Should I start with a binocular?

[Jeremy Parker (Jeremy)]

I have just taken up the hobby.
Should I buy myself a good pair of binocular, say 15x80 or plunge right into it by buying an LX90 or a good refractor?

[traveller (Bo)]

Hi Jeremy and welcome.
What is your budget and what do you intend to do? do you do a lot of hiking and camping? Is this more a backyard hobby?
Binoculars are portable and multipurpose, but at 10x magnification, it can get quite tiring on the arms, esp if you want 70 mm or above.
Many backyard observers go for Dobsonians, but they are not very portable. Once you decide on your answers to above, you will be in a better position to make an informed choice.
Bo

[mishku]

If you're Melbourne based, why not join one of the societies and take advantage of a loan telescope scheme, or head out to a star party and chat to some folks?

I've been playing with binos for a few months, and now, having had the opportunity to chat to some people and learn about advantages and disadvantages, feel like I've made the right decisions re: buying a scope, which mount to buy, etc etc. The biggest lesson I've learnt is that not only are astro folk very friendly, they LOVE to show off their gear



Mishku

[Stardrifter_WA]

I agree with Traveller, you have to first decide what you want to spend, Starting with binoculars can be a good idea, as they will still come in handy even when you finally get a scope anyway.

A good starting point would be to get a book on binocular astronomy first. Suzy of IIS recommended the book by Stephen James O'Meara's Observing the Night Sky with Binoculars: A Simple Guide to the Heavens (Paperback). Available from the Book Depository for $14 AUD, which includes freight. (http://www.bookdepository.co.uk)

Although most binoculars look the same, they are not A well constructed and optical sound binocular will cost much more than a cheap binocular. There are a number of factors that affect choosing a binocular and price is the most important starting point. The higher cost binoculars have many advantages over lower cost. You do get what you pay for.

I would suggest a good quality 7x50 to start with, as these are versatile, as mentioned in a previous thread, and are easier to hand hold and, more importantly, are wider field. Higher magnification binoculars have a lower field of view and definitely require some sort of tripod.

[overlord (Charles)]

Refractor. Binoculars get tiresome but at least they are very good for a quick scan.... or lying in a banana chair to relax in the country and look at the star clusters with a sleeping bag... drifting off the sleep... I used to do that but was woken by the sound of mosquitoes in close proximity to my auditory inputs. Buy a good long focus 4-incher APO and ur set for life with the best money can buy, in terms of making the stars look relatively sharp, at decent value lol. That's what most astronomers end up with if they live long enough, IMO.

[Jeremy Parker (Jeremy)]

So, perhaps, I should look at buying a good apo refractor?
I prefer something that you can grab and go instead of a heavy cumbersome scope.
What would be a good size refractor that you will not need to upgrade in the foreseeable future. Prefer to invest in one that will keep me happy for the next few years and costing less then $1500?
Any good models and recommendation.....aperture size, focal length, mount???

[deejayvee (David)]

I went for binoculars first because that was what many people suggested for a beginner. I went for some 15x70's and a tripod to mount them on.

However, I have to say, I did not use them much, in the end - especially compared to how much I've used the telescope since I bought it (factoring in the weather).

The reason for this was that binoculars, for me, resulted in some painful neckstrain due to having to look upwards all the time. With a diagonal for the scope, I'm looking downwards so it has never been a problem. I can understand why people often recommend binoculars, and I was surprised by how much I could see, but I encountered a problem that resulted in me not using them. If I'd not been super-keen, I could have chucked the hobby in right there.

Thankfully I didn't

[Giorgio]

As it has been already said, it all depends on your budget. With whatever binoculars you will end up, forget to see any details (talking of brightest nebulas and globular clusters), but surely you will see a lot more than the naked eyes.
Personally, I like to use both scope and binoculars, together, or just the binoculars, when deploy my 12" dob is not possible.
For a scope, the aperture (diameter either of the main mirror for a reflector, or front lens for a refractor) size is the most important criteria you should consider, with bigger is better. Dobsonian telescopes are the most cost effective scopes from this point of view. My advice, in case your budget is limited, is start with a binoculars, possibly a 11, or 15x70 (andrews sell them for $129) and in the meanwhile save for a good 2nd hand dobsonian at least with an aperture of 10".
One more thing, using binoculars with a star atlas and, or a software (see links below) is a fantastic and fun way for learning where is what in the night sky.

Triatlas: free atlas to download available in 3 different scales
Stellarium: free software. It is a very easy to use digital planetarium
and many other resources out there.

Hope it may help.

[Stardrifter_WA]

Originally Posted by Jeremy Parker

So, perhaps, I should look at buying a good apo refractor?
I prefer something that you can grab and go instead of a heavy cumbersome scope.
What would be a good size refractor that you will not need to upgrade in the foreseeable future. Prefer to invest in one that will keep me happy for the next few years and costing less then $1500?
Any good models and recommendation.....aperture size, focal length, mount???

Probably the best thing you could do is to go along to a club's field or observing nights, as has previously been suggested, and take a look at what members are using and then consider what you want to do. It may save you some "beginners pain", in the long run.

It is particularly important to check out the various options to see if they actually meet your expectations. I have found that often people have higher expectations than modest equipment can provide. And that would be the worst outcome, as it may turn you off a truly excellent hobby.

Another point to remember it isn't just a scope that you need to consider, as the mount is also important.

As a grab-n-go telescope, I use an Orion 80ED refractor, with Televue eyepieces. The telscope itself is very reasonably priced, from Bintel, and has excellent optics, for the price. I had it mounted on a Skyview Alt-Az mount and that mount was just too painful to use effectively, even with the Dual-Axis JMI drives. I am awaiting the new Meade LX80 mount, which appears to be the best option for a mount to suit this particular telescope, to maintain it's grab-n-go capability.

Cheers Peter