What sort of scope would suit a 17 year old girl please

[leon]

Hi Guys, I have had some scopes in the past some being pretty expensive and have never really looked at the cheaper versions available.

Hence the question, what would one buy for a 17 year old girl who would like to try their hand at looking at the basic night sky.

By this I mean the Moon, Planets and some stars etc.

This is her first time at this and can only afford about $300.00 at the moment. :sadeyes:

So we are looking for something simple to use just a couple of EP;s maybe and nothing fancy as yet, however it has to be a Refractor :)

Maybe there is someone here that has something to offer .:shrug:

Thank You in advance.

Leon :thumbsup:

[that_guy]

Making it a refractor really limits things :/ any chance you can talk her in to a nice 2nd hand 8" dob?

[Nikolas]

A decent second hand scope with a mount would be best dobs can be unwieldly unfortunately and some cheap and nasty refractors are no better.
She may have to stretch the budget a little more if she wants some satisfaction, it doesnt have to be new just decent.

[leon]

Thank you, I agree one doesn't get much for 300 but a refractor it must be.
I reckon we could push her to about 400 tops

Leon

[iborg]

Hi Leon

My better half's father bought himself a Celestron Inspire 80AZ. I've looked through it, and found it quite reasonable. Having said that, I haven't looked through many refractors, so I am not sure how useful my opion is.

He was able to get half price, on sale, at Australian Geographic.
Binocentral currently sell it at $369 (plus shipping?). The eyepieces with it were not much, as seems to be common.

I suggest having a look at some of the reviews and consider it.

https://binocentral.com.au/product/celestron-inspire-80az-refractor-telescope/

Have fun

Philip

[AstroJunk]

https://www.anacondastores.com/camping-hiking/equipment/binoculars/celestron-astromaster-70az-telescope/BP90156237

Saw one of these the other day and it looks like a nice solid entry level kids scope that can be used on land or in sky. If she catches the bug, the next one will be much more expensive :D

[michaellxv]

Hi Leon,


What about a nice pair of Binos?

Just point out that it is 2 refractors mounted side by side.


Michael.

[DeWynter]

Second for binos. A good pair of binos like Nikon 10x50 or 16x50 Action Extreme would cost around $300 and they are much more versatile than 80mm refractor. Yes, magnification is less, but it's a very good start for exploring the night sky. Much easier to work with. And probably a good book about night sky and using binos - about $30 - $40.
The big plus of binos - they are compact and can be used for land. Take them when camping. A bit difficult with refractors.

[Outcast]

Leon,

Don't discount a 3 - 5" table top dob.. that would be in price range I think...

Easy to live with, easy to setup but, will obviously need some sort of table... :D

I can't speak with first hand experience on TT dobs specifically but, my little Vixen 5" Newt is an absolute killer & you only have to look in my signature to see what I'm comparing it to...

Just a thought

Cheers

[DeWynter]

True. The SkyWatcher Heritage 5" Tabletop Dob has pretty good reviews and it’s $300. Just need some solid table for using it.

[leon]

well thank you all, some good suggestions here, I did also think a good pair of Bino;s would be best for starting out, but i will have to do some sweet talking.

Thanks again.

Leon

[Outcast]

Sorry Leon, just had another thought....

I gifted an Orion 80mm short tube to my sister earlier this year albeit on a pretty cheap & crappy mount but, it still works okay...

I managed to cobble together a decent collection of reasonable EP's from both my own collection & the generosity of some dear people on here...

Anyways... apart from the obvious CA issues, if it has to be a refractor & the budget is fixed, the little 80mm short tubes are pretty damn good... Another scope I didn't mind using myself despite the CA issues that come with all basic refractors.

I can assure you, I wouldn't have sent it to my sister if it were junk as she would just be totally frustrated with it.. (she's in her 60s) & it wouldn't get used.

Could be another option in the price range for OTA with a semi decent mount maybe... not necessarily the one it comes advertised with though if you buy it new in a package deal...

Cheers

[Tulloch]

How about this 105 Mak on Gumtree?

It's a bit of a drive from Ballarat, and a little bit over-budget, and not a refractor, but still...

