Starter Telescope advice please, looking to buy one soon, poss funster star gazer meet up?

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MisterB

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enough to know i shouldnt touch things i know nothing about ....
Thanks for looking in, i am thinking of buying a telescope for me and my 5 year old grandson to use. he has an infatuation with the moon and solar system and i would like to help him enjoy it more and join in with him as he learns. i realise he isnt going to be able to see everything or prob not even to be able to operate it without his grandfathers 'expertise' (which is currently NONE!!, but i am his grandfather so he expects me to 'know stuff')

what i am looking for is a simple to use and operate (pref reasonably portable and compact) that comes in around the £100 - £150 or so price range.

i havent got a clue what to look for or where to start, so please respond in simple 'language'. it would be great to get away, when we can and meet up with any funsters who actually know what to do, where to look etc. we could go to a club i suppose, but he isnt (and im not) at that stage yet so a meet up somewhere seems to be a good option if anyone is willing to share their love/hobby and give us some pointers?

i would imagine he would be content with seeing the moon and some planets in real life as opposed to in books or on tv. i would be happy just to see him enjoying himself !
 
For looking at the Moon and planets something like this will be fine. It will also be good for birdwatching during daylight which a youngster might enjoy as well. It doesn't have to be this particular model, but something along these lines.

www.castlecameras.co.uk

Celestron Ultima 65 Angled Spotting Scope

65mm Objecitve lens with 18-55x zoom eyepiece. Multicoated optics. Angled eyepiece for comfortable viewing.
www.castlecameras.co.uk www.castlecameras.co.uk
 
There's a guy that seams very informative on hotdealsuk about telescopes and star gazing, I'll see if I can find his latest recommendations 👍
 
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Martin is getting an old shipping container to convert to an observatory. Once that is complete and the restrictions are lifted you would be welcome to come and look through his scope.

He also has an attachment for his camera that tracks celestial objects and takes a series of photos that can then be stiched together.

One alternative to a telescope might be a really good pair of binoculars which would be easier for a younger person, especially with a tripod. If you do go for the telescope pay attention to the mount and think about getting a star tracker system at some stage.
 
I had a little fantasy a few years back to get into astronomy! My partner bought me a traditional refractor telescope (the long ones that look like a rocket...) about £100 and it was absolutely rubbish And incredibly frustrating to use...Haging sent that back, I then spent some serious money on a reflector....much better, saw rings of Saturn and moons of Jupiter etc. However, having to leave it to cool down before use, spending long cold nights with cold hands, I soon learned I didn’t have the passion for it and turned to digital photography instead!

I was told initially to get a good set of binoculars and a steady tripod which to be h9nest I should have done. For looking at the moon they are great. Also, you can get a much wider field of view which gives you that awe inspiring feel as you scan the skies. Sit back in a deck chair and sweep the skies or in a comfortable chair and tripod to see the edges of the moon with all it’s craggy bits. And you can use them during the day.

DBK’s suggestion sounds good! Please be careful of the cheaper telescopes...so much crap out there that can really turn you off when used. In the first instance, keep it simple!

local astronomy clubs are good in getting both advice and they are usually very welcoming for people starting out to ‘try it’ and see the reality of what you will actually be seeing without you committing to buying something. This time of year, they’ll have evenings out where you can wonder around different scopes, try out different styles and see them in action looking at actual moon, planets and stars. Also good source of well looked after 2nd hand equipment. Google astronomy clubs in your area, even if it’s just to have a few emails worth of advice from someone’s who isn’t wanting to sell crap / understands the pitfalls.
 
As others have said, for that kind of money you’re unlikely to get a particularly useful telescope, which might result in poor quality sights and less enjoyable times outside, which isn’t really conducive to developing a love and fascination for the cosmos.

I‘d go with the best quality binoculars you can afford, with the widest objective lens (the fat end), which will give you the brightest image. In particular, divide the fat-end diameter by the magnification and try to buy a pair that gives you a number as close as possible to 7.

For instance, 7x50 binoculars will magnify 7 times and have a 50mm objective lens. Divide 50 by 7 and you get 7 and a bit. That’s the best ratio for a human eye to perceive, so you’ll get the brightest possible image.

