Best budget computerized telescope is?

Hi, I live in the UK and am looking to purchase a good quality, good value,
computerized telescope. I have intermediate experience but consider myself
an amateur at present. I have used £800 binoculars with image-stabiliser,
but would prefer a telescope.

Looking for 5" or above so I get decent results, and it doesn't have to hook
into a computer, it could just be the keypad type on the side where I enter
the data.

My budget is around £200-£400. Is there a telescope that fits the bill that
is generally regarded as the best budget computerized telescope?

Thanks!

PS: I know it's not 5", but the Nester 60GT seems to be within my budget and
a good beginner's computerized scope. What do you think of it? Basically I
just want to be able to see things like Andromeda and the rings on Saturn
fairly well - enough to give me a buzz and excite my girlfriend anyway

"Phillip Brown" wrote in message
. uk...
Hi, I live in the UK and am looking to purchase a good quality, good
value, computerized telescope. I have intermediate experience but
consider myself an amateur at present. I have used £800 binoculars with
image-stabiliser, but would prefer a telescope.

Looking for 5" or above so I get decent results, and it doesn't have to
hook into a computer, it could just be the keypad type on the side where I
enter the data.

My budget is around £200-£400. Is there a telescope that fits the bill
that is generally regarded as the best budget computerized telescope?

Thanks!

"Phillip Brown" wrote in message
. uk...
PS: I know it's not 5", but the Nester 60GT seems to be within my budget and
a good beginner's computerized scope. What do you think of it? Basically I
just want to be able to see things like Andromeda and the rings on Saturn
fairly well - enough to give me a buzz and excite my girlfriend anyway

"Phillip Brown" wrote in message
. uk...
Hi, I live in the UK and am looking to purchase a good quality, good
value, computerized telescope. I have intermediate experience but
consider myself an amateur at present. I have used £800 binoculars with
image-stabiliser, but would prefer a telescope.

Looking for 5" or above so I get decent results, and it doesn't have to
hook into a computer, it could just be the keypad type on the side where I
enter the data.

My budget is around £200-£400. Is there a telescope that fits the bill
that is generally regarded as the best budget computerized telescope?

Thanks!



In that case, I would not buy a computerized scope. I have an ETX105 and an LX200. I started
with the ETX 2 years ago, but I would now recommend an 80mm shortube Orion refractor on
motorized mount instead. Much better starter scope and it still includes tracking (comfortable
viewing, especially for the girlfriend :-)).
The small aperture of the ETX makes it suitable for the brighter objects only, and you do not
need a goto mount to find those. The optics are great though. I use the ETX now solely for
solar observations and as travelscope.
--
md
10" LX200GPS-SMT
ETX105
www.xs4all.nl/~martlian

PS: I know it's not 5", but the 3.1" Nester 80GT seems to be within my
budget and
a good beginner's computerized scope. What do you think of it? Basically I
just want to be able to see things like Andromeda and the rings on Saturn
fairly well - enough to give me a buzz and excite my girlfriend anyway

"Phillip Brown" wrote in message
. uk...
Hi, I live in the UK and am looking to purchase a good quality, good
value, computerized telescope. I have intermediate experience but
consider myself an amateur at present. I have used £800 binoculars with
image-stabiliser, but would prefer a telescope.

Looking for 5" or above so I get decent results, and it doesn't have to
hook into a computer, it could just be the keypad type on the side where I
enter the data.

My budget is around £200-£400. Is there a telescope that fits the bill
that is generally regarded as the best budget computerized telescope?

Thanks!

Phillip Brown wrote:
PS: I know it's not 5", but the 3.1" Nester 80GT seems to be within
my budget and a good beginner's computerized scope. What do you
think of it? Basically I just want to be able to see things like
Andromeda and the rings on Saturn fairly well - enough to give me a
buzz and excite my girlfriend anyway


Hi Phillip,

To be honest, these are hardly the sorts of objects you'll need a
computer to find. Personally I think you'd be better off investing in
aperture than gadgets, considering your budget. Maybe a push-to scope
would be a good compromise.

Your two example objects also nicely illustrate two very different
requirements, namely a large field of view and reasonalbly high
magnification. The latter is usually limited by atmospheric conditions,
but FOV depends on the specifications of the scope itself. Make sure you
consider this when choosing a scope - it's very disappointing to find
out after the fact that the objects you like to view won't fit in the FOV!

Clear skies,

Steve


--
Steve Maddison
Den Haag, The Netherlands
http://www.cosam.org/

Phillip Brown wrote:
PS: I know it's not 5", but the 3.1" Nester 80GT seems to be within my
budget and
a good beginner's computerized scope. What do you think of it? Basically I
just want to be able to see things like Andromeda and the rings on Saturn
fairly well - enough to give me a buzz and excite my girlfriend anyway

"Phillip Brown" wrote in message
. uk...

