Looking for Advice - Celesteron AstroMaster 130 or Saxton 8" Dobsonian Telescope

[Dax (Darren)]

Hi Guys
My son (age 6) and I are looking to take up Astronomy as a hobby that we can do together.

I have always had a keen interest in Astronomy but never taken it to the level of investing in a scope and my son is soooo facinated with the moon and spotting planets with the naked eye.

I have been trying to work out where to start and what to buy. So far I am looking at the Celesteron Astromaster 130 and the Saxton 8" Dobsonian Telescope.

For complete begginers, what is the best way to go so that we can find/track/follow objects in our sky.

From what I have seen so far on YouTube and the net is that the Celesteron takes a little bit to set up on the right angles (pole setting's and stuff) where the Saxton does not seem to have any of these latitude adjustments or any "start position" on the southern pole.

Any suggestions would be great as we dont want to buy the wrong thing all together.

Our budget for starting off is between $500 and $600 (I wish it was a few $k)

Thank you in advance

Dax - The new guy!

[Somnium (Aidan)]

i would take the 8" dob over the eq mounted celestron. EQ mounts are great for tracking objects in the sky over long distances with precision for astrophotography. unfortunately to do this you need something with motor drives and something quite a bit more sturdier. so getting this kind of mount means you get all of the headaches (time taken to align to the pole) and none of the benefits (better tracking and location of objects) of EQ mounts. you are better to get a Dob with much better light gathering and resolution. if you are looking for casual observation with a 6 year old, i think that the EQ mount will be a little frustrating and will be relegated to the closet very quickly.

[glend (Glen)]

I have an Astromaster sitting in the top of a closet, it never gets used but I can't get rid of it because it was a gift and has no real value anyway. Get the dobsonian, much easier to use and you can easily understand the Altitude and Azimuth (Compass heading) of objects in the sky. Any EQ manual mount is going to be a struggle for beginners. Have a look at 'ALL' the dobsonian options in the size range your considering, Bintel provide good service for beginners and you can't go wrong talking to them on the phone.

[Dax (Darren)]

The only concern i have about the Dob is portability
i have to look through trees to see my target spots in the sky, but we have a great park with a huge oval not too far away that is perfect.

[sil (Steve)]

I also have an AstroMaster 130 which is a useless first scope to learn from. Optically its great once you buy decent eyepieces, the included eyepieces are poor (pretty much all Brand name scope come with low grade eyepieces.

Go for a dob. Talk to the Bintel guys. Maybe a motorised AltAZ mount would be useful but even a tabletop dob would be a great start. A solid stable mount is a must (avoid EQ or GOTO mounts for now, something you can save for later if you need). The 100mm Orion SkyScanner is a great little scope. Good optics, eyepieces are good too, but better ones do improve the view. It's an easy scope to learn star hopping with. At the stage forget about what you might want in the future, buy a good scope for your current needs and budget. When you want more you'll get a second scope, there is no "one scope does all" option really. And dont get hung up on having a "large" scope, they are never large enough. Good quality optics rule, so speak to Bintel about a scope for your budget, maybe also find out what eyepiece upgrades will suit it best

[Somnium (Aidan)]

Originally Posted by Dax

The only concern i have about the Dob is portability
i have to look through trees to see my target spots in the sky, but we have a great park with a huge oval not too far away that is perfect.

Have you considered some good binoculars then. that was the first thing that i used, with a steady hand you can make out the 4 moons of jupiter. but if you can transport the Dob, i would still go for that

[Dax (Darren)]

I think I'll go and pay Bintel a visit today and take a look..

From the replies so far i think the Dob is the way to go. I dont want my 6yo lossing interest as we try to work the EQ mount.

Thanks all for your honest opinons and advice

[rustigsmed (Russell)]

hi dax,

you might consider a collapsible 8" dob perhaps?
http://www.myastroshop.com.au/produc...sp?id=MAS-041E
they are a bit easier to transport.

also you should consider joining the mornington peninsula astro society. http://www.mpas.asn.au/index.htm there is nothing like hands on help.

Cheers

Russ

[Somnium (Aidan)]

Originally Posted by Dax

I think I'll go and pay Bintel a visit today and take a look..

From the replies so far i think the Dob is the way to go. I dont want my 6yo lossing interest as we try to work the EQ mount.

Thanks all for your honest opinons and advice

Good idea, but also head out to a star party in your local area, you will get to look through great scopes and talk to keen amateur astronomers.

[sil (Steve)]

Also consider a small pair of binoculars too, so you and your son have a second toy to play with when the scope is in use and just to explore the sky at your own paces. Binos are great companions, just get something of quality,I use a small pocket size 8x20 pair, Speak to Bintel about them

[mental4astro (Alexander)]

Dax,

to IIS!

While not often thrown into the mix of normal first telescope suggestions here, even by me, I would suggest a different telescope for your 6 year old. A small refractor!

