Seeking advice: need a telescope to surprise my husband with

[Jcha]

It's my husbands birthday next month, and I want to surprise him with a decent quality telescope. I know absolutely nothing about telescopes so would love some advice. 

We live in semi rural New Zealand, and have a decent view of the stars on clear nights. I know he wants to be able to look at stars and planets etc, I don't think he's mentioned wanting to take photographs, but rather just wants to stargaze. My price range is max $800 NZD/$500USD but I could go higher if necessary. 

Any suggestions are welcome

Thank you

[mikeDnight]

Hi Jcha,

 A SkyWatcher 150P Dobsonian would be a nice scope that would give great views of the Moon, planets and many deep sky objects. You would need to budget for two or three eyepieces as they don't come with the scope. I'd suggest something like a 25mm, 18mm & 5mm BST Starguider eyepieces as a nice starting point.

 

 

Edited March 16 by mikeDnight

[Stu1smartcookie]

Hi , Welcome ... 

Firstly do you live in a flat or a house with a garden ?

If you have easy access to a garden then i am going to say that a 200mm Dobsonian would be an ideal starting scope . In fact for some a scope like that can last a lifetime . 

The Dobsonian design usually means manually finding targets , but that also means one gets to learn the night sky . Although there is no telescope that is best for everything , a dobsonian comes pretty close . The only very small downside is the fact that the mirrors need re-aligning every now and then , but this really isnt that complicated .

There is a saying in this hobby that Aperture is king so an aperture of 200mm is a sweet spot . 

Anyway its my suggestion , ... be prepared to be bombarded with many others  

Oh , and the Dosonian is priced around your budget area too . 

Stu

 

Edited March 16 by Stu1smartcookie

[900SL]

https://www.space.com/celestron-starsense-explorer-dx-130az-review

 

For a beginner

[Carbon Brush]

Besides budget....
Where is the scope going to be stored?
How far from storage to use area - assuming your garden.
Do you want to put it in the back of the car and drive to a darker site?

All of this influences your scope choice. Though the earlier suggestions are good.

I do like a 200mm mirror scope and have owned assorted scopes in this sort of size for 20 years.
You would also do well to look at other brands of dob mounted reflector. Bresser and Stellalyra for example have differing accessories that suit some more than others.

You will of course see us tending to recommend scopes that are easily available in UK or Europe as most of our members are from this region.
But we will do our best if you point us to New Zealand retailers..
One other word of advice. Whatever you buy, and whoever you buy from. Use a specialist astronomy retailer.
Do not use a department store, ebay, amazon, etc. They cannot assist with the expected after sales questions.

 

 

 

[dweller25]

Hello @Jcha and welcome to SGL.

As others have said a 150mm or 200mm Dobsonian is a very capable telescope, you will need some better eyepieces as Mike suggests.

A Dobsonian can be upgraded too at a later date to provide automatic tracking if required.

Also to find things in the night sky you can downloaded free software called “Stellarium” from here…..

https://stellarium.org

Do feel free to ask as many questions as you like, we are happy to spend your money 😂

Clear skies 👍

 

Edited March 16 by dweller25

[Stu1smartcookie]

Just a case in point , Eyepieces are supplied with a dobsonian , usually (25mm & 10mm )  ... they are fairly decent to get one started in the hobby although i have to say those EP's recommended by Mike are very good . 

[Naughty Neal]

Telecsope choice will depend on storage and placement of said item, not such a good idea if one has to carry it far or not have good terrain to wheel one around on. A larger telescope can be a hinderance and get far less use then a small optical one if it is a pfaff to set up or place some where.

[bemak187]

An 8inch dobsonian will give one of the best bangs per buck.  The downside (or upside) is they are manual so you have to know where to aim it but that helps you learn the sky.  I would recommend a phone app or similar as I have seen people give up as they just cant find anything.  Size and more importantly weight are key considerations.  If the scope is not manageable it will never get used.  I have a friend who bought a CPC1100 even after seeing mine multiple times hence fully aware of the size and he has never used it, just too heavy for him to lug outside.

[Moonshed]

13 minutes ago, bemak187 said:

.  I have a friend who bought a CPC1100 even after seeing mine multiple times hence fully aware of the size and he has never used it, just too heavy for him to lug outside.

I’ll be happy to take it off his hands for him, even give him a score for his trouble, and I promise I will look after it with the same undying attention, love and care as I do for my dear….err…..my dog.

[bemak187]

48 minutes ago, Moonshed said:

I’ll be happy to take it off his hands for him, even give him a score for his trouble, and I promise I will look after it with the same undying attention, love and care as I do for my dear….err…..my dog.

I think his wife wants it out of the house so he may take you up on that.  I have a feeling I am going to end up listing it on the for sale section in the not too distant future.

[Mike Q]

If you have a astro club in the area check that out.  See what kind of scopes he likes.  

[Moonshed]

16 minutes ago, Mike Q said:

If you have a astro club in the area check that out.  See what kind of scopes he likes.  

He likes big, heavy ones he can’t carry.

[Mike Q]

1 hour ago, Moonshed said:

He likes big, heavy ones he can’t carry.

There is no such thing.  You just have to be creative and figure out how to move it 

[Moonshed]

29 minutes ago, Mike Q said:

There is no such thing.  You just have to be creative and figure out how to move it

I was making a joke, perhaps I should have added a laughing emoji at the end of the line to make it crystal clear?

 

[Astro74]

Hi there 

it all depends on your interests..personally for me I would always say start with a Mak 127 which is a fabulous scope for the moon and planets and the Azi gti mount which I highly recommend for easy of use portability and price point with its wi fi connectivity , but it’s all personal choice of course,https://www.firstlightoptics.com/sky-watcher-az-gti-wifi/sky-watcher-skymax-127-az-gti.html

Edited March 17 by Astro74