|
Forget Magnification
Oliver, you must get your obsession with magnification under control; it is NOT an important criterion to enjoying visual astrononmy. It has more relevance to solar system astrophotography. You are after clarity! As far as reflecting telescopes go, and they are a good place to start, fatter is better, big aperture. The fattest scope for your buck will probably be found here in the second hand market. In the less-than-$500 market you'll be struggling, but it can be done. Like I said earlier, a 200mm Dobsonian sold last night in Melbourne for $250. I bought exactly the same thing for $325 some months ago second hand and I thought I got good deal. 200mm dobs come up fairly regularly because they are considered to be an ideal starting point and many get immediately hooked and want bigger. Dobs are easy to control (miles easier than an equitorially mounted tube) and provide a very pleasing view of most heavenly phenomina.
IF magnification was important (and it isn't) the apperture NEEDS to be big for that too. To a beginner (and others) aperture is nearly everything, which is why they coined the phrase "aperture fever". A scope's function is primarily to collect light, not to magnify it. If your scope can collect lots of light (a function of aperture) then you at least have the opportunity to magnify. Trying to magnify the image of a narrow tube will lead to tears.
Keep saving and watch the second hand forum. Keep reading articles on reviews and what's going on in the beginners' section. Or even decide on a price you are willing to pay and put an ad in the Trade/WANTED section. It will probably inspire someone to want to clean out their scope room and offer you something they haven't used for a while.
|