US / Aust price variations.

[vanwonky (Dave)]

Hi All - First post in this forum so my apologies if repeating a possibly overdone topic. I have done a search and have found some older posts on the subject about the price variations that I have come across looking for my first telescope. Is it still not possible to buy Celestron (or any other scope) from the USA? I am fully aware of the pitfalls of buying overseas but when you are looking at well over 50% less it is hard to resist even with no warranty backup.

Celestron AU (Celestron Nexstar 5 SE)
Celestron USA (Celestron Nexstar 5 SE)

PS: I have only just begun the research so I am confused as any noobie and may be overdoing it even looking at this scope so early and am willing to be told so! And I seem to have picked up that Celestron themselves may be the problem as far as the variations go. Is that true?

[midnight (Darrin)]

Originally Posted by vanwonky

Is it still not possible to buy Celestron (or any other scope) from the USA?

I have been keen on buying the Celestron NexGuide autoguider as it seems to be a very popular little device in the US at the moment. However, I can confirm with my dealings with US orders that Celestron branded items can not be bought and shipped out of the country. Lucky for me though, my father is in California at the moment and the US store has accepted my credit card order via internet for a pickup in store. But doing it this way incurs the state tax (California 7.5% sales tax).

And also welcome!!

Cheers,
Darrin...

[vanwonky (Dave)]

Maybe someone like this lot could be a way around it as well - http://myus2.myus.com/ just to open a can of worms! Thanks for the welcome Darrin.

Cheers
Dave

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

Yep the topic has flogged 6 horses 3 cows a Lama and a hand full of endangered green tree frogs to death... A few locked topics and what not as well.

At the end of the day where there is a will there is a way. Price dictates our decision 9 times out of 10 and for those who purchase over seas you know the risk. So ide leave the topic to lay still, as there are a lot of other avenues to look at that all have better options to offer!

my 2c worth.

[vanwonky (Dave)]

Originally Posted by bmitchell82

So ide leave the topic to lay still, as there are a lot of other avenues to look at that all have better options to offer! my 2c worth.

Thanks Brendan. I promise I won't push it any further if you wouldn't mind extending a bit on what you mean by the above.

[joecool (Mark)]

If you do get a scope from Australia, you might want to look at https://www.bintelshop.com.au/ or http://www.andrewscom.com.au/site-section-10.htm

For $100 less than ozscopes Bintel have a Meade LT 8" ACF Telescope https://www.bintelshop.com.au/Product.aspx?ID=8984
That is over twice the light gathering ability of a 5" and still not a huge scope to lift onto it's tripod. These style of scopes are not really suitable for photography if that's what you would like to do later. Then you need to look at Meade's LX200 range for a whole lot more money or a newtonian on an equatorial motorized mount. Some like the view or the light weight of a refractor and choose those... You need to look through each to compare for yourself.

Have a read through http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ad.php?t=74670
Very interesting option of 8" or 10" dob. With a goto mount they are similar in light gathering ability to the cheaper range Meade or Celestron fork mount units but are cheaper than Meade or Celestrons of similar aperture. You then need to decide on which you will use most often and which is portable and manageable for you.

Mark.

ps Shame about Meade and Celestron. They are doing themselves out of sales with their pricing in Australia. I bought my LX200 10" directly from Meade, but that was about 15 years ago...
I still buy all my non Meade and Celestron accessories from overseas. As you know. Take a price and double it in Australia.

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

well if your just starting out, why is it that you where looking to go the celestron scope? are you looking at it because it has the capabilities of GoTo?

There are many questions to ask yourself, and they all revolve around what is it that you want to do with the telescope and what expectations you have. A lot of people that are just starting out think that they are going to see views like this

when in actual fact you might detect that there are stars missing and you would see the big bright stars. that is about it.

the other thing is do you think you are going to put a camera to the scope? if you are, think about the type of telescope that you are using. there is alot of different information that you need to look at and there isn't a 1 catch wonder for everything. Ask yourself the questions and you will get a good answer very quickly to what it is that you should do.

Just out of interest though, remember that manufactures clump together. EG Synta who makes Skywatcher, make Celestron, Saxon, Williams Optics etc etc. Not saying that they are all of the same build quality because they aren't, but the same manufacturing facilities are building these scopes!

[vanwonky (Dave)]

Yes more questions than answers at the moment Brendan as you would know when you look at any new pursuit properly. I have considered the photography bit but will leave that for the future if at all although your pic is very inspiring indeed. The goto was definitely a drawcard for me. Not that i don't want to learn myself but rather that I don't want to lose interest through frustration - a possibility others have mentioned.

Mark thanks for your input as well. Will check those out.

[Kal (Andrew)]

Originally Posted by vanwonky

Hi All - First post in this forum so my apologies if repeating a possibly overdone topic. I have done a search and have found some older posts on the subject about the price variations that I have come across looking for my first telescope. Is it still not possible to buy Celestron (or any other scope) from the USA? I am fully aware of the pitfalls of buying overseas but when you are looking at well over 50% less it is hard to resist even with no warranty backup.

