Beginner/Intermediate Telescope (Under $600)

[thebigasam]

Best Amature Astronomer telescope for under $600AU?

I want a new telescope, I'm at a very high beginner/intermediate level and am looking into a new scope and i have around $600AU to spend. What i have in mind is Dobsonian Telescope, im looking at the Saxon 8" Dobsonian but im not sure, what suggestions have you got, all much appreciated!

Are Dobsonian good telescopes for looking at planets and some deep space images along with the Orion Nebula?

[N1]

A dob will do all the things you asked very well and is likely to give you the best value.

[omegacrux]

Hi Sam
The short answer Hell yeah
Value for $ an 8in dob is great , deep sky and planets a good allrounder
That is probably the most recommended telescope out there for ease of use

Ps I started with an 8 now have a 10

David

[thebigasam]

Basically, i want to see the planets, the orion nebula, other galaxys (might be abit out of range)

What would you recommend

[barx1963]

Hi Sam
An 8" dob is the ideal beginners scope for visual astronomy. The reasons are many but the main ones are:
Easy to setup, just take the base outside, then the tube and put it on the base, insert an eyepiece and you are away.
Easy to collimate. Usually they are f6 so tolerant of slightly imperfect collimation. When I used my 8" I rarely touched the collimation anyway.
Easy to find things, it simply moves up and down and side to side so no getting used to the non intuitive motions of an EQ mount.
Cheap!! $$$'s per inch of aperture are the lowest possible.
Robust and low maintenance. No electronics or complicated mechanicals to go wrong.
Basically work out of the box, don't need any extra accessories to get started.
On the down side they can be a bit bulky (but wait until you get a 20"!!) and have limited use for imaging, although a solid tube one can be mounted on an EQ mount later on if that floats your boat!
As far as what you can see, planets are OK, all the Messier objects and hundreds of NGC's are easily visible with an 8" and M42 (the Orion Nebula) is spectacular through one.

Cheers

Malcolm

[astroron]

You can observe lots of deep sky objects in an 8" scope,just don't expect to see things like the pictures on icenspace or the magazines.
I did a visual Supernova search for many years with my 8" scope.
A dob is the way to go for a beginner, and if you get the urge to go bigger in the future you will have a reasonable resale value.
Cheers:thumbsup:

[N1]

An 8" GSO or Bintel's iteration of it would give you great value. Even better is a used one that isn't too old. Like the one in the classifieds. If I didn't already have the 10" version, I'd be very tempted.

[rustigsmed]

looks like you could get a GSO 10" dob for $650.

[Renato1]

From a dark sky site, you could fairly easily see over 1000 to 1500 galaxies with an 8" dob. But from a suburban backyard, the number would be considerably less. Though hundreds of open clusters and globular clusters could still be seen (though not as nice as when viewed from a dark sky site).

The Orion Nebula is simple to see with binoculars, telescopes just magnify and enhance the view.
Regards,
Renato

[alistairsam]

hi,
I'd suggest getting an 8inch Dob but save up and get good eyepieces. they make all the difference, more than aperture in my opinion.

Cheers
Alistair

[doug mc]

If you can get a 10incher do it. Same length as an 8inch, so fits in a car just as easy. Everything is brighter.

[Regulus]

The 8@ dob is a great scope. The 10" also but it is heavier and a bit unwieldy through doorways if you need to lift it in and out. The savings over the 10" will go toward an EP or collimation tool.
I also recommend a strong Moon Filter. The moon is bright through any scope but a big mirror makes it over-powering. Use the smaller aperture that is in the lid with the MF. If'n you don't it will leave a black spot in your vision for 15+ minutes afterward.
You'll soon love ur Dob.