Reccomend me a Telescope pls

[h45e]

Hi ppls.
Here is my story... when I was a kid me and my dad use to have a Refractor telescope. It was fun going outside and looking at the moon (thats all the telescope could look at). Now im alot older and would love to get back into this hobby.
I would like to look at nebulae, star clusters and some galaxy structure aswell as some planets and ofcourse the moon. I would like to be able to take it camping with me when I "get away from it all" plus be able to take photos from my Canon Powershot S2 IS. I have a starting price of $500 with a MAX of $900. I would like to get something "bang for buck".

Thanks guys.

[barx1963]

OK, my experience, for what it's worth is get the biggest dobsonion you can afford. You can pick up an 8" dob for $700 - $800 whic leaves a few $ for accessories. To get seriously in to imaging will take a fair budget and a good dob will gives you a lot of veiwing pleasure. I am using an 8" and have it out every clear night.
But even more important than a scope, get a star atlas or maps. I use the cambridge atlas and Uranometria. Learning to navigate around is the best skill I have learnt, and really makes finding those faint fuzzies much more rewarding.

[Tilt]

Agreed, if you are looking for 'bang for buck', go a dobsonian. Andrews and Bintel has the 8" for $699.

Michael

[JethroB76]

Dont forget York Optical, who have an ad on the right hand side of this page -->

[h45e]

What about this one?

"PROED80 ED OTA Apochromatic refractor 80mm x 600mm OTA is gold in colour and features a 2" Crayford style focuser with a 2" to 1.25" reducer fitted. Has FPL-53 fluorite ED lens. Shipment just arrived!
It is supplied with a matching gold coloured 9 x 50 finderscope in a white holder, white tube rings, 200m long black aluminium dovetail bar, 2" diagonal, LET 5mm and 20mm eyepieces and aluminium carry case"

[h45e]

Now Im thinking of the Nexstar 114 SLT
"The NexStar 114 SLT has over twice the light-gathering power of an 80mm telescope! Like the other models in the SLT Series, it comes with a fully computerised hand control with a database of over 4,000 celestial objects! With its pre-assembled, adjustable steel tripod, the NexStar 114 SLT can be up and ready to use in a matter of minutes. Our new SkyAlign alignment technology and the included StarPointer Finderscope with a red LED makes aligning a breeze.
Compact and lightweight in design, this scope can produce images bright enough to reveal the polar ice caps on Mars or the cloud belts on Jupiter! View the details of the lunar surface or the rings of Saturn which are clearly visible with this telescope. With the extra light gathering capability of the 114 SLT, a number of the Messier objects such as the globular cluster Omega Centauri or the Great Nebula in Orion (M42) are available to you. Begin to explore some of the fainter Messier objects using the additional light-gathering capabilities of the 114 SLT’s 4½" primary mirror. Because of the Newtonian design, the mirror gives fully colour-corrected views that are best suited for astronomical use.
SkyAlign* (patent pending), simply input the date, time and location into the hand control then slew the telescope to any three bright celestial objects in the sky. You do not need to know the names of the stars — you could even pick the moon or bright planets!"


I wish picking a telescope was easy.. just dont want one like my old mans where all you could see is the moon.

[pgc hunter]

IMO the easiest way to narrow down your options is to ask yourself what you want in a telescope...

-do you want computer control/goto?
-do you want the most aperture for your money?
-are you going to be transporting it in your car?
-does manually tracking objects bother you?
-Is weight/bulk an issue?
-Will you be doing visual observing or photography aswell?

I hope that helps you on your way :)

[h45e]

-do you want computer control/goto?

Would like it, dont care if havent got it

-do you want the most aperture for your money?

Yes

-are you going to be transporting it in your car?

Yes

-does manually tracking objects bother you?

Nope

-Is weight/bulk an issue?

No

-Will you be doing visual observing or photography aswell?

