Second hand purchase?

[Mary1976]

Good morning,  I've been reading loads of threads about the best first scope to buy,  and I understand the situation with supply at the moment so I am pondering second hand options. 

From my searching, the options available to me on the market right now are

a Bresser 6" (which is advertised on here but has some dinks),

a sky-watcher heritage 130 which I understand is the beginners scope of choice but may be an old ad so not actually available

A Skywatcher 1309 eq2

Or a Skywatcher Sky-Watcher Heritage-114p Virtuoso

And potentially a Celestron Astromaster 130 or there is also a Helios locally.

Are there any of these you would plump for? Or avoid as being complete hobby killers? For context I live in the wilds of cumbria- great for star gazing, less great for actually collecting second hand purchases!

Thank you, and I'm sorry for yet another beginners scope thread!

 

[tooth_dr]

Lidl have a 70mm refractor coming up for sale, it's £79.99.  You wouldnt go far wrong if you wanted a new scope that is decent enough for a beginner.

[neil phillips]

I Just got a skywatcher 70mm F12.8 Capricorn tube assembly, From astroboot for £29

At nearly F13, CA must be minimal. Its got good baffling. For a small instrumen it should be quite good.

[Stu1smartcookie]

Hi , Buying second hand isn't the minefield that it sounds . You will find most people look after their gear . I bought a 102R off a fellow SGL member last weekend ... it is immaculate ! 

I also enquired about the bresser you mentioned . The owner said the dents in the tube are not as noticeable when you actually see the scope . Its a fine scope ( Bresser do make nice Scopes ) 

Of course living where you live, you will benefit greatly from a dark sky and as such any of the scopes you mention will show nice views . I know its tempting to rush out and buy equipment ( i am guilty of this ) but , think about what you want to see . Do you want to see a range of faint fuzzies , are you going to use a scope for mainly planetary and lunar viewing ... do you also want to use a scope for terrestrial use ? Everyone on here will have an opinion , but only you know what you really want . I was always told to avoid buying scopes from department stores as they have no knowledge , generally, of the product they are selling . Try not to buy , just for the sake of buying ... the stars are going nowhere so you have time . I  can only speak from experience about buying on a whim and not getting what i  really wanted .

I wish you good luck ... oh and of course , clear skies 

 

[Mary1976]

Thank you for the responses. I'm sorry I should have been clearer-my 9 year old will be happy with lunar and planetary views but my dad might want to venture further into the fuzzies 🙂

[Pixies]

I'd go for the Bresser. The dings won't affect the view.

[Stu1smartcookie]

I second the Bresser vote . Especially in line with the other scopes mentioned . 

[lenscap]

1 hour ago, Mary1976 said:

or there is also a Helios locally.

Hi, do you know the model name & number of the Helios scope?

Helios scopes were rebranded as Skywatcher in 1999 so the scope would be old but should be good quality, ( but avoid the "Apollo" models.)

I have a 20 year old Helios Explorer 200p that performs almost as good as new.

[Tiny Clanger]

The 150mm /6" Bresser would be what I'd go for , it's a good telescope and has the biggest  aperture of those you listed. My first proper scope was a 150 dobsonian and it is not only a great , simple to use beginner's tool, but also a serious telescope . If you are close enough for collecting it to be viable, I'd go for it.

Bear in mind also that you are buying off someone who knows their stuff, and has a good reputation on here, things which may not apply to some other sellers elsewhere.

[jacobingonzo]

I fourth the bresser- good allrounder for different tastes- nice and easy for a quick Knock and nash outside- cut your collective teeth on it and see where you want to go from there

 

J

[Mary1976]

Thank you for all your help and comments. Dobbie has very patiently answered my questions and I'm buying the Bresser 😁

[Tiny Clanger]

Excellent, hope the collection journey goes well and the clouds miraculously part to show you the heavens through it asap.

Heather

[Jasonb]

1 hour ago, Mary1976 said:

Thank you for all your help and comments. Dobbie has very patiently answered my questions and I'm buying the Bresser 😁

Nice one! So many threads and questions on here about people trying to find *any* scopes (and hopefully the right one for them too if possible!) so it's good to see someone has got their hands on one!

 

[Mary1976]

Thanks to all of you for your advice, Dobbie has been incredibly patient with me and I picked up the dob last week.  It is therefore my fault its been cloudy since 🙈

[Stu1smartcookie]

Well done on your purchase .. for me the sky is clear tonight I hope it’s the same for you .. and everyone.

[Mary1976]

Nope sadly mixed cloud for us, think we managed to see the conjunction from the M6 driving for fish and chips,  but saw the moon later through the scope and clouds  

[Mary1976]

Nothing compared with some of the dazzling shots on here, but just snapped with my mobile held up to the eyepiece. I'm staggered. Thank you Dobbie and for all the advice on here 🙂

[DaveL59]

if your phone has a pro mode for the camera you could try turning down the ISO and increasing the shutter speed to tone down the over-bright areas and show the texture across the surface. Case of try different things till you find what works but a nice first shot to get you hooked 🙂 

[Mary1976]

Oh it does, thank you! I will definitely try that next time (sadly I've had to come back inside as apparently its not acceptable to completely ignore ones children on christmas eve)  

[DaveL59]

3 minutes ago, Mary1976 said:

Oh it does, thank you! I will definitely try that next time (sadly I've had to come back inside as apparently its not acceptable to completely ignore ones children on christmas eve)  

ahhh seems it can be lucky being single and living alone once more 😉

Tho sadly all fast moving cloud here so am indoors in the warm instead, such is life.