I have recently been involved with the very same situation as yourself - a family with littlies and a choice between a small refractor or a small dob (not even an 8" dob in this case!). We decided that for all practicalities that a 70mm refractor would be a better choice for a little kid.

Don't forget that a 6 year old may actually not reach the eyepiece at zenith with an 8" dob - a small step ladder is neither safe nor practical long term here. And an 8" dob can be an unyielding beast at times, needing a bit of brute force when close to zenith too. And from a pointing stand point, a refractor will be much easier to understand the spacial geometry involved with relation to the sky.

I am all for aperture being King! But we can forget sometimes that adults do not have the same physical limitations of a child. Sure mum and dad can help, but the help is wanted only so-far, as a kid will still like to have some independence in becoming familiar with a scope, especially if it is THEIR scope - sorry mum and dad, but kids do grow wings early! - I have two kiddies myself...

In so far as shifting a big 8" dob to the park, you'll do that once or twice, but then no more. A small 70mm refractor on the other hand is a much easier proposition. Your son can also be entrusted with carrying one or other component of the scope, but not with a dob.

A 70mm refractor is no slouch either! It will show you the rings of Saturn, the moons of Jupiter, some features on Mars, and plenty of deep sky objects. And let's not forget the MOON! Like you said, you want to encourage, not overwhelm as an 8" dob I feel will. The pleasure and awe that will come with receiving a 70mm refractor will be none the less as great as a blooming big 8" dob.

We also forget that a Newtonian, of ANY size, requires much more maintenance. For a 6 year old, you want something that is always ready to go, not stuff around with optics that shift and need regular aligning, especially when transporting is necessary. The very occasional cleaning of the primary mirror, well, forget that too.

Storing a packed down refractor will be a whole lot easier than an 8" dob. It can sit waiting patiently for years, out of the way, waiting for the day that the sky calls again, and it will still be a happy reacquaintance with an old friend. A scope that will be happily be kept somewhere in the house.

If your son was 13, sure an 8" dob is feasible. For a 6 year old, smaller is better right now. Plus, for a 6 year old, a refractor IS what a telescope looks like.

Mental.

[Atmos (Colin)]

EQ mounts are really good if you're willing to put a bit of an investment into them. Cheap ones will drive you insane!

[Dax (Darren)]

Thanks for all of the great info. I found a closer scope store and went and had a great chat with them.

I will be taking my son to a Astro Club night this Friday night and see how that all goes. I am really liking a Saxton 8" colapsable dob but im not settled on it. My 6yo will be just tall enough to get great use out of it even at zenith.

Its a big investment even at $650 for beginners and thats why i am far from settled on this. I also like the idea that we can add filters for better luna watching and taking photos of our beautiful moon..

I really appreciate all of the great advice and I will be trying out first before laying the money down.

[Somnium (Aidan)]

Originally Posted by Dax

Its a big investment even at $650 for beginners and thats why i am far from settled on this.

This hobby has a tendency to empty your pockets !

[Dax (Darren)]

Originally Posted by Somnium

This hobby has a tendency to empty your pockets !

I use to be into Archery, that little sport gets VERY expensive, very quickly.

I think for $650 ill get what we need out of it for a while, but i can see us upgrading in a few years time, thats for sure.

My boy is only 6, but as his knowledge grows, im sure the scope will too..

[mental4astro (Alexander)]

Ahh, it looks like this could be one of THOSE gifts, by the sounds of it. There could be a new scope in the house around Father's day, eh...

Yep, I've got things for MY kids too...

What ever the situation, I'm sure the scope will get a good workout,

[Somnium (Aidan)]

Originally Posted by Dax

I use to be into Archery, that little sport gets VERY expensive, very quickly.

I think for $650 ill get what we need out of it for a while, but i can see us upgrading in a few years time, thats for sure.

My boy is only 6, but as his knowledge grows, im sure the scope will too..

Great stuff, i am sure this will serve you well for many years to come, don't let my cynicism influence you, my wallet is attempting to recover from spending enough money to buy a new car

[barx1963 (Malcolm)]

Dax
Having been through EXACTLY the same situation, including doing archery for over 20 years, but without the 6yo, my advice is don't even think about an EQ mounted scope.
Dobs are very easy to setup and an 8" is really quite portable. I used to travel with mine and later on a 12" with no issues.

Malcolm

[Dax (Darren)]

Originally Posted by mental4astro

Ahh, it looks like this could be one of THOSE gifts, by the sounds of it. There could be a new scope in the house around Father's day, eh...

Yep, I've got things for MY kids too...

What ever the situation, I'm sure the scope will get a good workout,

No this will be for both of us so that we have a son/dad hobby

[Somnium (Aidan)]

it is great to have this kind of a hobby with your Son. i hope it fosters a lifetime love of science and the universe