£200 to spend on a telescope. ideas please

Anybody any suggestions on what I should be looking for in a telescope. I am
a total novice and have about £200 to spend. I basically want the best for
my money, but something that I will still enjoy using when I have more
knowledge and experience.
An idea on where to buy as well.

On Tue, 04 Nov 2003 21:53:29 GMT, "Richard"
wrote:

Anybody any suggestions on what I should be looking for in a telescope. I am
a total novice and have about £200 to spend. I basically want the best for
my money, but something that I will still enjoy using when I have more
knowledge and experience.
An idea on where to buy as well.



I bought a SKYWATCHER SKYMAX-90 (EQ1) from Sherwoods
http://www.sherwoods-photo.com/sky_w...atcher_fs.html - phoned
in the order one day, got the scope two days later.

Just over your 200squids, at 225. Good for looking at the Moon in some
detail, you can see Saturn and its ring (I say ring because you can't
differentiate the rings or anything).

What I found as a newbie was getting some basic idea of what you can
and can't see. So, for example, you don't see Mars as a red disk, and
Saturn you can see the ring(s) as I say, but you see a smallish white
disk and the ring around it.

I go this scope on account of it being recommended as a good starter
scope for looking at planets. Having used it several times and enjoyed
it, I now sort of regret now having spent more for a bigger scope to
get better views, although it's not clear to me what extra the next
model up would give by way of an improved view.

What I would like to see is a website that gives some indication of
what you see with a Sxymax 90, a 102 and the 127 model.

Some websites have cracking photos, but these are taken from
'stacking' lots of different photoes taken by a camera, and it's not
clear to me whether you see the same looking through the eyepiece as
what finally comes out on the photo.
Mark Watson
Best SF - www.bestsf.net
Best SF reviews: classic and current short SF
Best SF Gateway: online short SF

"Mark Watson" wrote in message
news
On Tue, 04 Nov 2003 21:53:29 GMT, "Richard"
wrote:

Anybody any suggestions on what I should be looking for in a telescope. I
am
a total novice and have about £200 to spend. I basically want the best
for
my money, but something that I will still enjoy using when I have more
knowledge and experience.
An idea on where to buy as well.

Tal make good telescopes and are reasonably priced. The net can provide
some good deals.

Martin

http://www.telescopehouse.co.uk/down...e=3_Powers.pdf
this gives some info on what to expect to see depending on what sort of
telescope you have

"Mark Watson" wrote in message
news
On Tue, 04 Nov 2003 21:53:29 GMT, "Richard"
wrote:

Anybody any suggestions on what I should be looking for in a telescope. I
am
a total novice and have about £200 to spend. I basically want the best
for
my money, but something that I will still enjoy using when I have more
knowledge and experience.
An idea on where to buy as well.



I bought a SKYWATCHER SKYMAX-90 (EQ1) from Sherwoods
http://www.sherwoods-photo.com/sky_w...atcher_fs.html - phoned
in the order one day, got the scope two days later.

Just over your 200squids, at 225. Good for looking at the Moon in some
detail, you can see Saturn and its ring (I say ring because you can't
differentiate the rings or anything).

What I found as a newbie was getting some basic idea of what you can
and can't see. So, for example, you don't see Mars as a red disk, and
Saturn you can see the ring(s) as I say, but you see a smallish white
disk and the ring around it.

I go this scope on account of it being recommended as a good starter
scope for looking at planets. Having used it several times and enjoyed
it, I now sort of regret now having spent more for a bigger scope to
get better views, although it's not clear to me what extra the next
model up would give by way of an improved view.

What I would like to see is a website that gives some indication of
what you see with a Sxymax 90, a 102 and the 127 model.

Some websites have cracking photos, but these are taken from
'stacking' lots of different photoes taken by a camera, and it's not
clear to me whether you see the same looking through the eyepiece as
what finally comes out on the photo.
Mark Watson
Best SF - www.bestsf.net
Best SF reviews: classic and current short SF
Best SF Gateway: online short SF

"Richard" wrote in message ...
http://www.telescopehouse.co.uk/down...e=3_Powers.pdf
this gives some info on what to expect to see depending on what sort of
telescope you have

"Mark Watson" wrote in message
news
On Tue, 04 Nov 2003 21:53:29 GMT, "Richard"
wrote:

Anybody any suggestions on what I should be looking for in a telescope. I
am
a total novice and have about £200 to spend. I basically want the best
for
my money, but something that I will still enjoy using when I have more
knowledge and experience.
An idea on where to buy as well.



