Waddensky]

Welcome Gavin! Yes, a dobsonian is a great scope to get started with. You can get a decent second-hand 6" or 8" dobson for your budget, if you are able to stretch your budget a bit you may even be able to find a new 6" dob (I'm thinking mainland Europe prices, maybe it differs a bit in the UK). They are great scopes that will give you a lifetime of stargazing. But some people find them a bit heavy and cumbersome, especially the base. Are you able to observe from your own home or do you need to travel to a dark location? What kind of celestial objects would you like to observe? Planets, galaxies, nebulae, double stars?

A dobson is only for visual use. Maybe you can take a quick snapshot of the Moon or some other bright objects, but that's about it. To start with photography, you need a different scope and some other equipment, and as far as I know, we're talking about much higher budget requirements. But I'm strictly visual myself, so I'm sure others will chime in.

[laudropb]

Hello and a warm welcome to the SGL. Do you already have a DSLR ? Perhaps taking some wide field shots of night scapes or star trails would be the best way to start. Your budget will cover a decent starter scope, but not astrophotography.

[Floater]

Welcome. Have fun on the journey. 🙂

+1 for a Dob, although not best for astrophotography. 

[Gav Monk]

4 hours ago, Waddensky said:

Welcome Gavin! Yes, a dobsonian is a great scope to get started with. You can get a decent second-hand 6" or 8" dobson for your budget, if you are able to stretch your budget a bit you may even be able to find a new 6" dob (I'm thinking mainland Europe prices, maybe it differs a bit in the UK). They are great scopes that will give you a lifetime of stargazing. But some people find them a bit heavy and cumbersome, especially the base. Are you able to observe from your own home or do you need to travel to a dark location? What kind of celestial objects would you like to observe? Planets, galaxies, nebulae, double stars?

A dobson is only for visual use. Maybe you can take a quick snapshot of the Moon or some other bright objects, but that's about it. To start with photography, you need a different scope and some other equipment, and as far as I know, we're talking about much higher budget requirements. But I'm strictly visual myself, so I'm sure others will chime in.

Thanks for your reply, I do live in the countryside in West Devon & luckily i'm able to observe from home.
It's mainly Planets & stars I want to observe.
Perhaps i'd be best to wait a while & save a bit more cash, I've been looking at the Sky-Watcher Skyliner 200p, The reviews seem to be mainly positives, any thoughts?

[Gav Monk]

4 hours ago, laudropb said:

Hello and a warm welcome to the SGL. Do you already have a DSLR ? Perhaps taking some wide field shots of night scapes or star trails would be the best way to start. Your budget will cover a decent starter scope, but not astrophotography.

Yes already have a DSLR, Think i'll wait a bit & save some more cash but been looking at Sky-Watcher Skyliner 200p, any thoughts??, 

[Waddensky]

9 minutes ago, Gav Monk said:

Thanks for your reply, I do live in the countryside in West Devon & luckily i'm able to observe from home.
It's mainly Planets & stars I want to observe.
Perhaps i'd be best to wait a while & save a bit more cash, I've been looking at the Sky-Watcher Skyliner 200p, The reviews seem to be mainly positives, any thoughts?

I have one. You can't go wrong*, it's a great all-round scope that comes with eyepieces that are good enough to get started with.

*edit: as long as you're a visual observer.

Edited April 9, 2020 by Waddensky

[laudropb]

That’s the first scope I bought when I came back to astronomy a few years ago. It’s a very good scope for a beginner. It’s quite bulky and you don’t want to be carrying down stairs and you need somewhere to store it.

[johninderby]

The 200p is a good basic dob for those with a tight budget. Yes you can get better dobs but the prce goes up and the 200p can be improved a lot a bit at a time so you can spread the cost out.

 

Edited April 9, 2020 by johninderby

[John]

The optics of the Skywatcher dobs are excellent. I've owned the 200P and the 250PX and observed with a few of the 300's (solid and flex tube) and the optical performance was consistently good.