telescopes

[rvb]

Anyone into astronomy?

I'm considering getting a decent telescope. But I feel like a newb again. I was into it in when I was 10-16ish, but that was, well, a long time ago. haha. We were gifted a cheapo/junk little refractor, and I've gotten to show the wife/kids a few things, but it's less than spectacular. I'm realizing just how much I've forgotten about it all.

I wouldn't have thought things would have changed so much. Back then I had an entry level ~4.5" Newtonian on an equatorial mount (it may have even come from the Sears catalog; remember those?!). Dobsonians weren't even a thing back then, but it seems that's the ticket these days.

So I'm looking at them, weighing the trade off of the easy tracking of an eq mount vs cheap aperture using a dob, for the same budget. Also want something I can pack up and take when we go camping and get away from city lights...

I figure it's like guns or scopes... "how do you plan to use it?" Photography is down on the list, but could be an interest. mix of planetary and deep space viewing. I could see this becoming a "get both" solution, a dob now, and a eq mounted scope later...

-rvb

 

[indiucky]

RVB,

I almost posted this a couple of days ago...I had a $100 Walmart Meade back in the 90's and the wife and I enjoyed it...This past weekend we were out at our property in rural Perry County and we were sipping bourbon and looking at the stars through a nice pair of binoculars when we both kind of looked at each other and said, "Didn't we use to have a telescope?".....Well like you I went to the www and just kind of went, "Huh??? Whut??? How much should I spend???"

I will be following this thread...Thanks for posting...

 

[rvb]

RVB,

I almost posted this a couple of days ago...I had a $100 Walmart Meade back in the 90's and the wife and I enjoyed it...This past weekend we were out at our property in rural Perry County and we were sipping bourbon and looking at the stars through a nice pair of binoculars when we both kind of looked at each other and said, "Didn't we use to have a telescope?".....Well like you I went to the www and just kind of went, "Huh??? Whut??? How much should I spend???"

I will be following this thread...Thanks for posting...

The cool thing is you can get into it for much less than I remembered... I pd somewhere in the ballpark of $450 for the 4.5" newt/eq reflector I bought back circa 1990. That was a lot of lawns mowed... I remember feeling sick taking the $ out of the bank to go order it.

Here's a 5" on an EQ for $300.
https://www.amazon.com/Orion-SpaceP...00D05BKOW/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

or for just a couple bucks more ($390) you can get an 8" dob.
https://www.amazon.com/Orion-8945-S...UTF8&qid=1480606903&sr=1-2&keywords=orion+xt8

These may not be the exact scopes, but something in that range is what I'm looking at...

Lots of trades. Bigger is always better with telescopes, unless you're hauling it around. Then there's ease of set up and ease of tracking to consider, also.

I liked my eq mount. but 2.5x the light gathering is hard to ignore...

-rvb

 

[rvb]

and now, so many are motorized and computer driven! can take the hard work out of it for a little more money.... I remember spending a couple hours trying to find things hopping constellations. now you could just enter it in the computer and it'll point you there. good instant gratification. not sure I want to spend the $ on that or not... could make it more fun for the kids....

-rvb

 

[Ericpwp]

Anyone into astronomy?

I wouldn't have thought things would have changed so much. Back then I had an entry level ~4.5" Newtonian on an equatorial mount (it may have even come from the Sears catalog; remember those?!).

This is what I have, its the wife's from way back.

I enjoy seeing the moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn. The light pollution is horrible where I live so there isn't any deep space viewing.

What you can see with a good set of binoculars is surprising.

What I got out of it all is that mirror size is the biggest thing. The more light you collect the sharper the image. Magnification is just making that image bigger. The more you magnify the grainier the image gets, so you want to start with the sharpest image you can.

 

[spencer rifle]

Get the biggest mirror you can afford - the light bucket is everything. That will usually be a Dobsonian. Some can later be upgraded with drives. Where I used to work we had a 17" Dob - the stuff we could see with that! But it was also nearly 6' tall. The usual alt-azimuth mounting of a Dob will require frequent adjusting to keep on track - the higher the magnification, the more frequent adjustment. And you may need a ladder and 2" eyepieces (which as a group cost more than the scope). But the images were stunning, including seeing the dark spots in the Jupiter atmosphere from Comet Shoemaker-Levy.

Make sure you get sun observation stuff for the total solar eclipse in August.

 

[rvb]

hmm, I know I give up a lot of aperture, but something like this looks fun/easy to throw in the truck/camper and for the kids to use....
https://www.telescopesplus.com/products/meade-etx-80-observer-telescope-with-backpack
maybe buy a big 'light bucket' later...

