What telescope should I buy?

[nikooo]

Hi, this is the first time I'm actually buying a telescope, so I'm an amateur. 

I was looking to buy a Dobsonian telescope, but I don't really know which of these should I buy... a 200/1200 or the 250/1200. I mean I saved some money and right now I don't know If I should pay more money for 250p because I don't know How big is difference between 200p and 250p.

 

Let's say that I want to save money so which one do you guys recommend?

 

 

 

[Elp]

If you can get to see them in person, that'll give you a better idea for storage, moving around and using. Generally the larger aperture you can afford the better.

[bomberbaz]

5 minutes ago, nikooo said:

Hi, this is the first time I'm actually buying a telescope, so I'm an amateur. 

I was looking to buy a Dobsonian telescope, but I don't really know which of these should I buy... a 200/1200 or the 250/1200. I mean I saved some money and right now I don't know If I should pay more money for 250p because I don't know How big is difference between 200p and 250p.

 

Let's say that I want to save money so which one do you guys recommend?

 

 

 

A lot to consider but the biggest consideration from my own experience is portability.  If you are able bodied, you will have no problem with either but it needs considering. A 250 is about 30% heavier than a 200.

If you are able bodied, are comfortable with the weight and lunking around then a 250 will serve you for very many years (subject to you not getting afflicted with aperture fever)

However there is nothing wrong with the 200 and the F6 focal ratio  is more forgiving on lower cost eyepieces and as far as I can gather many people stick with these for life, they are the bast selling size of dobsonian.  FYI most 250 are F4.8 - F5.

As far as aperture goes, in urban skies the difference will be negligible. However in dark rural skies, the extra light gathering power of a 250 over a 200 (about 50%) will really tell when it comes to hunting for feint fuzzies and things like globular clusters will take on a whole new dimension. Again there is nothing wrong with the 200 size. 

As far as brands goes, I really like the stellalyra dobs. dual speed focuser, cooling fan, RACI finder, roller bearing azimuth and what appears a decent alt fitting.  However the SW, ursa major and bresser all bring something of their own to the party.

 

[Pixies]

This might help.

There's also the question of which make of bob you are after.

[nikooo]

23 minutes ago, bomberbaz said:

A lot to consider but the biggest consideration from my own experience is portability.  If you are able bodied, you will have no problem with either but it needs considering. A 250 is about 30% heavier than a 200.

If you are able bodied, are comfortable with the weight and lunking around then a 250 will serve you for very many years (subject to you not getting afflicted with aperture fever)

However there is nothing wrong with the 200 and the F6 focal ratio  is more forgiving on lower cost eyepieces and as far as I can gather many people stick with these for life, they are the bast selling size of dobsonian.  FYI most 250 are F4.8 - F5.

As far as aperture goes, in urban skies the difference will be negligible. However in dark rural skies, the extra light gathering power of a 250 over a 200 (about 50%) will really tell when it comes to hunting for feint fuzzies and things like globular clusters will take on a whole new dimension. Again there is nothing wrong with the 200 size. 

As far as brands goes, I really like the stellalyra dobs. dual speed focuser, cooling fan, RACI finder, roller bearing azimuth and what appears a decent alt fitting.  However the SW, ursa major and bresser all bring something of their own to the party.

 

Ok, thank you. So would you say for that money difference It's a good deal to buy 250, even If I'm new in the whole this telescope world

[Spile]

The 8” Dobsonian is the right balance of aperture and weight/size for me. I am very pleased with the Skywatcher as you can see https://astro.catshill.com/skywatcher-200p-review/ but if I were buying today I’d get the StellaLyra.

[Neil_104]

I generally recommend a go-to SCT as a first scope. The ease of use (light, compact, portable) and ability to find tens of thousands of objects at the press of a button is a real plus, and you'll see way more in a night's observing session because of it. A Celestron SE8 is a great first scope, heck it's a great only scope. On the other hand, a dob is the more "purist" way and does come with the added satisfaction when you finally do find the object you're looking for!

Good luck with whatever you choose!

Edit: Re-reading your post, it sounds like cost may be an issue so the 8 inch SCT may not be an option.