Celestron AU (Celestron Nexstar 5 SE)
Celestron USA (Celestron Nexstar 5 SE)

PS: I have only just begun the research so I am confused as any noobie and may be overdoing it even looking at this scope so early and am willing to be told so! And I seem to have picked up that Celestron themselves may be the problem as far as the variations go. Is that true?

I can save you $500 instantly on an Australian purchase with free shipping if you like:

Celestron Nexstar 5SE AU

But yeah, we live in a world with no free trade.

Lots of options though, be that other brands or using 'middle man' purchasing/shipping services.

[DaveR]

Dave, I will leave it to the more learned to help re types of scopes, but I wanted to point out Star Optics has a good deal on Celestron C8 at the moment http://www.staroptics.com.au/catalog...roducts_id=607.
Cheers
Dave

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

Well the age old reccomendation! go a dob, bigger optics less price. Purchase some key pieces.

Decent quality laser collimator Orion dulux laser collimator (don't stint on something like this because it affects the quality of the view)

Telerad which is a zero magnification finder.

I always was able to find objects to view and viewing anything bar bright objects in light pollution is useless so when you get out of the city lights finiding those special objects is easy.

If you go goto, you will loose objects because you don't have enough punch/light capture.

Thats what i think. and at 500 you can get a 10" dob exactly like mine!? why would you stuff around.

[EddieDog (Eddie)]

Originally Posted by vanwonky

Hi All - First post in this forum so my apologies if repeating a possibly overdone topic. I have done a search and have found some older posts on the subject about the price variations that I have come across looking for my first telescope. Is it still not possible to buy Celestron (or any other scope) from the USA? I am fully aware of the pitfalls of buying overseas but when you are looking at well over 50% less it is hard to resist even with no warranty backup.

Celestron AU (Celestron Nexstar 5 SE)
Celestron USA (Celestron Nexstar 5 SE)

PS: I have only just begun the research so I am confused as any noobie and may be overdoing it even looking at this scope so early and am willing to be told so! And I seem to have picked up that Celestron themselves may be the problem as far as the variations go. Is that true?

As said by others, a recurring topic. I bought a Celestron 6SE from B&H in New york back in Dec whilst on hols. Cost me less than a thousand all up which included shipping, it took its time to arrive but all good. Cost of scope itself was $US799, which simply cannot be matched here. PS, go for the 6, not the 5.

Eddie

[Snorbak (Matt)]

Dave,

Welcome, like you I am new.

However, I agree with Brendan, for visual use go a 8" or 10" dob.
I bought a Skywatcher 10" truss dob as my 1st scope & the views through it are much, much better than I expected for a relatively simple & inexpensive scope. In my opinion, bang for buck, there is no better choice. Simple to use, set-up & transport.
Spend the money saved on quality EP's, collimator & better finders etc.

Regards,

Matt

[vanwonky (Dave)]

Originally Posted by Snorbak

Dave, Welcome, like you I am new.However, I agree with Brendan, for visual use go a 8" or 10" dob.I bought a Skywatcher 10" truss dob as my 1st scope & the views through it are much, much better than I expected for a relatively simple & inexpensive scope. In my opinion, bang for buck, there is no better choice. Simple to use, set-up & transport.
Spend the money saved on quality EP's, collimator & better finders etc.

Regards,

Matt

Again thanks for all replies so far - very helpful. Of course I am straying well off topic but whilst we are here:-

Matt, after a few more days poking around I see it is all bigger than Ben Hur with more options than you can poke a stick at between telescopes / accessories and conditions you will be viewing in let alone expectations I might have of my first look through the lens. I was drawn to the Celestron because I imagined it was more portable. Most of the use will be from the backyard but some time will be spent down south on a farm which is far from the light pollution of Perth. However the setup Brendan and yourself suggest is quickly becoming the frontrunner on my list with more research. The size of it being the only issue. What do you think about portability?

Dave

[Snorbak (Matt)]

Originally Posted by vanwonky

The size of it being the only issue. What do you think about portability?

Dave

Trying not to hijack the thread, but in regard to portability, the truss dobs compress thanks to the truss arrangement & breakdown into OTA & mount allowing you to easilly to transport in the rear seat of a small sedan.
I would suggest you attend a viewing night with a local astronomy club & visit a retailer to see the size as they are much larger than the scope you enquired about. Still, with size comes much improved views of DSO's.
I researched quite a bit prior to my purchase & was thinking along the same lines as you. Ultimately I took the advice of others & settled upon the low tech truss dob (non-GOTO), & then spent the money saved on quality EP's, a new finderscope, lazer collimator & now a new high quality automatic focuser. I intend to upgrade to the GOTO mount however, I must add that I am absolutly "stoked" with the end result & will never part with it.

Regards,

Matt

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

well to give you a idea the 10 solid tube dob is about 1m in length and is not that heavy. If you leave the dob base complete it gets a little big but you can break it down. At the end of the day the dob is the easiest and most portable with massive bang for your dollars!

[vanwonky (Dave)]

OK. Off tomorrow to check some out.