-rvb

 

[spencer rifle]

Man things have changed. Tracking alt-azimuth mounts, red dot finders, object descriptions in the software that talk, scopes that find objects for you. Kinda takes all the fun out of it. And much of the frustration.

 

[hopper68]

Here is a coworker getting his telescope "out".

[video=youtube;JJOff365fJc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJOff365fJc[/video]


And a sight that might interest you,

https://www.nightskiesnetwork.com/

 

[rvb]

Here is a coworker getting his telescope "out".


And a sight that might interest you,

https://www.nightskiesnetwork.com/

that. Is. Awesome.
And thanks for the link

-rvb

 

[bulletsmith]

Anyone into astronomy?

I'm considering getting a decent telescope. But I feel like a newb again. I was into it in when I was 10-16ish, but that was, well, a long time ago. haha. We were gifted a cheapo/junk little refractor, and I've gotten to show the wife/kids a few things, but it's less than spectacular. I'm realizing just how much I've forgotten about it all.

I wouldn't have thought things would have changed so much. Back then I had an entry level ~4.5" Newtonian on an equatorial mount (it may have even come from the Sears catalog; remember those?!). Dobsonians weren't even a thing back then, but it seems that's the ticket these days.

So I'm looking at them, weighing the trade off of the easy tracking of an eq mount vs cheap aperture using a dob, for the same budget. Also want something I can pack up and take when we go camping and get away from city lights...

I figure it's like guns or scopes... "how do you plan to use it?" Photography is down on the list, but could be an interest. mix of planetary and deep space viewing. I could see this becoming a "get both" solution, a dob now, and a eq mounted scope later...

-rvb

And thanks for that 2 hr rabbit hole. Between looking at info about buying one or watching youtube vids about grinding your own mirror and making one... I know what I'm asking santa for.

 

[CampingJosh]

This one is recommended as a very good deal at its $200 price point. AWB 'OneSky' Telescope [PN 31100] - $199.99 : Astronomers Without Borders Online Store, One People + One Sky

 

[foszoe]

https://www.scientificsonline.com/shop/telescopes?Page=1

 

[Ericpwp]

And thanks for that 2 hr rabbit hole. Between looking at info about buying one or watching youtube vids about grinding your own mirror and making one... I know what I'm asking santa for.

You put me on a rabbit hunt.

Add this to my "light" bucket list.

[video=youtube;f27s0_S6E0E]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f27s0_S6E0E[/video]

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/co...REG&ap=y&c3api=1876,52934714882,&Q=&A=details

 

[oldpink]

Is Celestron still highly regarded?
https://www.thenightvisionoptics.co...ced-vx-11-schmidt-cassegrain-telescope-12067/

As you were well advised above, don't get all tied up with magnification levels and instead go for light gathering, i.e. as big a reflector as you can afford, because you can't see what your scope won't transmit to your eye.
Also, you may already know this, but you'll probably be better served with a high quality reflector telescope than with a transmission type telescope.

 

[bulletsmith]

You put me on a rabbit hunt.

Add this to my "light" bucket list.

[video=youtube;f27s0_S6E0E]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f27s0_S6E0E[/video]

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/co...REG&ap=y&c3api=1876,52934714882,&Q=&A=details

IKR I watched that one too.

 

[WhitleyStu]

rvb,
I know how you feel as everybody goes through a time of hoping you picked out the right scope the first time around. I enjoy viewing the brighter objects like the moon, sun and planets so getting the largest objective is not necessary for me. If you go too big the scope is a hassle to set up for quick views. Here is a pic of my current scope and mount/tripod. TEC 140 and G-11. I recently bought a DM-6 altaz mount for nights when I want nonguided viewing.

 

[Spear Dane]

I would treat this like buying a rifle scope...basically because it is like that. determine budget then get the very best glass you can at that price, gadgets be damned.

 

[bulletsmith]

I would treat this like buying a rifle scope...basically because it is like that. determine budget then get the very best glass you can at that price, gadgets be damned.

Fair enough. However, there are more variables here than buying a rifle scope. The best glass could mean the best mirror or the best eye piece. Or the best objective lens size and coating, if you choose to that route.

It is surprising how affordable some of the entry level scopes are though.

 

[oldpink]

Here is a coworker getting his telescope "out".

[video=youtube;JJOff365fJc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJOff365fJc[/video]


And a sight that might interest you,

https://www.nightskiesnetwork.com/

That is so slick!
That 'scope looks incredible, too.