hey

[james]

i want to buy a telescope but i dont know waht to get

i want one thats good for deep space viewing like seeing galaxies, clusters etc etc, but i dont know whats what.

anyone that know good telescopes from price range 600$-1200$, in sydney area please tell me.

[seeker372011]

Hey james, good you got here from UT


before the LX 200 people jump in, i'd suggest you consider an 8 inch dob from Andrews, its easily the best value for money

look around this forum lots of people here have bought dobs from Andrews and are happy with the purchase.

If you want to get into astophotography of course it is a different story

[james]

ok im at andrews site in the dob section which 1 out of these are the best for money

http://www.andrewscom.com.au/images/products/telescopes/dobsonian/gs580.jpg
Guan Sheng GS-580-LTD
$299.00 AUD

150mm x 1200mm reflector on a dobsonian mount.



http://www.andrewscom.com.au/images/products/telescopes/dobsonian/200x1000dob.jpg
Skywatcher 200X1000
$499.00 AUD

200mm x 1000mm reflector on a dobsonian mount.



http://www.andrewscom.com.au/images/products/telescopes/dobsonian/gs680.jpg
Guan Sheng GS-680-LTD
$399.00 AUD

200mm x 1200mm reflector on a dobsonian mount.



http://www.andrewscom.com.au/images/products/telescopes/dobsonian/gs880.jpg
Guan Sheng GS-880-LTD
$649.00 AUD

Guan Sheng GS-880-BK7-CRF
$699.00 AUD

250mm x 1250mm reflector with 2" Crayford style focuser on a dobsonian mount.


http://www.andrewscom.com.au/images/products/telescopes/dobsonian/gs980.jpg

Guan Sheng GS-980-LTD
$999.00 AUD

Guan Sheng GS-980-BK7-CRF
$1249.00 AUD

300mm x 1500mm reflector with 2" Crayford style focuser on a dobsonian mount.

[slice of heaven]

gs680

And Hi James

[james]

hey

so the gs680 is good , but ive been reading that telescopes under 500 bucks is worthless , or is it for the otehr type on the tripod?

[jackenau]

Welcome James. I suppose you are kind of like right at the "telescopes under 500 bucks is worthless" but not always true. The dobs definately the way to go for a quick entry into viewing. I have found the bigger ther better. But as they get bigger you loose the portability factor unless you are using it in your own back yard.

May I suggest you read back over the forums to get some ideas on what you can expect to see, cost, where to purchase from, physical size of scopes, problems people have experienced with some of their purchases, or have felt that have not met their expectations, or for the other have exceeded their expectations, before proceeding with your purchase.

A lot of people will recommend you try before you buy, by attending star parties, or the local club etc, but in most instances you can make a reasonably clear decision based on what people have experienced through their input here.

Probably the most important thing is not to over expect based on pictures you view in magazines etc.

And more importantly ask questions if you need guidance!

Ken M

[janoskiss]

The Guan Sheng Dobs are all exceptional value for money; all you need to decide is what size suits you best. Most photons per $ you will get from the 8" (200mm) at $399. But a bigger scope will show you more things, so take your time until you know what's best for you.

[iceman]

Hi James.

You're from blacktown, there's a few other sydney members here who might be able to show you through their scopes.. in addition, if you want to make a little trip north, we're having a star party on May the 7th on the central coast.. if you can make it up, you'll get to look through LOADS of different telescopes, from 4" refractors up to 20" dobs, and everything inbetween, motorised LX200's, LX90's, 10" and 12" GSO dobs, etc.

It really is the best way to ensure you know exactly what you're getting and what you'll be able to see, and the differences in what you see in scopes of different sizes.. including whether you like the idea of pushing the scope around, or want something motorised to do it for you.

The old rule "telescopes under $500 are useless" isn't really true anymore when you talk about the 8" GSO dob. it's a really great scope for a great price. If you talk about refractors, or anything on a tripod, then the rule still is true.

btw how did you hear about us?

[seeker372011]

James, if you are from Blacktown, you could also come along to the Western Sydney Amateur Astronomy Group observing nights at Linden and that will give you an opportunity to look through a few scopes before making up your mind

otherwise as Mike suggests why not come along on 7 May to the Central Coast where you are likely to see far more scopes of different kinds

[ving]

hi james.
I can personally recommend the 8" gs dob as that is the one i have and its great. but if you can afford the 10" then the extra light gathering is worth it. basically if you are getting a dob there are 2 roads for you

1. get the biggest you can afford and save for some good EPs later
2. buy a 8" and get a range of EPs to go with it.

welcome aboard.

[james]

i heard about you guys from seeker on another forums.
also what the addys of both places try to attend atleast 1 of them or both if i dont have to work, also how much is it to get in, and for the cebtral coast is there trains there or i get of at bondi and catch a bus?

