ebay and telescopes prices i dont get it ?

[metz]

after reading more than enuff on astro telescopes and new prices i cant understand the silly prices people pay on ebay, although im just a novice...take the mead etx 80 you can buy this new for £250 , you see them going for £180 to £200 and thats without postage on top ?? ok there may be some bargins to be had true , but to buy a go to telescope not knowing whats its like and if the motar drive is ok , ie it could have had a hard life is a little to worrying for me , and for the £30 you save it just isnt worth the risk , blimey peeps on ebay are paying silly money for the etx 70 , update i was going to buy the skyline 200 for £279 but after reading about collimation after a certain period in time , which i couldnt carry out if i tried lol i think im going to plump for a brand spanking new etx 80 at £250 i know im going to lose quite a bit of viewing but that cllimation stuff put me off the skyliner 200. great forum by the way and many many thanks for thoose that replied to my first thread .great help although scared me off the skyliner lol

[SteveL]

You will regret going for the etx80 instead of the 200!

[callisto]

You will regret going for the etx80 instead of the 200!

I totally agree

[Moonshane]

SERIOUSLY don't worry about collimation. it's a 30 second job most of the time.

I am not saying don't go for your chosen scope but don't let collimation be the reason.

in my view, the 200p would blow the 80mm out of the water in almost every way.

I agree that people seem to get carried away on Ebay. also even with used goods. I have recently concluded that in some ways, buying new eyepieces is better. eg (with the bank holiday discount of 10% at Telescope House) you can buy a new Televue Plossl for £62. used they go for around £45-50. For me you are far better paying £12 extra and getting a new one! the same applies to some extent to eg the Radians which go for £153 new and with the discount. for a mint one with box you'd pay maybe £100-120. Well worth paying the extra if you are sure you'll be keeping it.

all that said, there are some used bargains too as long as they are what they say on the tin - one person's view of 'mint, like new in the box' is not always the same as another's.

[GazOC]

You will regret going for the etx80 instead of the 200!

Yep, I agree. Collimation is pretty easy but if you are dead set against having to do it then you can still get a 5" refractor or a 5" Mak/Cass for similar money that will give far better views than the etx80.

[Astro_Baby]

I'd have to say the same BUT some pople just will struggle with collimation. My sister for instance is hopeless at it which is why I have to go collimate her newts periodically.

I guess just as some people cant take a decent picture and cut peoples heads or feet off likewise some pople cant collimate.

Its horses for course and who know the ETX80 might be used wheras the 200 wouldnt be.

If your interested and local to Redhill metz I have a Celestron Nexstar 4SE which is a 90mm aperture with GoTo thats in perfect order (its been my own grab and go scope and its as good as the day it was bought new) and I'd take £275 for it if your interested and I'll even chuck in a moon filter for that.

I agree about ebay and never even look at it these days because people just go mad and pay way over the odds.

[CGolder]

I have noticed the same about ebay recently, scopes are going for silly money. ETX especially go for silly money.

I would also try to stay away from the etx80, its a short focal refractor. you will struggle to see much.

I would also be careful buying a 90 or 125. try to buy the more recent PE models as they come with metal gears and dec lock.

The etx 90, 105 and 125 are Makstov cas and are actually not bad scopes, on all but planets a 200mm reflector will totally blow them away(even then the 200 would be better).

I would say a etx is a great supplement scope to a larger scope as they are portable.

so if you have some decent sky's from home a 200p is certainly a good bet.

maybe take a look at a skywatcher 102 on az goto for around 260? or even a decent second hand mak127 if you want the goto mount.

[gary1968]

Go for the big Newt mate, collimation really aint that hard once you have in your head what to do. All you need is a decent collimation tool, some folks like Cheshires, some like Collimation caps...... me, I have a Collimation cap for rough collimation and a Hotach to finish it off...... Takes less than 5 mins. ( I just cant get my head round the views thorugh a Cheshire so cant use them.... LOL)

Whatever decision you make, I hope it is right for you and you get good use from the scope.

gary

[metz]

right folks firstly many many thanks for replys , And im biting the bullet and im getting the skyline 200 .....minds deffo made up and this collimation thing lol if and when it needs doing i will hunt someone down lol who can show me how to carry out the setting when and if it needs doing ........this is going to be fun using one 1 step for man etc if you get my drift , being a complete novice it still didnt take long to realise to stay away from ebay so it looks like long live newts lol many many thanks for commenting on my thread eveyone and the majority of peeps say stick with the 200 ...i will update you all when i get the 200 , which will hopefully be tommorow fingers crossed once again cheers everyone

[John]

£250 seems a lot to pay for just 80mm aperture. The 200P dobsonian is in a different league altogether, performance-wise , even if it's collimation was not quite spot on (although at F/6 it's not a particularly demanding scope to collimate).

I won a 10" Skywatcher dobsonian from E.Bay a few years back for just £100 so sometimes it goes the other way - I many times I agree things do get a bit silly.

[gary1968]

Lookin forward to hearing how you get on with it mate.....

Gary