[kitsuna (Adam)]

Originally Posted by vanwonky

OK. Off tomorrow to check some out.

speaking as somebody who bought their first scope less than 6 months ago, I feel I can add some value to your decision making process there.

I (more or less) followed conventional wisdom and bought a nice dobsonian telescope. I failed to follow conventional wisdom in that I bought a 10 inch rather than an 8 inch. As a result, I've found that while it gives wonderful views, it is quite heavy, making it difficult to move around the backyard, and does take a bit of time to set up (because I'm anal about proper collimation). It is also somewhat of a waste, as all it's light gathering power is overwhelmed by the light pollution of the area I'm in.

As a result, the Dalek is going to be saved for the times when I can head down to my astro group's dark sky site once or twice a month, and I'm getting myself a small(ish) refractor on an alt-az mount for grab and go suburban viewing of the planets, moon and brighter objects. This refractor may later be used for the first stages of astrophotography.

In a roundabout sort of way, I'm trying to point out that if you get involved in this hobby for a reasonable length of time, chances are you'll end up with more than one scope.

To ensure that you STAY in the hobby for a reasonable length of time, have a real long think about whether you really want anything bigger than 8 inches for your first scope. It makes a helluvah difference.

It also needs to be said that my dad still calls me "Mr Puny-verse" so your mileage may vary.

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

Just to clarify something Adam, if you believe that reducing your aperture will give you better views in light pollution I think you will end up being very disappointed. Being anal with my collimation (mind you I mainly dabble in astrophotography) takes me about 2 minutes to be within 5 microns of perfect collimation. Its about the equipment you use that makes the job hard or easy. Plus the extra resolution that the 10" provides allows higher magnifications of planets and the like allowing a far better view of details contained. With the central obstruction of a standard skywatcher dobsonian being about 16% or so they are very contrasty and provide really good views when the seeing is good!

As for the difference in size of a 8 to a 10 " they are exactly the same length, the 10" has a little bit more weight but not by much possibly 2-3kgs? If that's enough to break your back then the easy way to get around it is get a removals trolly.

I guess all I am trying to say is that aperture is king when it comes to viewing, Light pollution affects every telescope the same. Less aperture less light is just an illusion that the telescope magically doesn't pick the light pollution up, it also doesn't pick the objects up either! If you want my advice, go and purchase a visual light pollution filter it will start blocking some of the Sodium and Magnesium light bands where those brilliant Orange and White lights pump out mass's of light at!

[kitsuna (Adam)]

Originally Posted by bmitchell82

Just to clarify something Adam, if you believe that reducing your aperture will give you better views in light pollution I think you will end up being very disappointed. Being anal with my collimation (mind you I mainly dabble in astrophotography) takes me about 2 minutes to be within 5 microns of perfect collimation. Its about the equipment you use that makes the job hard or easy. Plus the extra resolution that the 10" provides allows higher magnifications of planets and the like allowing a far better view of details contained. With the central obstruction of a standard skywatcher dobsonian being about 16% or so they are very contrasty and provide really good views when the seeing is good!

As for the difference in size of a 8 to a 10 " they are exactly the same length, the 10" has a little bit more weight but not by much possibly 2-3kgs? If that's enough to break your back then the easy way to get around it is get a removals trolly.

I guess all I am trying to say is that aperture is king when it comes to viewing, Light pollution affects every telescope the same. Less aperture less light is just an illusion that the telescope magically doesn't pick the light pollution up, it also doesn't pick the objects up either! If you want my advice, go and purchase a visual light pollution filter it will start blocking some of the Sodium and Magnesium light bands where those brilliant Orange and White lights pump out mass's of light at!

I agree that aperture is king. I also agree that even under light polluted skies, more aperture will see more, despite the pollution. I know that my new scope will show me less than my old scope. I am sacrificing DSOs for ease and convenience. I'll repeat the mantra of our people;

the best scope is the one you use the most.

However, that 10 incher is a cumbersome beast. According to the skywatcher website, it weighs about 5 to 6kg more than the 8 incher (base and tube combined, it weighs in the order of 27.5kg, and it's bulky size makes this mass awkward to move around. This is not small potatoes). Unfortunately where I live means I have to keep it collapsed and separated when not in use. Thus, I have to put quite a lot of time and effort into getting it out and actually using it. Something that palls when the sky is looking iffy.

Worse still, I'm soon to be moving to a unit block which you could be forgiven for believing was located on the Las Vegas strip, so highly illuminated it is. There is a place down the road that is nice and dark and not surrounded by anti-astronomer ninja attack trees/buildings, but I really don't want to have to pack the dob in a car just to drive it 400 metres, unpack it, and then do it all again when I go home. Thus, the Megrez on an alt-az mount. Something I can slap together, not have to collimate and not give me a hernia

Make no mistake, I still think that a dob, and an 8 incher is probably the best bet for a first time buyer. I will tell anybody who will listen, (and many who won't ) this fact. I'm just urging caution for going larger than that without having actually lived with a big-ish scope before.

I can't imagine what it'd be like living with a 20 inch ladder job!