Whats the best GPS telescope for the beginner?

Question

Just looking to view the moon and planets for now...looking too spend up to $350.00 First timer.

Answer 1

buy a good dob and forget the gps. hook up with some local astronomers and see what is possible before spending any money. do some research, too, with a book like nightwatch.

Answer 2

Well, I think it's worthwhile not to be too dogmatic about GPS.  Some people are not as proficient as others at starhopping (navigating a telescope by charts, more or less), and insisting that they "pay their dues" often drums them right out of the hobby altogether.  GPS for astronomy is an interesting technology; it ought to be considered.

However, for $350 (U.S., I'm assuming), you're likely going to sink too much money into the technology, and not enough into the optics and mounting.  The kinds of telescopes that you could get for $350, with GPS, are unlikely to afford very exciting views of the planets, aside from Jupiter, Saturn, and the Moon--and the Moon is exciting in practically anything.  A quick look at the Meade/Celestron sites doesn't reveal any computerized scope for $350 that I could get behind.

Depending on where you live, I'd try to hook up with an astronomy club.  They will have star parties where you can try out telescopes before you buy them.  Think of it this way: You'd hardly buy a car sight unseen, why would you do that with a telescope?  Everybody uses a telescope somewhat differently, and I'd recommend that you figure out what works for you before sinking a few hundred of your hard-earned dollars into one.

Don't forget that a telescope is rarely a "solitary" purchase.  At a minimum, you'd want to buy a few books and some eyepieces to supplement the ones the telescope comes with.  A pair of binoculars, to fill the "sweet spot" between the unaided eye and the telescope, is another common recommendation.

There's a newish magazine out right now, called Popular Astronomy, put out by the same folks who give you Sky and Telescope (the premier amateur astronomy publication in the U.S., in my opinion), that has a few introductory articles by a fellow named Ed Ting, a highly regarded astronomy writer.  I don't agree with every last thing he says, but it's definitely a good start.  If you can find that in the local bookstore, it'd be a good source of advice for pretty cheap.  (Not as cheap as you get here, but sometimes you get what you pay for.)