Telescopes

[T5SOR]

I’m looking to get a telescope for garden use with my son. I have used one before, although it was a long time ago. Things seemed to have moved on in the last 15 years!

If I get one with a motor and automatic finding; can I still move it manually?

I want one for looking at the moon, planets and occasionally for taking pictures. I don’t known what budget, but I like the look of Celestron ones which are around £200-300. I don’t want to spend £100 and wish I had a better quality one. I’m really after one that gives good detail, relatively easy to use and keeps us interested.

Any advice very welcome.

[T5SOR]

Zirconia said:

Been a few threads but searching can be hit and miss.

Moon is an easy target as are the planets, you won't need any goto stuff to find them. Save that cost in motors and other hardware in getting a sturdy tripod and biggest mirror as a first option? Type of tripod will also need to be taken into account.

BUT, as a possibility, get one you can add the motors to at a later date, upgrade if you decide to take it further. I went that route and still star hop to locate what I want to look that outside the solar system. Doing that I got a larger mirror first time

Photography can get expensive and obsessive. Some photography requires motors and specialist camera's. Personally I take a few of the moon using a DSLR with the appropriate mounts and it can be very frustrating if you mess up one option. You can get phoned non DSLR camera mounts these days as well.

I went reflector route, rather than refracter or cassigrain (see guide below). Idea is I can take the scope to a dark site, reflector is shorter than a refractor. Fits in the boot of the car. And it is a bigger light bucket.

Eye pieces will be boggo and probably gain from an upgrade at some point at the cheaper end but will be OK till you find the need.

Sky at Night guide
https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/a-buyers...
First Light Optics shop possible contender
https://www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescop...

I went for the biggest I could afford at the time, a Skywatcher 200 and the resolution means I can see stars as a single point and none too blurry.

The Moon will need a filter for the eye as well. Bright bugger to look at full moon. Off the shelf and will screw into the eye piece.

Edit.
Forgot a bit on the mounts.
https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/a-basic-...

Edited by Zirconia on Wednesday 22 April 07:43

Thanks very much for the info and links. I will take a read.

Is this the one you mentioned;

https://www.picstop.co.uk/reflector-telescopes/sky...


Mike

[T5SOR]

Thanks for all the comments. The Skywatcher Explorer 130P looks like a good options.

Am I right in thinking the motor ones can’t be manually moved?

[T5SOR]

Thanks for all the replies. I haven’t purchased one yet as I have been a bit busy with work etc.

Hopefully I will get around to buying one very soon!

[T5SOR]

It’s nearly a year since I started this and I have the itch again, after a busy year getting in the way

I am going to get a Skywatcher 130PDS/150PDS. I just need someone to have some stock first!

[T5SOR]

Thanks for all the great help.

I'm picking up a new Skywatcher Explorer 200P tomorrow.

Are there any accessories I need to consider? A book on what to do and what all the bits are would be useful too

Edited by T5SOR on Sunday 11th April 17:02

[T5SOR]

I have just picked it up and put it together. It’s not brand new, it’s from someone selling used. They only used it a few times.

It’s a Skywatcher Explorer 200P on an EQ5 mount.

Accessories;

2x Barlow Lens 1.25”
Super 10mm
Super 25 Wide Angle Long Eye Relief
Celestron E-lux Eyepiece 1-1/4”
Lunar and Planetary Color Filter 1.25” x4
Hyperion 68 Degree 10mm Eyepiece
Some sort of adapter from maybe 2.5” to 1.25”

£430 for everything.

Need to work out what all these bits are

[T5SOR]

Thanks for the very detailed advice.

I’m hoping the sky will be clear over the next few days!

[T5SOR]

I got to use it on Sunday and it was very enjoyable. I even managed to get some pics of the moon with my iPhone through the lens.

Unfortunately on Monday I got to know the mount much better, as I had to strip it down to remove the latitude bolt that bent. The bolt then stripped the thread and I have been researching how to avoid this again...... it seems the angle of the tongue is insufficient for our UK latitude and the bolt hits the tongue at an angle that causes stress to it.

Has anyone fitted a mod to the tongue? I see there are some differing approaches. I am thinking of getting one of these made up at work and some bigger bolts;



I will need to get the mount head drilled and re-threaded.