Yes

[Tilt]

Considering your price range, I still think a 8" dobsonian would be the way to go. What type of vehicle would you be using when you go camping? A 8" dobsonian is not massive but it will still consume space. If you want to visually check out deep sky targets, then the decent sized mirror will be your friend :thumbsup:

Michael

[pgc hunter]

To get into photography, you'll be spending more than $900. Most of the cost goes into the heavier duty mounts required for AP. You could pick up a Skywatcher 8" Newt on a HEQ5 with dual axis drives at Andrews for $1300, but as you stated you've only got 900 bucks MAX to spend.

I'm tending to agree with the others here, an 8" Dob would be the way to go. Well within your price range, big enough to show you things and later on down the track when funds allow, you can put the OTA on an EQ as many others have done.

[h45e]

Ive got a Magna.

[JethroB76]

Would not recommend this scope..for anyone.

[h45e]

How come?

[JethroB76]

Its actually a different scope to what I thought it was, however after having a look at the manual, my concerns would be the same.

Celestron list its focal length as 1000mm but the OTA is only ~500mm which indicates it is a Bird-Jones style scope with a corrector lens built into the focuser to double the FL. These scopes are generally poor quality and difficult to collimate properly. Do a search for Bird-Jones and see what other people think of them. In this case most of the purchase price is going on electronics..

Even if you were to get it performing reasonably it is still only 4.5", an 8" dob would be much more pleasing to use and less frustrating to boot.

[h45e]

What do u guys think of?

http://www.myastroshop.com.au/products/details.asp?id=MAS-028

Ive been quoted $900 for it

[dannat]

Could get it cheaper at both Andrews Comm & BIntel - though post cost will be an issue. I think it is a good option, has the EQ mount for photography later & 8" should be able for you to start observing

[h45e]

Is the EQ5 a "added extra" though with this telescope?

[dpastern]

Doesn't appear to be Anthony. You're in a tough pickle really - goto makes it a lot easier imho, especially if you want to get into imaging later. Imaging is really dependant on a good mount too, but they cost money, more than what you're prepared to spend. The 8" dob would be good for visual work, but I honestly wouldn't recommend it for photography.

The last scope looks OK, mount isn't the most sturdy, but it should be good enough for simple stuff photogrpahy wise, as well as visual observing.

My honest advice to you is to wait a bit longer. If you do want that last scope mentioned, get it from Andrews. Check this page:

http://www.andrewscom.com.au/site-section-10.htm

scroll down just past half way, looking for:

Skywatcher SW-600
200 x 1000P EQ5

The base model is going for $799. With dual axis motors and controller, $949. The heavy duty mount version is $1299. The goto mount is $1899.

Why not wait a few months, and go for the heavy duty mount with dual axis motors unit for $1299?

Dave

[h45e]

Yah ill prolly wait for a bit, but I would love to have a hobby that isnt anything to do with hobbies. When I was a young boy, I went through a stage of wanting to be a astronomer. I always thought that the night sky was just black and white.. untill I saw some pics, and now im in love.
My ultimate fantasy would be able to travel to them stars etc.

[dpastern]

Patience. An alternative is to get the Dob, use it visually, and save up your pennies for a astro imaging setup down the track.

Dave

[mozzie]

being that you live in perth ive just bought a 8" collaspable dob from nvt for $499 +del you may be able to pick it up yourself i think there in perth my scope is to take camping and star parties my main scope stays in a dome they are easy to use and the detail is great although my eyepieces are the best televue witch i use on my main scope hope my advice helps
mozzie

[h45e]

Dont worrie i am going to wait for a bit. But my photography means, if I find something interesting I am looking at, I will whip out the dig cam and take a photo. But my mrs said im only allowed 1 telescope, so trying to find best bang for buck (she didnt say anything about eye pieces or mounts ;o)

[Starkler]

Reality check time.

I personally think that anyone recommending a package containing an eq5 mount or lesser to carry a scope for astrophotography is wasting your money on something you will quickly want to dispose of and upgrade once you start dabbling in AP and discover how limiting and frustrating its shortcomings are.

