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Another Telescope Question
Sorry folks. I'm about as beginner as you can get and have a chance to buy
two different telescopes at decent prices and hope that someone here has experience with eitherof them or can at minimum tell me what they think of each. I am really eager to see Mars and don't want to get so carried away that I buy a bad or inappropriate scope for the viewing. I would appreaciate any comments about what this scope will allow me to see,Planets,Stars,Milky Way....etc 1. Celestron NexStar 114GT. NexStar GT Series 114GT Specifications: a.. 114mm (4.5") diameter Newtonian Reflector b.. 1000mm Focal Length c.. f/9 Focal Ratio d.. Motorized Altazimuth Mount e.. 4,000+ object database f.. Nine slew speeds: 4º /sec, 2º /sec, 1º/sec, .5 /sec, 32x, 16x, 8x, 4x, 2x g.. Weight: 15 lb. The NexStar GT Series 114GT Standard Accessories: a.. 1-1/4" 25mm (40x), 10mm (100x) Eyepieces b.. Computerized Hand Control c.. StarPointer Finderscope d.. The Sky Level I CD-ROM e.. NSOL Control Software f.. Sturdy, Adjustable Aluminum Tripod with Accessory Tray. 2. Unknown Manufacturer a.. Objective Mirror: Concave mirror, hard coated a.. Lens Clear Apertu 150mm (6 inches) a.. Focal Length: 1400mm a.. Resolving Power: 0.93" a.. Faintest Discernable Object: 12M a.. Mount: ET-8 Equatorial a.. Focusing: Rack and pinion focusing a.. Collimation: Mirror is collimated before shipment. Primary tube has collimation adjustment screws. Collimation aides and instructions are not included. a.. Primary Tube Length: 19 inches a.. Plossl 25mm Eyepiece: a.. Diameter: 1.25 inches. An adaptor ring for .965" eyepieces is included with this telescope. a.. Magnification: 56x; 2x more with the Barlow lens! a.. Exit Pupil Apertu 5mm a.. Brightness: 25 a.. Visual Field: Apparent 40°; Actual 51'30" a.. Plossl 6.5mm Eyepiece: a.. Diameter: 1.25 inches. An adaptor ring for .965" eyepieces is included with this telescope. a.. Magnification: 215x; 2x more with the Barlow lens! a.. Exit Pupil Apertu 1.5mm a.. Brightness: 2.25 a.. Visual Field: Apparent 41°; Actual 14' |
#2
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Another Telescope Question
Usenet wrote:
Sorry folks. I'm about as beginner as you can get and have a chance to buy two different telescopes at decent prices and hope that someone here has experience with eitherof them or can at minimum tell me what they think of each. I am really eager to see Mars and don't want to get so carried away that I buy a bad or inappropriate scope for the viewing. I would appreaciate any comments about what this scope will allow me to see,Planets,Stars,Milky Way....etc In general the main features to consider are that the "unknown" 6-incher has nearly 80% more light-gathering power, while the smaller Celestron has "go-to" capabilities that many users find convenient -- although for some people as much of their enjoyment comes from finding objects as from looking at them. A few specific (mainly theoretical or hearsay) comments: 1. Celestron NexStar 114GT. This company seems to have a good reputation. a.. 1-1/4" 25mm (40x), 10mm (100x) Eyepieces A pretty good start for DSOs, but for planetary viewing you could use more magnification where observing conditions permit. A 2X Barlow would make a good addition for this purpose; used with the 10mm EP it would give you a good "high-power" option that doesn't exceed the scope's light-gathering capacity. Otherwise a 4.5mm or 5mm EP would help round out the set. 2. Unknown Manufacturer Possibly a problem for warranty service, spare parts, and so on. a.. Objective Mirror: Concave mirror, hard coated "Concave" is an odd, if accurate, description. Let's hope it's parabolic and not spherical. a.. Mount: ET-8 Equatorial The mounting is often an inexpensive telescope's weak spot; a good one usually costs at least as much as the optics. Make sure it is very sturdy and damps vibration well, and that the gears mesh smoothly and solidly. Try to find out whether the drive can be fitted with motors and/or computer controls, so if you wish you'll be able to add "go-to" capabilities later. a.. Plossl 25mm Eyepiece: a.. Diameter: 1.25 inches. An adaptor ring for .965" eyepieces is included with this telescope. The adapter is only a benefit if you already have a collection of ..965" EPs. Otherwise you'll have no reason to use it; viewing through 1.25" EPs is much easier. a.. Plossl 6.5mm Eyepiece: a.. Magnification: 215x; 2x more with the Barlow lens! They don't seem to mention whether or not a Barlow is actually included. You're likely to be disappointed with magnifications greater than 300X with this size of scope, anyway, so the shortest-focus eyepice you should be considering to use with a 2X Barlow is about 10mm, or without a Barlow 5mm. -- Odysseus |
#3
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Another Telescope Question
I tend to think that a 4.5" Reflector isnt really much use for Astronomy.
