Beginner from Surrey, UK- Looking at Upgrading

[Walker]

Hi All, 

 

 

I have been looking through your beginner advice and it is extremely helpful. I was advised to use my very basic telescope for a year and I did and it has been excellent just learning. 

 

However, I want to see more (classic), I really want to aspire to seeing in deep space. What sort of Telescope would be best for an beginner to intermediate, I would really like the next one to keep me satiated for longer than a year. 

The next step, would be all the planets with detail. I find it really hard to decide which telescope is best and this forum is brilliant! 

 

Thank you for all your help! 

 

[Cosmic Geoff]

What kind of basic telescope do you have?  Having had it for a year, what features of it don't you like and wish to avoid when buying a replacement?

What are the skies like where you live?

What is your budget?

Do you want a basic device, or high-tech?

How portable does it need to be?

If you want more specific advice than "buy a bigger one" you really need to give us more detail.

Edited May 21, 2021 by Cosmic Geoff

[AstroMuni]

Great to hear that you are enjoying your hobby. What sort of scope have you been using?

In order to help guide you better a few details would help .. what is your budget, where do you live (i.e, how bad is the light pollution), are you interested in visual or astrophotography. As you have probably already read on several posts on this topic, there is no one size fits all to get the most of deep sky & planets.

Looks like @Cosmic Geoff beat me to it

Edited May 21, 2021 by AstroMuni

[Ricochet]

From previous posts the current telescope is a standard 76/700 reflector so there is definite merit in an upgrade. Given that you've mentioned both deep sky and planets I don't think you can go far wrong with the standard suggestion of an 8" f6 dobsonian, providing that you live in a house with a garden and can store it downstairs or in a shed or garage. If you will have to carry your telescope up/down stairs then something smaller is needed. In this case a 6" f5 Newtonian on an alt/az mount (carried in two parts) is probably the limit.

You will also need to budget for additional eyepieces as the ones supplied with your existing scope aren't worth keeping.

[Walker]

Hi all,

Yes, I have a 76/700 reflector.

The skies around me are varied, I have little light pollution as I am near the Surrey Hills, however, light pollution  can be bad. I do have a shed, so the bigger scope might be possible. 

My budget would be less than 1K, preferably £500-£700. I know deep space scopes are quite pricey though.

I wouldn't need to be carrying around too much as my garden is really good for observing.

Would it be best to buy new or go to reputable second hand ?

Thank you so much for your help! Sometimes, it can be quite overwhelming with all of the different scopes etc.

Again, thanks!

 

 

[Carbon Brush]

A second for @Ricochet recommendation. An 8" F6 dob is a good choice.

This is well within your budget and will give a lot of enjoyment.
If you keep an eye on the SGL classifieds, that is the best place to buy used kit that is usually in good condition.
Here is an example https://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-skyliner-200p-dobsonian.html

You can go upwards on spend with a goto and flextube (for easier storage).
There are other similar scopes from Bresser, Celestron, etc.
There are small differences in features, build quality, etc. Otherwise basically the same scopes.

If you go for a dob with a chipboard base (like the Skywatcher range) just be aware of damp in storage.
Besides tarnishing the bright and shiny metal bits, you will slowly degrade the chipboard.

A £400 basic dob leaves you lots of ££ for eyepiece & finder upgrades. Even a small refractor for the grab and go sessions.

I'm thinking of a short tube refractor, not the long tube scope you have used.
There are lots to choose from in the 60/80mm dia area.

Keep asking, you will get lots of help.

David.

Edited May 22, 2021 by Carbon Brush
Additional comment

[Cosmic Geoff]

17 hours ago, Walker said:

Yes, I have a 76/700 reflector.

The skies around me are varied, I have little light pollution as I am near the Surrey Hills, however, light pollution  can be bad. I do have a shed, so the bigger scope might be possible. 

My budget would be less than 1K, preferably £500-£700. I know deep space scopes are quite pricey though.

I wouldn't need to be carrying around too much as my garden is really good for observing.

Would it be best to buy new or go to reputable second hand ?

Thank you so much for your help! Sometimes, it can be quite overwhelming with all of the different scopes etc.

Unless you have dark skies, views of galaxies and nebulae will be disappointing regardless of what size scope you have. You could look up the Bortle value for your location which would give us a clue.

You have not said whether you want manual or GoTo.

£500-£700 would enable you to buy a new, manual Dobsonian-mounted Newtonian of substantial size.   However for £700+ you could look for a used 8" SCT, e.g. a Celestron C8SE (with GoTo).  I did, and have not regretted it. 🙂   Advantages: the SCT is lighter and more compact than a Newt, and the eyepiece remains in a more convenient position.  The GoTo makes the  setup more versatile (find planets in daytime, image planets) as well as enabling you to find faint elusive objects. All GoTo mounts track.

New or second hand: that's up to you.  There is a risk in buying second hand, especially if you don't know what defects to look for, but if you buy a well-cared for instrument from another astronomer here, there should be little risk, and you can save a lot of momey.

 

[Walker]

Hi,

I like manual because you get to know what works and how to position etc. However, are there any advantages/disadvantages  for either Togo or manual? Especially because I'd like to see further.

 

Thats a really helpful tip on the deep sky, thanks!

Thank you for replying  everyone, it's really helpful!

[Gfamily]

34 minutes ago, Walker said:

Hi,

I like manual because you get to know what works and how to position etc. However, are there any advantages/disadvantages  for either Togo or manual? Especially because I'd like to see further.

GOTO will take money away that could otherwise be spent on the optics, and it sounds as though you're willing to find your way around the sky yourself, so I would say to go with the Manual approach.

