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I NEED SCOPE!!!

Myg0t

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Myg0t

Myg0t

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Hi guys.  Basically I've decided it's about time a got a new telescope and I need some help because there are so many to choose from.  I've been looking around for a while now and just can't make the decision.  I know I want a Newtonian reflector but haven't decided whether or not to stick the the trusty equatorial or go with a dob.

Being a student I'm on a pathetic budget so any advice would be vastly appreciated. 

Can some tell me if they've heard of Seben, it's a German firm who have a very reasonably priced 8" Reflector called the Seben Navigator II.  I haven't found any reviews thus far so I am afraid to commit.  Also would you check out the dobsonian on sale at the following link:

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/index.cfm?Astro/bushnell/reflector.html?cd=20061715

Again, ridiculously cheap so, is it any good???

Thanks

Myg0t

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GordonCopestake

GordonCopestake

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Hi Mygot, welcome to SGL.

I can't recommend seben as they tend to (mass) produce poor quality equipment cheaply and whilst you may save money, it would most likley be a frustrating experience which would probably put you of astronomy, and nobody wants that!

The 6" dob from warehouse express for £99 is probably a good buy, but for a little more you can have a 8" revelation dob from telescope house which has better optics and more aperture. You can get the 10" version for £330 or even cheaper if you are willing to buy second hand (check out the buy and sell section here, i know that James is selling his 10" for £175 which is an absolute bargain)

All in all it depends on what you want to do and what you want to look at. Dobs are great for deep space objects and are pretty good on planets too, but they dont track (unless you buy an eq platform) and can become a pain for storage as they are large. If planets are your thing then a longer focal length scope is probably more suited on an EQ mount that can track.

If your budget is limited (who's isn't) then the dob is the best way to go as it's cheap and a good all rounder. Personally i wouldn't go for 6" unless budget is really tight, as the 8" and even 10" arn't much more and will show you a lot more in terms of resolution. Of course these are physically big scopes and it depends if you can store it and move it around.

I'm sure others will give you their opinions too.

Hope this helps some

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OXO

OXO

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I do love the look of the Revelation, what sort of images will a be able to see with this scope and is it possible to use this scope for photography?

What you can see with the scope is more than a 8" Reflector and more than a 6" Refractor due to higher light gathering powers, as too being able to use it for Astro Photography you can get pics of the Moon and Planets but if you want to get Deep Sky Images you need it mounted on a driven Mount for example a EQ6 mount.

Like most scopes you can 1000's of objects just dont expect hubble like images or even the ones posted on SGL through the eyepiece..

James

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Jamie

Jamie

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Be fair chaps,

A well made spherical can be very good - Tal 1 and 2 for example.

Steve that might have been the case back in the day but not now mate not even nearly.

We can't say that "spherical mirrors are good" cos Tal had a good one. (only one?)

There is a reason that we as users go for the Parabollic type "its because it suits our needs and wants better"

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Ambermile

Ambermile

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Really? This from the Skywatcher site...

"Reflecting telescopes with spherical mirrors often have a defect called "spherical aberration." Light rays from the perimeter of the spherical mirror do not focus to the same point as rays from the centre, resulting in images with less sharpness and detail. This problem is not critical for smaller Newtonians, and other reflecting telescopes with focal ratios of f/9 or higher, where the aberration is minimal. However, it becomes more noticeable in larger Newtonians and other reflectors having ratios of f/8 or lower."

Arthur

PS - parabolic is the wrong term here actually - it is a 2D term. Paraboloidal is the 3D equivalent :D

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FLO

FLO

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We can't say that "spherical mirrors are good" cos Tal had a good one. (only one?)

Actually, they have two and they are still available. (A search here on SGL will find favourable reports from owners).

A well made spherical outperforms a poorly made parabolic paraboloidal.

I do agree that the vast majority of sphericals are very poor but that is a generalisation and not simply because they are spherical...

Just an opinion :D

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Jamie

Jamie

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I don't doubt what Steve or Arthur are saying.

Here is where my train of thought is running here.

I have owened a Meade Schmit cassagrain scope and i thought it was great in many ways

also it (the design) had a couple of flaws too but a great scope just the same.

Scopes that need a corrector plate imply that something needs correcting (as in something is wrong)

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Jamie

Jamie

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I have heard rumours that seben are all thrown together in china

Listen mate i think you will find that most of our scopes are made in China these

days even the higher end ones.

And those that are not made in China are still made in South East Asia.

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