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Author
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Topic: Recommendations for buying a telescope
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Mark B
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posted 06-24-2005 08:49 AM
   
I am in the market for a telescope for my youngest child who is 10 years.For sure I will be in on this deal as wellnot doubt looking at the night sky!  Would anyone with a little expertise kindly advise as to a good starter? I only wish to spend a few hundred dollars AUD in case the novelty wears off. |
Rizz
Member Posts: 1208
From: Upcountry, Maui, Hawaii
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 06-24-2005 01:33 PM
I picked up a SkyQuest XT4.5 Dobsonian Reflector telescope for my 9 year-old son.The beauty of this one is that it is light weight, easy to carry, (which he likes, and impresses the neighborhood kids since 'Dad' doesn't have to help!) quick set up time and easy to look at the moon, Jupiter and Saturn.
I think its a great starter, and if he chooses not to use it after a while, you can keep it in your quiver. Ask if they have any 'blemished' ones. Sometimes they have a few minor scratches on the exterior tube, nothing that won't happen over time anyway, and you can save a few bucks which you can apply towards shipping.
The moon is pretty impressive even with this size scope. Have fun. |
mdmyer
Member Posts: 900
From: Humboldt KS USA
Registered: Dec 2003
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posted 06-24-2005 01:58 PM
I will try to give you my opinions and I hope that other amateur astronomers will add their thoughts too. I suggest you start your learning as much about telescopes as you can by visiting this webpage. That opening page has an article titled Beginners Start Here. Mounting a telescope is important because you want to be able to move and point the telescope without the frustration of not being able to find and track the object you are looking for. I suggest you get a Dobson (dob) mounted telescope. The term dob refers to the mounting of the scope and not the optics. Dobs are easy to use, especially when kids are going to be using them. I own a 7" Starmaster Oak Classic and my 11 year old daughter has been carrying and using it for a few years. Dob scopes are about as light and simple as they get. I suggest you consider an Orion, or some other brand of dob telescope with a 4.5" to 6" primary mirror. The 4.5" Orion Skyquest can be found here. And the 6" can be found here. If you are looking for used telescopes then watch this page. Single power finders or reflex finders are great for telescopes. I have a Tel Rad on all of my telescopes. Orion sells this reflex finder. You can learn more about reflex finders here. If you can get to a local astronomy club then I suggest you get with them and see what scopes those club members are using. Local clubs will often set up for public nights and invite the public to look through their telescopes. |
Philip
Member Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 06-24-2005 02:52 PM
I would recommend a refractor which has two lenses and is "easier" to use but might be a bit more expensive (money buys aperture).A good source is the Beginners forum at Cloudy Nights. |
LT Scott Schneeweis
unregistered
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posted 06-25-2005 03:47 AM
Some great advise above... I would suggest attending local star parties and avail yourself the opportunity to interact with others in the hobby, take some views through their scopes prior to making any purchase decisions. The worse thing you can do is buy a cheap scope initially with poor performing optics and mount which will only leave you with the (incorrect) impression that astronomy is not an exciting hobby... |
Mark B
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posted 07-03-2005 11:32 PM
Thank you greatly for everyone's input. I sort of took some advise but really went overboard with the size and budget a little.I have ended up going a bit larger than initially planned and ended up buying an Orion Dobsonian Telescope 10" with a TelRad Reflex Sight all for a great price that I couldn't knock back, used, but in unmarked perfect condition. When it arrives all we need to do is learn how to use it! Won't have to move it much so that's a big bonus. Should be interesting and a great learning curve, I can't wait and nor can the kids. Does anyone have one of these? Any further tips on this type of item is greatly appreciated. |
Rizz
Member Posts: 1208
From: Upcountry, Maui, Hawaii
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 07-04-2005 01:09 AM
Your kids (and the neighborhood) will be proud of you. Well done Mark. Pick up some filters if you haven't already. The lunar surface at terminator is most interesting to view. As are the planets! |
