Best sit down visual scope under $5000.

glend (Glen) · #1 07-10-2015, 01:18 PM

I have an aging friend who would like to buy a telescope for his rural property, he doesn't know a lot about the equipment choices and asked me. His requirements are pretty basic: visual use only, he would like to be able to see DSOs (brighter galaxies at least, nebula, and the odd comet), has to be able to be used sitting down (bad knee and back), and it can be either Alt/AZ or EQ mount but Goto is ideal. His budget is around $5000 total. As I have been imaging for the last couple of years I am not up to speed on visual scope developments so I am asking here for input. I am assuming based on his requirements, that it's probably going to be a refractor. Opinions?

raymo · #2 07-10-2015, 01:41 PM

Celestron make several scopes that would suit. Refractors are not the best choice for visual of galaxies etc; not enough light gathering power.
The Celestron 9.25" Evolution SCT would be good, plenty of aperture.
Andrews have them coming in in December at $4499.
Alternatively, the 8SE would also be good, similar setup, but a lot cheaper, about $2700 I think. Both are "Go To" of course, and can be used seated.
A reducer can be added to the rig, giving a much wider field of view, so he would have the best of both worlds.

julianh72 (Julian) · #3 07-10-2015, 01:44 PM

My father has similar mobility / fatigue issues. When he is fit enough to stand for extended periods, his 200 mm Meade SCT is fine (he takes frequent "rest breaks" in a camping chair while we move to a new target), but he has great difficulty with it when he gets fatigued.

One option for your friend might be an adjustable observer's chair? (They aren't suitable for my father, as he can become quite unstable when he is fatigued.)

He does much better with my 90 mm Mak on a conventional lightweight Alt-Az tripod, which we can get much lower to the ground than the big SCT's "Field Tripod". We set it up with the Alt axis a little bit higher than eye level when he is sitting down, and he sits in a folding camping chair.

The Mak is mounted at the rear of the OTA, so the eyepiece doesn't change height much as you swing from the horizon to the zenith. He sits side-on to the side of the scope, rather than directly behind it. For objects near the zenith, the eyepiece is oriented almost vertically up and he just needs to peer straight down into it. For objects lower in the sky (where the eyepiece rises a bit higher), he twists the diagonal to a more horizontal orientation, and looks in from the side. When he gets everything set up well, he hardly has to adjust the chair, except when pointing to a different direction.

We've tried setting the 200 mm SCT up in a similar low-set configuration, but the spread of the big Field Tripod legs makes it pretty much impossible to get a camping chair in close enough to the eyepiece. (We can get a little stool in, but this doesn't give him enough support and comfort.) A smaller SCT (100 mm - 150 mm say) that can go on a lighter-weight tripod might be an option?

A similar approach would probably work with a short-tube refractor, but these are typically mounted near the mid-point of the OTA, so the eyepiece will rise and fall further as you move from the horizon to the zenith, and you might need to adjust your seating more often.

Hope this helps!

madwayne (Wayne) · #4 07-10-2015, 09:45 PM

Hi Glen

Is video astronomy an option? I've thought about it for my setup as winter can be bitter here in the highlands. The idea of setting it up and doing my astronomy indoors via wifi has great appeal. I haven't done much research on it apart from looking at a few websites. Is your friend computer literate?

Just another alternative that could be worth a look.

Wayne

casstony · #5 07-10-2015, 09:55 PM

Getting older, crook joints, seated observing: I'd suggest Celestron Evolution 8".

raymo · #6 08-10-2015, 03:44 PM

The reason I suggested the Celestron 8SE and Evolution 9.25 is that
they are made to be used sitting down.
raymo

Camelopardalis (Dunk) · #7 08-10-2015, 06:13 PM

I'd probably go with the CPC instead and then piggy back it with a nice short apo with time

not sure how much extra weight the Evo would handle.

issdaol (Phil) · #8 14-10-2015, 08:09 PM

I think the Key point here is DSO's

If those are what your father is interested in and also needing to sit down then an SCT will be the better option for the stated budget.

The Celestron Evolution would be my choice.

I you had a little bit more money to play with I would personally go for a Tak Mewlon 210 on the Evolution Mount.

ariefm71 (Arief) · #9 14-10-2015, 09:48 PM

+1 for Evolution 9.25 package (can't buy just the mount at the moment) and a heavy duty CPC11 tripod upgrade. A Mewlon 210 can be added into the mix later on.

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/a...e.php?a=189448

glend (Glen) · #10 18-10-2015, 02:03 PM

Thanks for all the suggestions folks. I have passed them onto the 'aged friend' (not my dad by the way), and I believe he is going to go with the Celestron 8SE simply because it weighs less than the Evolution 9.25 (but he likes the Evolution battery life and wifi feature). I'll let you know what he finally does.
Cheers
Glend

JimsShed (Jim) · #11 20-10-2015, 11:03 PM

You don't have to be ageing to want to sit at your scope. I have an ED80 on an eq mount and just love sitting in the backyard and absorbing the nuances of what I can see. I'll get something bigger one day.

ChrisV (Chris) · #12 24-10-2015, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by madwayne

Hi Glen

Is video astronomy an option?
....
Just another alternative that could be worth a look.

Wayne

Sorry to butt in but, as an older newbie, I found this question interesting. How possible is this - videoing and watching remotely ?

How sensitive is a ccd compared to your eyeball ? Would you have to spend a fortune on a very sensitive ccd.

Chris