Help please!

[Heffernana]

Hi, 

I've read through some of these posts but thought it would be better for me to just ask you all for help! 

My partner is obsessed with space and it's his birthday in a couple of weeks so I want to get him a telescope. 

I havent got lots to spend, I would say 200 would be the abosolute maximum I can afford. I've looked at what everyone is recommending but it's a bit out of my price range.  I'd like to get him the best beginner one possible, bearing in mind neither of us have a clue how to use a telescope!  Could you, recommend which one would be the best for me to get please? I've been reading a few things and I'm actually quite excited to have a go on it myself.    I've looked into a few that websites have recommended but the reviews aren't great. I know I'm not going to get something incredible as you get what you pay for, but like I said, some recommendations would be really appreciated. 

Thank you in advance.. 

D 

[JamesF]

Perhaps this page might be worth a read:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes.html

Given your budget, I'd probably be tempted to go for this:

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

This one is also within your budget and is effectively the same telescope on a different mount:

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

but my preference would probably be for the first as it would leave some cash left over for a book such as this one:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/books/turn-left-at-orion-book.html

or some other accessories.

James

[Heffernana]

Thank you very much  😊 I'll have a look at these. 

[Floater]

+1 for all of the above. 👍

[miguel87]

I vote 130p eq2. That was my first telescope.

[Ricochet]

If you can stretch your budget to get the Skyliner 150p then I would recommend that. If you can't (which is fine), then in addition to the two 130p's previously suggested, there is the Starquest 130p which may be the successor to the EQ2 130p suggested above. Which is actually the better mount in use I cannot say though, there's probably not a wrong answer.

[PEMS]

I will suggest a different line.

Search out a reasonable 80mm achro refractor, I suggest not the short tube ones that are 400mm focal length, they introduce too much chromatic aberration (colours around bright objects).

Bresser in the UK does one called a FirstLight. It is 80mm diameter and 640mm focal length, so f/8 in technical terms. They come with a Nano mount and tripod, reasonable on stability. But at the lower cost end they save money by a slightly questionable mount/tripod. Also search out FLO offerings and Rother Valley offerings, the same basic scope can occur under different vrand names.

Reason is they are simple and easy. Another plus is that the owner can fit a full aperture solar filter and look at the sun. Something different to do in summer.

The scope mentioned if they get into the hobby more can be "enhanced" by purchasing something like the Skywatcher Az GTi goto mount. An 80mm will just be OK on one, no bigger then 80mm however. Then they have a goto system. Learn about the pros and cons of one before that occurs.

So you start with a simple and easy scope, can make a small addition for solar viewing, and if they get into the hobby easy to add a small goto later. You end up with a reasonably do everything system. Would be visual only but that is not a problem. Many suggest keeping visual and any imaging separate entities.

For a first entry in to this something easy to use is usually better.  Cost I think is around £160 so fits the budget fairly well.

[miguel87]

Good advice.

You can however slap a solar filter on any telescope, not just refractors.

And you can get a lot more aperture than 80mm for 160 quid.

Definitely could be considered a simpler scope to use tho. I agree with you there. And great portability.

Edited April 19, 2020 by miguel87