Mark B
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posted 07-04-2005 04:25 AM
Does one size fit all regarding filters or do I need to ensure I buy filters of a specific size? Sorry for being so naive, I'll ask around on a few forums I have been on when the telescope arrives.A BBQ is already planned: 12 neighbours, two who are pilots and one who is a science teacher so I think I will learn a few things fairly quickly from these guys! After a few (many) beers the Earth may just have two moons when we setup the scope! |
BrianB
Member Posts: 118
From: Kamloops BC Canada
Registered: Oct 2001
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posted 01-06-2011 03:13 PM
I'm thinking about buying myself a telescope, and I'm hoping to get some advice. I don't have any really specific needs, except that I would at some point like to connect it to my DSLR (Nikon D90). So, any suggestions on what $500 would buy? $1000? Thanks.Editor's note: Threads merged. |
mjanovec
Member Posts: 3811
From: Midwest, USA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted 01-06-2011 08:51 PM
The posts above do a good job covering the basics. Refer to this article from Sky and Telescope for a basic run-through of things to consider. Orion has has another nice guide for buying a telescope.One suggestion I have is to not worry about photography at this stage, even though almost every beginner fancies himself taking really nice photos. If you want to eventually get serious about astrophotography, you'll likely need to invest a considerable amount of money (and patience) to do so. Most scopes will allow you to take quick shots of the moon and planets, assuming you have a fairly decent mount. Deep sky photography is another story altogether. Become an experienced observer before you try to tackle astrophotography. Also, another key factor is portability...whether you have to drive the scope out to a dark sky site or just haul it to your backyard. I generally recommend buying the largest aperture you can (to observe the widest variety of objects), but is still within a reasonable range of portability. If the scope is a bear to set-up, you won't use it very often. While there is no such thing as the perfect beginner scope, I think the Orion SkyQuest Intelliscopes come the closest. They are portable, easy to use, versatile, has a stable mount, and offers you assistance with finding objects (even if the scope doesn't move itself). The only downside of these scopes is the need to collimate (align) the optics from time to time. Collimation seems intimidating the first couple of times you do it, but it becomes really easy after a while...especially if you invest in a laser collimator. The 8-inch or 10-inch models are probably the best investiment. (I have a 10-inch dobsonian and think it's the perfect scope for the money.) Aperture under 8 inches will somewhat limit what you can observe...as most deep sky objects require at least 8 inches to see. Over 10 inches and portability becomes an issue. I would also throw away the finder scope that comes with these scopes and use a 1x finder, such as a Telrad.) Oh, and don't forget to budget for eyepieces too. Most scopes come with a cheap eyepiece or two, but you'll want to invest in 2-3 high quality eyepieces eventually...at least one low-power (40-60x) eyepiece with a wide field-of-view and one mid-power (80-120x) eyepiece for planets and lunar observing. A third high-power eyepiece (200x) will come in handy on nights with exceptional viewing conditions. Add a 2x barlow lens and you'll essentially double your eyepiece collection. Don't skimp on your eyepiece budget, either, since that's 50% of the optics. The best advice, however, is to try to attend a star party or a meeting with a local astronomy group in your area. You'll get to see a variety of scopes in action and will get a greater understanding for how they work. Most astronomy clubs are more than happy to assist you and some will even offer you a loaner scope to try out on your own. You will also get a good idea of what you can expect to see from these telescopes, in case your expectations are not in line with reality (which, for a lot people, is often the case). Good luck with whatever you do! |
Philip
Member Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 01-07-2011 03:41 AM
Brian, I have been using telescopes for 35 years, so I would suggest a refractor (telescope with lenses) so you won't have any trouble with collimating a mirror in a reflector (telescope with mirrors). Refractors give good images of the planets and are also easier to grab and go...For astrophotography, go for an Apochromatic refractor, which uses triplet lenses and give great color correction. (e.g. William Optics 88mm for US $1000.00) |
Lunar rock nut
Member Posts: 911
From: Oklahoma city, Oklahoma U.S.A.
