First telescope purchase new and green

Dirk · #1 05-04-2006, 01:01 AM

Hello,
I'm new to astronomy but keen to learn I've always been facinated in the stars. I've been thinking about buying a telescope for while and I've been looking at the Meade lx200gps 10".
After reading Brian's "General Principles for Choosing your first Telescope" I'm a little put off this telescope. I thought this might be a good starting point as I like the idea of hooking up a cammera and using my laptop to build images. The go to funtions really appeals as I have no idea how to read a sky chart.
Something else in the artical that put me off astronomy is what you see throught the eye pice apart from planets, all you can see are grey blobs? The only way you see galaxy's is to photograph them?
Any help would be greatfully recived

Miaplacidus (Brian) · #2 05-04-2006, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirk

Hello,
I'm new to astronomy but keen to learn I've always been facinated in the stars. I've been thinking about buying a telescope for while and I've been looking at the Meade lx200gps 10".
After reading Brian's "General Principles for Choosing your first Telescope" I'm a little put off this telescope. I thought this might be a good starting point as I like the idea of hooking up a cammera and using my laptop to build images. The go to funtions really appeals as I have no idea how to read a sky chart.
Something else in the artical that put me off astronomy is what you see throught the eye pice apart from planets, all you can see are grey blobs? The only way you see galaxy's is to photograph them?
Any help would be greatfully recived

Hi Dirk, welcome to the madness. Don't ask what I'm doing up so early.

I'm the last person to ask, really. If you search around here you'll see that the most popular recommendation for a first scope is a 10 inch dob. Then people generally remember that they ought to be recommending binoculars before that. And then they remember to suggest that you should join them at one of their club meetings before you outlay any dosh. All good advice.

Don't be put off. I just hate the thought of people being disappointed, that's all. There is definitely a WOW to be had with a 10 inch telescope, don't worry about that. But I doubt that many people are going to recommend an LX200 to someone with limited experience. These are mighty heavy telescopes to set up, and great when everything goes right but a right cow when everything doesn't.

Anyway, tell us more about your circumstances, where you live, how you will be transporting the telescope, how far, and what you think you want to look at, stuff like that. Then people here will be able to give you better advice.

Good luck,

Brian.

rmcpb (Rob) · #3 05-04-2006, 07:51 AM

Dirk,

Welcome to IIS

My advice would be to find your local astro society and go to an observing session and have a look through as many scopes as you can BEFORE parting with any money.

In the meantime, get yourself a planisphere, red torch and a simple pair of binoculars and start learning your way around the night sky. It doesn't matter if you get a go-to later you really need to know the basics of navigating the night sky.

Take your time and you will not be disappointed.

P.S. I would recommend an 8" dob not a 10"

[1ponders] (Paul) · #4 05-04-2006, 08:06 AM

But you're biased Rob

Hi Dirk. As Brian said a bit more info would be useful but I'm not afraid to soldier on with suggestions. I gather by your intial telescope choice that price isn't an overriding consideration (within reason I guess). I'm going to go out on a limb here so if I get shouted down ignore the howling mob.

If you want to jump in the deep end then biggest bang for the buck for viewing the 12" dob, push-to with an Argonavis digital telescope computer instead of go-to. But if you are dead set on imaging then welcome to the money pit. Lots and lots of choices there, but give us a bit more detail and then we can offer some directed advice.

OneOfOne (Trevor) · #5 05-04-2006, 08:28 AM

As stated previously, your personal circumstances will make a difference to what you should be considering. My comments will mainly point out considerations for getting a goto of some sort as this is what I selected. People who selected other types of scope may like to point out their criteria to you so you can get a balanced view.

Unfortuantely, whatever you buy, Astronomy (to the eye) will be pretty much black and white. The planets will offer some colour and the odd stars will add a little sparkle to the eyepiece, but otherwise it will all be black and white...sorry.

