Celestron Omni XLT 150 - Cheapest Price

[Manav]

Hi Everyone,

Not sure if this is the correct place to post this but Ive been searching for the Celestron Omni XLT 150 on the net. So far Ive managed to get the cheapest price at OZ scopes (here (http://www.ozscopes.com.au/reflector-telescope-celestron-omni-150-xlt.html)). They are showing 899 AUD excl postage and handling (i.e. to Sydney).

Apart from that York Optical are selling it for 1235 AUD (minus 123.50 AUD) as part of the ice in space discount voucher. Which is still a bit more expensive.

My question is should I stick to internet for shopping telescopes/is there a better price anywhere else. Would love to see response from guys who have bought a similar scope recently.

Just conserving pennies during the tough times recently.

Take Care.

[dannat]

yes,thats the cheapest price i've seen,Andrews comm(usually cheapest in Oz) will have them for 999 as per their site. I have the xlt150 OTA, not the mount. The performance is good - without being great - not quite as good views asi got with my 5" intes mak - but then again its f/l was longer so perfromed better on some objects. the mount they sell with it is the cg4, which is ok but is really a flashy eq3 -

what do you want the scope for?

I bought mine for some visual use& some photo use (it has a clever focuser whereby the epholder screws off to reveal a t thread to screw your camera on

If you want it for dual purpose like me it's good, for visual only i would get a dobsonian mounted newt,

For the money i think an eq5 mount would be moresensible - someone had a 8" in the classifieds hereon eq5 -
Overall i would say it's slightly overpriced at 900-1000

[Manav]

Hi Dan,

Thanks for the reply really appriciate it. I've always had a interest in astronomy and have recently decided to finally go out and get a telescope. I researched around and went through the FAQ beforehand but that was the best equipment I could narrow my search to.

I live in an apartment so the size constraint comes into play though Im now tempted to look at the 8" DOB. I also agree with you about the costing. Is there a particular package you would recommend for that price range or cheaper? My main interests are planets followed by Nebulae (If I can get decent views)

In the meantime I will go through the classifieds again.

Take care mate.

[dannat]

are you only interested in visual? then the Dob would be the way to go - it is easier to find targets & will show more - check the classifieds here on this site or as in Sydney see either BIntel or AndrewsComm (bintel would be my recommendation -bit dearer but better service which is important if you're new)
If size is a big problem maybe a 4" refractor(long f/l, say f9 - not f5), it gathers less light but is smaller & f/l is longer meaning you can buy cheaper eyepieces (longer f/l show less eyepiece defects){i'm sure many here will say just get the dob}
I would go out to bintel & browse the store, get some advice then leave & think about it

[Manav]

Will do buddy! :) I'll let you know how that goes.