HEQ5 minimum, and thats to carry a small scope.

Now once you price in what a workable mount for AP costs, you have two choices, treble your budget, or use your existing budget to get the best visual bang for the buck you can get.... ie a dobsonian.

[dpastern]

You are in reality, correct, but one doesn't have to take super duper astro images either. A cheaper mount/scope will still let you take images, they just won't be super great due to the limitations of the gear. I don't think the OP realises how much work goes into making great astro images. It's not a matter of snap, all done. Hours and hours making subs, then stacking them, then PP in Photoshop etc. That's if you're serious about it all. As long as the OP realises he'll get OK, but not great images with a basic and cheaper setup, that's OK.

If the OP wants to do it on the cheap, and expects super performance, then he's in for a real reality check and disappointment (not to mention frustration) imho.

Too many people get a cheap telescope on a whim, expect miracles, and then get greatly disappointed with it all and pack the hobby in. That's the sad truth of it.

Dave

[h45e]

I do relise how much work goes into making gret pics, Ive got a stargazing blu-ray to know how good pics could look. But im just after "happy snaps"

[h45e]

I thought I let ppl know of my decison... Ill be getting a 10" Dobsonian Telescopeand then save up some more $$$ and get a HEQ5/HEQ6 later.

Now just need to decide what dobsonian to get.

[wavelandscott]

A 10 inch dob is a good visual choice. Well done and congratulations!

[h45e]

Her is my final decision:

10" Dob (would like reccomendations on what Dob to get)
A barlow (http://u-shop.com.au/Home/tabid/463/txtSearch/opbar/List/0/productid/5484/Default.aspx?SortField=Free3%2cUnit Cost) lens
An ND (http://u-shop.com.au/Home/tabid/463/txtSearch/filter/List/0/ProductID/6224/Default.aspx?SortField=Free3%2cUnit Cost) filter

[Davekyn]

Good call on the 10" dob...I find I can manage with a 12", therefore can only see the choice of a 10" a far better choice than the 8". Ofcourse if your driving a mini, an 8" may even to be big.

Whatever Dob you get, you will soon find out just how much there is to learn. When I first joined IIS all I had on my mind was taking photos as well. I even rushed the purchase of an ED80 refractor, but very soon found out that I would need $Thousands$ more to do a proper job. I now regard my ED80 as a premium grab and go with an alt/azi3 mount...But truth be told,I'll still jam the 12"Dob in the car as well. I just can't help myself:) when I do have a chance to up my credit limit, I'll get the extras I need then. In the mean time I'm having heaps of fun finding objects and learning all the deeper stuff on how the celestial sphere works ect... It might be worth noting that unless you know where to look, you won't see where to point a small refractor for imaging...not quite sure about that, but there is in fact, things we should learn, befor jumping in the deep end.
Good luck with it though...Stick with the 10" over the 8" if you can:)
Later
Dave

[Davekyn]

Now your talking...I kind of wish I had a truss or collaspable. You may find such a design with a 10" very practicle if you don't have much space in you vechile. What are you driving?

[h45e]

Im driving a 2004 Mitsubitshi Magna TL AWD model.

[h45e]

I just got quoted for the stuff I want

10006-009 – SkyWatcher 10” Dobsonian - $829
10401-016 – York 2x barlow lens - $29
10406-072 – 25% ND filter - $15
Freight - $170
Total -$1043


That price good?

[barx1963]

Looks OK. Just one other point about the vehicle. Thebases on these scopes are the hard part to fit in a car for transport. Make sure that you check out the base. On the 8" I am using, if I had a small sedan, i would have trouble.

[h45e]

I dont mind putting it on the back seat. We only r family of 2 in a "family car" but i might try the portable dob instead.

[pgc hunter]

H45e, is your car a station wagon?

