Beginner in need of some advice

[Jay_Star]

Hi Guys & Laydees,

To give you some back ground i have just moved out of London in a top floor apartment by the coast. The loft has been converted and I have 3 velux windows, anyways I was gazing up into the sky thinking I really should get a telescope set up here as it would be fantastic!

Question is I have know idea what equipment I need to start with, there was a scope that looked OK on ebay a Meade ex70? with motor tri pod and everything, is this OK to start off with? and how much do think I should go up too? or can you recommend something else?

Your help would be appreciated!

Jason

[blinky]

I am no expert but I would suggest you get a small beginner scope to start with. the problem you will have if you try and observe anything from inside the house is that you will have a lot of problems with the hot air from inside creating turbulence when mixing with the cold outside air. This will really really hamper what and how good you can see. Still all is not lost, your best bet might be to get a pair of Binos and see if the hobby is for you, then move up to a decent scope to observe from outside with. Thats the best and worst thing about this hobby, you really need to be outside and idealy outside when it is nice and cold and clear!

The meade you were loking at should be OK for the moon but you will see a sort of 'boiling' effect, this is the air turbulence I mentioned and like I say you really cannot do any serious observing from inside.

[garymcgrory]

blinky is spot on great to be away from the big smoke and ass light pollution, but you will have to get outside to do some viewing without the aforementioned air turbulence, bino's are a great answer or get in touch with the local astro soc. and use others scopes to see if this is the hobby for you!

Gary

[geppetto]

Welcome to Stargazers Jason

Make yourself at home

[SteelRat]

SGL welcome from me to Jay

[GordonCopestake]

Depends greatly on budget and what you want to look at. If you are looking from a window though you'll get heat haze from rising warm air and your views will be restricted to just the direction the window faces.

[radioactive]

Welcome to stargazers Jason its always best to be outside when trying to view the heavens as already stated by others mate unless you are thinking its more for terrestial telescope use then you need more a spotting type scope not astronomical

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

Welcome along Jay.

Captain Chaos

[The Warthog]

I do have some experience in this, particularly with messing about with 'beginner' scopes. I would not consider a scope smaller than a 90mm refractor or catadioptric, or a 6" (150mm) reflector, if you are serious about taking up the hobby. Go a little bigger if you can. A local shop is offering a 102mm refractor on a goto mount for an insanely low price, and I have recommended that to a friend who is interested in the hobby.

If you get a smaller scope, your expertise will quickly exceed the limitations of that scope, and you will wish you had got a bigger one to start with. So get a bigger one to start with. I wish I had.

[Jay_Star]

Hi all, thanks for the advise guys!

I didnt think about the effect heating may have to the viewing or to the scope. I do have a balacony to the back of the flat, but obivously that will limit what i can view. Shame i havent got my own garden, could always walk down to the beach though. Budget I dont really know, was going to go upto 100pounds or so on ebay or is that not ebough? To be perfectly honest i have not planned to get seriously involved just get set up and have a look see if anyones about up there ;-)