confuse and need help

[tonyb6870]

hello, my name is tony

i am new to stargazing and was wondering if someone could give me advice?

i am currently in the process of purchasing a 'Seben Big Boss (6”)1400-150mm+Motor+USB Eyepiece VGA from ebay, but i am unsure of what it actually means.....( the 1400-150 part).

Thanks in advance

[that_guy]

150mm is the Diameter of the mirror aka 6" and 1400mm is the focal length, the distance light needs to travel till it reaches your eyepiece i think hmm from what i can remember anyhows haha

have a blast with your scope :thumbsup:

cheers
tony *another one haha*

[barx1963]

Be VERY careful buying a scope like that from Ebay. If the 1400 is the focal length, it is probably achieved by placing a fixed barlow in the focuser which is often seen on cheaper low quality scopes. I have looked at the ad you are examining and the price is over $400. This a lot to pay for this. The ad does say it is a catadioptric, but not what type. I would suggest, hold your horses and have a look at Bintel or visit a "proper" telescope retailer before spending that mush cash!

Malcolm

[Geoff45]

Don't go near this! A six inch on an EQ3--The mind boggles. Go to a proper telescope shop. You'll get a much better deal.

[barx1963]

I wrote this reply in a hurry. The thing about catadioptric scopes is that they combine lenses and mirrors. This tends to make them more expensive than a simple newtonion reflector. They can be better for imaging and often have more compact tubes. A $400 scope is unlikely to have quality optics and I would suggest it is simply a newt with a barlow. Also don't let the "USB Eyepiece" suck you in. This will be a VERY cheap CCD camera and will almost certainly disappoint. If quality images are poissible with a free camera, all imagers would use it rather than apend the thousands of $ that they do.
The EQ mount is almost never the best option for a beginner, go for a 6" or 8" dob instead which you will pay similar money for!

Malcolm

[steve000]

Hey mate,

Go here, scroll down to about 1/2 way.. 6" 1000mm for $550

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