Beginners telescope

[wobby83]

Hi all I'm wanting to get started stargazing ASAP , I'm after a telescope that would suite me as a beginner but that of decent quality , please pm me, thanks

[wobby83]

or if anyone could keep an eye out id be verry grateful indeed ,thanks

[catman161]

I'm new to this too and the advice the experienced guys on here gave Me was to start off with a set of binoculars to learn to navigate the night sky first. Was very good advice. I use celestron skymaster 15x70 binoculars they have helped me know end in learning the major constellations.

I also now have a skywatcher 200p Dobsonian,however I think if I had gone for a scope first I would have ended up pointing it aimlessly around the sky not knowing what I was looking at and become disinterested in the hobby.

That's just my personal opinion/experience,it may not be transferable to all. Obviously I am going to recommend the Skywatcher 200p I am biased though!

[Rusty Strings]

Knowing your budget would be useful but Felix' advice is good. Many rush into buying their first scope thinking it's the only way to stargaze.

[Guest Tweedledum]

I would echo Felix a pair of binos and a good guide to the sky (Turn Left At Orion / Pocket Star Atlas) is a great start, also these are bits you will keep rather than a sterter telescope that you will soon grow out of.

The next best thing to do is to come along to a observing session at one of the dark sites and see what others have and what may suit you best.

Cheers

[wobby83]

I would echo Felix a pair of binos and a good guide to the sky (Turn Left At Orion / Pocket Star Atlas) is a great start, also these are bits you will keep rather than a sterter telescope that you will soon grow out of.

The next best thing to do is to come along to a observing session at one of the dark sites and see what others have and what may suit you best.

Cheers

[wobby83]

Hi my max budget is 100 also I want to go strait to scope, thank u for good advice, please can u guys keep a eye out for me and let me know if u see anything for sale as I am after one ASAP and eBay are mostly far away, thanks ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘

[Daz Type-R]

Hi, for £100 you will be very, very (imo) hard pushed to find a scope for that, even second hand (of any decent quality - you may pick up a cheap nasty one!!!)

I may be wrong but for a £100 max limit, you really are stuck at bino's!

Found these from FLO (First Light Optics)

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-heritage-76-mini-dobsonian.html

aimed at 5-10 year olds £48

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-heritage-130p-flextube.html

£135 but to be honest, unless you live in the darkest of dark places, I don't think you will see much.

I`m afraid you have picked a hobby that requires an open wallet, as the more you pay, the better you get.

As an example, I have just bought a middle of the range zoom eye peice, that cost £174.

£100 is not going to get you much.

Sorry, I may be wrong, I`m sure somebody more experianced will be along shortly to correct me.

Good luck with your search.

Regards,

Daz.

[wobby83]

Thanks daz top man and thanks for replying I'm watching these on eBay Jessops TA1100-102 Reflecting telescope (used) with 6mm, 12.5mm and 20mm eyepieces plus a 3x Barlow lens, uses a Red Dot Elecronic Finder Scope with a cr2032 battery. Also CELESTRON ASTROMASTER 130 EQ-MD

And tasco star guide 60 ?? Thanks

[Daz Type-R]

Don't touch the Jessops one with a barge pole, false purchase, you will just regret it and be wasteing your money.

Like it has been said before, E-Bay can be great but only if you know what you are looking for, I don't touch e-bay myself but some of the guys on here get a real bargain, but they are experts (or near enough)

You really want to be getting your first scope from a proper telescopre shop, FLO, Greenwitch, Rother Valley Optics are just some of the handfull that sell scopes.

No idea about the Celestron but they are good scopes, the more you pay the better you get, I have googled the one you mention, just be careful about that, for all you know the motor could be shot, which will make the mount useless.

I`d be wary about that one though, having checked FLO's website, the cheapest Celestron that they do is round the £275 mark.

Makes you wonder why this is cheap?

[wobby83]

Thanks for helping me out mate, I'll leave Jessie's alone then, what about a travel scope ? Celestron 70 , looks ok ideal and easy for moving around ðŸ‘

[Daz Type-R]

Ok, what would help us out would be a list of your requirements/needs.

So for example.....

1) How much do you want to spend?

2) Has it got to be portable, can you lift a heavy weight or does it need to be small and easily moveable?

3) What do you want to see, the moon, planets, or DSO (Deep Space Objects) like nebula, open clusters etc etc?

4) Does it have to be motorised or able to find and track the object you want to see, or do you want to do it all your self?

By answering these question the chaps on here can point you in the right direction but I must stress again, for £100, you might be better with a good pair of bino's and if you want a goto scope (finding and tracking) £100 will get you nothing.

As for the Celestron70, no idea, never used one, read one persons review who wanted a small scope to chuck in hand luggage on a plane, admitted it was not great, not sure what you would see with it though!

[andyboy1970]

For that budget I'd go for a Skywatcher ST80 - http://www.modernast...wRefractors.htm

Reasons -

1) Its a great scope that will always be useful even if you upgrade as it makes a great grab and go scope or Guidescope if you turn to the dark side (astrophotography)

2) It will fit on a sturdy photographic tripod if you don't go for the EQ1

3) The EQ1 mount is an inexpensive mount that is OK for a ST80 visually and it could make a good camera tracker mount in the future if you upgraded.

Anyway, I'd never part with mine.

Piccys through a ST80 on an EQ5 mount - http://www.eastmidla...so-with-a-st80/

Edited February 29, 2012 by andyboy1970

[Doc]

The problem you have is £100 does not buy a lot.

The Jessop scope will show you less then a good quality pair of binoculars. It will have the wobbles like crazy due to the inferior mount and tripod.

I'm sure the C70 scope is more a birdwatching scope then an astronomy scope.

You will have to budget in a map or you won't know what you are looking at and what objects to find, also a red torch to view this or you will be blinded by white light.

At your budget it's defintely second hand buying so just trawl e-bay and run it by us first.

[wobby83]

you guys are very helpful yes its going to be a second hand ebay job and im going to have to get lucky id say,

ive got my eye on one of these if bids dont go too high

CELESTRON ASTROMASTER 130 EQ-MD

[wobby83]

how about this?

Bushnell Voyager 675x4.5 Reflector Telescope Model 78-9675

£75 Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottingham

[wobby83]

im trying to haggle the price down abit ,

[wobby83]

I've been offerd it for 60 ?

[Brantuk]

For reflectors I woudn't drop below 130mm (5") - you might be disappointed if you do

[wobby83]

Right thanks for that

[Brantuk]

Try Astro Buy Sell website too - usualy you get good stuff there reliably described - make sure you ask the seller lots of questions - the replies often indicate if a sale item is dodgey or not

[wobby83]

Thanks, it's worse than looking for a car!! It's melting my brain 😣

[Brantuk]

Lol - by the time you get to you're second scope you'll know what you're after and it will be much easier. But we all had to go through that first purchase pain. The best thing I can say is don't be in a rush and keep learning till you're really ready.

We'll answer any questions for you so keep them coming. And make sure you get to the next meeting and have a look at a few scopes - you'll acellerate your knowledge rapidly

[wobby83]

I could poss up my budget to 150 for a second hand jobby , I'm after something localisch so if u can have a little scour when u have a min I'd be extremely happy , thanks for the fantastic help

[wobby83]

ok ive upped my budget to 200