Buying first telescope for use with my dad , myself "46 years of age " and my children ...

[Moparriggan]

I would like to purchase a telescope that you can see the rings of saturn very clear.   I would like to view all the planets I can and whatever else in the solar system.  I dont have a clue what im doing

but like when i bought my first harley davidson motorcycle, the salesman said yes you will be fine with a sportster but as soon as you ride a few weeks you will be wanting a larger bike...

 

I would like to buy something I can learn and grow into... any suggestions would be appreciated !!   btw I am watching the movie CONTACT for the umtenth  time right now....  David Drumlen...

 

[Moparriggan]

thinking the nexStar 8SE would be great?  it is like 1600.00 ??   any suggestions ?  thanks !

[AstroMuni]

Welcome to SGL. What is your budget and where do you live - ie. city, rural etc. Light pollution makes a lot of difference when viewing.

One of the simplest and economical ways to get started is to buy a dobsonian telescope - the larger the aperature the better obviously. But remember they get heavier and bulkier as they get larger. Set aside budget for getting better eyepieces once you have learnt the basics.

There are plenty of discussions on this forum on choosing a telescope so have a read through them. Some of your queries and doubts will be answered by these.

And this is what I tell everyone who is new to the hobby...join a local astro club. That way you can learn quickly, even get to borrow scopes to try out etc. before taking the plunge.

Edited June 22, 2022 by AstroMuni

[Guest]

Economically a dob is the best bang for the buck.  FLO has many great choices.  An 8 inch is generally considered to be the ideal starter scope but don't be afraid to go bigger.  I started with a 10 inch and have discovered I should have gone bigger.  

[Stu1smartcookie]

 Reading who wil be using the scope ,  a 200mm dobsonian would be the one i would go for . Everyone who uses one has nothing but good things to say about them and they will always have a place on your journey in astronomy . The ease of set up , the light gathering power of the scope ... you can view planets , the moon , Deep sky objects , double stars . Sure , the perfect scope hasn't yest been made , but this comes fairly close . 

Some  caveats to bare in mind ... a 200mm dob isnt small although it really doesnt take up that much room when stored . The scope is not the lightest , but it can be lifted in one unit .Also you are going to need a collimating device , a cheshire or collimating cap would be prefered although just to get you off and running a laser collimator would certainly help ( sometines these have to be collimated ) . Please dont be put off by collimation ... Its a scary word that in reality is little more than a two minute check . 

Also , if you intend to keep a scope indoors you will need about 30minutes of it being outside to "cool down " to match the outside temperature . More relevent in the winter months . 

 

Edited June 23, 2022 by Stu1smartcookie

[Giles_B]

Hi and welcome to SGL.

Your comments about seeing Saturn's rings and watching "contact" (great film) did make me wonder what you hoped to see when you looked into the telescope. Much of this will depend on the size (aperture) of the telescope, however you will also have to track the object you are watching and be aware that keeping a planet in view at high magnification is a bit of an art (although one you will learn). This is especially so with a dobsonian, as there are no fine movement controls, just giving the tube an occasional shove! For finer tracking you might want a telescope that is mounted on a tripod, and these will be smaller as a mount that can take a heavy telescope is very expensive.

In terms of what you can see at different telescope apertures, I wonder if you have seen this post - you will find it helpful if you have not: 

 

Ultimately, whatever you choose, I'm afraid this will be exactly like your experience with a Harley Davidson - there is always something better (and more expensive) to aspire to, although most of the people on this SGL will tell you it can be a lot of fun on the way

Edited June 23, 2022 by Giles_B

[PeterStudz]

I’m still very much a beginning but I think the advice on here has been good. And I’d agree that a 200p Dob is a great bit of kit that should last anyone many years. It’s also a great all-rounder and that’s import too. 

One bit of advice on “what you want to see” and/or “what can I expect to see”. I’d read all of these things before I started and I thought I’d be interested in DSO the most. My daughter was also very interested in getting a telescope (the main reason for me getting started) but she was young and didn’t really know what to expect. What I didn’t quite appreciate is that living in an urban environment with significant light pollution DSO are not the best targets. Most are best viewed when it’s truly dark and this is during winter. Now in winter it’s cold. Even as late as the beginning of May 2021 the telescope was coming back inside covered in ice. Moreover, getting a young child to sit outside, get their eyes use to the dark, when it’s below freezing isn’t easy nor fun, although I found ways to make it more fun for her.

When Jupiter and Saturn came around in the summer it was obvious that Alice was more interested in the planets. Something I did not realise at the beginning. And with the planets there’s no need to get eyes use to the dark and being summer some nights were actually warm. I found that I liked just about everything - planets and DSO, but still have a soft spot for DSO.

Then there’s the sun, simple viewing with a white light filter. To begin with I had zero interest in this. It wasn’t until I got a solar filter in order to view the partial eclipse (of course it was cloudy all day 🙁 and we saw nothing) that I found out that looking at sunspots was very interesting. And my daughter enjoyed it too. No need to get eyes use to the dark and it’s often actually warm. On occasions we’ve had a few of Alice’s friends over for a BBQ the kids have loved looking at sunspots. Of course the sun isn’t always spotty but that’s part of what makes it so interesting - every time is different. 

What I’m trying to say is that it’s very difficult to tell what you want to see/prefer looking at until you’ve spent time looking. That’s why getting a telescope that can do a bit of everything reasonably well is a good idea. And that’s without mentioning astrophotography - lots more money - of which I have no interest. Or maybe I do!

Edited June 23, 2022 by PeterStudz
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[DavieH]

Hi, and welcome!

I'm new to SGL I but have had some sound advice from other members. I guess I'm at stage 2 - had a 130p for a few years, spent most of my time looking at the moon, Saturn,Jupiter and Mars, Orion nebula and still think it's a great scope. That said (like the Harley!),  I wanted"more".  You mentioned the Nextar 8se, I've been lucky enough to find a used evolution 8 and while I'm still getting used to it, I love it. With the the 130p finding planets was easy but I'm a bit impatient and am probably never going to be a die hard star hopper so goto was something I wanted to try, and I am already a fan. So, cutting through my waffle, I think you would be pleased with the 8se and I don't think you would outgrow it for a fair while.

Hope that helps!

[Astro_Dad]

I’ve enjoyed researching the ins and outs of scope types and their pros/cons and  nuances ad infinitum - and it continues! Can’t add much though other than to say there is a very good reason the 8” Dob is so widely recommended. One thing worth pointing out is that the 8SE requires the use of electronics every time you use it (as supplied) - it can’t be moved in azimuth without power and engaging the gears. This may or may not be a “disadvantage” for you personally but something to think about. (I haven’t used an Evolution series but believe this enables free manual movement). 
I’m not on commission but unless tracking is important to you (which obviously the 8SE has) then the new range of StarSense Dobs from Celestron are potentially a great choice if manual star hopping is not going to be your thing. 

[StarryEyed]

On 22/06/2022 at 04:15, Moparriggan said:

thinking the nexStar 8SE would be great?  it is like 1600.00 ??   any suggestions ?  thanks !

Thats a good choice. But you will also need eyepieces and some other stuff to go with it. So the price will creep. 

Bear in mind that if this is your budget you have a lot of options.

Your best bet is to go and find some previous threads on picking your first scope or look at one of the current astronomy magazines at smiths and buy one that has some relevant or interesting articles. 

Just remember a good pair of bonoculars on a camera tripod can show you plenty including the planets but not in great detail and are very easy to get on with and wont hurt the pocket. But dont rush until you have considered all the things that go into working out the best choice. 

Edited June 29, 2022 by StarryEyed