Buyin mahself a telescope

[Ydoow]

Any suggestions?

Did a bunch of research, looks like I want the biggest aperture I can get to collect the most light.

Price range is right around $150, I probably won\'t buy anything around $200 unless you really REALLY have good reasons for it.

I\'m looking at this one

http://www.telescope.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=9843&utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=comparisonshopping#

76mm aperture, it\'s eyepiece is around regular eye-level which is a plus for me, considering my current junky telescope is an absolute pain to look through when aiming high.

Equatorial mount should be nice for long term viewing/aiming. I\'ll just have to invest some time getting used to it.

I know that reflector scopes need to be re-aligned time to time. That\'s not anything too tough to do, is it?

[semininja]

If you have a Costco membership, you can buy a Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ online for $190, which is a bit higher than you might want, but it\'s a good scope when it\'s set up correctly. I have one, actually.

Regarding alignment, it is a bit of a pain to collimate a reflecting scope, but if you know what\'s going on, it\'s not too difficult, just annoying. You\'re probably going to need to collimate whatever scope you get when you get it, but after that, it shouldn\'t need it for a while if you take care of it.

[Candre]

I have that exact telescope minus the EQ mount. I have the AA mount. So far it has served me well. The only thing I don\'t like is the finder scope. I replaced it with a 6x30 finder scope. It ran about $200 for everything.

[Ydoow]

Thanks

Semininja, I might get that one with my next paycheck. It should be substantially larger than usual, so I\'ll see how things go. If I can afford it. It\'s definitely a better price per specs, but my only question is: Is the improvement worth it out under the stars?

Would the difference be really noticeable?

I hope you understand what I mean.

As an analogy, I could buy an i7 or an i5 processor, but if they\'re both powering only a simple calculator...big whoop, ya know?

Also, Candre, what exactly didn\'t you like about the finder scope?

Obviously if I should invest in another ~$50 finder scope, on top of $150, I would just go with the $190 AstroMaster Semininja suggested.

[Candre]

It\'s one of those red-dot types. It\'s somewhat hard to aim with them and it is harder to identify smaller guiding stars with the naked eye. It\'s fine for planetary viewing, but when it comes to dimmer things like nebulae it is much easier with a magnifying scope. Sometimes what you\'re looking for is even visible in the finder itself. Good luck finding one!

[semininja]

I have a cheap-ish green laser pointer that I use for aiming the scope; I just put it against the bracket that holds the scope and it gets me close enough.

[Ydoow]

Hm...alright guys, help me understand why this telescope is cheaper than the one on CostCo

Has a longer Focal Length, and it offers a more powerful ocular lense (4mm, instead of 10mm).

The aperture is equal as far as I\'m concerned (127mm vs. 130mm)

This one gives a Barlow Lense, Costco does not.

The only thing weaker in this scope I can see is the Resolution, 1.09 arc seconds vs. 1.07 arc seconds.

It doesn\'t sound like much, but I have to imagine with such large distances this might be noticeable.

And also the weight.

This one is 7.71kg, where CostCo\'s is 12.7kg. I\'m thinking the heavier telescope would offer a more stable/less shakey setup.

I think the difference comes from Aluminum legs vs. Steel legs.

I don\'t mind too much that one offers worse lenses by comparison, I could invest (and plan to) in more lenses later.

It\'s the focal length that really intrigues me. There\'s a significant difference (350mm) which directly affects maximum magnification.

Thoughts?

Edit: Interestingly, the same telescope that\'s on CostCo is available on this same site for $260. Now I\'m really confused :S

[semininja]

What I have read is that scopes have a maximum zoom level if you want to preserve image quality, and that zoom level depends on focal length divided by aperture or something like that; basically, the shorter the aspect ratio of the scope, the less zoom you can use (IIRC).

[Twinky827]

I suggest this

http://www.telescope.com/Orion-SkyQuest-XT45-Classic-Dobsonian-Telescope/p/9804.uts?keyword=star%20quest

Bit expensive, but I have it, and it\'s worth it.

[H2oskiKerbal]

The one your looking for is the one i have *FANBOISQUEE* get it its good

[semininja]

I suggest this

http://www.telescope.com/Orion-SkyQuest-XT45-Classic-Dobsonian-Telescope/p/9804.uts?keyword=star%20quest

Bit expensive, but I have it, and it\'s worth it.

Hmm. Interesting...

The only problem is that it\'s an AA mount, which is a problem for tracking; the EQ mount is easier to work with once it\'s set up right.

[Ydoow]

The one your looking for is the one i have *FANBOISQUEE* get it its good

Which one is that?

Twinky I think I\'m going to go with a EQ Mount. It seems like it will make for easier finding and maintaining sight. Plus it\'s a little out of my price range, especially since I\'m just starting.

[semininja]

Honestly, if you\'re just looking for something to point and look at stuff, the Dobsonian\'s not going to be too bad, and setup is easier with those. The EQ mount is probably most important for people who do scope photography. Also, the Orion scope has a good finder scope, which makes things a lot easier. The only thing you\'ll need to worry about is keeping your movements small; I don\'t know what kind of fine adjustment there is on the AA mount for that scope.

[colmo]

I\'ve been shopping around myself. My initial plan is to get a Dobsonian (offers best aperture for the money, as you\'re not paying much for a mount), and concentrate on looking at stuff and finding my way about the night. Best bang per buck in the UK is the Skywatcher Skyliner 200P (an 8 inch Dob). Celestron and Orion likely have something similar, and probably cheaper than here, maybe on the high side of your budget.

Eventually, the plan is that I\'ll save enough and have enough observing experience to get something like the Meade LX80 mount, with I can mount the OTA of the Dobsonian to, probably along with a camera for astrophotography.