A cheap telescope? for around 150 quid?.

Tell me why you recommend a telescope that will not work for him/her?

Because "limited viewing" is something most people tire of right away. They want to see more "out there" like galaxies and nebulae. I know I did. Thats why I took the time to consider what my viewing would graduate too before purchasing a cheap refractor. Hell, binoculars or spotting scopes "work" for both, too.

If he's hiking in the hills they might suffice.

a reply to: intrptr

I do not agree. A telescope under $200 will get you at least 80% there as far as being a novice, and understanding what options in a telescope will really make a difference in the future. You can easily sell is for close to what you paid for it when you finally decide what you really want. No sense in plopping down more that $1k for something you may decide you might not want to continue with. People need to know the commitment of observation. It is inconvenient, many times cold, and frustrating. You have to get over that before you spend the big bucks.

a reply to: Hoosierdaddy71

I see, so its "better" in certain regards. Not, "doesn't work for terrestrial viewing".

By the way, I had Schmidt Cassegrain, not a Newtonian.

When using your refractor for daytime viewing, a 45 degree erect image diagonal is required to turn the image right side up. For night sky use, a 90 degree star diagonal is almost a necessity to avoid a strained neck."

Did you add the cost of that?

As well…

As a new observer you may be mainly interested in viewing the moon and planets, and if this is the case, a telescope with a small objective (primary mirror or lens) may be sufficient. However, most observers quickly graduate to galaxies, nebulae, globular clusters, open clusters etc. To view these objects you will require a telescope with the largest aperture that is possible for your circumstances, which will include things like cost, weight, portability, etc.

a reply to: boymonkey74

Greetings- Until You find the right one, may I suggest You look at either Stellarium.org or Celestia (shatters.net) These programs will allow You to look at the overhead sky from the comforts of Your living room..

And to give You something to look for.. Check out 'Ayurvedic Astrology' (FREE) and they will provide You of what the sky looked like at the time of Your "birth" Until I did this, I was a "newspaper Gemini" but in actuality I am a Taurus (May 31) These will also go back prior to Mother Earth shifting on Her axis..

I'd also suggest leaving the scope in an upward angle when not in use and NOT pointed directly at the neighbor's window..

Those first 2 will get You viewing until You get the proper "looking glass"...

Hope You spy something unique and NOT of THIS world...

namaste

Edit: And don't be too surprised that You notice that the folks at The Kaaba look suspiciously like the circling of Saturn.. coincidence? (hint/hint)

Catadioptric telescopes include any telescope which incorporates both lenses and mirrors. By far the most popular telescopes in this category are the Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes (SCTs). The versatility and portability of these instruments make them among the most popular for amateur astronomers of all levels. A similar, but less versatile, design is the Maksutov-Cassegrain.

By folding the light path, the SCT provides a long focal length is a very compact tube. This makes even fairly large-aperture SCTs portable. An SCT is less than half the length of a typical comparable Newtonian, yet has a longer focal length. Another advantage of the SCT is that, unlike most other designs, it can easily be converted to a variety of focal ratios for different photographic applications for both narrow- and wide-field imaging.

SCTs tend to be priced between Newtonians and the very expensive apochromatic refractors, while being more versatile than either. Like a refractor, an SCT can be used for terrestrial viewing as well as stargazing.

Bottom Line: For the observer who wants a little of everything, from deep-sky to planetary viewing and imaging, plus portability, an SCT is an excellent choice. It is the one telescope that can be used for almost any application. That and the moderate price makes the SCT one of the most popular telescopes on the market today.

Linky

Emphasis added. Everyone starts out thinking that a cheap telescope is the way to go and then quickly becomes disappointed with the quality, whatever you are looking at.

I managed to get a perfect condition Tal-1 for £40 off gumtree, so there are bargins out there.

a reply to: intrptr


A Schmidt Cassegrain is way different than the reflector, those can be used for terrestrial.

a reply to: boymonkey74

Wotcha chief, are you still near Bradford? If so, then i certainly wouldn't recommend (wink wink) a trip to the Canterbury estate to put an order in for the most amazing sounding telescope you have gleaned from these pages of responses. That would be just wrong......

originally posted by: Hoosierdaddy71

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Hoosierdaddy71

A reflector does not work for "terrestrial" viewing.

You keep saying that. Got a link?