Hi, I live in the UK and am looking to purchase a good quality, good
value, computerized telescope. I have intermediate experience but
consider myself an amateur at present. I have used £800 binoculars with
image-stabiliser, but would prefer a telescope.

Looking for 5" or above so I get decent results, and it doesn't have to
hook into a computer, it could just be the keypad type on the side where I
enter the data.

My budget is around £200-£400. Is there a telescope that fits the bill
that is generally regarded as the best budget computerized telescope?

Thanks!




Go for the ETX-90, you should get one for under £400 and images will be
higher contrast than the 80GT

Andy

Phillip Brown wrote:

PS: I know it's not 5", but the 3.1" Nester 80GT seems to be within my
budget and
a good beginner's computerized scope. What do you think of it? Basically
I just want to be able to see things like Andromeda and the rings on
Saturn fairly well - enough to give me a buzz and excite my girlfriend
anyway

"Phillip Brown" wrote in message
. uk...
Hi, I live in the UK and am looking to purchase a good quality, good
value, computerized telescope. I have intermediate experience but
consider myself an amateur at present. I have used £800 binoculars with
image-stabiliser, but would prefer a telescope.

Looking for 5" or above so I get decent results, and it doesn't have to
hook into a computer, it could just be the keypad type on the side where
I enter the data.

My budget is around £200-£400. Is there a telescope that fits the bill
that is generally regarded as the best budget computerized telescope?

Thanks!

I have a "goto" scope and honestly, its a pain. Its easier to just point the
thing where i want it - especially with planets. My next scope will be a
big dob that i can push around to point at what i want to see.
Eric

--
Byte=8 bits, a kilobyte is 1024 bytes
There is no such thing as a kibibit,mebibit etc

Phillip Brown wrote:
Hi, I live in the UK and am looking to purchase a good quality, good value,
computerized telescope. I have intermediate experience but consider myself
an amateur at present. I have used £800 binoculars with image-stabiliser,
but would prefer a telescope.

Looking for 5" or above so I get decent results, and it doesn't have to hook
into a computer, it could just be the keypad type on the side where I enter
the data.

My budget is around £200-£400. Is there a telescope that fits the bill that
is generally regarded as the best budget computerized telescope?

Thanks!


Check out the Meade ETX series. ETX-90, -105, and -125; the numbers
indicate aperture in mm. Recommend paying a little more for the UHTC
coatings.

This may be a good time to purchase one because Meade has just
introduced the ETX Premier Series (or something like that) and dealers
may be offering discounts on their ETX inventory to clear the way for
the new ones. You should be able to purchase the scope w/UHTC coatings,
tripod, and #497 Autostar as a package.

Check out Mike Weasner's Mighty ETX Site:
http://www.weasner.com/etx/menu.html

"J" wrote in message
...
Phillip Brown wrote:
Hi, I live in the UK and am looking to purchase a good quality, good
value, computerized telescope. I have intermediate experience but
consider myself an amateur at present. I have used £800 binoculars with
image-stabiliser, but would prefer a telescope.

Looking for 5" or above so I get decent results, and it doesn't have to
hook into a computer, it could just be the keypad type on the side where
I enter the data.

My budget is around £200-£400. Is there a telescope that fits the bill
that is generally regarded as the best budget computerized telescope?

Thanks!
Check out the Meade ETX series. ETX-90, -105, and -125; the numbers
indicate aperture in mm. Recommend paying a little more for the UHTC
coatings.

This may be a good time to purchase one because Meade has just introduced
the ETX Premier Series (or something like that) and dealers may be
offering discounts on their ETX inventory to clear the way for the new
ones. You should be able to purchase the scope w/UHTC coatings, tripod,
and #497 Autostar as a package.

Check out Mike Weasner's Mighty ETX Site:
http://www.weasner.com/etx/menu.html

A year ago I would have agreed with that choice - indeed yesterday I would
have agreed with it. However since my ETX105 has gone wrong again - the
second time in a year - I am less than convinced.

It is a superb scope although some of the mechanics seem fragile. It has so
far had a control panel replaced under guarantee - it just stopped working
one day, and now the RA motor rotates without moving the scope and the
guarantee just ran out :-(

P.

In article , jubilee0504
@yahoo.co.uk burbled happily...

It is a superb scope although some of the mechanics seem fragile. It has so
far had a control panel replaced under guarantee - it just stopped working
one day, and now the RA motor rotates without moving the scope and the
guarantee just ran out :-(

May be worth contacting the supplier, recent changes to consumer law
mean that you may have up to 5 years to get problems resolved. Do a bit
of reading up first.
--
Craig Oldfield