What telescope do I need for land viewing use?

[kiwifraser]

I know nothing about Telescopes, but we live on a hill and have a view from our house of the city which I'd love to have a nosey around to see what I can find.

Presently we have a set of 4 x 20 binoculars which are for the horse racing, but they aren't much use for viewing anything over a mile away. A google search brings up loads of options... Space, terrestrial, refracting, reflecting, catadioptric, and loads of other confusing words that haven't helped my understanding of what I need.

Ideally the scope needs to give a decent enlarged view of buildings/ landmarks/ etc, which are 3 - 5 miles away. I'll be looking on ebay for a second hand one, in hope of getting something for sub £50.

Any suggestions?

[ExTarga]

You'll struggle to get anything half decent for £50 that isn't of dubious optical quality - might be worth getting hold of a copy of birdwatch or birdwatching magazine as they'll list your nearest optical retailer where you can try things out. Oh, and due to the higher magnification you'll probably need a tripod too to get the image steady. An alternative option might be a better pair of binoculars of a higher magnification, say 8x40. Again anything half decent will be £100 upwards.

Hth,

Will

[ExTarga]

You'll struggle to get anything half decent for £50 that isn't of dubious optical quality - might be worth getting hold of a copy of birdwatch or birdwatching magazine as they'll list your nearest optical retailer where you can try things out. Oh, and due to the higher magnification you'll probably need a tripod too to get the image steady. An alternative option might be a better pair of binoculars of a higher magnification, say 8x40. Again anything half decent will be £100 upwards.

Hth,

Will

[davepoth]

[andy43]

:snigger:

[kiwifraser]

In that case the budget will need to increase. I based it on some second hand 70mm ones on ebay... not that I was sure what 70mm actually meant for range/ quality/ etc. I did plan to get a tripod as well.

tbh, I'm completely in the dark about what size/ type/ brand I'm meant to be looking for

[kiwifraser]

andy43 said:

:snigger:

Hmmm... I wonder if we have any nice neighbours

[steviejasp]

Make sure whatever you buy gives you a correct way up image. A lot of astro scopes wont!

[andy43]

I predict this thread will not go in the direction intended...

[kiwifraser]

These all look different, and I guess some are for looking at the stars only. Do any telescopes do a decent job for both stars and land? It would be good to have something to show the kids a close up picture of the moon/stars too if possible.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TRAVLER-76-MM-TELESCOPE-/120...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ttelescope-/140528640703?pt=...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/National-Geographic-Telescop...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/REFLECTOR-TELESCOPE-262-POWE...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TAL-1-110mm-Newtonian-Astron...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LUYI-25-115-X-80-TELE-SPOTTI...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/National-Geographic-225x-Com...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Jessops-relector-telescope-T...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NIPPON-SPOTTING-BIRD-WATCHIN...

Edited by kiwifraser on Monday 4th April 22:32

[kiwifraser]

andy43 said:

I predict this thread will not go in the direction intended...

In true PH tradition, I had expected that before posting

As well as finding a telescope, the reading should be entertaining

[kiwifraser]

steviejasp said:

Make sure whatever you buy gives you a correct way up image. A lot of astro scopes wont!

Oh Crap! I didn't know that ... time to step away from ebay until I get some advice

[Dogwatch]

kiwifraser said:

steviejasp said:

Make sure whatever you buy gives you a correct way up image. A lot of astro scopes wont!

Oh Crap! I didn't know that ... time to step away from ebay until I get some advice

No, just look for the word 'terrestial' (or ask the vendor). This means the image will be the right way up for you.
Astronomers are quite happy to have the image 'wrong way up' as there is no 'right way up' out there. I think it also means they can use one less lens/spend the money on a better scope.

Strangely (though not if you think about it) the RSPB site has some nice stuff though maybe a little above your intended budget. At least twitchers expect their quarry to be the right way up!

[kiwifraser]

Google tells me that I want to find a Refractor telescope (tube like with an eyepiece at the end), and NOT a Relector telescope (shorter and wider with the eypiece in the middle or front).

Here are my options...