[Barrykgerdes]

It's surprising what will fit in a standard 4WD. I saw a 25" Obsession loaded into the back of a 4WD. Including its trolley. I think the ladder and the trolley ramps went on the roof rack.

Baz

[Davekyn]

My 12" dob's Base fits easily through the back doors of my little 4cyl Sedan. I then simply strap it in place like a person.
Those SW Bases look thiner, longer. Not sure about those...mines a GSO. You'll be right.

[dpastern]

Congats Anthony :)

Dave

[h45e]

My car is a "family sedan".
Some companies r telling me to get a collapsible dob, but i dont know if that would be any good, plus im worried if u need a hood to cover the removable one.

[pgc hunter]

the 10" tube will fit across the back seat but the base will probably have to ride up front.

[h45e]

bugger, my gf will have to ride in the boot then

[h45e]

What do you guys think of this one?

http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=dobsonians/~pcategory=telescopes/~product_id=27184

[Tilt]

That is exactly what I did, went with a 10" dob first, then later scored a EQ6 (which you will need, HEQ5 would be too small for a 10" newt) to mount it on. Ive been very happy with it.

Just be careful with the photography side of things, mate that's a deep trench. Total money sink :lol:

Michael

[dpastern]

Looks pretty cool actually. Remember though, the Aussie dollar sucks big time, so add at least 50% onto the cost, plus import duty, cartage and GST. So, at $699 US, I reckon it'll cost:

Sol, US to Aussie dollar = $1075

Add cartage - probably $300 due to size and weight

That's $1375

Now, since it's over a grand, import duty and GST apply. So, import duty is 5% of ONLY the goods cost (not including cartage).

$1375 * 1.05 = $1443

Now, for GST (which is on both the cost of the goods, AND cartage combined):

$1443 * 1.10 = $1587

if you'd bought it 6 months ago, it would have been around $800 for the scope, and whilst you still would have paid import duty/gst, it'd been cheaper. Beware of buying overseas imho, cartage to Australia is a killer, our dollar is very weak (like a wet paper bag imho), and there's no warranty. If something goes wrong, it's ship it back to the US, which is *very* expensive.

Dave

[wasyoungonce]

I think Orion is made thru the same Synta factories in China as Skywatcher....badge engineering.;)

[h45e]

Trying to find a aussie price. Pulling teeth is easier.

[dpastern]

Yup. Bintel sells *some* Orion stuff, so does York, but they don't carry the full range. Again, Australian distributors do their own thing, rarely do they care about the Australian consumer.

Dave

[JethroB76]

The bigger you go with Orion, the more you get ripped off in Australia.

The online price for that US$899 scope from an Australian dealer is $1700 - the 12" also in that link for US$1029 will set you back $2300.

Orions new XX12 Intelliscope truss scope is US$1299 but $3200 in Australia.

[dpastern]

That's not Orion, it's greedy local distributors. One reason why I mandate that government control of business is a necessity these days. Business is like small children - give them an inch, and they'll take a metre.

Dave

[h45e]

Orion is out of my budget range. I was late at night and i stumbled across that web site and went wtf.. for that price I must have it. But then I got some sleep and went *swear words* its a American site.

Anyhow, now my question is for a Skywatcher retractable, are they any good, and do you need a shroud to get a "better image" out of them?
Plus is $800 for a Skywatcher retractable 10" a good price?

Thanks
Anthony

[toryglen-boy]

all the reviews i have read of them have been great

York Optical have it for $1125, and Andrews have it for $900, and Andrews are usually about as cheap as you can get.

Cloudynights has some good reviews on them, including the 10 inch, and yes, from your backyard, a shroud would be preferable.


:P

[h45e]

Can I pls have some linkage to the reviews (if they r online)

[toryglen-boy]

you're asking alot of questions mate, and thats fair enough, there are times that we all need advice. but i found the review by opening up google and typing "skywatcher collapsible dob review" and on the first page i found it.

I am sure everyone is happy to help, but help yourself first mate, ya know?

