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3 telescope choices..n confused!


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Hi everyone! I'm new to the forum and looking for some tips.

About 15 years ago, I bought a telescope which I found to be absolutely useless. I found that a lousy pair of binoculars lying around the house was giving me a much better picture of the moon than the telescope. Not to mention, I didnt know anything about telescopes back then and so I bought one, fixed it together and a week later returned it to the store.

Ever since then, I've only used a simple Yukon optics spotting scope to view the sky. The view is not great and without a tripod it gets shaky.

So well anyway, I decided maybe I should try to get another scope and this time I'm going for a 2nd hand one.

I know that shorter reflector scopes are better for deep space and longer refractors are better for contrast and planetery viewing.

Well that being said, I've 3 scopes in mind which I've seen for sale. Though i dont really know what I want to look at. I suppose anything! As long as its clear and better than my spotting scope and I get to recognize something. I guess those are really not very good criteria but this time I dont want to set my hopes up to high either.

The scopes I've seen are:

1. Celestron Powerseeker 127/1000 (reflector)

2. Bresser Messier R90 - 90/900 (refractor)

3. Bresser Meade Pluto/S (reflector)

So has anyone used one of these scopes or which one do you guys think is better?

Thanks to anyone who takes the time to read ;)

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Hi all!

Thanks for your replies. Well I havent set a price. But I'm not going to spend too much on my sort of first scope. I've been reading up on making telescopes and I thought when more cash roles in, I'd like to experiment my luck on that one ;)

So the R-90 is a real good choice? I kinda thought so too. Someone once told me that with telescopes, generally the more money you give out, the more you can expect and the R-90 is the most expensive, brand new scope among the 3.

Which would you guys give 2nd place to? I'm just wondering, in case I luck out with the R-90.

Thanks!

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Hi all!

Thanks for your replies. Well I havent set a price. But I'm not going to spend too much on my sort of first scope. I've been reading up on making telescopes and I thought when more cash roles in, I'd like to experiment my luck on that one ;)

So the R-90 is a real good choice? I kinda thought so too. Someone once told me that with telescopes, generally the more money you give out, the more you can expect and the R-90 is the most expensive, brand new scope among the 3.

Which would you guys give 2nd place to? I'm just wondering, in case I luck out with the R-90.

Thanks!

I hardly doubt you will run out of luck with the R-90 around this time of the year. :)

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What you get is really very budget dependant. A 150 reflector (dob or EQ mounted) is what i'd usually recommend as a starter but what do you want to look at and how much do you want to spend are the issues that dictate what you start with. The bigger you start off with the more you'll see. ;)

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Well, the 2 reflectors he mentioned are around the 113mm/127mm range and I personally think it's a tad small to get a real joy out of it. Especially with the colimation hasle for a beginner (for someone new to astronomy and that has never touched a scope before, colimation is a hasle. period).

The Meade Bresser/Messier R90/900 f/10 refractor is a really nice scope, relatively hassle free. Comes with a EQ mount, 3 plossl EP's and a barlow.

Celestron, while great scopes (I went for one too), it really dissapointed me how greedy they have become when it comes to supplying accessories. You are lucky they thrown in a single EP and that's about it you get from them these days.

When it comes to reflectors. The only scope that comes close to a 90/900 refractor is the Skywatcher 150PL. A very nice reflector that comes with decent accessories as well and a EQ3-2 mount.

The Skywatcher 150PL will do a tad better on DSO's.

The 90/900 refractor will do better on planets and the moon.

I personally think that a reflector (or dobsonian for that matter) really starts to shine at 200mm apperture and up.

But then you get in the price range of around £370.

EDIT: I completely forgot. As alternative to the Meade Bresser/Messier R90 refractor. The Skywatcher Evostar 102 (EQ3-2) is also a really nice alternative and in the same price range!

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Jerokane thank you for that detailed description. Crazyjedi, I didnt want to mention a price budget because I didnt want to stray away from those 3 telescopes. I've been looking at some second scopes for months now and these seemed to be the best, of what I've found so far.

I guess it looks like the R-90 refractor. Yeah 370 pounds is way over what I want to spend. The scope I bought 15 years ago was a refractor too but a lot cheaper variant.

Thank you everyone!

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Jerokane thank you for that detailed description. Crazyjedi, I didnt want to mention a price budget because I didnt want to stray away from those 3 telescopes. I've been looking at some second scopes for months now and these seemed to be the best, of what I've found so far.

I guess it looks like the R-90 refractor. Yeah 370 pounds is way over what I want to spend. The scope I bought 15 years ago was a refractor too but a lot cheaper variant.

Thank you everyone!

Astrospy,

If you live in the UK. You could also have a serious look at the Skywatcher Evostar 102 (EQ3-2) !

For what I have seen they are in the same price range anyway. And the Evostar 102 is a tad bigger in apperture even.

I think the Skywatcher brand is more easily available in the UK than the Meade Bresser/Messier scopes.

Just a quick heads up on that one!

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No I dont live in the UK. Right now I live in Germany. My very first telescope blunder was in the US. I bought it from SEARS. I guess I could buy it from online shops in the UK but the cost of postage and the risk to the telescope, would be both a little a high.

I'd check for the Skywatcher Evostar 102 over here. Thanks ;)

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No I dont live in the UK. Right now I live in Germany. My very first telescope blunder was in the US. I bought it from SEARS. I guess I could buy it from online shops in the UK but the cost of postage and the risk to the telescope, would be both a little a high.

I'd check for the Skywatcher Evostar 102 over here. Thanks ;)

Well, Bresser / Messier is german. So you won't have any problems finding it then hehe.

No matter wich of the two you go for in the end. You will have some great moments watching the planets and the moon, M42 Orion, Andromeda and some star clusters / doubles. :)

Later on, you can even buy a Baader Solar film filter to put on the end of the tube (objective) and a UV/IR cut filter to put at the EP end and have some great views at the sun in white light.

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haha ;) thanks! I'll have to find all those first but Im really hoping that this time around I wont end up abandoning it for another 15 years.

Yeah no problem finding Bresser scopes over here. Second hand they're quite cheap and if you buy them new from the Meade online store, postage is free!

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haha ;) thanks! I'll have to find all those first but Im really hoping that this time around I wont end up abandoning it for another 15 years.

Yeah no problem finding Bresser scopes over here. Second hand they're quite cheap and if you buy them new from the Meade online store, postage is free!

The planets are usually pretty easily to spot tho, as they show up as a yellow'ish bright star in the sky, when looking with the naked eye.

Just download Stellarium. It's completely free and an awesome piece of software!

Jupiter is on the rise now (opposition is in Sept/Oct I think) and you are going to be blown away when you see it for the first time!

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Thank you for your motivation JK and all your suggestions. I'll download the software you mentioned. Just brought back home a lot of books on astronomy from the public library haha ;)

Good day!

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No those 3 scopes are second hand scopes. The celestron was already sold and I've emailed the other 2 telescope owners. Hopefully will get a positive on at least one. ;)

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Thanks Wurzil, yes they're based in Germany but are a little pricey. I still have had no reply from the R-90 owner and I've found a couple of newtonian reflectors on ebay, that I might just bid for. Theres a 114mm/900 tube there. ;)

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I agree, the Bresser 90. My Celestron 90 has been a real revelation. Can only imagine the Bresser is just as good.

I also have a 90mm Celestron scope and it does the job very well. I just dont like it because it is on an EQ mount which is troublesome for me being in a wheelchair but the scope (f/l1000mm,f11) is optically SOUND.

The Bresser (Meade) R90 looks very similar to my Celestron 90EQ (apart from the colour).

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