Edited May 5, 2023 by Neil_104

[bomberbaz]

8 minutes ago, nikooo said:

Ok, thank you. So would you say for that money difference It's a good deal to buy 250, even If I'm new in the whole this telescope world

@Spile alludes to the fact a 200 suits him, it meets his needs and that is what matters. And that is what you want to consider.

Right now, with my own preferences and experiences a 250 would be my option on a set budget, but that is based upon what I know and what would suit me, that is as clear as I can be as it's not my money and I am not you.  

Balance up what people say and their experience then you have to make an informed decision.

Either way, 200 or 250, neither will be disappointing.

 

[nikooo]

43 minutes ago, bomberbaz said:

@Spile alludes to the fact a 200 suits him, it meets his needs and that is what matters. And that is what you want to consider.

Right now, with my own preferences and experiences a 250 would be my option on a set budget, but that is based upon what I know and what would suit me, that is as clear as I can be as it's not my money and I am not you.  

Balance up what people say and their experience then you have to make an informed decision.

Either way, 200 or 250, neither will be disappointing.

 

Thank you so much for your help.

[vlaiv]

1 hour ago, Pixies said:

There's also the question of which make of bob you are after.

My favorite make of bob is uncle

 

[Elp]

You need to decide what you want to see first, no point getting one scope then realising its focal length is too long or short.

[cajen2]

I had the StellaLyra 8" dob and it was a truly excellent scope, giving me great views of so many things. A 10" would have been a waste for me, as my skies are heavily light polluted.

What I will say, though most dob owners may disagree, is that a heavy scope and base may influence your decision on, say, a partly cloudy or freezing cold night...."Shall I get the dob out? Nah, it's too cloudy / cold." All because wrestling with it loses its attraction to a terminally lazy person like me. I've now got a little tabletop 6" dob and a 102 refractor, both of which are easy to shift around. I'm not getting any younger, either! 😉😆

[bomberbaz]

2 minutes ago, Elp said:

You need to decide what you want to see first, no point getting one scope then realising its focal length is too long or short.

A very important point that I overlooked. If you are planets only person as an example, then a dob may not be the best option. 

I overlooked this simply because although I view planets, but they are not my main thjing to view.

[Elp]

You could 2x, 2.5x Barlow a medium FL scope though for planets. I've viewed Jupiter and Saturn through my 360mm native Z61 fine with a barlow, the C6 simply "made them bigger," but I couldn't use the C6 and go backward easily even with a reducer to view M45 in full for example which I can do with the z61.

Edited May 5, 2023 by Elp

[Guest]

First off.... Dont ask us this question.  We take great pleasure, maybe even perverse pleasure in spending someone elses money lol.  The absolute best thing you can do is not listen to any of us and go find a astro club somewhere and put your hands on as many scopes as you can.  This lets you see what YOU like, it lets you see what works for YOU.  Now yes I am sort of half joking when i say all this, but the other half is not.   Hands on time, looking at the scopes, accessories, eyepieces used in the scopes, so on and so forth is the best way for you to answer your own question.  As to the question itself..... we have all been there done that and have the t-shirt too.  Welcome to the night time skies.  May they be clear .. 

Edited May 5, 2023 by Mike Q

[Coco]

My NO1 choice for a starter  https://www.firstlightoptics.com/celestron-starsense-explorer-series/celestron-starsense-explorer-8-dobsonian.html

Navigate around the sky via the smart app.

8 inch dob's  , portable enough, fits in a small car, light weight, POWERFUL, then start a quality eyepiece set. 

[dweller25]

Hello @nikooo and welcome to SGL.

Your choice of a dobsonian is a good decision.

 I have had both the 8” and 10” Skywatcher  Dobsonians, the 10” gave better views but it was too heavy for my bad back so I sold it.

To help choose what size suits you I would suggest you physically see one by either going to a shop or your local astronomy club.

Hope that helps.

[nikooo]

29 minutes ago, dweller25 said:

Hello @nikooo and welcome to SGL.

Your choice of a dobsonian is a good decision.

 I have had both the 8” and 10” Skywatcher  Dobsonians, the 10” gave better views but it was too heavy for my bad back so I sold it.

To help choose what size suits you I would suggest you physically see one by either going to a shop or your local astronomy club.

Hope that helps.

Thank you for your help. I heve less than 18 yrs old so I think I’m prepeared to carry that 10” 😂

[nikooo]

14 hours ago, Elp said:

If you can get to see them in person, that'll give you a better idea for storage, moving around and using. Generally the larger aperture you can afford the better.