;)

http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=1920

This is a review of the 12" that i have just ordered, if you go back a page, there is a review of the 10"


:thumbsup:

happy trails

[h45e]

Trust me, been reading reviews up the wazoo.. but couldnt find any informative reviews about the 10" one (all were/are from companies that sold the 10". I dont really trust their reviews

[h45e]

I know im becoming a pain in the butt...
But what do you guys think of this one?
http://camerahousewa.com.au/skywatcher-black-diamond-bd2001eq5-p-997.html

And pls dont say, get a dob.

[Davekyn]

I'm suprised it's cheaper than www.andrewscom.au (http://www.andrewscom.au) Skywatcher SW-600
200 x 1000P EQ5.
I never Like buying scopes from a camera house, but that one looks ok. Nice scope for tracking at dark sites. Looks good.

[h45e]

The pic on the web site looks like a EQ5 Pro mount, but i dont know if the wording on their web site means EQ5

[dpastern]

No, you're *not* a pain in the butt, you're simply nervous about spending money on something that you're not totally au fait with, and reaching out for help. Nothing wrong with that.

Duncan, not everyone is a fait with Googling...

Anyways, the Black diamonds are supposedly SkyWatcher's premium scopes, they seem to be well received. For the price, it looks like a good buy - 8" optics for pretty good light resolving ability, EQ5 mount, reasonably solid. Also has built in motor drives in box axises. No go to, but you can always add that on later. I'd go that rather than the dob to be honest.

Dave

[h45e]

Im sort of leaning that way aswell. But so many options. I got a offer for a "Black Diamond BD2001-OTA with a PRO5MNT which is the computerized GoTo model. This is a popular model at $1859.00 including GST and Delivery"

But a bit higher than my price limit (if I went past that limit, my mrs would have my "little h45e" in a vise)

[toryglen-boy]

i am not asking him to be "au fait" with anything, and i am happy to help with whatever advice i can give, really i am.

But if you know how to register for and use this forum, then you know how to go to google and search. There is a difference between asking a bucketload of questions because you dont know (as in this case) and just being lazy.

like i said, i am happy to give whatever help i can ...


:P

[toryglen-boy]

i think your better bet is get a dob, learn more about it, learn your way around, then get an EQ mount at a later date, this spreads out the cost, and gives you time to get used to it all

;)

[wasyoungonce]

He's but a newbie...better he ask now that join the forum asking how to fix his "dept store scope".

I know he is asking many questions that can be answered by research, we all do this occasionally but it is after all an expensive purchase & you can understand he is nervous....he has a wife to answer to! ;)

I referred him to this forum, so, you can all blame me.:lol:

I'm sure that after sometime with more experience he will "pass it on" to future newbies.

[toryglen-boy]

tell you what, my scope has just arrived !!

i will post a review and pics later


;)

[dpastern]

This approach reminds me of so many of the Linux forums that I've seen in my time - where it's "RTFM". By the time the "elite" members on the forum have had their say and belittled the poster, they could have actually helped the person.

So what if he's "lazy".

Dave

[Strider]

Hi Anthony.

My advice would be to go for the biggest dob. you can afford.

Why?

It will open up more of the skies for you.
They are sooo! easy to use and find things with.
Down the track you can buy an eq mount if you want to get into astro photography seriously.

I am the fairly recent owner of a 12" Skywatcher collapsable dob.
Even with the supplied ep's I have had nice views of Saturn and four of it's moon's, Orion Nebula looks great with some nice greenish colours and I have managed to reveal some details in dso's. (Can't wait to upgrade my ep's and get even better views).
It's a pretty big scope, but it only takes about 30 secs to seperate the tube from the mount and I reckon you could transport it in most vehicles this way. Or if you went for the 8" or 10" even easier.
Most of the time I move it around the property with a truck/fridge trolley.

