Which Telescope to buy?

[Bazza 907 1,063]

I've always fancied buying a decent telescope and wondered what experience people had and what they'd recommend. On an old thread there was talk of the Meade ETX being good but has technology moved on?

 

I was hoping to pay c£300-£400 but have no idea if I can get a good one for that amount.

 

Thanks in advance

 

 

[Bibs 11,157]

My exploration into telescopes was a non-motorised one, it was awful. I managed to see Saturn and a couple of the moons but by the time you found them, they were gone! Make sure you get a tracking one!

[Sparky 2,833]

Meade are still up there. As Bibs says, don't even think about something unless it's motorised, preferably with finder capability.

Even with a superb telescope, the human eye ain't up to much, so people can be disappointed. The trick is in photography, and you need a decent motorised mount for that. 3 or 4 hundred really won't do it for you. Maybe around a grand as a starter...

Also, where do you intend to use it? Most residential areas are so light-polluted, they can seriously mitigate what you can see.

[Trevsked 769]

Oh good, been waiting for this thread, was wondering how I was going to drop off tonight. I'll forward a link to the insomniacs association :-)

Trevor.

[Sparky 2,833]

Uneducated peasant.

[Trevsked 769]

That's a bit strong, Barrie merely asked what sort of a telescope he should buy. Just because he suggested £300-£400 doesn't make him a peasant. Don't worry Barrie, I've got your back.

Trevor.

[Sparky 2,833]

You don't need a telescope to see stars.  Pop round, I'll show you.

[s4simon 153]

I bought a 6" skywatcher telescope a few years back. Great intro scope.  I bought if off a guy who used it once and packed it away - cost me $200 (80 pounds).  Took a lot of pics with my iphone and 3 megapixel instamatic piece of crap to begin with, which looked crappy.

 

 

 

Then this year I bought a decent camera (70D) and the shots are crystal clear.

 

 

 

Looking forward to getting some good shots of Jupiter next month.  And as you've all mentioned a motor drive would make life a lot easier (the skywatcher is fully manual).  So the next one I buy will have all the mod cons, but this was a good starter telescope.

[Buddsy 1,622]

I did have one of those old Tasco ones. With max magnification I think it was about 450x? Anyway it had such a small dia body it didnt let much light in so at high magnification it wasnt very good. If you so much as touched it it moved when you were trying to look at something. Better than magnification is to get the biggest dia you can to allow in more light. The lowest magnification was pretty good on the moon as its nice and bright. 

 

I was wondering if there wasn't a usb or wifi one you could get so you could put it on your roof etc?

[Bazza 907 1,063]

Meade are still up there. As Bibs says, don't even think about something unless it's motorised, preferably with finder capability.

Even with a superb telescope, the human eye ain't up to much, so people can be disappointed. The trick is in photography, and you need a decent motorised mount for that. 3 or 4 hundred really won't do it for you. Maybe around a grand as a starter...

Also, where do you intend to use it? Most residential areas are so light-polluted, they can seriously mitigate what you can see.

Sparky

Will use it in rural Dorset where light pollution is very low.

 

Looks like I might have to up my budget or get one second hand.

 

Thanks for the replies so far, especially Trevor x. 

[Sparky 2,833]

Nice to see the discussion is still on the rails, despite the irksome troll.

[Trevsked 769]

Let me tell you, I'm chomping at the bit here as you guys are just feeding me lines constanly but not everyone sees the humour :-)

 

Trevor.

[molemot 521]

I bought a 3" or so refractor about 40 years ago. Good for peering at the Moon...also shows Jupiter with the Great Red Spot and the satellites... and Saturn with the rings. I keep it on my boat, and use it in the dark places out in the countryside. Saw Venus in half phase a year or two back; one of the great things has been showing the rings of Saturn to people who have never seen them. Yes, it's very small...and yes, any tracking is simply by moving the thing about with your hands....but there is something about direct observation that you don't get from photographs, no matter how good they are. Every time the rings of Saturn appear, I feel the link directly back to Galileo Galilei and how he must have felt as the first man to ever see them....

I now have a 6" reflector, too....which I really MUST get set up properly.... This has an equatorial mount and a motor drive and a TV camera to USB input. Need a crystal clear winter's night.......

[brianc 14]

At the risk of possibly resurrecting a thread where the OP has already bought a scope can I add that the small Meade ETX 90 or equivalent Celestron scopes are excellent for a beginner. The Goto technology means that even if you live under light polluted skies, you can usually get the scope to point at interesting objects which would be difficult to find using 'star hopping' techniques.

Also these scopes are very portable meaning they tend to get used a lot as they are quick and easy to set up either in your garden or in a nearby field or other more suitable observing site.

I've had an ETX90 for a number of years and have only just upgraded to something bigger with more light gathering ability to be able to see more faint objects.

[Bazza 907 1,063]

Brian

Still looking for one so thanks for the post. 

[brianc 14]

OK Bazza.  You should be able to get one within your budget.  Just check the motors thoroughly including checking for excessive motor backlash which will make accurate slewing a near impossibility.

 

If you're still looking in a couple of weeks I may be putting mine up for sale.

[Bazza 907 1,063]

Brian

Would be interested when you get round to selling it.

[slewthy 249]

I've just been outside with some tiny binoculars - showing my son a few nice sights. Jupiter, Orion nebula, Pleiades and Comet Lovejoy, although the latter is really just a smudge with these scopes.

When Halleys comet was around, my folks bought me a Newtonian reflector - I think its 3.5 or 4 inch, equatorial mount but without motor drives. Didnt see the comet but did see saturn's rings, jupiters moons and people are always amazed at how the moon appears close up.

I'd love a decent powered telescope that I could take good pictures with......just add it to the list of 'things I'd like but can't have'.....

[Bibs 11,157]

Talking of astrological matters, after a long, long drive back from Norfolk I got out of the car and the moon looked like this!! 

 

[s4simon 153]

That's no moon...

[Sparky 2,833]

I gotta bad feeling about this...

[gghc87 70]

I own one of these and very please with it.

www.opticstar.com/Run/Astronomy/Astro-Telescopes-Skywatcher.asp?p=0_10_1_3_125

I also have a 12 inch reflector but wanted a easy to use portable telescope. The optics are good and with the go to it makes for an excellent starter scope.

[slewthy 249]

Talking of astrological matters, after a long, long drive back from Norfolk I got out of the car and the moon looked like this!! 

 

Well, I reckon I could count 3 stars in the halo, so we should have some heavy weather in.......3 days.

Mind you, one of them looked like a planet so who knows!

[Bazza 907 1,063]

Thanks to Brian I'm now the proud owner of a Meade ETX90. Just need some time and warmer weather to start enjoying it.   

[Trevsked 769]

Barrie,

 

Surely you are headed for a melt down? Heaven (pun intended) forbid the skys are clear on the 9th May, you'll be torn whether to polish the car or brush up on sky skills.

 

Trevor.