I bought a SKYWATCHER SKYMAX-90 (EQ1) from Sherwoods
http://www.sherwoods-photo.com/sky_w...atcher_fs.html - phoned
in the order one day, got the scope two days later.

Just over your 200squids, at 225. Good for looking at the Moon in some
detail, you can see Saturn and its ring (I say ring because you can't
differentiate the rings or anything).

What I found as a newbie was getting some basic idea of what you can
and can't see. So, for example, you don't see Mars as a red disk, and
Saturn you can see the ring(s) as I say, but you see a smallish white
disk and the ring around it.

I go this scope on account of it being recommended as a good starter
scope for looking at planets. Having used it several times and enjoyed
it, I now sort of regret now having spent more for a bigger scope to
get better views, although it's not clear to me what extra the next
model up would give by way of an improved view.

What I would like to see is a website that gives some indication of
what you see with a Sxymax 90, a 102 and the 127 model.

Some websites have cracking photos, but these are taken from
'stacking' lots of different photoes taken by a camera, and it's not
clear to me whether you see the same looking through the eyepiece as
what finally comes out on the photo.
Mark Watson
Best SF - www.bestsf.net
Best SF reviews: classic and current short SF
Best SF Gateway: online short SF


Just an idea which you invite. Have you considered the purchase of a
good set of binoculars? I am sure that the money which you have to
spend would maybe be better spent on a good set of these than a lower
quality telescope.

I started out with binoculars 9X63 Bresser which I have used for
several years, very good for learning your way around the sky, and
give great views of quite a lot of objects of interest.

I put off buying a telescope until I was sure I could afford a quality
scope which would hopefully last me years. In addition if you pursue
this route your binoculars will remain useful throughout your
astronomy hobby years.

Just a thought.

Snip

Just an idea which you invite. Have you considered the purchase of a
good set of binoculars? I am sure that the money which you have to
spend would maybe be better spent on a good set of these than a lower
quality telescope.

I started out with binoculars 9X63 Bresser which I have used for
several years, very good for learning your way around the sky, and
give great views of quite a lot of objects of interest.

I put off buying a telescope until I was sure I could afford a quality
scope which would hopefully last me years. In addition if you pursue
this route your binoculars will remain useful throughout your
astronomy hobby years.

Just a thought.

I was going to suggest that.

I tried :-) to get away with spending less that £150 or so.......... here is
how I ended up with some binoculars that I'm glad I bought.

1) After trying out contact lenses for the first time this year, I wandered
outside one night having picked up my ancient pair of 8x40 binoculars
(Swift) and rediscovered that feeling that I might easily fall into the
bucket of stars visible if you lie on your back and point the bins at the
milky way. This set me on a quest for better optics, and bins that you can
use with specs on. 10x50 was my first thought.

2) I tried Minolta Classic II Wide Angle Binoculars (£69) which gave me
another magnitude's worth of stars (approx!), but the distortions were worse
than my ancient Swifts - and they were not comfortable with specs on. Back
to the shop for...

3) An own-brand 80mm spotting scope (which I intended to use for wide field
only, i.e. ignoring the higher power eyepiece) for £129 - however the
astigmatism and blur at higher power (if you have it, you can't avoid trying
it) was too annoying, and I spent about a week looking for the dumbell
nebula (for the first time) with no success. This scope duly went back to
the shop.

4) After some digging, head scratching and fussing over exit pupils,
apertures, eye releif etc, I ordered Pentax 16x60 WP binoculars over the
internet. These cost £159 and have fully multicoated optics, and are much
better quality than the spotting scope, despite the fact that there are two
tubes! They are good for use in the day time, and best of all can be whipped
outside in about 30 seconds. I found the dumbell nebula in about 5 minutes
with these.

