Suggest a Telescope ??

To conclude - for any beginner, your first scope has to be a Refractor - so that you can also use it for day-time terrestrial viewing (reflector & other scopes will give you an upside-down view).[/COLOR][/B]


This is what I have found to be the best (and also price wise at snapdeal)
http://www.snapdeal.com/product/celestron-powerseeker-70eq-telescope/1178661/?pos=0;0;429 - EQ - equatorial mount ~ Rs 8999 (with an extra 2% discount)
and the same
http://www.snapdeal.com/product/celestron-powerseeker-70az-telescope/1178675 - Altazimuth mount ~ Rs 5199 (with an extra 2% discount)

Further details about the scope - http://www.telescopes.com/telescopes/refracting-telescopes/celestronpowerseeker70eqtelescope.cfm | http://www.opticsplanet.com/celestron-firstscope-70-eq-refractor-telescope.html | https://www.astronomics.com/celestron-powerseeker-70-eq-2-75-inch-refractor-telescope_p16516.aspx |

Customer Reviews - http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-210...iewpoints=1&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending
and lastly
Equatorials vs Altazimuths - http://www.astronomytoday.com/astronomy/tbfaq_7.html | http://www.marcthescopeguy.com/altazvseq.html | http://www.howstuffworks.com/telescope5.htm

I repeat do you own homework & I will try my best to answer (if possible).

Ciao
Terry

Hello , i am also a user looking for telescope ,and i am no expert in this

But if he buy Telescope like this one
http://www.tejraj.com/sky-114az.html

This one have 1.5X Terrestrial Erecting Eyepiece 54x, 135x and 337.5x , this Eyepiece will give Erect image rite? and since This telescope have 114m diameter it have better Light gathering power than other posted here rite?

[
 
6pack said:
http://m.snapdeal.com/product/celestron-astromaster-70az-telescope/1178699

How's this one? It refractor telescope too and 70 mm. What's basic things we need to look out for in a telescope?
Click to expand...

This is another variant of the 70AZ Altaz mount that I had suggested earler (bare boned version) & which was a lot cheaper ~ 5199. The one you picked has an Pan handle Alt-Az control with clutch and a better mount/tripod.

WHAT BASIC THINGS TO LOOK/KNOW FOR IN A TELESCOPE
Based on my personal experience - these are some of the things in brief.

- Refractor (this is the only type which can also be used for terrestrial viewing as the image viewed is upright); needs least maintenance. No need for collimation (periodic lens adjustment/alignment); gets more expensive as the aperture (diameter of the mirror) increases. The larger aperture scopes are more expensive than reflector or catadiopteric scopes. Contrast is better than reflector scopes. Cassegrain scopes. Bright images may cause chromatic aberrations (faint fringes of color around say moon or jupiter).
- Reflector - less expensive than above; needs periodic colimation (especially if you move/transport/bump it around a lot; Dobsonian; Newtonian etc designs. Has better light gathering capacity than a refractor - so good for viewing distant objects in the sky.
- Catadioptric or Compound - A mixture of the above two containing both refractor & reflector elements. Schmidt-Cassegrain and Maksutov-Cassegrain designs; needs periodic colimation
- Mount - The most important thing. It should be stable; sturdy; smooth. Do not ever use a DSLR camera tripod for a telescope. Cheap scopes have cheap mounts. Sometimes manufacturers charge as much as 40-50% of the cost just for the mount. An unsteady scope will cause viewing problems in moderate wind also - so as you keep focussing the image will keep bouncing:rage: - even if there is no wind
- Overall weight - very important consideration as it affects portability. Check out videos of the specific model you wish to buy to find out how to mount/unmount/assemble your scope. If you have an SUV and travel a lot, then no harm in going in for the largest aperture scope (even if it's heavy) ;) A small scope you can transport will probably see a lot more use than a larger one you don’t feel like hauling around.
- Eyepiece - Your new scope should have at least 1 eyepiece, and often 2 or 3. An eyepiece is rated by millimeters (mm), with smaller numbers indicating higher magnification. A 25mm eyepiece is common and appropriate for most beginners. While a higher magnification eyepiece may provide more details, it may be harder to keep an object in view, unless you are using a motorized mount. They also require the scope to gather more light to provide a clearer image.
A lower power eyepiece makes it easier to find objects and keep them in view. Lower magnification eyepieces require less light, so viewing dimmer objects is easier. You may keep adding eyepieces as they are not very expensive.
Lastly
Why are Images mostly upside-down in most scopes (except in Refractor scopes) -

