Posted: 11/25/2007 2:56:30 PM EDT
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I am thinking of purchasing a telescope and need some input as I know nothing about them. I would like to keep it about $200 or so. Links to reputable sites to purchase one would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!! |
I am assuming this is for celestrial, and not terrestrial viewing. Go to www.cloudynights.com/ and absorb all you can. If $200 is your absolute max, I would not bother with a new telescope, rather a used dobsonian, or binoculars. With optics, you get what you pay for. If you can stetch your budget a bit, you can get a 4.5" or 6" dobsonian. Orion has a pretty good reputation. 4.5" 6" Whatever you do, DO NOT buy a telescope from retailers such as Wal-Mart or Sam's Club. They're not worth it. |
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Get a reflector if you possibly can. Better image, more compact, eyepiece in more comfortable place to view from. Also, completely ignore advertisements on how high the magnification is. Magnification has almost nothing to do with the telescope. It's all to do with the eyepiece. They may say that a 60mm refractor can get up to 600x, but with a 60mm refractor the highest useful magnification is about 150-200x. Above that and the image is too blurry and faded to see any more detail. 4.5" reflector would probably be the best deal for the money. I'm not sure of the best brands, as I haven't bought a telescope in a long time and forgot most of the brands. |
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I have tried several telescopes over the years and am happiest with a Maksutov-Cassegrain. You can a used small (90mm or so) Mak for a couple of hundred bucks. However, unless portability is an issue the other folks recommendaions of a reflector is spot-on. A 6" reflector will give you some big bright images. If you don't have a good pair of binoculars already, get them first. They are essential for finding your way around at first. I have had good luck buying from Orion Telescope. |
I don't have an object locator, and not sure I want one. I get the most enjoyment by just scanning the skies and if I see something interesting, I will later research it to find out what it was. Aside from that, star charts can be bought for a few bucks that will show you how to find things. I hope you realize the perilous path you are going down here. If stargazing takes ahold of you, you will most assuredly get "aperature fever" and start contemplating spending thousands on large dobsonians (aka...light buckets) which weigh hundreds of pounds. The most bang for the buck out there, IMO, is the Meade 16" lightbridge. www.meade.com/lightbridge/index.html ...though it has had some criticism on overall build quality and its use of particle board in it's construction. Therefore, if you really want to become a sick little monkey you can go this route... www.obsessiontelescopes.com/]www.obsessiontelescopes.com/www.obsessiontelescopes.com/ Then there is the whole world of eyepieces for your telecsope. Another money pit. I have mixed feelings on the whole hobby. It's tough to time it just right so your free time coincides with clear skies. That, and the moon drowns out a lot as well. But then, you do get that rare evening which makes all the dough you have spent thus far worth it, and you want to open your wallet up for more. Good luck. |
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You have been getting very good suggestions. Was recently in this same situation...wanted a scope for around $200, but not knowing anything about scopes needed some advice. A friend of mine who has several scopes and decades experience pushed me to go with the Orion 4.5" or 6" Dob like others on here have. I went with the 6" which was a little over $300 after shipping and am very happy with it. A very good scope for a noob like me. Dobs are intuitive and easy to use, and the 6" is still small enough to be carried around pretty easy. My friend has to use a little cart to move his 10" around. Also agree about binoculars. They are the best way to view some objects. I self "discovered" the Pleiades one night, which looks spectacular in binoculars. |
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Great thread My son wants a telescope for christmas.... Think I'm going to go with the recomendations and get the SkyQuest XT6 Classic with Bonus Accessory Pack I don't know anthing about them is their anything else i need in regards to seting this up for him?? Any and all help would be apreciated. |
There are MANY other things to look at, though you really need a good telescope to appreciate them, and of course there are a limited number of things to see. Things like the ring nebula, dumbbell nebula, M42, the Andromeda galaxy, the Pleiades, etc. Also, there are occasionally special objects (such as the recent passages of Hayakutake and Hale-Bopp . . . recently in bright comet terms, anyway). It's also fun to look at the rings of Saturn, the belts and moons of Jupiter, and the phases of Venus. Though a $200 wouldn't be much good for those. You need at least a 4.5" reflector to see good detail, and it's hard to find a good telescope for $200. |