Yup

www.thescienceshop.ca...

" ... Newtonian reflectors are not suitable for terrestrial viewing because observing is done through the side of the tube and you therefore have to turn sideways to the target. ... "

How does turning sideways to the target make a telescope unsuitable for terrestrial viewing?

By the way, there are some reflector binoculars in existence: main.yukonopticsglobal.com...

a reply to: wildespace

You can go deer hunting with a knife, still don't make it practical.

originally posted by: Flavian
a reply to: boymonkey74

Wotcha chief, are you still near Bradford? If so, then i certainly wouldn't recommend (wink wink) a trip to the Canterbury estate to put an order in for the most amazing sounding telescope you have gleaned from these pages of responses. That would be just wrong......

Tell me more!!!

oh and guys cheers for all the suggestions I still have no idea what I'm doing .
But no need to fall out with each other eh?.

a reply to: JimNasium

Installing now the stella thingy.
Cheers.

Just opened it and I'm in a field in daylight lol....do I have to wait till night time?.

originally posted by: boymonkey74

originally posted by: Flavian
a reply to: boymonkey74

Wotcha chief, are you still near Bradford? If so, then i certainly wouldn't recommend (wink wink) a trip to the Canterbury estate to put an order in for the most amazing sounding telescope you have gleaned from these pages of responses. That would be just wrong......

Tell me more!!!

oh and guys cheers for all the suggestions I still have no idea what I'm doing

.
But no need to fall out with each other eh?.

Him and I have butted heads before. But if I ever met him I would still buy him a beer...

originally posted by: boymonkey74
a reply to: JimNasium

Installing now the stella thingy.
Cheers.

Just opened it and I'm in a field in daylight lol....do I have to wait till night time?.

If you have an iPad or smart phone you can download an app called "skyview" it's one of my favorite apps. Costs a few bucks but it's worth it.

originally posted by: boymonkey74
a reply to: JimNasium

Installing now the stella thingy.
Cheers.

Just opened it and I'm in a field in daylight lol....do I have to wait till night time?.

You mean Stellarium? There are "fast forward" and "rewind" buttons.

originally posted by: boymonkey74
I want to get more into astronomy and will be getting a telescope next pay day so any tips?.
I really don't know and have looked at many sites but all appear to be saying different things?.
Any help would be much appreciated.

Hi, i received your U2U.

I highly recommend doubling your budget and picking up a Celestron NexStar 4SE. You'll thank me later :-)

a reply to: JadeStar

Gonna be hard to do but thanks.

Oh and I have said it to you but your thread has been an inspiration it has given me a spark I only had before as an ember.

Celestron NexStar 4SE

"Go To", and even EQ Mounts (at least for low cost scopes)....is all relatively unnecessary gimmicks.

If you get a scope for $200 or $300 with a fancy computer/GoTo mount or an EQ mount you will pay most of it for the mount and crappy optics. Problem: OPTICS are the most important.

This is why I said look into "Dobsonians" like the Skywatchers. They have very simple mounts which means that pretty much all your money goes into good optics and not on fancy crap like GoTo.

And by the way: I always found it extremely exciting and challenging to be outside with a telescope and have a star map and chart and actually LOOK for the objects and find them in the scope. And NOT just pressing a stupid button and letting the computer find it.

I can tell you that you can go on any "serious" astronomy forum and that almost anyone will tell you that you should look into a Dobsonian and you cannot go wrong with say a 6" or 8" Skywatcher. A 6" Skywatcher will show you more because it has a bigger opening and better optics as compared to, say, a small Celestron with GoTo mount and tiny aperture and cheaper optics.

Go on Google and enter

"Saturn (or Jupiter, whatever) in Celestron 4SE"
and
"Saturn (or Jupiter, whatever) in Skywatcher 6""

and compare the images. Then you'll see why I would recommend a 6" Dobsonian over a 4" Goto Celestron any day.

originally posted by: boymonkey74
a reply to: JadeStar

Gonna be hard to do but thanks.

Trust me, it will be worth it to save the pennies for it. Also you may be able to find one used on eBay for less but be careful.

Oh and I have said it to you but your thread has been an inspiration it has given me a spark I only had before as an ember.

Thanks If you have any questions about your exploration of the sky with your new telescope feel free to shoot me a U2U. I also highly recommend you familiarize yourself with Stellarium.