Yea, I think I'll go w 250mm, because weight is nothing for me personally because I'm 15 yrs old and I think I can carry that monster with me. And I was saving money and my budget is around 1k so I'll go with 250mm and buy barlow lense. I just have two more questions. Is It a big drama not to have a natural moon filter, and what barlow lense should I buy for 250/1200? Btw sorry for dumb questions...

[Guest]

I have a 10 inch dob and while i have 3 different Barlows for it if i had to pick just one it would be a 2 inch 2x with a 1.25 inch adapter.  Mine is a telecentric model and there is definitely some weight involved with the bigger eyepieces. 

As to a moon filter, well you are definitely going to want something.  I use a variable polarized filter for the moon.  Its nice to be able to adjust the amount of light to what suits you 

Edited May 6, 2023 by Mike Q

[Piero]

+1 for a 10" dobson. I would choose the Bresser over the skywatcher or stellalyra as the design is much better. For instance the trunnions are more similar to those used in proper dobsons.

A 10" is a good size for planets and DSOs but it is still portable (e.g. it fits on the back seats of a normal car). Many people don't go beyond that aperture. 

Make sure you also get a good collimator as that is also needed.

For that kind of focal ratio (around f5), a minimal set of eyepieces with focal lengths of 25mm, 10mm and 5mm would work and cover the bases.

Piero

Edited May 6, 2023 by Piero

[Ratlet]

I got the Stellalyra 10".  I'd consider getting a telrad or Rigel quickfinder.  Much easier than a finderscope.  With the Stellalyra 10" you get a 30mm eyepiece which gives a wide enough fov to use as a finder eyepiece once you get to a bright star.  I only use my finder scope to make sure I'm really centred at high power.

Personally the number one thing to get is setting circles.  Either digital or manual (I use manual).  It's like what goto should be.  Lots of posts on how to set it up.

Starsense does the same thing, but a bit better apparently.

Variable polarising filter is the way to go for the moon.  Personally I'm not a fan of Barlows, but if you go down that route and get a VPF, you can unscrew the two bits of the vpf and put one bit on the Barlow and one bit on the lens you are using and you can adjust the brightness of the image by rotating the eyepiece in the Barlow.

[Elp]

2 hours ago, nikooo said:

Yea, I think I'll go w 250mm, because weight is nothing for me personally because I'm 15 yrs old and I think I can carry that monster with me. And I was saving money and my budget is around 1k so I'll go with 250mm and buy barlow lense. I just have two more questions. Is It a big drama not to have a natural moon filter, and what barlow lense should I buy for 250/1200? Btw sorry for dumb questions...

The Celestron Omni works okay, a Meade telenegative is also very good but not a current item (you'd have to source it used), I've read good on a Celestron Xcel LX/Luminos also. If you've got the budget a Televue Powermate would be best. At 1200mm you could just try the scope as is, the more zoomed in you are the more you have to move the scope if it's not on a tracking mount. You don't necessarily need a moon filter, but when I jumped up to 130mm aperture from a 60mm, the view was very bright (almost blinding) so as suggested a variable polarising filter works well and they're cheap, just make sure any eyepieces you use are 1.25 inch threaded on the bottom end which goes into the focuser.

Edited May 6, 2023 by Elp

[bosun21]

3 hours ago, nikooo said:

and I think I can carry that monster with me

You will be surprised at the size of a 10” dobsonian. It’s not the weight of the telescope that’s the issue per se it’s the sheer bulk of it. It’s fine if you are just moving it out to your garden or a nearby area and even then that will be in two parts (telescope tube and base). As you are 15 you won’t be driving to observe unless your parents or some other kind person obliges. A sack trolley is a convenient way to move it about as one unit. I have owned the 8” and now own the 12” and the size difference is considerable. Consider these points before making the purchase. Good luck.

[Ratlet]

I'm going to second what @bosun21 has said.  It's the bulk that's the issue.  Sack barrow (with an extendable toe) works wonders though.  I keep mine up the shed under telegizmos cover with a dehumidifier bag that can be recharged in the microwave and observe from my back garden.

Because of this I can be setup and going quicker with my 10" dob that I could with my 5" Newtonian on an azgti.