My first scope, I won't count the 60mm I got 30 years ago, was an 8" GoTo. I figured I don't have time to spend outside at night trying to navigate to one object and then search out the next so I only considered a computer controlled mount of some sort. After a couple of months playing around I was able to set it up with reasonable accuracy in about 5 to 10 minutes and can spend the rest of the time look rather than searching. I am also a computer programmer, so a goto is an obvious choice (although the use of gotos in computer programming is very much frowned upon). You will find though, that a goto of this size is not highly portable as it takes up most of the boot space. A dob will be much easier to transport and faster to get going if you want to just "get out there" and the battery won't go flat.

If you are interested in photography, you will need to climb a pretty steep learning curve (I haven't started my journey yet).

Most of the gotos, with the exception of some of the newest types or gps, will need at least some rudimentary knowledge of star names. On several occasions, mainly in the winter, I have had to try to identify suitable alignment stars using the planisphere because none of the familiar ones (usually summer) were visible. I guess I can still only identify a few dozen without referring to something.

You will also have to decide how much "maintenance" you are willing to do. A refractor is pretty well ready to go all the time while a Newtonian will need alignment of the optics (depending on how "fussy" you are, but the procedure is not "impossible"), a Schmidt will "fog up" on cold nights more than other designs. You will also have to contend with mozzies attacking you.

I see you are in the SE of Melbourne, if you would like a peek through mine at some time, send me a message on IIS and we can organise some time. Just beware, my wife loves to sprout her little astronomical buzz words to visitors.

Overall, I think everyone on the forum wishes you many years of observing whatever scope you get.

janoskiss (Steve H) · #6 05-04-2006, 08:58 AM

Just a brief cautionary note: Beware of ebay scams. There are plenty of them about. If something looks too good to be true it probably is.

Dirk · #7 05-04-2006, 10:57 AM

Thank You for the warm welcome!

I'm thinking of spending $3-$4k on my first scope, I'm intested in photography, after reading about the meade goto telescopes they seem easy for amitures to use and get good results.

I live down on the morington peninsula, I work nights up to about 11pm and have a few hours each night to do what I like, thought astronomy would be the perfect pass time.

Starkler (Geoff) · #8 05-04-2006, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by janoskiss

Just a brief cautionary note: Beware of ebay scams. There are plenty of them about. If something looks too good to be true it probably is.

Just to expand on this. I figure only about 1 in 200 scopes advertised on ebay are worth any consideration at all. This is due to the fact that the vast majority are el-cheapo rubbish scopes often advertised at no so cheap prices.

Occasionally you might see a real telescope for sale, but its pretty rare that anything good will sell for a true bargain price, and then there's the risk of buying sight unseen. So please stay away from ebay unless you know exactly what you are doing !

ving (David) · #9 05-04-2006, 12:36 PM

well you have plenty of replys to go on. the first rule of astronomy tho is that aperture rules. the bigger the aperture the more you will see. you arent going to get views like you see in magazines of adverts to unless you have access to hubble.
welcome aboard.

janoskiss (Steve H) · #10 05-04-2006, 02:05 PM

Re ebay I was specifically thinking of the scams involving non-existing expensive Meade Goto SCTs and RCTs where an unsuspecting buyer could lose a lot of money. The cheap junk scopes are annoying too though, but there is no stopping them.

yagon · #11 05-04-2006, 08:54 PM

I've just been through the process that you've gone through, having bought my first telescope about two months ago, so I thought I'd share my thoughts.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

The most important advice:

1. As discussed earlier, go to a club and look through lots of scopes.

2. Buy binoculars and a star chart: start observing. It's amazing what you'll see with a cheap pair of binoculars.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

On buying a telescope:

Selecting a telescope is a compromise between time, space and money.

Reflectors/dobsonians eat up time and space.
Cassegrains eat up time and money.
Refractors eat up money. Lots of it.

What you chose will depend on the compromises you are willing to make.

