What Telescope Should I Get?

[Oliver Gigacz]

I am looking into getting a telescope, and need some help in deciding in which model/type to get.

I really just want to observe the moon and the planets. Would love to see some detail on Jupiter and the rings of Saturn.

I was hoping to find one in the $600 price range, but can adjust.

[TheAstroChannel]

A reflector like this is probably a good scope to buy to get started off in the world of Astronomy :D

http://www.ozscopes.com.au/skywatcher-150mm-eq3-reflector-telescope-sw500s.html

[Oliver Gigacz]

What sort of detail will I be able to see with the SkyWatcher 150mm?

[TheAstroChannel]

As a user of a Reflector, it offers a generous amount of light gathering capabilities.
The cloud bands of Jupiter and its four visible moons, are easily visible in great detail!
Bright nebula are also visible, such as M42. (Orion Nebula)
You can watch the phases of Venus as it progresses throughout the year, and mars also offers a nice satisfying view.

Saturn really impresses even in smaller scopes.

The moon is by far the most breathtaking to observe, as the clarity of craters and edges are amazing.
Star clusters are beautiful to gaze at, and the core of the milky way offers an endless amount of stars!

Collimation is the downside to the reflector, in my opinion. others will surely have a different view of the reflector telescopes.
I Hope this helped!:)

[louie_the_fly]

For that kind of money you can get an 8 inch dobsonion and a couple of extra eyepieces. Check out bintel's website. They're great to deal with.

[Forgey]

Oliver check the out Dobsonian Telescopes at Bintel http://www.bintel.com.au/Telescopes/Dobsonian/33/catmenu.aspx best bang for buck and will give you superb views. Easy to set and use.

[SurferSmyth]

Dobsonian enough said!

[Oliver Gigacz]

Can anybody recommend a specific Dobsonian?

[Paddy]

It is a bit hard to go past an 8" GSO from Bintel or Andrews communications.

Before you decide to get one though, have you looked at astonomical objects through a telescope? It is a great way to set one's expectations and decide on what might really suit you. The Astronomical Society of Victoria has a New Astronomers Group which you might find helpful. They also have a fleet of 8" dobs that members can borrow.

[barx1963]

All due respect to Sean but for an absolute beginner I would steer very clear of scopes on an EQ mount unless astro imaging is your thing, and then I would go much heavier duty than an EQ3.
Dobsonians have many advantages, ease of setup, ease of use, plenty of aperture for the $$$ (and in this game aperture rules) easy to maintain, readily saleable if you decide to upgrade, portable.... I could go on!!
Some will say they are not ideal for planetary, but they do a good job and are brilliant at deep sky.
Any of the dobs on the Bintel site mentioned would be good, but try to avoid the table top models. $600 will buy you a very nice 8" with a bit of $$ left for a few basic accessories (collimator and charts for starters)

Oh and I just read what Paddy wrote and absolutely agree!!

Cheers

Malcolm

[acropolite]

Malcolm is spot on with his comments regarding equatorial mounts, for visual use they are less than ideal, anthing less than an HEQ5 or EQ6 is likely to be an exercise in frustration. I don't own a dob, but that would be my first recommendation. If later you have trouble finding objects, add one of Gary's wonderful Argo Navis units.

I agree with Paddy, buy a minimum of an 8 inch dob, or perhaps 10 inch. Andrews communications has a 10 inch dob for just $649 with 9mm, 15mm 25mm, bonus SV30mm eyepiece and bonus filters 2 year warranty and free shipping Aust wide.

Stay well away from the 130 newts on wobblomatic EQ mounts, they're simply a waste of money.

[pw]

Yes, the Bintel 8" (why don't we say 200mm) is a great start.

[Marios]

I think most of us started on DOB's, IMO save a few extra dollars and get a tracking one to make life easier.