Bins

[Charley]

Hello Guys.

First post, hopefully the start of many insightful discussions.

I had found this forum via Google, because I was considering buying a telescope from Amazon but I wasn't sure if I'd be throwing my money away.

I've just read the "Essential Reading" thread, and I now know that the answer is "yes, you'd be throwing your money away".

I create this new thread to achieve 2 things initially:

1. Find out what set of inexpensive binoculars I should purchase to get me started and help me decide if the hobby is for me, and if a telescope purchase is required.

2. Find an online resource for sky maps so that I can educate myself on what I want to be looking at.

Any advice much appreciated.

TIA

Charley

[rowan46]

Celestron these are highly recommended by people you will also need a tripod and adaptor initially bins get heavy after a while. this is a free program to help you find things Stellarium

[rowan46]

by the way welcome to the site

[Charley]

Thanks Rowan.

having looked at the bins you have recommended, I can't help thinking that at £76 maybe I would be better buying a telescope at roughly £100?

I thought the bins would be an inexpensive start, but £76 is quite a bit more that I expected.

Is there a particular reason for buying that particular set of bins, because I'm not ruling them out on price alone! If they're worth the money then that's good enough for me!

[rowan46]

thhey are expensive its just that that size objective gives a little more light throughput they are the ones most recommended for astronomy but ordinary bins will do for a start. If you want cheap lidl do a set for £15 that will start you off but I would recommend an adaptor and tripod even a cheap tripod is better than tired arms

[Charley]

It's looking like the following : 7dayshop 10x42 Waterproof Binoculars with FREE case: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics

Just gonna install that software provided earlier.

Thanks again, Rowan.

[nightfisher]

those bins will show some sights, but might leave you wanting more fairly soon

[Rusty Strings]

There are many on the forum using the Lidl bins, myself included. Yes, they're cheap but they give enough good views and you will find out if astronomy is for you without a serious outlay

[Charley]

those bins will show some sights, but might leave you wanting more fairly soon

Yeah, hopefully! If I get to the stage where I want to upgrade quickly, the I'll be happy to have spent the 20-odd quid finding a hobby I'm willing to throw some cash at!

I'm looking at the Stellarium program. I assume that if I line the viewing window so that ...say.. the "W" is in the centre of the window, then this is how the sky should look if I stand facing west?

If so, it appears to be a awesome piece of software.

[Jimmy Stix]

Stellarium, a planisphere and a pair of bins have been my astronomy "teachers" since I first got hooked in August of last year.

Stellarium is an awesome program and it's "free".

[Jimmy Stix]

at!

I'm looking at the Stellarium program. I assume that if I line the viewing window so that ...say.. the "W" is in the centre of the window, then this is how the sky should look if I stand facing west?

If so, it appears to be a awesome piece of software.

Hi Charley.

If you go to the Stellarium webpage there is loads of helpful stuff plus you can download a user guide as a PDF.

Main Page - Stellarium Wiki

[rowan46]

printable skymaps Monthly Sky Maps - for every location on Earth

[ollypenrice]

When lookig at bins here are some pointers. Aperture (the second number in 10x50 or 15x70) is the diameter of the objective lens. In astronomy 50 is a good bottom line. The first number is magnification. 10 is the upper limit for and holding and less is easier to keep steady but you get less magnificatin, obviously. However, you can get a wider field of view.

Even cheap bins are now often supplied with prisms made in BAK4 glass, which is best. You can tell if bins have BAK4 by holding them to the light and looking through them but at arm's length. If the exit pupil, the light seen in the eyepieces, is round then they will be BAK4. If it looks like two overlapping squares, one rotated at 45 degrees to the other, they won't.

I would only buy from a supplier who supplied the spec, including the prism glass type. Avoid zoom bins and ones with fixed focus.

Olly

[kniclander]

if i were king i would issue everyone in the country with a pair of 8x42s (and a copy of 1984 and a beatles anthology) but for astro imho the pros of a small scope vs bins outweight the cons. even a small refractor will show saturns rings and the moon's craters which you won't see in 10x50s and once you get any bigger bins, you're looking at needing a mount too so there's not too much in the cost. So I say get cheap bins first (but follow Olly's advice) and start saving the pennies for a small scope. Once you have around £100 there's a few to choose from and you,ll get plenty of help here.

just mho.

[GrahamS]

I started using my Opticron BGA 8x42's, not a problem. Stellarium is very good too.

[Gladders1980]

Hi,

Have ordered a pair of Revelation 15x70 bins, which apparently are rebranded celestron ones, they were only £50 from Rother Valley optics, so £26 cheaper than the Celestron ones if indeed they are the same.

Still waiting on delivery so can't comment on them yet.

[moogy]

Avoid zoom bins and ones with fixed focus.

Olly

Why avoid the zoom bins? If used with a tripod would they be ok????

[prbaxter]

10x50 are good starter bins and are relatively cheap. Once you get in to it, you will want to move to something like the 15x70 celestrons.

I just got some 20x80's for christmas and they're astonishing compared to my old 10x50's, but you may not appreciate the difference unless you've used them both.

So start off with whatever you can find within your budget. You could always head down to your local astronomy club on a viewing night and try out their varied kit to see what suits you best.

And you could sell your old pair if you choose to upgrade so that takes a dent out of the cost of the equipment.

have fun.