rekindled desire for the sky

[ollieholt]

Hi everyone, very glad i found this forum!

Recently i have wanted to rekindle my desire for the night sky that i had as a child. Being older now i can finally afford such things as a telescope! i know even with petrol being the price it is! I am looking for a telescope to see the planets, nebulae and some deep sky objects, i cannot wait to get a personal look at Orion's treasures! I have a budget of around £300-400 for my first scope and would like it to have an on board electronic finder and centering device, something like the Celestron Nexstar.

I would love some advice on telescopes and would even consider a non electronic scope if its abilities are much greater with an altazimuth mount. From what i have read a reflector is what most suggest?

Any good retailers in the bolton/manchester area anyone couldn reccomend?

many thanks in advance!

[yeti monster]

Hi Ollie,

I'm not away of any retailers around our way really. There's a couple of small outlets who can get stuff though. I trawl ye olde baye of fleases looking for likely equipment and there's always plenty on there. Just read the listings and resist knee jerk purchasing. Go after marques of popular renoun and try before you buy (if possible). Get someone who's at least half an idea of what to look for/at to help out if possible.

[ollieholt]

do you think im on the right track with the celestron? what are the main differences between Maksutov-Cassegrain and a normal reflector? this is the one i was considering...

Celestron NexStar 4 SE Telescope

oh and thanks for the reply

[Jon65]

Ollie,

That scope should give some great,planetary,lunar and double star views and be okay on the brighter deep sky objects,eg. Orion nebula and brighter galaxies.

For improved DSO views you may have to consider the

Celestron NexStar 130 SLT with its larger aperture that will still do well on the planets and moon.

In that price range a 8-10" reflector on a dobson mount is affordable but unfortunately no tracking or goto facility but it will provide improved images on virtually all objects especially deep sky objects.

SLT Series - Celestron NexStar 130 SLT

Jon

[Dave-Ryan]

OpticStar are in Manchester and might be worth a look.

[Ad Astra]

Hi Ollie,

Not to throw a spanner in the works or anything, but I think you may wish to consider another alternative. I've taught beginners astronomy for over 25 years, and the workhorse scope of my astronomy lab program is the same thing I've recommended to beginners for years - a 150mm dobsonian.

Cheap, simple to use, rugged beyond all expectation, sets up in a flash, no batteries, no computers, no gears, no levers, no buttons, no alignment. One piece easy! You can learn the sky, and you will be paying for great views that never break or wear out instead of lots of complicated electronics... qnd you'll be able to afford a couple of extra eyepieces, maybe a barlow lens, a moon filter and a good star map to go along with it without breaking the bank!

If you want some of the 'intelligent' features of the NexStar, there are 'intelligent' dobs that help you point your scope and find objects. These are hundreds cheaper than scopes which are "GoTo" and will drive the scope for you. Keep in mind thatall of these 'intelligent' scopes demand much more expertise and knowledge from the user, more time to set up, many more parts and gadgets to manage.

If you should decide to 'go big' and get a fancy GoTo scope later, you will at least know what you are doing at the eyepiece and out in the dark before you add the complexity and expense of such a system. Keep in mind that we go out there for the views, not for the gadgets. (most of us, anyway!)

I won't presume to recommend brands or specific scopes to you, 'cause I'm in the States, and you have lots of local folks who can steer you right in that matter!

Hope that helps,

Dan

[superjody]

if you are serious and its not a passing hobby go for as big as you can afford and even look at second hand stuff.

I got a skywatcher 130 to start with and it was a fantastic scope, i cannot fault it one little bit......but i then wanted bigger and better, i wanted the planets to be bigger and have detail so i had a look on ebay and came across a skywatcher 250 (10" newtonion) on an eq6, bought it and sold the 130. its a great scope but rather large ha ha.

You could pick up a 6 or 8" at a good second hand price,just got to look for them on here, ebay and other sites that im sure people on here will alert you of.

there is a shop in stockport called stockport telescopes and binoculars.

Im sure the kind people on here who live nearby would kindly demonstrate their equipment so you can get an idea of whats what

[ollieholt]

Thanks everyone for the replies, i think a larger dobsonian style would well be a good choice. One thing i did want is something easy to transport that wont take up too much room. hmmm will have to check out a few more scopes before i jump double footed into it. Thanks again for the advice people!

[ollieholt]

jon, the 130 slt looks great! its actually a bit cheaper, why would that be? what are the differences between the 4se and the 130slt? one is a reflector and one a Maksutov-Cassegrain? im still not clear on the advantages of a Maksutov-Cassegrain over or under a reflector.

[great_bear]

A Maksutov-Cassegrain gives you much better lunar and planetary views than a "standard-quality" reflector, but the penalty is that minimum magnification is too high to get the brightest, widest views that a similar-aperture reflector provides.

Reflectors are also cheaper.

If you get a reflector, it's best to get one of F6 or higher. The 130 SLT is only F5.