I want to buy a telescope.

Question

Anyone have any advice in purchasing a telescope for an amateur such as myself?

Any good brands, websites, information that I should know?

Answer 1

Ebay sells some 6" reflectors for pretty cheap

Answer 2

The biggest thing to learn is to not let Magnification get to you!  Telescope manufactures will advertise how much "power" their scope has.  If you see this, don't buy it.  What really matters is the aperture, which is how "big" the scope is.  It is a measurement of the telescope's main mirror.  Generally, the bigger the aperture, the more light the scope lets in, resulting in a better picture.

Also, definitely go to a local astronomy club.  You will be able to talk to people who are very knowledgeable about the topic and are very willing to help you out.

As far as brands, Orion, Meade, and Celestron are very popular.  I own a Celestron NexStar 130 GT.

Answer 3

There are several different kinds of telescopes and all of them have some excellent features. Refractors and Reflectors, plus Schmidt-Cassegrain, APO refractors and more. There are also several mounts to chose from and the mounts are just as important as the scope is. All of the different scopes and mounts have some features that some people like and do not like.

There is no one scope that is "better" than another except for the junk scopes out there which are all just a waste of money. Never, ever buy from Walmart, Costco, Target, or any other discount store like that. Junk scopes are flooded into the market from those stores. You will be buying nothing but bad optics and plastic.

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http://oriontelescopes.com/

Orion is the very best for value and for customer service too. I have 2 of their scopes and I will only buy from them from now on.

The Orion site has some excellent diagrams and explanations of all types of scopes and mounts.

Things to consider are size--can the user lift and transport the scope to the viewing site easily? If not, then it will gather dust in a closet. Can the viewer reach all the k***s and buttons? I have a long tube large manual refractor and it is very dificult for me to reach the k***s when I am pointed to Zenith. I am not a tall person.

Take your time in making your decision.

I would like to suggest that you join a local astronomy club or astronomical society BEFORE you spend your money on a scope. There are many different kinds of scopes and what is perfect for one person is not perfect for another. Everyone has their own set of eyeballs and no two are the same. If you join a club, you can attend a few of their star parties and try out members scopes to see what works best for YOU, before you buy a scope. The members can also help you when you get your scope and show you how to get the most out of your new scope as well as to help teach you where the treasures in the sky are located. Hint: they will be especially helpful if you take cookies to star parties. Most clubs have loaner scopes and extensive libraries that you can gather more information from too.

Some people will suggest that you purchase binnoculars. Not a bad idea but dont buy anything less than 10x50 and you must have a tripod too or you will not be happy with your astronomical views because they will be too shakey from your movements. Personally, I prefer a scope to binos because if binoculars are not aligned properly at the factory, then you get double images and distortions that cant be fixed.

But when you buy go Orion and you wont be disappointed. Don't try to learn everything all at once or you will be overwhelmed and discouraged. Patience is the key to Astronomy.

You will also need a good star chart program.

http://www.stellarium.org/

This is great freeware that you can download. Just tell it where you are and it will tell you what you see.

I wish you all the best. Enjoy

Answer 4

The best place I can tell you to find one is to wake up early on a Saturday morning and hit your local garage sales. My cousin found me one and it was in excellent condition for about $25. Haggle away!!

Answer 5

Where to start?

1)  Never buy a scope from a department store.  They are almost always overpriced, and loaded with worthless junk that is there to tease impulse buyers and uneducated consumers.

2)  Magnification is like the speedometer in your car.  Just because it reads up to 150mph doesn't mean that it can get there, or that it is likely that you will ever want to go anywhere near that speed.  Just ignore all magnification claims as meaningless tripe.  As with driving, most astronomy happens at the lower end of the scale.  300x is the average limit for all terrestial scopes (even the most massive professional scopes) in anything less then excellent seeing conditions.

3)  Try to find a local astronomy club.  They usually have stargazing sessions several times a month where you can meet others, see what they use, and take a peek through their scopes.  

4)  Do buy from a dedicated telescope store;  even if you have to buy online (since many states now lack even a single store).  Their products are better in quality and price, they usually have skilled sales people that can help to answer your questions, and their stuff is less likely to be loaded down with poorly made-useless-accessories.

5)  The telescope consists of 4 basic interchangeable components:  an optical tube, a mount, a finder, and eyepieces.  A real telescope store will offer these items as sets and separately.  If you cannot afford to do it all at once, try to buy at least one quality component and upgrade the rest as you go along.  Your eyepieces may eventually end up costing you more then the other three combined ;  fortunately, you can use the same set on multiple scopes.  

6)  Get or upgrade your scope to a 50mm finder.  Red dot 1x optical systems are useful;  but a 8x50 finder is an inexpensive and indispensible targeting tool.

7)  Aperture rules!  astronomy is mostly about looking at very big things that are very very far away, and extremely dim.  The greater the main collecting mirror or lens, the better your scope will brighten and resolve these objects.

8)  Despite #7, be reasonable.  Unless you plan on building a permanet  observatory, large telescopes can become bulky and clumsy, and nothing is less useful then an instrument that you seldom use, because it is just too much of a hassle to transport and set up.  Usually, something within 80mm and 8-inch works best.  I find myself using my 90mm most of the time - simply because I can grab it and drop it in place with one hand.        

9)  Scopes can be mounted as Dobsonians (usually reflectors) - which are stable, inexpensive, and portable;  or, on Alt-Azimut mounts (up-down-left-right) which work well with binoculars, and widefield scopes;  or, on equitorial mounts - which are more complicated to use and set up - but which are designed to easily track objects as they move across the celestial sphere.  There are excellent examples available in all these formats and which you go with will depend on your prefernces and observing priorities.

10)  Modern scope mounts can be equipped with Go-To computer systems that can help you to locate objects at will.  However, these are not essential;  and the added complexity may, or may not be worthwhile.  I have found that I like my manual slow motion controls;  and those coupled with an EQ mount and a clock drive work for me.  

11)  Stellarium.org offers an excellent freeware software package to help you find what you are looking for.  That, a planisphere, and a set of star charts are good basic tools.  You will also want to add a red filtered flash light.

12)  Pack a few simple tools.  A loose s***w or nut can ruin your evening, and usually a small adjustment is all that is needed.

13)  Stay away from your mirrors and lenses.  A little bit of dust has little impact, but a cleaning mistake can easily and permanently damage your scope.  It is usually enough to clean eyepieces periodically.

14)  Astrophotography is best left to advanced users.  While anyone can snap a quick exposure, it takes excellent equipment, skill, and patients to capture images like the ones that grace magazine covers.  A single great picture may be months or years in the making.  It takes alot of work.  

15)  No matter which telescope you buy, you will never be able to see the kind of images you usually see in photos.  Your eyes do not work in the way a camera does;  you cannot accumulate photons over long periods of time to form an image.  Learn to recognize targets as they appear visually.  Most deep space objects appear simply as fuzzy dim grey shadows.

16)  Dress warm, and or, don't forget the bug spray.  

17)  When all else fails, head out to a really dark site; at least 30 miles from the nearest town.  You can usually see more with a pair of 50mm binos at a dark site then you can with a large scope in a city.  Especially, when chasing deep space objects.          

18)  Expect to see alot of "UFOs,"  especially at dusk and dawn when it is easier to see our many natural and man-made satillites.

19)  Relax, and take in the greatest show of all time.  It is like going to the park, instead of watching the game on TV.  The replays aren't there, and the field looks much smaller;  but, now you are a part of it, and not just an idle voyuer.