[iceman]

James,

The central coast is about 1 - 1.5hrs north of sydney. If you're not driving, you'd have to catch the train to Gosford and get someone to pick you up there to take you out to the star party, or get a lift with someone who is also coming from sydney.

Check this thread (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1499) for all the details about the star party.

[james]

is there a fee involved
also
theres a 80% chance i can come with my mum's friend husband who like this stuff also

[iceman]

There's no cost for the starparty, but if you come to the BBQ, bring your own meat + drinks.. All is revealed in the thread.

[james]

ill be attending im jsut gonna close my shop of earlier then expected.

[MiG]

Another thing to narrow down your choices: get one that fits in your car. I bought the 10" one because the 12" was too long.

[Moonman]

James,

I am presently going thru the process of having a GS 8' DOB shipped to tassy. This particular unit comes highly recommended by others on and off this forum and the dobsonian mount is definitly the quickest and easiest to use and can be retro fitted with all kinds of digital guidance and tracking devices as your need and budget grows or explodes whichever happens first.

Definitely go for an 8" as you will only get limited viewing satisfaction with smaller apertures and you will find yourself wanting to move on very quickly anyway. I know this from recent experience.

Happy Star Hopping

[Astroman]

I would go 12" :P Only cos I want one LOL.....

[acropolite]

8 or 10 inch dob's probably the go, if it were me, since they're both quite large, I'd go for the 10 inch because as Mig stated (and he's always right :poke: ) it will fit in an average car and aperture really does make a difference.

[james]

thanks guys for all the replies, in my mind its a choice of 8" or the 10" but ill check it out at the star party =).

[ballaratdragons]

James,

Get a GS Dob, not the Skywatcher! Skywatchers are made by Synta in China and are fairly crappy and the focusers have a bad reputation. The GS is made by Guan Sheng from Taiwan and have much higher quality optics. Also when you order the Eyepeices, get the GSO ones. The Synta ones are garbage.

Bold statements, but true. You want help, we'll tell you the good and the bad.

Good to have you on board, I am an old Seven Hills boy and went to Blacktown Boys High School a very, very, very long time ago.

[james]

i finished from john paul 2 last year

[james]

http://www.andrewscom.com.au/images/products/telescopes/dobsonian/gs880.jpg
Guan Sheng GS-880-LTD
$649.00 AUD

Guan Sheng GS-880-BK7-CRF
$699.00 AUD

is this one good ?

[Starkler]

Yes James the 880 is the ideal size and a great buy!
Its about as big as can be transported in the family sedan and 10 inches aperture is enough to keep most people happy for years.

It IS worth paying the extra for the upgraded model just to get the crayford focuser over the standard one which leaves a little to be desired.

When you place your order, I strongly recommend you order a cheshire collimater also.

[james]

cheshire collimater whats this?

[Starkler]

James its a tool for aligning the optics in your scope to ensure you get the best results.

A newtonian reflector such as the GSO dob will require periodic alignment ( collimation) to get the best out of it. You will need a cheshire (dont buy a laser) to keep the scope giving the best views possible.

Have a read of this http://skyandtelescope.com/printable/howto/scopes/article_790.asp

There have also been a few recent threads on collimation and cheshire eyepieces, the forums search function will find them for you.

[james]

do i have to do that myself or does it already come like that

[Starkler]

It will arrive on your doorstep something between "reasonably well collimated" to "way off". It certainly wont be optimal as it arrives.

Best thing I can suggest is to take your new scope along to one of the local groups starparties and one of the experienced observers should be able to show you the ropes and collimate it for you :)

[james]

Guan Sheng GS-880-BK7-CRF
i jsut called andrews and he told me that this version really aint worth it, not really worth it for australia.

[james]

also he told me that it doesnt give good quality of planets. is it true ( even tho i want to see deep space, but i still want to see planets from now and then ).

[james]

also 1 more thing

how do you take pictures, cause i want to take a pic and ask you guys if its good.

[Starkler]

He may be referring to the BK7 mirror which has better thermal properties than the plate glass. More important in very cold climates. What you really want is the crayford focuser which comes with that model. Maybe they dont have it in stock and are trying to sell you the cheaper model.

As for viewing planets, the scope should do a fine job of it with the right eyepieces and when collimated.

You could also try Bintel who sell the same scope for a slightly higher price , but it supposedly comes already checked, centre-spotted and collimated for you.

[ving]

now youve opened a completely diffrent er... kettle of fish or however the saying goes.
to take pics of DSOs you need tracking... $$$

[james]

cant you jsut put the cam at the lense and take a pic lol

[iceman]

All your questions about astrophotography with a dob, answered here:
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/index.php?id=63,201,0,0,1,0

:D