I am still thinking of buying some 10x50's for their wider field, but I'll
keep the 16x60s. There is a minor problem with flare on bright point objects
(e.g. mars) but nothing is perfect for this price. The 16x magnification
tends to dim light pollution and let stars shine through, and is useful for
looking at the moon. Saturn can be made out to be flattened but I haven't
seen the rings. I've even seen M31 through double-glazing with them.

Now all I want is a) a switch for the street lamp at the bottom of the
garden b) more binoculars c) dark skies in summer (when it is warm!).

You could try getting a second hand scope, www.ukastroads.co.uk is a good
site

Larry

"Richard" wrote in message
...
Anybody any suggestions on what I should be looking for in a telescope. I
am
a total novice and have about £200 to spend. I basically want the best for
my money, but something that I will still enjoy using when I have more
knowledge and experience.
An idea on where to buy as well.

thanks for the info. how do these look?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...125985-5284432
One thing I would concerned about with binoculars is the view is not going
to be steady enough for me to be able to study things.
And what does the 20*60 signify?

Thanks

"Alan" wrote in message
...
Snip

Just an idea which you invite. Have you considered the purchase of a
good set of binoculars? I am sure that the money which you have to
spend would maybe be better spent on a good set of these than a lower
quality telescope.

I started out with binoculars 9X63 Bresser which I have used for
several years, very good for learning your way around the sky, and
give great views of quite a lot of objects of interest.

I put off buying a telescope until I was sure I could afford a quality
scope which would hopefully last me years. In addition if you pursue
this route your binoculars will remain useful throughout your
astronomy hobby years.

Just a thought.

I was going to suggest that.

I tried :-) to get away with spending less that £150 or so.......... here
is
how I ended up with some binoculars that I'm glad I bought.

1) After trying out contact lenses for the first time this year, I
wandered
outside one night having picked up my ancient pair of 8x40 binoculars
(Swift) and rediscovered that feeling that I might easily fall into the
bucket of stars visible if you lie on your back and point the bins at the
milky way. This set me on a quest for better optics, and bins that you can
use with specs on. 10x50 was my first thought.

2) I tried Minolta Classic II Wide Angle Binoculars (£69) which gave me
another magnitude's worth of stars (approx!), but the distortions were
worse
than my ancient Swifts - and they were not comfortable with specs on. Back
to the shop for...

3) An own-brand 80mm spotting scope (which I intended to use for wide
field
only, i.e. ignoring the higher power eyepiece) for £129 - however the
astigmatism and blur at higher power (if you have it, you can't avoid
trying
it) was too annoying, and I spent about a week looking for the dumbell
nebula (for the first time) with no success. This scope duly went back to
the shop.

4) After some digging, head scratching and fussing over exit pupils,
apertures, eye releif etc, I ordered Pentax 16x60 WP binoculars over the
internet. These cost £159 and have fully multicoated optics, and are much
better quality than the spotting scope, despite the fact that there are
two
tubes! They are good for use in the day time, and best of all can be
whipped
outside in about 30 seconds. I found the dumbell nebula in about 5 minutes
with these.

I am still thinking of buying some 10x50's for their wider field, but I'll
keep the 16x60s. There is a minor problem with flare on bright point
objects
(e.g. mars) but nothing is perfect for this price. The 16x magnification
tends to dim light pollution and let stars shine through, and is useful
for
looking at the moon. Saturn can be made out to be flattened but I haven't
seen the rings. I've even seen M31 through double-glazing with them.

Now all I want is a) a switch for the street lamp at the bottom of the
garden b) more binoculars c) dark skies in summer (when it is warm!).

In message , Richard
wrote
thanks for the info. how do these look?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...125985-5284432
One thing I would concerned about with binoculars is the view is not going
to be steady enough for me to be able to study things.
And what does the 20*60 signify?

Many binoculars can be mounted with little difficulty to a tripod as can
these as the description says that they have a socket.
20*60 will mean 20 times magnification with 60mm diameter objective
lenses. 20 times mag. in my view makes them too strong to hand hold 60
mm objectives should mean nice bright images.
--
Roger
52:54:41N
01:30:05W
Orion 127mm Maksutov.

They are the same as mine, except they magnify 20 times (mine do 16). This
is the first number in the 20*60. The second number is the diameter of the
front lens in mm.

