Good cheap spotting scope

[Ags]

My partner likes to do bird watching and doesn't get on with binoculars, so I was wondering if anyone could suggest a nice spotting scope that is also good for the occasional wide-field view of the sky?

The objective is to avoid spending lots of money...

[TheThing]

Opticron do great spotting scopes. I've got one for birding and occasionally used for gazing up as well.

[Ogri]

What's your budget?

I bought one of these off FLO Startravel - Skywatcher Startravel 120 (AZ3) and for terrestrial use it blew my socks off!

It's very nice for DSO's as well.

I agonised over what 'scope to buy (as we all seem to do), and it was the likely terrestrial capability, swinging it to be 'double the value' as it were, along with it being about the upper limit of what I can carry on the motorbike when touring, that swung it for me.

It's fantastic value for money, but the only problem is, I am now so attached to the thing, I'm reluctant to take it on the motorbike touring with me!

Can't win, can we?

A cheap EP that really seems to suit it for terrestrial use, is one of those 20mm erfle types for 30 x magnification. These are about a fiver cheaper than the one I bought, and I think they are the same eyepiece Sky Watcher Sky-Watcher Ultrawide Eyepieces (6mm to 20mm).

Probably make sense if it's going to get really heavy use for terrestrial, to pick up a reasonable 8 - 24 mm zoom (giving a useful 75 - 25 x range of magnification)? I've not tried one of these personally, so can't exactly recommend (though if you get some good recommendations, I might start muttering indoors about suitable presents for next Christmas . . .).

Something nice as well, by leaving off the AZ3 accessory tray, the whole thing folds up nice and neat with the 'scope pointing straight up, it parks out of the way leaning into a corner or in a wardrobe, and it's no struggle at all to cart it out or pack it up, carried one handed.

Hope the above helps.

[ollypenrice]

I bought a second hand TeleVue Pronto - these go for under £250 nowadays but were over £1000 new in the nineties. With a cheap 45 degree upright prism it makes a stunning birder and yet can show the entire Veil complex with a 2 inch EP and O111 filter. Quality is 'last a few lifetimes.' Fabulous little instrument.

You could also look at the smaller WO scopes, again second hand.

Olly

[roundycat]

Opticron are good but what about a Zeiss Diascope 85T* FL? A bit pricy but lasting quality.

Dennis