One of the most surprising discoveries first-time telescope owners will find is that images may appear upside-down or backwards depending on the type of telescope. The first thought is the telescope is broken - when in fact it is working perfectly normal. Depending on the type of telescope images may appear correct, upside-down, rotated, or inversed from left to right.
Why is this? Why would I want to see everything incorrectly? For astronomical viewing, it is not important whether an object is shown correctly. In space there is no up or down. Besides, Saturn is not something you see everyday and you would not know if it was upside-down or not. A Tree, Building, Person or an Automobile for example would be important to see correctly. When you view an automobile upside-down, you recognize that this is not correct. Lets talk about the different types of telescopes and how the orientation of the image is observed through them and what you can do to correct it for land use.
Refractor and Cassegrain telescopes will produce an image that is upside down when used without a diagonal. When a diagonal is used the image will be corrected right side up, but backwards from left to right. It will look like trying to read a sign in a mirror. There are special diagonals called Erect Image Prism diagonals that can correct the backwards image for land use.
Newtonian Reflectors will produce an image that is upside down and are not recommended for land use. There are no ways to correct this with a Newtonian Reflector.
Click to expand...
- http://www.telescopes.com/telescopes/imageorientationwhyiseverythingupsidedownarticle.cfm


And check out these excellent articles for further details:
http://media.skyandtelescope.com/documents/AboutScopes.pdf - Highly recommended to read
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/equipment/basics/12511616.html
What Kind of Telescope should I buy
http://www.astronomy.com/Equipment/How-To/2004/07/Buying a telescope.aspx
http://space.about.com/od/telescopesandoptics/p/6scopepoints.htm
http://space.about.com/od/telescopesandoptics/ht/telescopehowto.htm
http://www.telescopes.com/telescopes/howtoselectyourfirsttelescopearticle.cfm - Highly recommended

Happy Viewing

Terry
 
RajeshJ said:
Hello , i am also a user looking for telescope ,and i am no expert in this

But if he buy Telescope like this one
http://www.tejraj.com/sky-114az.html

This one have 1.5X Terrestrial Erecting Eyepiece 54x, 135x and 337.5x , this Eyepiece will give Erect image rite? and since This telescope have 114m diameter it have better Light gathering power than other posted here rite?
Click to expand...

The above is a Newtonian Reflector scope. Yes it definitely has better light gathering capacity than the Celestron. And the image you see will be "UPSIDE-DOWN", so there is no fun in using it for terrestrial viewing. Lastly, you will need periodic collimation (lens/mirror adjustments) to be done.
 
RECOMMENDED TELESCOPES FOR BEGINNERS

A] REFRACTOR TELESCOPES - Can also be used for terrestrial viewing as the image viewed is upright.
Code : AZ - Altazimuth mount; EQ - Equatorial mount

1] Star Tracker 70/700 AZ2 ~ 5250/-
2] Orion Observer 70 Altaz Refractor ~ 10200/-
3] Konus Space 7 ~ 8400 to 9300/-
4] Konus 900 ~ 9660 to 10200/- with EQ mounted motorised tracking. Battery operated.
5] Konus Space 5 AZ mount ~ 3300 to 3630/- - decent budget telescope
6] Bresser 700x60 Refractor with hard-box carry case ~ 6060/- Extremely portable; easy to set-up; lightweight (less than 2 kgs); tracking however may be difficult.
7] Bresser Mars Explorer 700x70 AZ mount with wedge ~ 8400/-
8] Bresser Sirius 900/70 ~ 6600/-
9] Celestron Powerseeker 70EQ ~ 8999/- German EQ mount


Notes:
(a) There are cheaper telescopes manufactured by the same branded companies. I have not recommended any of them for the following reasons - low powered; focussing/tracking is very difficult; mount is not sturdy/stable. See example here.
(b) Prices at tejraj are a lot cheaper than galileotelescope.com
(c) I will try to update this list as and when time permits.
(d) If you have any relatives or benefactors coming in from USA/UK/Dubai - you could request them to pick it up from there as the prices are really very cheap.