I think The minimum is around 6" for a reflector to be honest. "Usenet" wrote in message ... Sorry folks. I'm about as beginner as you can get and have a chance to buy two different telescopes at decent prices and hope that someone here has experience with eitherof them or can at minimum tell me what they think of each. I am really eager to see Mars and don't want to get so carried away that I buy a bad or inappropriate scope for the viewing. I would appreaciate any comments about what this scope will allow me to see,Planets,Stars,Milky Way....etc 1. Celestron NexStar 114GT. NexStar GT Series 114GT Specifications: a.. 114mm (4.5") diameter Newtonian Reflector b.. 1000mm Focal Length c.. f/9 Focal Ratio d.. Motorized Altazimuth Mount e.. 4,000+ object database f.. Nine slew speeds: 4º /sec, 2º /sec, 1º/sec, .5 /sec, 32x, 16x, 8x, 4x, 2x g.. Weight: 15 lb. The NexStar GT Series 114GT Standard Accessories: a.. 1-1/4" 25mm (40x), 10mm (100x) Eyepieces b.. Computerized Hand Control c.. StarPointer Finderscope d.. The Sky Level I CD-ROM e.. NSOL Control Software f.. Sturdy, Adjustable Aluminum Tripod with Accessory Tray. 2. Unknown Manufacturer a.. Objective Mirror: Concave mirror, hard coated a.. Lens Clear Apertu 150mm (6 inches) a.. Focal Length: 1400mm a.. Resolving Power: 0.93" a.. Faintest Discernable Object: 12M a.. Mount: ET-8 Equatorial a.. Focusing: Rack and pinion focusing a.. Collimation: Mirror is collimated before shipment. Primary tube has collimation adjustment screws. Collimation aides and instructions are not included. a.. Primary Tube Length: 19 inches a.. Plossl 25mm Eyepiece: a.. Diameter: 1.25 inches. An adaptor ring for .965" eyepieces is included with this telescope. a.. Magnification: 56x; 2x more with the Barlow lens! a.. Exit Pupil Apertu 5mm a.. Brightness: 25 a.. Visual Field: Apparent 40°; Actual 51'30" a.. Plossl 6.5mm Eyepiece: a.. Diameter: 1.25 inches. An adaptor ring for .965" eyepieces is included with this telescope. a.. Magnification: 215x; 2x more with the Barlow lens! a.. Exit Pupil Apertu 1.5mm a.. Brightness: 2.25 a.. Visual Field: Apparent 41°; Actual 14' |
#4
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Another Telescope Question
Not so! I used a Stargazer Steve 4.25in f9 Dob for 4 years ( still have it ) and
I even used it for Sidewalk Astronomy and it was fine. -- "In this universe the night was falling,the shadows were lengthening towards an east that would not know another dawn. But elsewhere the stars were still young and the light of morning lingered: and along the path he once had followed, man would one day go again." Arthur C. Clarke, The City & The Stars SIAR www.starlords.org Bishop's Car Fund http://www.bishopcarfund.Netfirms.com/ Freelance Writers Shop http://www.freelancewrittersshop.netfirms.com Telescope Buyers FAQ http://home.inreach.com/starlord "The Lord" wrote in message ... I tend to think that a 4.5" Reflector isnt really much use for Astronomy. I think The minimum is around 6" for a reflector to be honest. "Usenet" wrote in message ... Sorry folks. I'm about as beginner as you can get and have a chance to buy two different telescopes at decent prices and hope that someone here has experience with eitherof them or can at minimum tell me what