Best telescope for a budding astronomer?

[nero]

Hi everyone!

I'm looking for a telescope for a close friend of mine. He loves all things astronomy and I'd love to get him a telescope for his birthday. He hasn't specified one that he likes unfortunately :( I would call him a beginner but I want to get him a telescope with lots of room to grow. Happy to go up in price till $400 - $500

What do you recommend? Would greatly appreciate your thoughts :)

[Rkonrad]

I dont know prices in your area but a 8 inch Dobs will do it , best bang for money anywhere in the world , but has a few problems , simple Alt/Az mount, quite large and quite heavy

[xelasnave]

A six inch reflector is a good start but remember in this game its a start.
Have a look at Andrews Communications site to see what is available.
Alex

[sil]

yep a 6 or 8 inch dobsonian type would do the trick. great views and easy to use. telescopes dont really allow much "room to grow" and there are three different types of optics and they have their pros and cons depending on what you want to do/view with them. a dobsonian is not only a great entry point its also of continual use even if your friend gets something else later. Bintel have a few at or around your price range and they are great scopes, avoid anything else at that price range (refractors, gotos, cats etc) as the deficiencies will only cause your friend frustration and disappointment. Bintel after all specialise in Binoculars and Telescopes so check thm out and grab a Dobsonian scope and your friend will love it, even in light polluted cities it'll give great views.

While there grab the 2018 edition of Astronomy Australia which will help teach much and have lots of info on what to expect in our skies this year. Also grab them a Planisphere which is an essential tool to beginners as well as experts so a good sized planisphere is a lifelong necessity. Your friend will then be set to start really learning.

[Allan_L]

It would help if you give a bit of idea about your friend. Age? Build? Level of interest? etc.
The main reason being different weights of various setups.

Basically, as mentioned earlier, a Dobsonian will give best WOW factor per $dollar of cost. The size of the Dob will depend on the ability of the intended user to set it up and move it.

On the other hand, a Dob is not the weapon of choice if the friend intends to delve into through the scope photography.

However, the Dob is a great start, and they tend to hold their value reasonably well, if looked after.

[Hoges]

$450 will get you a 6" dobsonion which is a pretty decent place to start. And get a planetarium program - something like Sky Safari for iphone/ipad/android. Absolutely invaluable imo - that way he'll know what he's looking at, how far, how big and it will make finding stuff a relative piece of cake.

[m11]

Hi Nero,

The guys have all recommended good choices for a starter scope.

Does your close friend have a scope or binoculars already? It may change what you pick?

What type of viewing time can he do? Cooldown of some types of scopes come into play. I find with work and family my viewing is only 15mins at a time going in and out of the house. Dark site travel maybe 3-4 times a year.

If I was to recommend a scope I would look at a 8 inch dob for that price range but also factor in a collimation tool, especially if you need move it alot.

For me the criteria to pick a scope:


Price
Portability
Weight
Purpose


Also would recommend grabbing Stellarium (free download) to get a view of what objects can be seen.

https://sourceforge.net/projects/stellarium/

I recommend finding some local astronomers to assist to help with setup and provide guidance.

I know as a beginner it can be overwhelming and daunting. Feel free to ask any questions as you and your friend go along this rewarding journey that never ends :rofl:

Also, apologies for the unformatted brain dump.

[gaseous]

There's an 8" F6 dob in the classifieds for $300 if you fancy a drive to Canberra, or alternatively the same scope can be bought new for $525 at AstroAnarchy in the Myer Centre in Brisbane.

[m11]

Patrick has given a good option to grab one second hand and save some dollars and get something decent.

Usually the sellers are willing to show you how operate the scope unless they are selling for someone else.

If its a first scope, I recommend grabbing it from a bricks and mortar store. Can't beat first hand knowledge and demonstration on how to use the scope.

I know its exciting the first time you head outside to use the scope. Just want to highlight some of the stuff to avoid frustration and what kills the euthusiasm. I have acquired a lot of scopes second hand from people who didn't know how to use the equipment. :sadeyes:

All the best, please give us all an update on what you pick :hi:

[nero]

Hi everyone!

Can't thank you enough for taking the time to give me such detailed responses. They've already helped heaps.

To answer everyone's questions ... he's a male (doh), average height but very strong build; I think he would be very capable of lifting something on the heavier side.

He does not own binoculars or a scope, and he's a student so he can get out and about pretty much any time.

I'm a complete newbie myself so, would it be alright if I asked some questions?

Firstly, what's a Dobsonian? And what is the difference between it and telescope? Same goes for the reflector :)

And, what do you guys recommend in terms of stores? What are the best ones in Brissy and do you have any specific model recommendations?

Once again, thank you so much :thanx:

[Kunama]

A 'Dobsonian' is a type of reflector telescope. A reflector is usually a long tube with a mirror at the bottom that reflects the light back up the tube to a small diagonal mirror that turns the beam of light 90º toward the eyepiece.

The 'Dobson' part is actually the mounting method for the tube, a cradle that allows the tube to tilt and turn so that one can look all round the sky.

Sirius Optics in Underwood (1/26 Darnick St, Underwood) might be a good place, or Astro Pete's (AstroAnarchy at the Myer Centre, Queen St)

GSO 8"F6 Dobsonian

[iborg]

Hi All

I am not trying to recommend this store, but, I did a quick google for intro to telescope types, the links looks like quick, simple outlines of some basic information that will help you understand some terms. I expect there are better intros out there.

https://www.ozscopes.com.au/guides/telescopes-guide/types-of-telescopes

https://www.ozscopes.com.au/guides/telescopes-guide/telescope-mounts

Also, look through this link for more, and possibly better information
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/63-260-0-0-1-0.html

There is a lot of good information in the Projects and Articles section of this website.

Philip

[nero]

Thank you! Think I have a much better idea now.

What’s everyone’s thoughts on this one? http://www.astroanarchy.com.au/telescopes/dob_6_FullTube.html

[iborg]

Hi

I have just been looking at Astro Pete's website.

Consider going for the 8" version, there is an add on for goto for the 8" larger scopes. Something that might be wanted later.

About half way down the page on this link http://www.astroanarchy.com.au/telescopes.html

[nero]

Hi everyone!

I went down to Astro Anarchy and mentioned what everyone said in this thread. He agreed with all your comments and I'll be buying a 6" Skywatcher Dobsonian with a Barlow eyepiece!

Thank you for all the help and I'll update you on how it is when his birthday comes round

:thanx:

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: Great choice , you will really enjoy this scope , well done .
Oh yes :welcome: to IIS .

Brian.