Jump to content

Banner.jpg.b89429c566825f6ab32bcafbada449c9.jpg

SCS Astros beginners telescope selector guide. LOL!!!

GazOC

By GazOC
in The Astro Lounge

Recommended Posts

GazOC

GazOC

Posted
Posted

www.scsastro.co.uk/telescope_selector/index.html

Has anyone tried this? The idea is you answer five questoins and the applet tell you which scope(s) you should buy?

Seems to me you can put in any combination and you'll be told to buy either a small refractor, a medium refractor, a small reflector or a medium reflector, with or without motors depending on the photography quesion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
OXO

OXO

Posted
Posted

I got this Answer Gaz,

Congratulations! These are our recommended selections for the choices you have made.

Start the Telescope Selector again

Make & Model Skywatcher Explorer 200 EQ5

Price £404

Brief Description The Sky-Watcher EXPLORER range are standard Newtonian reflectors of excellent quality ranging in aperture from a respectable 130mm to an incredible light-gulping 250mm aperture, catering for astronomers of all levels. Whether your interest is in Deep-Sky observations, the Moon and Planets, or a combination of both, the EXPLORER range offers excellent all round diffraction limited performance. Tube material: Aluminium.

View more details

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Make & Model Orion StarMax 127 EQ Compact Mak

Price £539

Brief Description For the serious astronomer who values performance and quality optics but wants portability and easy set-up, the StarMax 127 EQ is ideal. Credit its light-folding Maksutov-Cassegrain optical design and big 127mm (5") aperture for delivering high-resolution imaging performance in a tube only 14.5" long! And with the included EQ-3 equatorial mount providing more than ample support for high-magnification study, this telescope will turn a stargazing pastime into a passion.

View more details

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Make & Model Celestron Advanced Series C6 NGT

Price £749

Brief Description Celestron's Advanced Series with the features, quality and value even serious astronomers appreciate. CG-5 Advanced Mount - Precision engineered for stability. Benefits of Advanced Series GoTo. Advanced Features for Astrophotography. Expandable GoTo Systems with Optional Accessories.

View more details

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Make & Model Skywatcher Startravel 150 HEQ5

Price £793

Brief Description The compact Sky-Watcher STARTRAVEL is a two-element, air-spaced, multi-coated objective, achromatic refractor, and is a well proven performer for ‘Rich-Field’ views of star fields, clusters, nebulae, bright galaxies, planets, the Moon and, the Sun (with correct safety filtering!), as well as giving excellent terrestrial views. This wide-field, short-tube telescope is also highly portable. This model excels as a fixed aperture lense for both Astrophotography and terrestrial photography. e

View more details

Gota say they got the scope right as you know i own the explorer 200 but i dont understand why there wasnt a HEQ5 mount option? still it's pretty close..

James :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
GazOC

GazOC

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I can't make it for the live of me recommend a Dob!! :)

Maybe I'm being too harsh, it's just that I've got an project to write next year for my (long overdue) degree with the OU and I was thinking of writing something similar, on online telescope selector. . I don't see how five questions can lead to recommendations of a big relector and refractor with widefield views AND a 127 Mak, the answers arn't weighted, a 'yes' gets 1 a 'no' gets zero, you need a program the takes values from say 1-100.

If you said 'yes' to photography, then it at least should have picked the HEQ5 option and not bothered with the Mak.

Like I say, I'm probably being too picky because I do have a definate view on how I'd write one of those things. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
GazOC

GazOC

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I think your right there Gaz, the answer i got was pure luck rather than anything else. Asking 5 Q@A's to get the perfect setup just wont work for everyone.

James

I've been trying to get it right for nearly 10 years and I'm still swapping around! But I think thats as much to with the fact that I like new toys as much as anything else!! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
GazOC

GazOC

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I had a 40mm on a little tripod when I was a little kid. Looking back it must have been complete Rubbish, it would have been about f8 (which should have been OK) but the CA was sending colours left, right but never centre!

As soon as I got the (purple) Moon into view the triod would move and I'd have to start again :).

The next year I recieved he best Xmas present I ever got, a pair of 8x40 binos (still got 'em). From not being able to see the Moon I could see M42, M31, M13 , the planets.

It's a shame but Dobs had'nt made it over to the UK in those days...... :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
OXO

OXO

Posted
Posted
As soon as I got the (purple) Moon into view the triod would move and I'd have to start again
:sign5: That brings back memory's geez! I have a crappy tasco i think prob about the same size, the mount was that Bad i used to just hold the scope to my eye's and rest the scope on a Garden Fence(Tracked well) :)...

There's a lot to be said for Bino's for beginners!

James :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
GazOC

GazOC

Posted
  • Author
Posted

There's a lot to be said for Bino's for beginners!

James :)

Right James,

Especially as a kid. If youre 9 or 10 and have a dark garden a pair of binos and a good astronomy book with a star atlas in the back will do more to stimulate your interest.

But try telling that to a kid who wants a telescope for Xmas.....? :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
OXO

OXO

Posted
Posted
But try telling that to a kid who wants a telescope for Xmas.....?

Funny you should mention that, my Son david has asked for a telescope for christmas and i keep saying i will get you some Binos but he's not having it :)... I have started handing him Binos in the garden when he pop's outside with me hopefully this will keep his interest up and want a pair of his own :)

James :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
GazOC

GazOC

Posted
  • Author
Posted

How old is he James? Maybe those 'point and look' 4.5 Dobs from Orion might be worth a look? What you don't want is something that he can't use and puts him off for life.

I could have killed my Dad when Santa forgot the telescope and turned up with binoculars (and ate all the mince pies we left him! :shock:), but looking back it was the right choice!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
OXO

OXO

Posted
Posted

He's 11yrs old now Gaz and quite often looks on this forum whilst sitting with me :), i should get him a 20" goto scope really you know it's just for the kids you understand :).

Been thinking about a DOB for him but next year after he's used my Binos or His, gota admit though he knows most of the constellations now and the were abouts of a lot of bright DSO's so maybe i will get him a scope but not not let on hehehe..

Santa and his pie's eh "Who eat all the pie's"..

James :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
GazOC

GazOC

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Sounds like you've got a good 'un there James! Like father, like son eh?

Have you thought about keeping the 102 f5 for him? If you put the latitude adjuster on the EQ3 to zero degrees its like a simple alt/az mount (ie. a Dob), it would give him a year of finding DSO's before the 50" Dob arrives for his 12th birthday!!! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
OXO

OXO

Posted
Posted

Yeah i thought about it but decided not to give it him because i am a meanie nah a Dob would be better...

He's a good un most of the time anyway :) he's gonna take a few images of the moon next time out so i can place em on here. It's pretty cool because i dont force it on him he just wants to get out there and observe and now image(god help me!)..

JAMES :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.