they think of each. I am really eager to see Mars and don't want to get so carried away that I buy a bad or inappropriate scope for the viewing. I would appreaciate any comments about what this scope will allow me to see,Planets,Stars,Milky Way....etc 1. Celestron NexStar 114GT. NexStar GT Series 114GT Specifications: a.. 114mm (4.5") diameter Newtonian Reflector b.. 1000mm Focal Length c.. f/9 Focal Ratio d.. Motorized Altazimuth Mount e.. 4,000+ object database f.. Nine slew speeds: 4º /sec, 2º /sec, 1º/sec, .5 /sec, 32x, 16x, 8x, 4x, 2x g.. Weight: 15 lb. The NexStar GT Series 114GT Standard Accessories: a.. 1-1/4" 25mm (40x), 10mm (100x) Eyepieces b.. Computerized Hand Control c.. StarPointer Finderscope d.. The Sky Level I CD-ROM e.. NSOL Control Software f.. Sturdy, Adjustable Aluminum Tripod with Accessory Tray. 2. Unknown Manufacturer a.. Objective Mirror: Concave mirror, hard coated a.. Lens Clear Apertu 150mm (6 inches) a.. Focal Length: 1400mm a.. Resolving Power: 0.93" a.. Faintest Discernable Object: 12M a.. Mount: ET-8 Equatorial a.. Focusing: Rack and pinion focusing a.. Collimation: Mirror is collimated before shipment. Primary tube has collimation adjustment screws. Collimation aides and instructions are not included. a.. Primary Tube Length: 19 inches a.. Plossl 25mm Eyepiece: a.. Diameter: 1.25 inches. An adaptor ring for .965" eyepieces is included with this telescope. a.. Magnification: 56x; 2x more with the Barlow lens! a.. Exit Pupil Apertu 5mm a.. Brightness: 25 a.. Visual Field: Apparent 40°; Actual 51'30" a.. Plossl 6.5mm Eyepiece: a.. Diameter: 1.25 inches. An adaptor ring for .965" eyepieces is included with this telescope. a.. Magnification: 215x; 2x more with the Barlow lens! a.. Exit Pupil Apertu 1.5mm a.. Brightness: 2.25 a.. Visual Field: Apparent 41°; Actual 14' |
#5
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Another Telescope Question
Hi there. You posted:
I tend to think that a 4.5" Reflector isnt really much use for Astronomy. I think The minimum is around 6" for a reflector to be honest. I would have to disagree here. A 4.5 inch scope of reasonable quality is able to show the craters on the moon, the belts and 4 largest moons of Jupiter, the Rings of Saturn and at least 3 of its moons, the phases of Venus and Mercury, the polar caps and some dark detail on Mars (near opposition), the disk of Uranus, Neptune, hundreds of double stars, all of the Messier Deep-sky objects, close to half of the Herschel 400 Deep-sky objects, variable stars, comets, eclipses, ect. As a beginner, I would just about have sold my right arm for a 4.5 inch. Larger scope will, of course, show more, but a 4.5 inch still has lots of uses in amateur astronomy. Clear skies to you. -- David W. Knisely Prairie Astronomy Club: http://www.prairieastronomyclub.org Hyde Memorial Observatory: http://www.hydeobservatory.info/ ********************************************** * Attend the 10th Annual NEBRASKA STAR PARTY * * July 27-Aug. 1st, 2003, Merritt Reservoir * * http://www.NebraskaStarParty.org * ********************************************** |
#6
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Another Telescope Question
Yes thats true, Its just he mantioned being able to get a 6" scope.....