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/dromana/miscellaneous-goods/meade-telescope-etx-105-with-autostar/1225402154?utm_campaign=socialbutto ns&utm_content=ios_VIPGallery&utm_medium=social&utm_source=email

Andrew

[Steffen]

I find that a flat mirror is usually most appreciated by 17yo girls ;)

[Outcast]

Ummm, Leon...

This is somewhat substantially over budget but.....

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/point-cook/miscellaneous-goods/tal150-klevtsov-6inch-cassegrain-telescope-complete/1174661383

:)

[wayne anderson]

The best scope for anyone to have is one you will accually use regularly and you will also enjoy the views from it, an 8 inch dobsonian is a good choice or perhaps a 127mm or larger goto mak or sct, but this could break the budget of $300 by a considerable amount.

If the scope must be of refracter design and a budget of around $300, if you could stretch to $350, These zoom Binoculars may give better views than a cheap 60mm to 80mm refracter with several eyepieces, being of zoom design and 80mm objective for each eye several magnifications will be available it should give great views of nebula, star clusters, planets and the moon and even if she decides to get a larger scope in the future the 80mm zoom binoculars will still be of great use.

The binoculars can be made more stable for viewing elevated objects or higher zoom magnification by being mounted on a tripod (homemade or modified), or by being rested on the side of a large stepladder, or just lay back on the ground on a comfortable bean bag.

I am now tempted to buy these for myself......!

SAXON SCOUTER 25-125X80 ZOOM BINOCULARS at $349.00

http://www.sirius-optics.com.au/binoculars/astronomy-binoculars/saxon-scouter-25-125x80-zoom-binoculars.html

[leon]

Ummmm, is right, probably a nice little unit, she can buy something like that if she ever gets into Astronomy.

Many Thanks.

Leon

[leon]

Wow Wayne they certainly would be the way to go I reckon, but I am not forking out the dollars, she is stuck on a Refractor :rolleyes: and I am pushing the budget to $400 which will get a Saxon 909 AZ3, from Bintel, so what are your ideas about that scope :question:

Leon :thumbsup:

[wayne anderson]

Yes Leon, the Saxon 909 AZ3 seems to be the type of scope she is after, the AZ mount will be an easy quick setup for her, i am not sure of the quality of the eyepieces that come with it i have never used them, but many years ago when i received my first telescope it was a 90mm refractor the eyepieces were very low quality plastic lenses but as soon as i replaced them with good quality eyepieces the telescope really came alive with great views.

[leon]

Wayne I was actually considering getting a couple of low magnification EP;s a bit later for her if she wants to go ahead with astronomy.

Leon

[DeWynter]

While I recommended binos above I’d avoid cheap “astronomy” binos like Celestron or Saxon at all costs. They easily get uncollimated and optical quality is low. More problems than enjoyment. Same price non-astronomy ones from big brands are much-much better.

[Allan_L]

Hi again Leon,
The elephant in the room...
The best scope for an 18 year old girl with $400 to spend is obviously a 6 inch DOB. (IMHO)
Why must it be a refractor?
OK they look cooler.
But if she really wants to see stuff … ? :shrug:
I don't get it.
"Please Explain"

[lazjen]

Another option - perhaps don't buy anything and see if there's a local club to join where you might be able to hire something decent?

[SkyWatch]

If it has to be a refractor (and I agree that a 6" or 8" dob would be better), what about this one: https://www.georges.com.au/sky-watcher-102-500-az3-refractor-telescope.html?gclid=CjwKCAiA3OzvBR BXEiwALNKDPz0NRr-KQJNWoOh22lZwWEP8aVvoLSlhL_bA5OtLBA Jl07fFWntlGxoCeGMQAvD_BwE

(no eyepieces, but it seems a pretty good price, and you can pick up basic eyepieces pretty easily, or negotiate with the dealer)

I would also check with Andrews, and see if they can do a deal.

All the best,

Dean

[doppler]

OZSCOPES has a few deals on at the moment. Saxon is the same as Skywatcher, just rebadged. I have a 120/600 saxon refractor and it's a solidly built ota.

https://www.ozscopes.com.au/saxon-804az3-refractor-telescope.html
https://www.ozscopes.com.au/skywatcher-102mm-500mm-az3-refractor-telescope.html
Rick

[leon]

Thanks again guys for all you suggestions, I,m sure i will have plenty of ideas.

Leon