The clarity of the image depends on the lens quality, so go for a pair that is from a high-quality manufacturer that uses fully-coated optics. Second-hand might be the best chance of getting proper quality in your target price-range.

Another really good idea is to download one of the stargazing apps,for your iPad or phone. You can point it at the stars and it will tell you which is which. I use Skyguide, but there are others. You and your grandchild will soon be able to name lots of stars and constellations. The app is only a few pounds and is transformative.

Happy stargazing.
 
ManTheVan said:
I‘d go with the best quality binoculars you can afford, with the widest objective lens (the fat end), which will give you the brightest image. In particular, divide the fat-end diameter by the magnification and try to buy a pair that gives you a number as close as possible to 7.

For instance, 7x50 binoculars will magnify 7 times and have a 50mm objective lens. Divide 50 by 7 and you get 7 and a bit. That’s the best ratio for a human eye to perceive, so you’ll get the brightest possible image.

The clarity of the image depends on the lens quality, so go for a pair that is from a high-quality manufacturer that uses fully-coated optics. Second-hand might be the best chance of getting proper quality in your target price-range.
Click to expand...
Just clipped from full quote and makes complete sense:

7 x 50 bins are pretty well standard at sea for precisely the above reasons being easy to handle (shaking) and relatively compact. I used to use them to observe the moon when bored. I did also use them for looking at other ships heading in our direction, I hasten to add

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MisterB said:
Thanks for looking in, i am thinking of buying a telescope for me and my 5 year old grandson to use. he has an infatuation with the moon and solar system and i would like to help him enjoy it more and join in with him as he learns. i realise he isnt going to be able to see everything or prob not even to be able to operate it without his grandfathers 'expertise' (which is currently NONE!!, but i am his grandfather so he expects me to 'know stuff')

what i am looking for is a simple to use and operate (pref reasonably portable and compact) that comes in around the £100 - £150 or so price range.

i havent got a clue what to look for or where to start, so please respond in simple 'language'. it would be great to get away, when we can and meet up with any funsters who actually know what to do, where to look etc. we could go to a club i suppose, but he isnt (and im not) at that stage yet so a meet up somewhere seems to be a good option if anyone is willing to share their love/hobby and give us some pointers?

i would imagine he would be content with seeing the moon and some planets in real life as opposed to in books or on tv. i would be happy just to see him enjoying himself !
Click to expand...
Beware, grandads are expected to know everything.
 
Already some great advice about getting a pair of binoculars and a tripod. That's my recommendation too.
A telescope costing £100-150 will have an inadequate mounting. The mount will make it tremendously frustrating to aim the telescope and it wobbling making it difficult so see any objects clearly.
You'll get some good advice by going to an astro society, but admittedly a difficult thing to do at the moment due to Covid.
Watching some YouTube videos may help with deciding.
 
I bought an 8 inch reflector scope which was great and a motor to track objects once targeted, cost in excess of £650 however my considerate neighbour fitted a state of the art security system that soaked the whole neighbourhood in light once the PIR was triggered The whole set up was useless as every time I moved to focus the telescope I was blinded by the light! Whatever you buy make sure the neighbours understand ( He was terrified of the dark and would not turn off his security lights) so sold via e bay for a bargain at £100 ( cost over £650) So do your home work and be patient You may find that others have neurotic neighbours!
 
Another recommendation for binoculars. I did a local course and the instructor suggested the Olympus 10 x 50 DPS I. Been really good.
Another amazing thing to try, is focusing on an area of dark sky where perhaps you can’t see anything with the naked eye. You’ll be blown away by what magically appears. And if the Milky Way that is incredible!
 
MisterB said:
any thoughts on this one?

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-...0001&campid=5338547443&icep_item=254846984369
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Ok That is a Reflector type scope which will need a little maintenance called Collimation, basically the mirrors in Reflectors can go out of focus, some are more susceptible to movement than others.
I would recommend going with a Refractor which doesn't have this problem.

Another benefit of the Refractor over the reflector is the refractor can be used in the daytime and not just to look at the moon, the reflector design produces an image that is inverted. This is not a big issue for astronomy purposes, however, this does render this type of scope impractical for daytime use. It would show the images upside down.
 
