Which 1st scope :)

[nebogipfel]

..... DSO+DSLR imaging is costly. As in £5000-10,000+ to do it properly

No offence intended Ronin but as an impoverished novice I must take issue with this statement

It's certainly true that you can spend fortunes on imaging but it's equally true that there are folk all over the place capturing fantastic images for much less money. True, the budget would be more than Winged_Girl currently wishes (or can) spend, but not totally beyond her aspirations.

Like myself, she may never be able to even think of spending thousands on equipment but that doesn't mean that with a little bit of ingenuity and compromise she couldn't have a lot of fun trying to get good DSO images.

A secondhand newt or apo' on a decent driven mount with a secondhand DSLR would allow her to at least dip her toes in the water ........

None of this has much to do with the original question and as I say is just an opinion but I don't want to see astronomy promoted as a hobby only for the well heeled.

That said, what do I know?

[smudgeball]

Dobs are good.

At the beginning of the year I joined a local Astronomy club and the club had a "bring your scope evening"

That was the first time I had a look through a dob.

I was really impressed, especially with how easy they are to move.

Sure they can get a bit awkward to carry once you start moving up in size, but the views are very impressive.

We were spoiled as the dob getting used was a 12" !!!!

But there were others.

I got a SCT as my previous outing into astronomy was with a 6" newt and it was just so cumbersome for me to move around and store in my house.

The SCT has three thumbscrews underneath so I remove the base fold the tripod, done.

It suits what I want and the views are excellent.

I added a decent barlow and am hoping to get a nice planetary eyepiece around 12mm. But I'll need to save up for that.

I'm sure you've seen what you CAN spend on eyepieces

Neil

[MorningMajor]

I would always go for apperture over the goto option, I got my scope as a present so didn't have to make that choice. However, the goto gives you an extra string to your bow, as it were - I don't always use it as I enjoy star hopping and working out what's what, but sometimes it really helps, for example,when I was looking for the Andromeda galaxy for the first time and what with light pollution and not the clearest conditions I just couldn't find it on my own and here's where the goto came into it's own.

I'm not helping though really am I - the choice is still yours!

[daz]

No wonder this poor girl is going round in circles!!!

The trouble with asking a forum full of experts is that everyone has their own opinion, and not everyone reads the OP's original requirements!!

She has stated many times that her max budget is £450 - so that rules out the FlexTube Auto at £480 - and I wouldn't consider f6 as being ideal for planets either - it needs at least a 3x barlow before you get a decent image scale!

If WG is happy to star hop, then leave the GOTO and tracking options. Start simple and work your way up from there. So many people get frustrated because they try to do too much too soon and their expectations are way too high!!

WG - other things you need to consider...

1. What space do you have to store your telescope?

2. How capable are you of moving a big bit of kit around?

3. How much time will you have to actually get outside (I note the young family reference)?

I would personally stick with the dob, the Skywatcher 150P or the 200P and not worry about imaging at this stage. Let this come later.... This would leave plenty in the budget for some eyepieces and moon filter.

However, I would also echo smudgeball's comment on getting along to a local society and talking face to face with someone, and possibly getting your hands on some scopes to understand the sizes of these things. They can be bigger than you think!!

[Winged_Girl]

Thanks Guys u have given me a lot to think about

All of your advice has been taken on board! And tonight i am really going to sit down and work it all out. Will let you all know what decision i come to

Now lets end this war of dobs V goto lol :)

[Winged_Girl]

Thank you Daz!!

I have seen one in the flesh so i know what to expect

Thank you everyone!

[Orion_the_Hunter]

I would personally stick with the dob, the Skywatcher 150P or the 200P and not worry about imaging at this stage. Let this come later.

Very wise words. Learn and enjoy visual astronomy first, then when you've learnt your 'way around the sky', you will know what to expect from & how to do imaging.

[RobH]

I would personally stick with the dob, the Skywatcher 150P or the 200P and not worry about imaging at this stage.

Agreed.....imaging is a whole different ballgame, and planetary and DSO imaging are different disciplines too.

Learn the sky, enjoy the views, and sharing the views, and in the meantime absorb information about other aspects of astronomy at your own pace.

Cheers

Rob

[Winged_Girl]

thank you. Look forward to getting my scope now!