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted 01-07-2011 07:03 AM
Great advice from Mark and Philip. Mark makes a good point about connecting with an astronomy club. You might be able to pick up a nice used scope that will fit your needs as club members often have more scopes than they need. Best advice: Do your homework! Another suggestion would be to join Astromart (Registration link just below member login left side, midway). Within the classified section there are often many scopes for sale. Most are used or slightly used but well taken care of. They also offer many great deals on eyepieces of all types. There are many members from Canada that post on the classifieds. |
MikeSpace
unregistered
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posted 01-07-2011 09:40 AM
For a 10 years old?The Edmund Astroscan is inexpensive, portable, easy to use. I've been showing people the moon and planets for 25 years using these, nothing else comes close. |
Lunar rock nut
Member Posts: 911
From: Oklahoma city, Oklahoma U.S.A.
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted 01-07-2011 10:22 AM
quote:
Originally posted by MikeSpace:
For a 10 years old?
The ten year old's discussion was in 2005. The current discussion is for Brian B's post. The threads have been merged. |
mjanovec
Member Posts: 3811
From: Midwest, USA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted 01-07-2011 11:55 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Philip:
Brian, I have been using telescopes for 35 years, so I would suggest a refractor (telescope with lenses) so you won't have any trouble with collimating a mirror in a reflector (telescope with mirrors). Refractors give good images of the planets and are also easier to grab and go...
Collimation is pretty simple, especially with a laser. I check collimation before each observing session and it only takes 2-3 minutes of time at most. There is no reason for anyone to be intimidated by collimation...and it should not be a factor that shies anyone away from reflectors. My 10-inch dobsonian reflector can be set up and ready to observe in about 5-7 minutes, including collimation. |
tegwilym
Member Posts: 2331
From: Sturgeon Bay, WI
Registered: Jan 2000
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posted 01-07-2011 02:30 PM
Good points made above. The Orion scopes around 8 inches are probably a great start they have that electronic "push goto" thing also that makes it easy to find that dim stuff up there. I'd have to agree with the photography, start simple with observing, then get into photography later. You can start with big easy things like the moon or planets with a webcam (that is how I started) but once you go deeper than that it get's pretty complicated. Not trying to steer you away from photography though! It's a ton of fun but you'll be needing to fill a few 'cuss jars' in the process of learning it. Colimating just takes a little practice, then it's not bad at all. Here is my latest image from my backyard from last week. M42 in Orion. Good luck, clear skies, and ask questions! |
mjanovec
Member Posts: 3811
From: Midwest, USA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted 01-07-2011 03:34 PM
quote:
Originally posted by tegwilym:
Here is my latest image from my backyard from last week. M42 in Orion.
Beautiful image! I like the fact you didn't over-exposure the center of the M42, like many photographers do. You can actually see detail in your image all the way to the center! |
Aztecdoug
Member Posts: 1405
From: Huntington Beach
Registered: Feb 2000
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posted 01-07-2011 05:26 PM
I picked up a Celestron NextStar 5 SE two years ago. I am very pleased with the simplicity of the computer for tracking and finding stuff. Once you get it oriented you can scroll through a screen and pick objects for it to find for you. That just takes all the brains out of it and makes it fun and easy.One thing I was not prepared for though is how much the local light effects what you can see. I dream of going out to Death Valley some day with it, but until then I will enjoy what I get and not get upset.
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tegwilym
Member Posts: 2331
From: Sturgeon Bay, WI
Registered: Jan 2000
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posted 01-08-2011 03:02 PM
quote:
Originally posted by mjanovec:
Beautiful image! I like the fact you didn't over-exposure the center of the M42, like many photographers do. You can actually see detail in your image all the way to the center!
Thanks! I actually did some tricks on that one. I took bunch of fast exposures to capture the center details, then some really long ones for the outer part. I then selected, feathered, cut, pasted and burned to blend in the middle. Neat trick I read about in Astronomy magazine this month. For those buying a telescope, this is fairly advanced stuff, and I have filled many "cuss jars" over the years to get this far. |
ilbasso
Member Posts: 1522
From: Greensboro, NC USA
Registered: Feb 2006
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posted 01-08-2011 08:43 PM
The best telescope is like the best musical instrument - one you'll practice with regularly. A 'scope that's too complex, too heavy, or too bulky will lead to frustration. Especially for a first 'scope, go for one that you can easily set up and take outside whenever the mood hits you, and that you can carry yourself. At the other extreme, though, watch out for the 50mm telescopes with 400x eyepieces, because you won't see anything. |
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