Astronomical Refractor Telescopes

These are the most popular type of telescopes that we have. The power or magnification is changed by inserting different eyepieces. Although the image is shown upside down and back to front, by inserting an ‘erecting eyepiece' (supplied with the telescope) the image is “flipped” the right way round for when you wish to look at a terrestrial object such as a distant building.


Terrestrial Refractor Telescopes

These telescopes differ from the astronomical refractors in that they usually only have one eyepiece (which cannot be removed) which both zooms over a large range of powers (eg 30-90 magnification) and ensures that the image appears the right way round.


Spotting Scopes

Spotting scopes are a compact form of the ‘terrestrial refractor telescope'. Their combination of excellent optics (clear view) and compact size has made them very popular with people who don't have the space for a full size telescope and tripod but who, like hunters, want more power than binoculars can provide and the comfort of a tripod. A spotting scope on a table (such as a dining table) is an excellent alternative to a full size telescope.



Now, does anyone know what brands or sizes are best to look for please?

[itsnotarace]

You want a spotting scope

http://www.telescopesandbinoculars.co.uk/acatalog/...

[kiwifraser]

itsnotarace said:

You want a spotting scope

http://www.telescopesandbinoculars.co.uk/acatalog/...

Are they powerful enough for very basic star watching? I'd like to show the kids the moon, and stars if possible.


How about this one?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

[kiwifraser]

This looks great, and would be a nice piece to leave on display in our room, but would it work ok for what we want?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BEAUTIFUL-OLD-FREE-STANDING-...


Or?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Bausch-Lomb-60mm-Telescope-C...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Meade-ETX-70-70mm-Refractor-...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NIPON-350x70-Telescope-Spott...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Telescope-/270729217943?pt=L...

Edited by kiwifraser on Tuesday 5th April 13:25

[IanMorewood]

You need a refractor, i.e. what most people would call a telescope a tube with a lens at either end. The larger the objective lens (the one you point at the windows stars) the more detail you should be able to pick up. I personally wouldn’t bother with anything less than 76mm as an objective lens (and then only if your really on a budget). The eyepiece lens should ideally be interchangeable or your going to be stuck with a single magnification ratio(how close things get), the smaller the number here the higher the magnification but don’t go shopping for the highest magnification you can find as its quite often impossible to resolve anything coherent at high magnification. What you will need is a decent tripod to mount the telescope on, no point having a telescope that can see a victim structure at a mile away if movement blur is going to destroy your view.

[kiwifraser]

IanMorewood said:

You need a refractor, i.e. what most people would call a telescope a tube with a lens at either end. The larger the objective lens (the one you point at the windows stars) the more detail you should be able to pick up. I personally wouldn’t bother with anything less than 76mm as an objective lens (and then only if your really on a budget). The eyepiece lens should ideally be interchangeable or your going to be stuck with a single magnification ratio(how close things get), the smaller the number here the higher the magnification but don’t go shopping for the highest magnification you can find as its quite often impossible to resolve anything coherent at high magnification. What you will need is a decent tripod to mount the telescope on, no point having a telescope that can see a victim structure at a mile away if movement blur is going to destroy your view.

Thank you. It's amazing what I have learn't from PH.

At this rate, soon I'll be reporting back to the PH clan on what I have found in local windows the Sky

How about any of the 4 above?

[IanMorewood]

kiwifraser said:

How about any of the 4 above?

1) http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BEAUTIFUL-OLD-FREE-STANDING-...
2) http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Bausch-Lomb-60mm-Telescope-C...
3) http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Meade-ETX-70-70mm-Refractor-...
4) http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NIPON-350x70-Telescope-Spott...
5) http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Telescope-/270729217943?pt=L...

1) It’s a piece of tat
2) I wouldn’t lens is too small
3) Could be a steal at $2 but I wouldn’t pay much for it, again the lens is smaller than I would consider.
4) Looks ok, isn’t big enough doesn’t have a tripod costs £60 new.
5) No.

I flicked through the first page of ebay listing and found this amazon are retailing it at £288 currently so it may be worth a punt closer to closing time.