good quality equipment for first time

[SimonG (Simon)]

Hi guys! Got a few search results going to your site so I'm guessing you guys might know a thing or two!
I have never even looked into a Telescope but I'm getting a bit frustrated that I'm missing out on seeing rare astronomy events, is very intriguing.

My first thought was too but a Kogan Telescope but then I realised I don't know anything about Telescopes, it is probably utter rubbish.

So a measure of a 'good' Telescope seems to be viewing Jupiter's rings and moons so I'll stick with that for a benchmark.

I want something that offers good value for money for what's offered on return. It doesn't have to be the cheapest because I don't want to be stuck with something that's not good for much.

I have 20/20 vision, 27 years old, no glasses.

Budget is around $300 if Australian stock as I'm going to USA in a couple of weeks. So that also means that it shouldn't be too big/heavy if I'm taking it with me.

Or I could buy it from United States if it's cheaper.

I don't think that I need local warranty... these things aren't like electronics that can Break on their own?

Thank you muchly

[dannat (Daniel)]

ordinarily for 300 someone would recommend a 6" or 8" dobsonian reflector -good light gathering & can easily see saturn's rings, jupiter bands and its moons & close up views of the moon. when you look at the size here , youll see it will not fit into your bags

the smallest telescopes for size are the CATS [cassegrain] either a schmidt or maksutov -they are a folded mirror design so are very compact

as you are travelling most likely you will buy much more scope in the US, what part of the states are you going to? the big US stores often offer free shipping & you dont have to pay GST f you buy from a store in a diff state to where you are [its cheaper to buy online then go inot the store & pay the VAT]

this site lists some cassegrain scopes

you could also look for a refractor -they offer good quality images but have smaller lens/mirror for the same cost -you may still be able to get the astronomers without borders ED80 for a good deal here NB you wil need a strong photo tripod to mount it, the 130mm dob here is small enough to travel with, has its own mount & will show you the objects you requested

the ed80 would be my pick -it will retain the most value -and you can use it for photography later if you wish

stores in the US i like/use are optcorp. B&H, astronomics

[chiaroscuro (Luke)]

For $300, I think it would be difficult to get a reasonable quality scope and mount that was portable. My advice would be to spend that on a dobsonian and leave it here.
Maybe you could tap into a local astronomy group in the US to do some observing while you're there, and get some tips and have that big dob waiting at home to sweeten the trip back.

[Tony_ (Tony)]

For $300 you may just get a 6" dobsonian or a very small refractor (70mm) on an altazimuth mount. The 6" dob might be okay - but the views from the small refractor won't be particularly exciting. In any case you may need to spend more on other accessories as well.
For $300, if you want it to be portable, you may as well get some binoculars?

Regards,
Tony.

[Sylvain (Jon)]

You could probably grab yourself a small Mak, perhaps a 90 or 80mm.
Very compact for a telescope. But you need to think about the mount. That's when things get difficult. The scope itself can be purchased for that price, however you will need a mounting solution. And if you are aiming at looking at Jupiter with decent magnification a photo tripod is probably not going to cut it. But perhaps this is something you can live with while you travel and get the mount for home? Scopes like the Celestron C90 come with a small backpack, so easy to carry around if you already have a photo tripod (shop around the net for a good deal).
The binoculars sure are an option, but you can forget about looking at the planets and if you live in a metro area (or if you observe mainly from your backyard), binos will be disappointing. Anyway, they cannot be compared to a proper telescope. They are however great for travelling and looking at wide fields.

[Tropo-Bob (Bob)]

I took a small scope on a camera tripod to the States and the tripod was damaged beyond repair in transit. (Well packed, or so I thought in my suitcase). So never again for me.

$300 is not much of a budget for a telescope; a pair of binoculars may be a better travel option.

[va1erian]

Originally Posted by SimonG

I want something that offers good value for money for what's offered on return. It doesn't have to be the cheapest because I don't want to be stuck with something that's not good for much.

Budget is around $300 if Australian stock

Get a Celestron 90GT from Costco for $229. An amazing value. A quality refractor with a GoTo capability. A 90 mm diameter puts it into capable territory where serious observation could be made.

P.S. It comes with two Kellner eyepieces, 10 mm and 25 mm focal length. Replace them, at least the 10 mm one. The 10 mm one has a short eye relief. Replace it with something reasonable, e.g. Celestron X-Cel LX 9 mm. Better yet, get a Celestron 8 -- 24 mm zoom, and get an eyepiece with a focal length of 5 or 7 mm from the X-Cel LX line. They are around US$50-60 in BHPhoto or Agena (plus postage US$13-17 per parcel). I have also bought a "Dual ED" eyepiece from Australian eBay for $85 including postage, which is a relatively good deal taking into account that Agena sells them for US$65 (plus US$17 postage) (I am not sure about the warranty, though). It is an equally good series of eyepieces compared with Celestron X-Cel LX. (Though, Ernest of astro-talks.ru has tested them and found the 5 mm one was the best, even better than X-Cel LX 5 mm, however he heard the rumours the rest were not as good. Still, should be more than adequate for the 90GT telescope.)