Amateur telescope advice needed

Hi! I am about to buy my first telescope and would very much
appreciate advice on the subject. I don't want to spend a lot of
money (max. EUR200 or $260), but I want the system to have enough room
for expansion so that I can fit it with enough bells and whistles to
increase the performance, when I realise which bells and whistles I
need and for what. After checking a few websites, I seem to have made
up my mind about a Newtonian, but there's so many of them that
choosing is difficult. So here are my questions:

1. If the choice is between a larger aperture telescope (say 150mm)
with a minimum of accessories and a smaller aperture telescope (say
114mm) with eyepieces, a plossl and filters, does the apperture
differential justify compromising on the accessories? If camera
shopping is any guidance, manufacturers rarely include quality
accessories in the kit anyways...

2. Most of the reviewed kit mounts are said to be too light... I am
afraid of ending up with a mount that wouldn't be sturdy enough and
then have to buy one anyway (you can tell I am not a big fan of
kits). Does this warrants buying the telescope and the mount
separately?

3. There are better promoted telescope manufacturers and there are
manufacturers that are less welknown. Is the difference reflected in
the quality of their products? Meade and Celestron seem to be the
industry heavyweights, but are telescopes made by smaller companies
any worse?

Thanks in advance.

Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord

the first thing you should read.


--
There are those who believe that life here, began out there, far across the
universe, with tribes of humans, who may have been the forefathers of the
Egyptians, or the Toltecs, or the Mayans. Some believe that they may yet be
brothers of man, who even now fight to survive, somewhere beyond the
heavens.


The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond
Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
Sidewalk Astronomy
www.sidewalkastronomy.info
The Church of Eternity
http://home.inreach.com/starlord/church/Eternity.html


wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi! I am about to buy my first telescope and would very much
appreciate advice on the subject. I don't want to spend a lot of
money (max. EUR200 or $260), but I want the system to have enough room
for expansion so that I can fit it with enough bells and whistles to
increase the performance, when I realise which bells and whistles I
need and for what. After checking a few websites, I seem to have made
up my mind about a Newtonian, but there's so many of them that
choosing is difficult. So here are my questions:

1. If the choice is between a larger aperture telescope (say 150mm)
with a minimum of accessories and a smaller aperture telescope (say
114mm) with eyepieces, a plossl and filters, does the apperture
differential justify compromising on the accessories? If camera
shopping is any guidance, manufacturers rarely include quality
accessories in the kit anyways...

2. Most of the reviewed kit mounts are said to be too light... I am
afraid of ending up with a mount that wouldn't be sturdy enough and
then have to buy one anyway (you can tell I am not a big fan of
kits). Does this warrants buying the telescope and the mount
separately?

3. There are better promoted telescope manufacturers and there are
manufacturers that are less welknown. Is the difference reflected in
the quality of their products? Meade and Celestron seem to be the
industry heavyweights, but are telescopes made by smaller companies
any worse?

Thanks in advance.

Victor asked:
1. If the choice is between a larger aperture telescope (say 150mm)
with a minimum of accessories and a smaller aperture telescope (say
114mm) with eyepieces, a plossl and filters, does the apperture
differential justify compromising on the accessories?

Generally speaking, "aperture rules". Then contour you
aquisition
of accessories to *the way that you do astronomy*. If you do planets
mostly you wont need any nebular filters. If you do clusters and
galaxies you won't need and color filters. A 150 mm is a good
choice for a first scope.

2. Most of the reviewed kit mounts are said to be too light... I am
afraid of ending up with a mount that wouldn't be sturdy enough and
then have to buy one anyway (you can tell I am not a big fan of
kits). Does this warrants buying the telescope and the mount
separately?

Some are marginal while others are just fine. The mounts to
Meade's "Starfinder" were excellent for observational purposes.
(Then Meade stopped making them.) A 150mm scope shouldn't
be too problematic on any of the "kit" mounts.


3. There are better promoted telescope manufacturers and there are
manufacturers that are less welknown. Is the difference reflected in
the quality of their products? Meade and Celestron seem to be the
industry heavyweights, but are telescopes made by smaller companies
any worse?

They are frequently better but more pricey. Some small firms
came into the market with competetive prices only to go belly-up
in a couple of years. You should be careful here - Meade, Celestron
and Orion offer good tech support, something you won't get from a
company that has tanked.

Let us know what you decide.

Regards,

Ben
90.126 n 35.539