Need help choosing a telescope

I'm getting my first telescope soon and
=A0was wondering which is better this one The Celestron FirstScope 60AZ
http://www.celestron.com/prod_pgs/tel/fs
60az.htm or the Meade Telestar NG-60?
Thanks in advance,
Chris

DVDs I own:
http://www.dvdaficionado.com/dvds.ht...=3Ddragoncdf32

It's a bit more money, but you might want to consider this scope as well...

http://www.telescope.com/shopping/pr...ProductID=5154

It has a bit more aperture and an equatorial mount which will help you track
celestial objects more naturally .... You're headed in the right direction
by asking questions, and looking at telescopes made by Celestron, Meade,
Orion, etc rather than department store scopes.


"Chris" wrote in message
...
I'm getting my first telescope soon and
was wondering which is better this one The Celestron FirstScope 60AZ
http://www.celestron.com/prod_pgs/tel/fs
60az.htm or the Meade Telestar NG-60?
Thanks in advance,
Chris

DVDs I own:
http://www.dvdaficionado.com/dvds.ht...id=dragoncdf32

On Thu, 11 Sep 2003 22:05:09 -0400 (EDT), (Chris) ...reflected:

I'm getting my first telescope soon and
*was wondering which is better this one The Celestron FirstScope 60AZ
http://www.celestron.com/prod_pgs/tel/fs
60az.htm or the Meade Telestar NG-60?
Thanks in advance,
Chris

You might want to check out Orion's offerings, too...

http://www.telescope.com/jump.jsp?it...TEWAY&itemID=4

....for just $29 more you can get a 70mm alt-az refractor
instead; or, you might want to save up just a wee bit
more and get a Dobsonian-style Newtonian, as a lot
of folks swear by their 4.5" 'SkyQuest' XT4.5's...

Alan

On Fri, 12 Sep 2003 02:32:25 GMT, "Chuck Scappaticci" ...reflected:

It's a bit more money, but you might want to consider this scope as well...

http://www.telescope.com/shopping/pr...ProductID=5154

It has a bit more aperture and an equatorial mount which will help you track
celestial objects more naturally .... You're headed in the right direction
by asking questions, and looking at telescopes made by Celestron, Meade,
Orion, etc rather than department store scopes.

I had just entered the Wal-Mart Supercenter when I saw it, and leaning
against the wall...

....a Meade ETX-125AT replete with field tripod and 'Autostar' controller, and
all for $984, I think it was, and lined up along the wall with the lesser garbage...

I wonder who the sucker's gonna be?

I attempted to ascertain its manufacturing country of origin, but to no
avail, as it wasn't listed on the box anywhere. Hmmm...

CHINA!

Martian hype can be the ONLY explanation as to why Wal-Mart would be
carrying such a high-ticket item, however they do offer Sky & Telescope magazine
on a regular basis, not that that's particularly vindicating.

Also, I can't see the store's computer-assisted ordering having done just that,
and based on whatever parameters and variables it utilises in stocking the rest of
the crud that gives us reasons for living...and dying...

snip

Alan