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scottish newbie looking for first scope

Stevenebm

By Stevenebm
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Stevenebm

Stevenebm

Posted
Posted

hey guys and gals.been browsing in the shadows for a bit and thought id introduce myself.

names steven,27 from ayrshire scotland.its a little village i stay in.pretty quiet and has some great clear skies on the cold winters nights:glasses1:

anyways always been fasinated by the stars and the thoughts of what could be out there:obeen looking to get myself a scope and one has popped up second hand locally.its a meade lx90 8",what are you guys thoughts on this scope as i dont mind spending that bit extra for a good peice of kit.mind blowing the choices out there.:)

will no doubt catch yous in and around the forum somewhere:icon_cheers:

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johnh

johnh

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Hello Steven the LX90 8" is a good scope but it depends what you want to do with it. You need to tell us what you are interested in now and in the future:

visuals/imaging - deepspace/lunar/planetary?

The mount is very important depending on visual or imaging interest. SCT are good all round scopes but usually chosen for imaging. Newtonians are better for visuals. As a newby don't rush into an impulse purchase, joining clubs and star parties will let you try out others' scopes and there will be plenty of advice on SGL from users of various brands/types. Learn about different scopes first and we will help you as best we can in this great hobby - best of luck.

John.

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ollypenrice

ollypenrice

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Hi.

The SCT you mention is quite competent and compact. It will give good views of the planets and can be used to image these as well, but is less satisfactory for imaging deep sky objects like nebulae and galaxies. It will, though, show them quite clearly visually.

I agree that you'd do well to try to get along to a club and get some hands and eyes-on experience of the various options!

Olly

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Rossco72

Rossco72

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Hi Steven,

Don't rush into something that looks a bargain. In reality there are plenty of good scopes around at good prices. Take the time to consider first and fore most visual or imaging? If it's imaging then be prepared to have deep pockets and look for good quality kit. If it's visual however then lots of opportunities open up, AltAz or EQ? Refractor or reflector? How about a nice big Dob for your money?

Consider these before rushing in. Once you have about 50 posts on here you can access the sale boards and there are always some nice scopes available at fair money.

Cheers

Stuart

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JamesM

JamesM

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Hi Steven and welcome to the forum.

Agree with all the advice above. When you see something that has come up for sale and appears a bargain it is difficult not to want to get stuck in. However, a bargain isn't just a matter of price, it is also a qualification of need and what you want to do which at the beginning is such a difficult question to answer - cos' I guess (if you're like me) you might like to do it all! :):D You don't say what price your local scope is going for, so one other consideration would be to look on "Astro Buy & Sell" and using their search facility see what past scopes have been going for and what 'other kit' came with them e.g wedge, dew shield, finder scope, fine focuser etc. A guy at my club was selling the same kit + toys for £450.00 - a bargain.

Clear skies

James

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Stevenebm

Stevenebm

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i really need to look more in to this.even some of the replys here have got me scratching my head.im prob the same as loads of newbies.buy a scope and start gazing.didnt realise there were so many choices:icon_scratch:

going on what roscco said i just looked on gumtree and there is a 12" dobsanian scope for sale for half the price of the meade.more research needed i think in to the scope for me:o

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Rossco72

Rossco72

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i really need to look more in to this.even some of the replys here have got me scratching my head.im prob the same as loads of newbies.buy a scope and start gazing.didnt realise there were so many choices:icon_scratch:

going on what roscco said i just looked on gumtree and there is a 12" dobsanian scope for sale for half the price of the meade.more research needed i think in to the scope for me:o

Dobsonians are great for visual and maybe webcam imaging of the moon or planets but not good for imaging DSO's.

For visual though, you wont get better views for less money:)

Most serious astonomers have a scope for planets and a different scope for DSO's, difficult when you start out but there really isn't a one scope fits all solution or we'd all have it!

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johnh

johnh

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Glad your thinking about it more deeply now, Newtonians in Dob form are probably the best for starters but remember a 12" may weigh upto 23kg as they are big but will give fantastic views so you need to be strong and eager to setup such a beast whenever its clear even on cold nights. Some prefer quick smaller size setups as big scopes need an hour to cooldown before they can be used if stored indoors.

John.

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brantuk

brantuk

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Hi Steven and welcome to SGL :)

All good advice above mate - think of it like buying a car - you might want to tow with it, race it, have a luxury ride, just go local shopping, use it for commuting - all have different specs and sizes, and scopes are no different to this lol :D

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BAZ Senior

BAZ Senior

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Hi Steven, welcome to SGL.

My 12" dob is what I take with me on holiday, to dark sites etc. and I have a dodgy back, but if you are sensible, undo two bolts, it becomes two manageable bits, the scope and base.

As already mentioned, it depends what you want to use it for, but for purely visual observing a dob is a good scope. However if you want to image then a good equatorial mount is really a must, whatever scope you put on it.

Good luck.

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