I had a 4" Newt. on an eq. mount for about 13 years and because i didn't have the time to spend learning how to operate the mount properly the scope gathered dust:shrug: I found it quite hard to find things with it and then keep them in the field of view.

With the dob it is so much easier.

I just point it at what I want to find and then nudge the scope to track it.
Tracking Saturn on 150X mag. is easy and the planets are about the fastest moving things out there. (I even tracked a satelite for about 10secs before I nearly fell off my chair:lol:)

I have delt with both 'Andrew's com's' and 'Astronomy Alive' and would reccomend both. Good prices and good service.

So I would suggest a dob 8" minimum and you will spend most of your time enjoying the views rather than trying to operate the mount.

Cheers Brad.

[Newtownian]

Hello Anthony

I got the bug again for looking at the stars about 1 year ago. At the time I had yes a Magna sedan - 1994 but I dont think the size is much different. I live in the the big smoke (Sydney). Am not interested in being a complete observer recluse but rather being casual and being able to see a lot more than I could with my childhood refractor (50 mm Tasco which actually had good optics strange as that may sound). I was extremely supicious about buying on the basis of the gee whiz attraction. I've still got a long way to go but maybe the following with help.

What I was looking for was a marked improvement over the 50mm in a more light polluted sky.

1. For starters go and look at a sample of what telescopes exist and 'feel' like - see http://www.quasarastronomy.com.au/shops.htm. You arent obliged to buy and at least there are two specialist shops in Perth. The advantage of buying from a local is that sorting out problems and getting some initial first hand advice is possible - not to mention getting to know the accessories. Of course they would like to sell you something. Hopefully you are enough of a post modernist to tell a good salesperson who relies on honesty from a shark which you might find in a camera store. Either way if they are a real telescope shop they will know about things they can at least indicate to you are an option which you never thought of.

Beyond that it may be worth going to one of the amateur astronomy groups to see what options you have (I havent done this admittedly) but I'm sure it wouldnt hurt noting they will likely have several years on you and talk a different language.

Once you are confident then maybe do the mail-order bit. Though I'd be dubious about overseas as you start getting into painful duty and importation costs and bank charges. This is not like a book from Amazon. And one always remembers 'The Castle' and those weird backposture chairs they picked up as a steel.

Another thing is to consider the variation in optical quality you get from different scopes - more on that below. Consider that a simple pair of eyeglasses are hundreds of dollar compared to service station reading glasses. Looking through different price binoculars will give you an appreciation of optical clarity.

Remember while size does matter (have a look at the SDM web site if you are curious how far this can go) good optics does to and with te cheaper telescopes even a novice can tell the difference between good optics and rubbish in a side by side comparison.

2. Whatever you get you wont be totally happy unless you have a bigger budget - if its a single telescope meeting all you wishes my guess is what you are looking at is at least $3500 for an 8 inch Cassegrain with goto technology or $2500 for the Newtonian equivalent as it would:
*be a single telescope that addresses all your wants without clear shortcomings I can think of
*provide a lot more light than your childhood refractor
*have photography potential
*appear to be compact enough to fit in the boot of a magna
*like refractors such the Cassegrain doesnt need mirror alignment everytime you move it - fine for experienced people but very time consuming for you at the start
*it has goto - if you are going to be social with this you need motor drive so you dont waste all your time showing people Saturn which gets boring for you after the fourth time.
*at that price you should be able to expect good optics.


3. The telescope is just the start. The accessories arent that optional for example:
if you get a newtonian optics system item you will need some form of collimator
you will want at least 3 good flat field objectives with wide fields of view - which arent always the standard provided in a package.
you may want a finderscope instead of one of those laser targetters
you will want literature, books, a calendar, a planisphere etc. - the electronic software does not beat a good hardcopy map
you could really use a telescope chair
other odds and ends include a mirror fan/heater, batteries, a barlow lens, red diode torches
you will need protective bags to carry things in
hopefully you have camping lights, torches, tables and chairs to organise things on
do you have binoculars? - always recommendedNone of the above is not absolutely necessary but they all go to make the experience successful and if you want to move beyond random looking about at the sky you need them.