If you do buy a 6",  8" or 10" Dobsonian (according to your budget), then I would very much recommend getting the Illustrated Guide to Astronomical Wonders, which is an excellent book for suggesting targets to look at.  (The link is to the Google Books Preview page - so you can browse through it and get a feel for it).  

 

Edited May 23, 2021 by Gfamily

[Tiny Clanger]

If you have the space to store it , and are able and happy to carry it outside (they are substantial items)  you could get a 200mm (8") dob , £400 https://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-skyliner-200p-dobsonian.html or a slightly nicer and lighter weight  £430 https://www.firstlightoptics.com/bresser-telescopes/bresser-messier-8-dobsonian-telescope.html

If you spend all of your budget on a 'scope, you will soon find you need to stretch it further for some upgrades asap , another £200 would get you two or three decent eyepieces (e.g. BST starguiders, around £45 each new ) and a better finder . As I'm sure you've read , the provided accessories are usually not very impressive (altho' reputedly the Bresser eyepiece is less horrid than the skywatcher stuff )

Or ... as you have two very different target types in mind, deep space and the planets , how about a small mak on an alt/az mount like this for £260 https://www.firstlightoptics.com/maksutov/sky-watcher-skymax-102s-az-pronto.html , long focal length , compact and portable, slo mo controls to make fine adjustments and keep those planets in view easily , ideal for bright planets and the Moon, and a tabletop 150 heritage dob , more light collecting potential for the fainter distant stuff £250 https://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/sky-watcher-heritage-150p-flextube-dobsonian-telescope.html 

It's a combination which serves me well (I have the slightly larger 127 mak, ) As a relative beginner who is interested in pretty much everything it has given me some amazing views from my suburban garden during lockdown , despite light pollution , neighbour's hideous garish garden lights, and my general ineptitude at finding stuff. I take the dob out for faint stuff, and the mak if it's a moonlit night, or there are planets well placed.

The bad news is ... you have plenty of time to think about it , there is very little in stock at the moment.

The good news is ... you have plenty of time to think about it , there is very little in stock at the moment !

Heather

 

[AstroMuni]

On 22/05/2021 at 21:37, Walker said:

I know deep space scopes are quite pricey though.

If you decide to go the astrophotography route for DSOs, then its doable in the ~£1000 budget. My setup is a classic example.

- Celestron 130EQ Newtonion ~£150 including EQ2 mount+RA motor (you should be able to get something similar second hand)

- Skywatcher HEQ5 mount second hand ~ £500-(£700 for Pro goto version). I bought the HEQ5 Pro as I wanted a GOTO

- ZWO ASI224MC camera ~£200

- PC (old win7 laptop converted to run Linux as Win wasnt supported )

you can get pretty decent images of DSO with this combination...See my post here https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/375208-imaging-with-a-celestron-130/

 

Edited May 24, 2021 by AstroMuni

[Cosmic Geoff]

21 minutes ago, AstroMuni said:

On 22/05/2021 at 21:37, Walker said:

I know deep space scopes are quite pricey though.

If you decide to go the astrophotography route for DSOs, then its doable in the ~£1000 budget. My setup is a classic example.

- Celestron 130EQ Newtonion ~£150 including EQ2 mount+RA motor (you should be able to get something similar second hand)

- Skywatcher HEQ5 mount second hand ~ £500-(£700 for Pro goto version). I bought the HEQ5 Pro as I wanted a GOTO

- ZWO ASI224MC camera ~£200

- PC (old win7 laptop converted to run Linux as Win wasnt supported )

you can get pretty decent images of DSO with this combination...See my post here https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/375208-imaging-with-a-celestron-130/

I'd second this: For looking at galaxies I can use a 102mm f5 refractor and an ASI224MC on a SLT or EQ5 Synscan mount.  This is a electronically-assisted rather than a true astrophotography setup, and gives a better view than a C8 from the same site.

[Starslayer]

Have you read this thread?

 

I am in Surrey and have purchased the same as pointed stick.  This scope ticks all the boxes for me even though the weather has not allowed me to really use it yet.   I note your comments on manual mount etc.  This is in your price range whether you go 5 or 6" and the software starsense thing is pretty ground breaking. 

[AstroMuni]

On 24/05/2021 at 13:04, Cosmic Geoff said:

This is a electronically-assisted rather than a true astrophotography setup,

I have never really quite understood where EA ends and AP starts 😞

[Spile]

The 8" Dobsonian works for me and it is just a shame that the prices have gone up so much. I do see a number of used ones for sale so it is worth keeping an eye on the various groups. I wouldn't be too worried about brand as the new ones all come from the same Chinese factory but focuser differences etc may be worth taking into account.

[Kon]

Another vote for the 8" Dob. I have the SW 200P Dob and it has been amazing for DSOs (nebulas, galaxies) and planets. Yes it is heavy and 'fairly' big but it does not take much space in my sitting room; it sits upright so it does not take much space. I opted for the manual one since I enjoy finding my targets (although frustrating sometimes but part of the fun).

[Walker]

Hi all,

 

 

I just want to take the time to thank you all! Honestly, your help has been invaluable!

 

I have decided on a Sky-Watcher Classic 200P Dobsonian with a couple BST starguiders eye pieces. 

 

Lets hope it stops raining and we all have clear skies!

[Kon]

2 minutes ago, Walker said:

I just want to take the time to thank you all! Honestly, your help has been invaluable!

 

I have decided on a Sky-Watcher Classic 200P Dobsonian with a couple BST starguiders eye pieces. 

 

Excellent choice! I have the 8mm and 15mm BST and they are nice EPs. The 10mm EP that comes with the SW is not great but the 25mm one is not bad at all. I find that I use the 15mm and 25mm more often for DSOs.