These bins have good reviews on a website called 'cloudy nights' (this link
is the review for the ones I have
http://www.cloudynights.com/breviews/pentax16.htm but I think there is also
one for the 20x60 ones). I must admit I'm guessing that the 'V' (five) range
is the same as the 'WP' (waterproof) - seems to be.

I would expect the 20x magnification to be quite tricky to hold steady - the
16x ones are just on the limit for this really (more magnification = more
shake). However, that seems a really good price (£136 - the standard price
for mine seems to be £199 but I got them for £159). As with all things, it
depends what you want and there is always a compromise.

My 16x60s are good for hand holding for a quick look, and great on a tripod
for a more careful study. If you don't have really really dark skies, then
higher magnification helps punch through the skyglow to dig out dimmer
stars, but also dims galaxies and nebulae - so you don't want to over do it.
Also, higher magnification means smaller field of view, which makes it
trickier to 'star hop' around the sky and spoils the 'bucketfull of stars'
wow factor. I would definitely want a lower magnification pair to complement
20x60 (e.g. 10x50).

Have a read of the reviews. You will appreciate these binoculars if you wear
specs, as you can see all the field of view with them still on (without
pressing your specs into your nose painfully hard).

I think for the money you won't get better quality optics for the same light
gathering ablity and ease of use (i.e. comfort with specs) and build quality
..........unless anyone knows different?

But you will need a tripod or a good trick with your elbows to hold them
steady ..............

"Richard" wrote in message
...
thanks for the info. how do these look?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/..._electronics_1
_1/026-1125985-5284432
One thing I would concerned about with binoculars is the view is not going
to be steady enough for me to be able to study things.
And what does the 20*60 signify?

Thanks

"Alan" wrote in message
...
Snip

Just an idea which you invite. Have you considered the purchase of a
good set of binoculars? I am sure that the money which you have to
spend would maybe be better spent on a good set of these than a lower
quality telescope.

I started out with binoculars 9X63 Bresser which I have used for
several years, very good for learning your way around the sky, and
give great views of quite a lot of objects of interest.

I put off buying a telescope until I was sure I could afford a quality
scope which would hopefully last me years. In addition if you pursue
this route your binoculars will remain useful throughout your
astronomy hobby years.

Just a thought.

I was going to suggest that.

I tried :-) to get away with spending less that £150 or so..........
here
is
how I ended up with some binoculars that I'm glad I bought.

1) After trying out contact lenses for the first time this year, I
wandered
outside one night having picked up my ancient pair of 8x40 binoculars
(Swift) and rediscovered that feeling that I might easily fall into the
bucket of stars visible if you lie on your back and point the bins at
the
milky way. This set me on a quest for better optics, and bins that you
can
use with specs on. 10x50 was my first thought.

2) I tried Minolta Classic II Wide Angle Binoculars (£69) which gave me
another magnitude's worth of stars (approx!), but the distortions were
worse
than my ancient Swifts - and they were not comfortable with specs on.
Back
to the shop for...

3) An own-brand 80mm spotting scope (which I intended to use for wide
field
only, i.e. ignoring the higher power eyepiece) for £129 - however the
astigmatism and blur at higher power (if you have it, you can't avoid
trying
it) was too annoying, and I spent about a week looking for the dumbell
nebula (for the first time) with no success. This scope duly went back
to
the shop.

4) After some digging, head scratching and fussing over exit pupils,
apertures, eye releif etc, I ordered Pentax 16x60 WP binoculars over the
internet. These cost £159 and have fully multicoated optics, and are
much
better quality than the spotting scope, despite the fact that there are
two
tubes! They are good for use in the day time, and best of all can be
whipped
outside in about 30 seconds. I found the dumbell nebula in about 5
minutes
with these.

I am still thinking of buying some 10x50's for their wider field, but
I'll
keep the 16x60s. There is a minor problem with flare on bright point
objects
(e.g. mars) but nothing is perfect for this price. The 16x magnification
tends to dim light pollution and let stars shine through, and is useful
for
looking at the moon. Saturn can be made out to be flattened but I
haven't
seen the rings. I've even seen M31 through double-glazing with them.

Now all I want is a) a switch for the street lamp at the bottom of the
garden b) more binoculars c) dark skies in summer (when it is warm!).