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Some links I found useful:

http://www.howtopickatelescope.com/

http://www.scopereviews.com/

http://www.telescopereviews.com/

www.first-telescope.com

GrampianStars (Rob) · #12 05-04-2006, 10:21 PM

Vixen A80M-SXW
http://www.astro-optical.com.au/images/2706lrg.jpg
here's a nice Vixen SPHINX equatorial "GOTO" in your price range
and portable

forget dobs theyr'e mostly visual push all night cumbersome things
and absolutely useless for astro work you have in mind

Blue Skies (Jacquie) · #13 09-04-2006, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yagon

I've just been through the process that you've gone through, having bought my first telescope about two months ago, so I thought I'd share my thoughts.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

The most important advice:

1. As discussed earlier, go to a club and look through lots of scopes.

2. Buy binoculars and a star chart: start observing. It's amazing what you'll see with a cheap pair of binoculars.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

I'd like to add at this point 3. give yourself at least a year to learn how to see.

Looking through a telescope involves a lot of subtlety. Sure, most galaxies are going to look like little grey blobs in the eyepiece when you're starting out (if you can even see them at all) but sometimes the view of agalaxy in a big telescope can be breathtaking and this spurs you on to perservere with a smaller scope. And Jupiter will seem like a big bright circle with just two brown bands across it...so where do people see all those white ovals on the planet, and the bands and streamers etc - they've been patient and tried and tried again and learnt to understand what can be seen. It really helps to go observing with more experienced observers who can guide you around the sky and show you what can be seen. Do try to go a a society meeting and get some hands action with a telescope before you buy. I wont try to talk you out of a goto, they have their merits, but they, like all telescopes, have their downsides too. I think you might not like the weight/size of the 10" in regards to ease of handling when you are tired after work and sometimes a smaller telescope is better for photographic purposes, but it depends on what you want to image, I suppose.

stevem · #14 10-04-2006, 03:54 PM

Interestingly I'm in almost the same situation as Dirk, a novice who is thinking seriously about the Meade LX200R 10'. I do worry a bit about portability, but the primary goal is to get and capture the best images I can.

casstony · #15 10-04-2006, 05:29 PM

To get you started Dirk, while you're figuring out which scope to buy, look up the constellation "Orion" on the net and try to find it in the night sky. Orion is very easy to recognise once you've seen it the first time and it's roughly overhead in the evening at this time of year. In the middle of this constellation is one of the best grey blobs in the entire sky, easily spotted in binoculars. Thruogh an 8" scope this grey blob becomes a large and detailed patch of nebulosity. Through a 10" scope it starts to show subtle color. Once you know part of the sky you can build on that like a jigsaw puzzle.
-Tony

stevem · #16 11-04-2006, 04:53 AM

Update: I'm kind of impatient to get started but I've decided to hold off a bit and follow some of the advice I've seen.

First I have ordered the Zhumell 20x80 binoculars. Now I need to find a decent star chart and will contact the local Astronomy club and see if I can try out a few scopes first.

vespine · #17 11-04-2006, 10:35 AM

Nice one! Be aware that with 20x binoculars you will definitely need at least some sort of 'mount' to keep them stable. If you don't have a tripod you can use tree branches, a door frame, a chair on a table

use your imagination, but they will be difficult if not impossible to keep still just in your hands.

As for a beginners star chart, try this to get you started:

http://skymaps.com/downloads.html

Easily the handiest thing I have found so far. Plus I bought a copy of Astronomy 2006 Australia for $23 http://www.quasarastronomy.com.au/, most astronomy shops sell them. It has month by month info, handy sky chart maps, planet and moon info, occulations, special events, it's great. Since then I've also picked up a planisphere which also has been handy.

stevem · #18 11-04-2006, 11:14 AM

I definitely will be using a tripod. Thanks for the links!

cjmarsh81 · #19 11-04-2006, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevem

Update: I'm kind of impatient to get started but I've decided to hold off a bit and follow some of the advice I've seen.

Hahaha. I said the same thing and then ordered my scope the next day! Couldn't wait. I think all the replies you have recieved so far are spot on. Just remember the golden rule 'aperture rules'.

to IIS

Dirk · #20 11-04-2006, 03:37 PM

Thanks everyone for your replies, I might start slowly with a set of binoculars first and get a feel for the night sky before jumping head first into a telescope. Can anyone reccomend a good set of binoculars for a novice at a resonable price? I already have a good sturdy tripod for my SLR is there a way of mounting binos to this?
Any help would be greatfuly recived.