4. A note about the Dobsonian chatter - when I was young and maybe you were too, 6 to 8 inch telescopes were unthinkable unaffordable devices only possessed by dedicated amateurs grinding their own mirrors. To buy a modest 4" Newtonian reflector from Tasco was if memory serves me about $130 or about $3000 in todays money. Now you can buy a commercial 16 inch Dobsonian for about the same price. So you can see where the love of them comes from - the impossible is now possible even without going to the photography bit - especially for those who just want to look at the stars galaxies and nebulae with their own eyes.

If you really want to see how far this can go have a look at one extreme of suburban astronomy example at the following site http://www.cruxis.com/scope/scope1070.htm

But there are also limitations to them which brings me to

5. My experience as a case study.

a. About a year ago I was faced with your dilemma/interest/curiosity/situation. First stop was a couple of shops to see what was offer from self assembled to do it yourself jobs to giant real men telescope plus detailed internet research - its real kid in a toy store stuff.


In the end I settled on a 12 inch Lightbridge because:
It seemed to offer the most light gathering power for a modest price in a 'car portable' instrument.
The solid tube Dobsonians did not seem as portable without a ute, trailer or station wagon (roof racks lead to imaginings of flying telescopes and putting things on roofs is liable to damage things).
The investment required for the basic instrument was about 1/4rd of a Cassegrain equivalent.
When dismantled I could lift the components in the boot and part of the back seat - just and not very sociable - this would have been too big an ask for the 16 inch which was also twice the price
The reviews were generally favorable regarding optics etc.The reality:
Basically all the above was true but I hadnt counted initially on the following:
I needed the above accessories - the logic was unassailable.
The moon ruins 50% or your viewing wherever you are so patience is essential as well as planning - I knew this but its another matter to work in with the fact of it.
The cloud gods have wiped out every optimal night available to me at a good spot in the last year.
Sydney light pollution is depressing and our backyard has a back lane street light that needs a sling shot taken to it. But that isnt going to work with the footy ground and the port lights.
When you do this socially and have a 'star party' everyone wants to see the planets which move rapidly across the field of view and YOU have to do the realignment because no-one else quite gets how to do it.
It takes a while to assemble and align the Dobsonian - I'll get better I'm sure but???
To get good seeing conditions you need to go a long way and as I said the cloud gods have not been kind which is very off putting - at least the BoM can give you an idea of what's coming from different directions. But you can only plan a few days in advance and often you just have to take a chance.
To make the Dosonian even basic photography ready would require the Argo Navis and that's another $1000.
Familiarising yourself with the night sky takes a while.
Remember it takes 30 minutes for your eyes to become dark adjusted - ok for you but what about you star party friends.Nevertheless I dont regret getting the big Dobsonian and I will use it over time (but this is not like television on demand) I expect. On the plus side:
On a good night I have been able to see nebulae etc near the zenith (a note about this - the atmosphere inherently blocks an enormous amount of light so that when you look up in a normal way at about 30 degrees you see much dimmed light though you may not be aware of this).
The amount of light the big reflector can draw in counters in part the poor seeing conditions.
All the reading of reviews indicates if you want to see faint objects then mirror size does matter so the difference between 12/16 inch and an 8 inch is significant.
And things may be better in Perth - with less light pollution and cloud I'd guess and you maybe in a less bright suburb.b. A partial way around these dilemmas which I considered was the unthinkable - a second smaller more convenient telescope - again at a price. After futzing about I was attracted to the Nextstar 114 as it seemed to offer goto, compactness, reasonable light gathering power and a very good price of $600.

What I found was interesting. The goto system though light is quite servicable and is exactly what you need for star parties (dont know about photography but I will probably give this a go sometime). Its quick to set up and fits in the boot of the car along with chairs tables esky etc. And as hoped all the bits and pieces fitted into a cricket kit bag. The latter means you can have it ready for an opportunity should it arise and if the weather gods are unkind the inconvenience is minor.