I started out with a 2" refractor for couple of quid taht had terrible optics and that got me hooked so any optics are a bonus..... "David Knisely" wrote in message ... Hi there. You posted: I tend to think that a 4.5" Reflector isnt really much use for Astronomy. I think The minimum is around 6" for a reflector to be honest. I would have to disagree here. A 4.5 inch scope of reasonable quality is able to show the craters on the moon, the belts and 4 largest moons of Jupiter, the Rings of Saturn and at least 3 of its moons, the phases of Venus and Mercury, the polar caps and some dark detail on Mars (near opposition), the disk of Uranus, Neptune, hundreds of double stars, all of the Messier Deep-sky objects, close to half of the Herschel 400 Deep-sky objects, variable stars, comets, eclipses, ect. As a beginner, I would just about have sold my right arm for a 4.5 inch. Larger scope will, of course, show more, but a 4.5 inch still has lots of uses in amateur astronomy. Clear skies to you. -- David W. Knisely Prairie Astronomy Club: http://www.prairieastronomyclub.org Hyde Memorial Observatory: http://www.hydeobservatory.info/ ********************************************** * Attend the 10th Annual NEBRASKA STAR PARTY * * July 27-Aug. 1st, 2003, Merritt Reservoir * * http://www.NebraskaStarParty.org * ********************************************** |
#7
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If he can afford it, those new Orion Dobs with the "push-to" ability are
really sweet. If that had been available, I wouldn't have bought my Starax 127mm. "Bobsprit" wrote in message ... Buying a scope from an "unknown" builder is a bad idea. Good optics don't grow on trees. Buy a 6 inch or 8 inch scope from a known company such as Celestron or Orion. Capt Robert B NY |
#8
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Yea, everyone loves the Orion dobs. I really like the new computers that can
be hooked to them now. Almost like a GOTO scope... "mumblin-joe" wrote in message ... I love my Orion 10" newt, and the orion dob mount is awesome with fluid movement, well maybe not quite fluid but much more stable and easier to move than most any other dob mount i've used! "GoldfishPanda" wrote in message ... If he can afford it, those new Orion Dobs with the "push-to" ability are really sweet. If that had been available, I wouldn't have bought my Starax 127mm. "Bobsprit" wrote in message ... Buying a scope from an "unknown" builder is a bad idea. Good optics don't grow on trees. Buy a 6 inch or 8 inch scope from a known company such as Celestron or Orion. Capt Robert B NY |
#9
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Damn, I hadn't seen the new dob mounts Orion has! The model I have is a
couple of years old and the new goto models makes me wish I had waited. Maybe I'll sell my old one on ebay and upgrade to the new one with the motorized mount and computerized option. Does anyone out there have the new model that can attest to the goto capabilities? Does it slew well and what are the arc second degrees it is capable of? I was going to try and setup some stepper motors on my dob mount and attempt to computerize it that way, but it looks like Orion has gone a step further! I would like to hear from anyone that has the new scope either pro or con! "GoldfishPanda" wrote in message news Yea, everyone loves the Orion dobs. I really like the new computers that can be hooked to them now. Almost like a GOTO scope... "mumblin-joe" wrote in message ... I love my Orion 10" newt, and the orion dob mount is awesome with fluid movement, well maybe not quite fluid but much more stable and easier to move than most any other dob mount i've used! "GoldfishPanda" wrote in message ... If he can afford it, those new Orion Dobs with the "push-to" ability are really sweet. If that had been available, I wouldn't have bought my Starax 127mm. "Bobsprit" wrote in message ... Buying a scope from an "unknown" builder is a bad idea. Good optics don't grow on trees. Buy a 6 inch or 8 inch scope from a known company such as Celestron or Orion. Capt Robert B NY |
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