Total rethink - advice needed for a lower budget.

[spaceboy]

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't told that all new Chinese achromatic refractor are bad I'm just suggesting that it might pay you to put up a thread asking other members advice what to look out for and avoid any lemons out there. After all you could have a scope with superb optics but if the owner hasn't looked after it correctly you wouldn't be any better off.

Good luck with the search.

SPACEBOY

[Bone_Idle]

I'm sort of committed to the auction, but at a price I can afford and, I suppose as with any ebay purchase, there's always a chance you might get a lemon.

At the end of the day telescopes seem to represent excellent value for money, I've spend near £1000 on a camera lens without much though, but, for some reason I seem to think £400 is a lot to spend on a telescope(to start with:)).

[spaceboy]

Well Nick??? Are you now the proud owner of a 120 Evostar?? Are we going to be getting a first light report soon

[gedmac]

bone,15 more posts and the sgl for sale section will be available to you:p many a good bargain in there.

[Bone_Idle]

Well Nick??? Are you now the proud owner of a 120 Evostar?? Are we going to be getting a first light report soon

No, it went for much more than I expected. Nearly £350! Even taking into account the Eye piece kit I thought it was a bit high.

I'll keep looking. Not sure ebay is the place to look though, there don't seem to be many bargains at all.

[Bone_Idle]

bone,15 more posts and the sgl for sale section will be available to you:p many a good bargain in there.

13 after this one!!! I need to think of some question to ask that don't appear too inane and make me out to be a half-wit!

[spaceboy]

Glad to see you didn't fall under the eBay fever all the other beginners are suffering. £350 is a ridiculous price to go for and I bet the seller can't believe his luck. I doubt that eBay is the bargain basement it once was. I admit when listing on eBay I over price stuff to compensate for fees and more often than not someone is happy to pay of their own free will what I'm asking. At one time you had a choice of how you wanted payment so that PayPal fees could be avoided but eBay changed that to a mandatory requirement, so you have to have a PayPal account to use eBay and so you end up more inclined to pay with it, and so they make more from fees. My thinking is you are more encouraged to bid higher and more often if you can put it on credit cards. IMHO ebay for some people is like a gambling addiction and they will bid anything to win. Several posts on this forum proves this as we are seeing more and more 2nd hand astronomy equipment on eBay selling for more than you can buy it new in a shop. At least you did not fall for it. Have you not tried U.K. Astronomy Buy & Sell? You need to use caution as the usual scams are going on but you can pick up a good deal and you always have the option of posting a wanted ad.

SPACEBOY

[Bone_Idle]

Ebay is definitely a strange beast. Used with caution it can provide a great way to try new things, I've tried a load of cameras and lenses this way, it's almost like borrowing something to try and then returning it for a full refund (or even a small profit!).

I always set a price and stick to it, but I've seen used cameras and lenses going for more than new sometimes, it's almost like people don't bother with a research the items and prices first!

It seems like a lot of people have been bitten by the Astro Bug (thanks Prof. Cox!) and the chance of a bargain on ebay is looking very slim.

[wozza]

I have been looking on there as well and some of the buy it now prices for a used scope are only a few pounds less than buying a new one with guarantee

[Bone_Idle]

Maybe new is the way to go, at least you get peace of mind from the guarantee and buying from a reputable shop will also mean lots of good advice.

[spaceboy]

I don't claim to be an expert when it comes to astronomy but watching the 2nd hand market for eyepieces I can't help but notice with interest the prices some items go for. Having been in the market for a refractor myself I have seen some of the earlier Helios 120's on an EQ5 go for between £125-£181 and a SW Evostar is basically a Helios with a splash of blue and new brand name sticker on. Another thing I have heared and from a reputable source I might add, is that quality control on the newer Chinese refractors has been questionable. Every now and again a right lemon gets through the cracks and more often than not ends up on eBay. If you can go and check optics before you commit you money. What to look out for when buying a s/h refractor ? you would be better asking someone else.

As said before Skywatcher Helios Refractor Telescope EQ3-2MOUNT on eBay (end time 01-Apr-11 18:37:13 BST)

[Bone_Idle]

As said before Skywatcher Helios Refractor Telescope EQ3-2MOUNT on eBay (end time 01-Apr-11 18:37:13 BST)

That looks a bit of a bargain.

[spaceboy]

I see you have a Evo 90 now. Did you have that before or did you decide on that rather than a 120?

The eBay listing dose look a bargain but given it's on a EQ3, £100 sounds about right.

[Bone_Idle]

Decided to go down the new route, get the guarantee etc, and the 120 on the eq-5 was a bit more than I wanted to pay. I did want a refractor and the 90 was good enough to view everything in turn Left at Orion and was a good price.

I went for the Eq3-2 mount so I could add a Explorer150 reflector in a few months.

It seems to have gone up about 20% in the shops since I got it too.

The 90 gives great terrestrial views too, so really pleased.

[spaceboy]

Nice one Nick! Soon have a foot in both camps when the reflector comes then I think you will be very impressed with the Explorer and it will offer you the opportunity for some of the more elusive DSO's.

[Bone_Idle]

That's the idea. In no rush for the Reflector as the Evostar is pretty inspiring. I'm going for easy targets so far and I must admit I have a bit of a fascination with the moon. I can see why Patrick Moore devoted a lot of his life to studying it, it's fascinating.

Think I'll wit until the latest wave of astro-fever has died down and then look for a decent used 150P. Prices seem quite high again, especially with the recent retail price rises too.