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Going to park on side of road and stick the scope out the back window, that will slow em down

90113D26-B7A7-433F-8FC2-C9A7EC4A239F.jpeg
 
I have a reflector telescope that was a gift. I wouldn't recommend it. I would buy a refractor for my needs. The reflector needs absolute darkness to be effective which is difficult these days unless you live in a dark skies area or in my case 1am in the morning!! However it's a great hobby.

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Well, it is Fun.

looking through Amazon after reading threads here I decided to look at other makes than the Nikon Action and Celestron do one. Top review with most helpful is here...

I did warn you, it is Fun...

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A neighbourly question, satisfyingly answered
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For the last 6 months my eyes have been tremendously sore, squinting furiously into the darkness through my bedroom window to determine whether or not my neighbour Deidre is doing her ironing in a skin coloured jumper, or is in fact topless. Now I have my trusty Celestron 71009 Skymaster 15x70 peeping goggles, I can happily confirm she is not merely wearing a skin coloured jumper. Tripod is recommended with the product to enable free hands during usage.

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::bigsmile:::bigsmile:::bigsmile:
 
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robnchris said:
Ok That is a Reflector type scope which will need a little maintenance called Collimation, basically the mirrors in Reflectors can go out of focus, some are more susceptible to movement than others.
I would recommend going with a Refractor which doesn't have this problem.

Another benefit of the Refractor over the reflector is the refractor can be used in the daytime and not just to look at the moon, the reflector design produces an image that is inverted. This is not a big issue for astronomy purposes, however, this does render this type of scope impractical for daytime use. It would show the images upside down.
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With the OP getting into astronomy with a youngster, simple is best. So a refractor is a good start place.

But on a Reflector type scope collimation can be straightforward if the adjusting screws are easy to locate.
Here's a none scope specific Celestron procedure: https://telescopenights.com/how-to-collimate-a-celestron-telescope/

I haven't had to adjust collimation on my reflector yet but still that is still new & in the early days plus viewing nights have been slim. :(
When a star or planet is out of focus and you don't see a nice symmetric ring doughnut in the eyepiece you need some tweaking. 🍩
 
Without wishing to hijack this thread, using my 10x50 binoculars way back in 1986 l was trying to show my young daughter Halleys comet but she found the weight of them tooooooo much for her little arms.
Handing them back to me she said "l'll see it next time" :rofl: :rofl:
 
RobL said:
I have a reflector telescope that was a gift. I wouldn't recommend it. I would buy a refractor for my needs. The reflector needs absolute darkness to be effective which is difficult these days unless you live in a dark skies area or in my case 1am in the morning!! However it's a great hobby.
Click to expand...
Surprised by your experience of a reflector being poorer than a refractor for sky viewing where light pollution is a problem.
For comparable ability scopes you'd have a larger light gathering capability on the reflector compared to the refractor.
But with light pollution, going with larger apertures has a diminishing return.

And for me, it's easier to get my 8" reflector out of the garage than the 80 EQ refractor (with it's 90cm tube).
The key is to choose a scope you'll use.

But entry level, a refractor is a good place to start (as I did ;) )
Some comparison sites: -
telescopefinder.com

Reflector vs Refractor Telescopes: Which is better?

Explained! what is the difference between a reflector and refractor telescope and which one should your buy as your first telescope?
telescopefinder.com telescopefinder.com

edit: I tried to focus (pun intended :P ) on a search of light pollution and scope types: & found https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/175014-refractors-and-light-pollution/

tl;dr it is not clear of the pros & cons. DSO with a reflector is hard with light pollution but, iirc, refractors tend to NOT be used for DSO anyway.
But from the article you may get a good match for what you like viewing and what scope type suits.
 
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The only point I would add to 'Kevenh' post above is the secondary mirror of the reflector blocks some of the light coming into the tube which reduces the effective aperture. In telescopes with 5” or less aperture the refractor is typically considered to have about a 1-inch advantage. This means that a 5” reflector and a 4” refractor would be considered about equal in light gathering ability, a key measure of the power of a telescope.

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