The optics though were rubbish and its not obvious why the 130 Nexstar should be better. In trying to tune the secondary mirror I seemed to lose alignment completely. In hindsight though I think it was never good and my failure to get good star images during the tuning process was more about the inbuilt Barlow, and the lack of a consistent plane of focus which cant be fixed. The focuser was also rubbish. Finally the eyepieces provided were also of relatively poor quality though this was less a concern as I had already got a decent set of eyepieces. Another little problem is that it cant point at the Zenith without bashing the mount.

And guess what - I got this as a sight unseen mail order item.

In the end what I've done was to buy yet another telescope - actually an optical tube for a short focal length refractor which would fit on the tripod - the 70 mm - 100 mm ones with light gathering power similar to the 114 range in price from $300 to $5000 depending again on optic quality.

The 72 mm one I chose seems to work, gives very crisp true color images, CAN point at the Zenith fits in the cricket bag and uses all the other bits I have.

So finally I'm there though the bill's a bit more than what I'd expected - and its getting toward the figure I mentioned. Such is the nature of boys toys.

c. What would I in hindsight have done differently? I'm not sure.

I have two telescopes and most accessories which are suited to different tasks rather than a single compromise. You will notice many contributors seem to have something similar as do the the bed and breakfast observatories.

Regarding the Dosonian I wanted initially high light gathering power and thats what I have. The 12 inch mirror in a portable format still seems as good as it gets for the price with portability.

Regarding the second small telescope - its Goto mount seems hard to beat and it is covenient and final hybrid seems to work very well.

In conclusion you are really looking for several things at once. For your budget you will get some but not others unless you can pay a substantial premium they wont come in a single unit. At a guess the Dosonian is what I'd choose in your situation but just remember all the pitfalls before committing.

[Baddad]

That was interesting reading, Newtonian.

I have a question on the subject.
I was in York Optical some months back. I was told that the 8" SCT was good for deep space viewing and the Dob was good for planet viewing.:shrug: :confuse2:

Does this sound correct? Was this just an expression of personal choice perhaps? :confuse3: I can't see why there would be any significant difference. Can you shed some light on this?

Cheers Marty :)

[Newtownian]

Sorry I cant help there. The SCTs appear better suited to photography so maybe thats the basis.

[Baddad]

Newtownian;422556]Sorry I cant help there. The SCTs appear better suited to photography so maybe thats the basis

OK Thanks for responding anyway.:thumbsup:

[Newtownian]

Marty?

Figuring out what is the best telescope seems another good reason for linking up with a local astronomy group and having a look at what they have on offer as a model for deciding on your choice.

Another thing is someone may have a good second hand telescope for sale because they want to trade up. The good thing with optics at least is what you see is what you get unlike cars and if there's a group you could likely get a consensus.

One final thing. I was a little negative about being disappointed if you did your homework. You may feel you cant afford what you would like to but decent planning should mean you will have cool off time to assess if you really do want one and you will know you made your own decision as far as that is possible.

Newtownian:thumbsup:

[Baddad]

Mr. Newtownian, That is good advice, thankyou.:hi:

I have already purchased a Celestron SCT 8SE on a goto mount. I shopped around a little and spent $2,900.

I have a few 1.25" and 2" eyepieces and diagonals and filters.
I very much want to view via a 10", 12" and 16" Dob. I think its called "Aperture Fever". I only started Feb 09, but have had an interest in astronomy since the dinosouars. In the past I could never justify the financial outlay until recently.

I am seriously thinking of upgrading / adding to the armoury. I need some time in the field to help make a choice. I'm interested in astrophotography as well but not dabbling in that 'til I become a proficient observer. That is not going to happen for a few months when the clearer skiers of Brisbane's winter begin to prevail.:)