Which telescope for me ??

[Tiger-G]

Hello everyone,

I've been lurking for a while, picking up a few tips, as I'm about to take the plunge and buy a starter telescope.

The objects I will be looking at to start off with are the likes of Mars, Jupiter, M31 and M42. I know, a bit boring, but that's what has inspired me to take the plunge after years of being in awe at the night sky (lol).

I'm going to go down the second-hand route as I want something decent around the £500 mark, and for some reason I'm drawn to the Meade scopes I'm seeing on E-Bay. The ones that seem to fall into my price bracket are the LX90's and the ETX's. I've done a bit of research on the internet, but I don't think I understand enough about the subject to get a definitive answer on which scope to get.

Are the Meade scopes ok, and what would be the minimum one to view planets, galaxies and nebula ??

What other scopes would you consider ??

I would like something I could stick in the car from time to time to get away from some of the light polution on the North East coast of England.

The autostar function is appealing, but can you also move these scopes manually ??

Your advice would be appreciated

Regards,

Graeme.

[dweller25]

Hello Graeme and welcome to SGL.

£500 will buy you a good scope but i would recommend something with a little more aperture.

The Skyliner Dobsonian will give you excellent results for a very modest price .....

Dobsonians - Skywatcher Skyliner 200P Dobsonian

These have no electronics to help you (or go wrong) but you soon learn to find your way around the sky. You will be up and running with one of these in 5 minutes.

You will have to spend a lot more money to beat the views this scope will give - and it can be transported in a car.

HTH

[CGolder]

Hello,

I like you was drawn to the meade scopes and have an ETX and a LX90. I love them both. The ETX performs very well and is very portable.

You need to be very careful when buying at ETX. there are many versions of the scope and some the older models have plastic gearing systems, I would recommend only a PE or AT. the PE has level north technology and a RDF. the AT is manual set level and north and have a optical finder.

Both are great scopes and i certainly feel the ETX has an advantage over the similer goto scopes in the bracket due to the 2 arm system. If you get the ETX125 to a dark site it produces better results than my lx90 10" from the city.

The LX90 is a very solid scope and packs a real punch.

I would normally not recommend a Meade autostar for a beginner but if you have your heart set on a ETX or LX90 as i did when i first brought a scope... you might find buying a different scope will still leave you wanting.

the scopes are not designed to be used manually but you can point the scopes at a target and turn on tracking so it will just follow the target.

I wouldnt go smaller than an ETX 90 for planets and if you want to look at objects outside the solar system i would go with a 125 min.

The 8" LX90 is probably the biggest one of the meade Range i would want to move around.

Where are you based, could be worth meeting with someone to see what your options are..

Also try to avoid EBay.. the meade scopes normally have a hugely inflated price on Ebay

Colin

[umadog]

Welcome! The objects you mention are not boring. All worth a good look.

I think there are two golden rules:

1. All things being equal, a telescope of larger aperture will show you more. So get the largest scope you can afford.

2. The larger and more complicated the scope, the less you will end up using it in the long run.

There is a sweet spot between these two opposing requirements and it's at a different point for everyone. You should keep that in mind when you read advice. With that caveat, I (a Dob user) can offer the following further advice:

- Telescopes take time to cool down and cooing down is essential for good planetary views. In general, SCTs take a lot longer then Newtonians.

- I have often seen people say that a Dob is more portable than an SCT of the same aperture.

- A Dob is much cheaper per inch and provides a wider field of view.

- Collimating a telescope is no big deal.

- Nothing is a substitute for good dark skies so choose a scope you can pack into a car.

Personally, I think a great first scope is a 6 or 8 inch Dob. Pay attention to the focal ratio of the scope. Scopes faster than F5 tend to require more expensive eyepieces and you need to be more careful with collimation.

Good luck and remember: if you get the bug your first telescope won't be your last.

[barkis]

Hello Graeme, and a warm welcome to the SGL Forum.

Good luck in choosing a telescope. There is lots of choice, so decide what your aims are, although those can be moving targets as you progress through this astronomy minefield.

Ron.

[Tiger-G]

Thanks very much for the advice so far

I thought the autostar function would be helpful, but I can now see the disadvantages, especially if it's not designed to be used manually.

And thanks for putting me onto the Skywatcher, that gives me something to compare the Meade's too.

Any other scopes I should be looking at ?? There's a new SKYWATCHER SKYLINER 250PX for under £500 on E-Bay, is that worth a look ??

[Chris H]

I would second an 8" Dob, see here Dobsonians - Skywatcher Skyliner 200P Dobsonian This scope would give you great views of planets and DSO's and being totally manual you would really learn the night sky. It may not have Goto or tracking and not be on a tripod but it's beauty is its simplicity. If you observe from your garden and can keep it in an unheated garage or shed you could be up and observing in literally 2 minutes.

If you want to buy check out First light optics rather than ebay they offer excellent advice and keen prices and don't just take my word for it see the suppliers reviews section.

[nicnac]

i would not use Ebay myself, have you had a look at First light optics products yet?, there is a tab for them at the top of the page

[nicnac]

beat me to the mark chris

[Tiger-G]

thanks everyone, great advice

[Tiger-G]

Hi,

Is it worth paying the extra to go for the Skywatcher Skyliner 250P rather than the 200 ??

Cheers,

Graeme.

[John]

Hi,

Is it worth paying the extra to go for the Skywatcher Skyliner 250P rather than the 200 ??

Cheers,

Graeme.

Yes, but don't blow all your budget on the scope - you will want to invest in some accessories in due course as well, eg: upgraded eyepieces, filters, a collimation aid etc, etc.

Extra aperture is always worth having although when you get to 12" dobsonians seem to take a significant leap in bulk and weight.