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How Good the NexStar 114 GT for Beginner
Hi,
Looking at a scope for the family with good results, had an offer for the above £275 nearly new, would it be too difficult for a beginner, but also is it big enough for us to grow into? Any info appreciated, BTW my girls are 10 & 7 and are really into the night sky (get it from their dad)... Chris |
#2
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On Wed, 25 Feb 2004 21:13:45 -0000, "Chris Jones"
wrote: Hi, Looking at a scope for the family with good results, had an offer for the above £275 nearly new, would it be too difficult for a beginner, but also is it big enough for us to grow into? Any info appreciated, BTW my girls are 10 & 7 and are really into the night sky (get it from their dad)... Chris, I recommend reading this (if you've not already done so): http://www.astunit.com/tutorials/firstscope.htm - Mike |
#3
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Chris Jones wrote:
Looking at a scope for the family with good results, had an offer for the above £275 nearly new, would it be too difficult for a beginner, No. It's intended to be a beginner's scope. I personally believe that you get better VFM if you forego the computerised stuff and get better optics and mount but, that said, it's reasonable. but also is it big enough for us to grow into? You could spend a lifetime and not exhaust its possibilities but, that said, some of those possibilities would be easier with other scopes. Alastair Thomson (who posts here) has a site on small telescopes and I have a book on them -- consider this: you will have light-gathering capacity that Charles Messier could only dream of! Best, Stephen Remove footfrommouth to reply -- + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Stephen Tonkin | ATM Resources; Astro-Tutorials; Astro Books + + (N51.162 E0.995) | http://astunit.com + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + |
#4
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In message , Chris Jones
wrote Hi, Looking at a scope for the family with good results, had an offer for the above £275 nearly new, would it be too difficult for a beginner, but also is it big enough for us to grow into? Any info appreciated, BTW my girls are 10 & 7 and are really into the night sky (get it from their dad)... Costco were selling these for £160 last autumn. -- Roger 52:54:41N 01:30:05W Orion 127mm Maksutov. |
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Cheapest new in UK I can see is £335 from Amazon.co.uk and most specialist
retailers who stock it looking at £495..........is Costco USA? I know the guy who is selling the unit and he has agreed to drop to £210... :-) It's only 6 months old, and if I don't like it on it goes in Ebay, theres two on there now one for £93 and one for £200 with afew days to go...what can I lose.. Chris "Roger Smith" wrote in message ... In message , Chris Jones wrote Hi, Looking at a scope for the family with good results, had an offer for the above £275 nearly new, would it be too difficult for a beginner, but also is it big enough for us to grow into? Any info appreciated, BTW my girls are 10 & 7 and are really into the night sky (get it from their dad)... Costco were selling these for £160 last autumn. -- Roger 52:54:41N 01:30:05W Orion 127mm Maksutov. |
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Chris Jones wrote:
I know the guy who is selling the unit and he has agreed to drop to £210... Probably just about worth it, if it's undamaged, etc. Best, Stephen Remove footfrommouth to reply -- + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Stephen Tonkin | ATM Resources; Astro-Tutorials; Astro Books + + (N51.162 E0.995) | http://astunit.com + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + |
#7
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In message , Chris Jones
wrote Cheapest new in UK I can see is £335 from Amazon.co.uk and most specialist retailers who stock it looking at £495..........is Costco USA? No Costco are a UK discount warehouse company, the sort of place you can stock up on catering packs of food etc. last time I was in just after new year they didn't have any scopes so they may not be doing them any more, I just thought to mention it as if the scope came from them the seller would be making a handsome profit. I know the guy who is selling the unit and he has agreed to drop to £210... :-) It's only 6 months old, and if I don't like it on it goes in Ebay, theres two on there now one for £93 and one for £200 with afew days to go...what can I lose.. Chris "Roger Smith" wrote in message ... In message , Chris Jones wrote Hi, Looking at a scope for the family with good results, had an offer for the above £275 nearly new, would it be too difficult for a beginner, but also is it big enough for us to grow into? Any info appreciated, BTW my girls are 10 & 7 and are really into the night sky (get it from their dad)... Costco were selling these for £160 last autumn. -- Late last autumn someone at the White Peak Astronomical Observing Group who also had a scope like mine passed the word that Costco were selling these scopes and suggested that at that price they were worth it for the GoTo mount alone. I have used the mount with my Mak a couple of times with varying degrees of success but have only looked through the scope once a couple of nights ago. The scope is quite short and scarily light even with an eyepiece in and the finder attached, a friend has a Tal of similar aperture which is longer and much more substantial in feel. -- Roger 52:54:41N 01:30:05W Orion 127mm Maksutov. |
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On Thu, 26 Feb 2004 20:41:15 +0000, Roger Smith
wrote: In message , Chris Jones wrote Cheapest new in UK I can see is £335 from Amazon.co.uk and most specialist retailers who stock it looking at £495..........is Costco USA? No Costco are a UK discount warehouse company, the sort of place you can stock up on catering packs of food etc. last time I was in just after new year they didn't have any scopes so they may not be doing them any more, I just thought to mention it as if the scope came from them the seller would be making a handsome profit. Costco is a U.S. company although they have a few places in the U.K. now. I bought the 114GT from a Costco in California before Xmas for $189.95. |
#9
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Hi,
Thanks for all your tips, but did the worst thing and went and saw some scopes and get some advice, forget the NexStar, I was very smitten by the ETX range and after looking on the web when I got back bought a 125EX for £800 with tripod etc talk about a £500 limit, but the extra eyepieces for £99 and the price did it. However I can put the Binocs away now...well at least to one side :-) CJ "Shane Matthews" wrote in message ... On Thu, 26 Feb 2004 20:41:15 +0000, Roger Smith wrote: In message , Chris Jones wrote Cheapest new in UK I can see is £335 from Amazon.co.uk and most specialist retailers who stock it looking at £495..........is Costco USA? No Costco are a UK discount warehouse company, the sort of place you can stock up on catering packs of food etc. last time I was in just after new year they didn't have any scopes so they may not be doing them any more, I just thought to mention it as if the scope came from them the seller would be making a handsome profit. Costco is a U.S. company although they have a few places in the U.K. now. I bought the 114GT from a Costco in California before Xmas for $189.95. |
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