You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Fancy a bit of star gazing and I know there's a few on here who know a bit about it.
I'm looking and spending around £300, trying avoid the super cheap stuff but don't want something really expensive.
I would also like an "auto go to" type mount and don't want something totally massive, so I can take it on UK based holidays.
Can anyone offer any advice on what and where to buy?
I've got a Skywatcher 130P with EQ2 mount, was a fair bit under your budget but OK starter with similar requirements except the goto function. I have since spent a bit more on an extra eyepiece and will probably buy more better quality eyepieces when I have some spare cash.
Larger telescopes looked to me like I would have difficulty fitting them in the car, and once you have the tripod etc. in a car it is quite large. I have seen some skeleton type foldable reflectors too which look interesting, but I'm not sure how they perform/last or how pricey they are.
stargazerslounge.com seems to be reasonably active with some sensible advice from people that know what they're on about.
Another vote for the skywatcher 130p. Spend your change from £300 on a 32mm eyepiece for it. I've had some really impressive views thru mine especially up swaledale on a clear night
I was actually thinking about another Skywatcher
[url= http://www.firstlightoptics.com/az-goto/skywatcher-startravel-102-synscan-az-goto.html ]Skywatcher 102[/url]
Look for a secondhand Meade ETX with Autostar
What do you want to view? Stars and Planets or Galaxies and Nebulae? Is there area around you quite light polluted or fairly clear?
Hi have a skywatcher 130p for sale - £99
astrobuysell.com/uk for 2nd hand deals!
I've had some really impressive views thru mine especially up swaledale on a clear night
Swaledale is dark...
...we run a MTB/cycling/astro/walking B&B in Low Row 🙂
Cheers
Paul
Someone else asked this pretty recently. Here you go.
http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/want-telescope-for-7yr-old-10yr-old-and-45yr-old
+1 to Clark's suggestion. Also get on to stargazerslounge.com website.
Like STW for astronomy. Very knowledgeable folk and UK based so relevant to astronomy in this country.
I got a Skywatcher 150p and a decent mount for £130. Super scope. Have seen the rings of Saturn, the weather bands on Jupiter, the orion nebula etc all from my light polluted back garden.
Also download Stellarium - superb piece of software and free. Allows you to get an idea of what something will look like through a scope at various magnifications.
Also buy a copy of Turn Left at Orion. Invaluable to finding your way around the night sky.
I love getting my scope out and having a gaze around.
Also don't discount a decent pair of binoculars 10*50's are fine and great for general scanning around the sky and for example you can see Jupiter's main moons with them.
Eyepieces can be expensive but quality pays off. Stargazerslounge will give you some excellent pointers on what focal length EP's to get. 3 or 4 decent ones is all you need.
Don't fall into the trap that bigger is better. Learning to see well with less magnification pays off.
Buy an eye patch also.
Finally, for the same woof your wallet don't start looking at astrophotography! I'm just starting down that slippery slope!
Also apologies for all the 'also's' in my previous post...
That's two more, you maniac!
Oh and get the Clear Outside app. Written by the guys at firstlightoptics.com it's a weather forecast app for astronomy.
If you want to buy new then look no further than flo also. They'll give you pucka advice on what to buy.
Went for one of these in the end.
[url= http://www.celestron.com/browse-shop/astronomy/telescopes/nexstar-102slt-computerized-telescope ]celestron-telescopes/nexstar-102slt-computerized-telescope[/url]
Don't fall into the trap that bigger is better
For obvious reasons, bigger [i]is[/i] better assuming the same quality optics and so on. I'd sacrifice the electronic stuff on a telescope before aperture and learn how to move the scope myself. (And I genuinely think it's more interesting to star-jump rather than program a GoTo..)
My 200mm Skyliner doesn't fall into what the OP wants - being too big and too heavy at 70kg - but at less than £300 I found myself seeing most of the planets, half of the Messier list and plenty of sundry comets, double stars and whatnot from a light polluted backyard a mile from a city centre. I wouldn't have spotted the majority of this with my previous 100mm reflector.
My daughter has a tiny 76mm Dob, for comparison. Yes, we can see Jupiter, Saturn (no Cassini division!), the Orion Nebula. No, we can't see the Crab Nebula, galaxies, or even split Albireo.
Get the biggest aperture you can justify - it's not like bikes where you can be accused of being overbiked. 🙂