Cheers
Terry
 
I came across this maksutov-cassegrain design. Its a catadioptric type telescope (right?).
I've seen similar looking schmidt-cassegrain type on tejraj but higher priced and of 5" to 9" lens. Do you feel such a hybrid telescope is beyond beginner's scope? Asking cause I see that you have only recommended refractor telescopes. Some sites say even a good pair of binoculars will suffice if a person knows what he's looking for.

http://m.snapdeal.com/product/celestron-c70-mini-mak-spotting/1178662
 
6pack said:
I came across this maksutov-cassegrain design. Its a catadioptric type telescope (right?).
I've seen similar looking schmidt-cassegrain type on tejraj but higher priced and of 5" to 9" lens. Do you feel such a hybrid telescope is beyond beginner's scope? Asking cause I see that you have only recommended refractor telescopes. Some sites say even a good pair of binoculars will suffice if a person knows what he's looking for.

http://m.snapdeal.com/product/celestron-c70-mini-mak-spotting/1178662
Click to expand...

I will answer your querries backwards ;) (since the best looking-designed scopes offer upside down views).
Binoculars - yes a very good pair will suffice to watch the Moons Craters and nothing else. Even then you may have to mount it on a tripod as the farther away we try to focus - the image keeps shaking. It's useless for watching any planets of our solar system.

Spotting-scopes - Image is upright; always lower magnification/short focal length/ small aperture; can be mounted on a photo-camera tripod; not really useful for "astronomy" - unless one buys the really expensive ones. Spotting scope are not binoculars. Neither are they normal astronomical telescopes. They don't have the same go-anywhere, point-and-shoot convenience of handheld binoculars, nor the aperture or magnification of most astronomical telescopes.

The Maksutovs/Schmidt-Cassegrain scopes [Catadioptric/Compound scopes] - these are very popular only with serious amateur astronomers/astrophysicists or students of such disciplines. Used exclusively for 'astronomy' only. They look hot and sexy & really would pull a crowd wherever you take it. So unless you plan to do some serious astronomy week-after-week, spending hours each night (often scanning the same spot for days on end) whilst making your notes and jotting new-observations, going for this type of scope is not recommended. A really good mak or schmidt well set you off by 25-75k at least. It's terrestrial viewing capability is Zero. Lastly - this needs periodic collimation (nothing to be feared as it's easy but only irksome - especially if one has set out for star-gazing in the middle of nowhere & in total darkness - only to discover that everything looks blurry - see http://www.celestron.com/c3/support3/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=1974 | http://www.astro-baby.com/collimation/astro babys collimation guide.htm | http://www.skyandtelescope.com/howto/diy/3306876.html
See also Schmidt-cassegrain & maksutov-cassegrain - what's the difference

In a similar vein - no one recommends "Reflector" type scopes too for the beginner.

If you get a "refractor" scope as your first-buy. There are limitless possibilities of using it for day-time terrestrial viewing too. If you journey to any hill-station (say Mahableshwar/Panchgani/Ooty/Shimla/Darjeeling etc) then from a vantage point you can see so many, many things that will thrill everyone.

As an excercise - install "Google-Sky" on your android phone and check out your interest level/excitement of identifying the night-sky over your home. Next try to get in touch with anyone who has a good telescope or join any local amateur group (for free yaar). Try to get a first hand feel of as many scopes as possible. After all this if your interest level soars higher - then by all means go for a Newtonian reflector or SCT scope.
 
6pack said:
I remember one frustrating experience I had with astro photography. There was some eclipse happening at night few months back and I had my digicam at full magnification trying to capture the moon. Damn thing was racing across the preview like a Ferrari. Was so frustrating that I gave up and looked at it with my eyes. :(

Edit: was this Google sky?
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.stardroid
Click to expand...

Righto on the Google-Sky map for android. Install it.
Mind you it ain't easy to use - as you try to position it over your head and locate the sky - see how it will keep dancing. Go to it's setting's and select Planets first; later you can add - Stars; Constellations; Messier objects; meteor showers (one by one). Keep "horizon and RA/Dec Grid" on at all times. Locate the "north-pole" first. Keep rotating the screen slowly 360 degrees around the horizon.... freak out. You can toggle "night-view" too. Of course your GPS/GPRS should be ON.

AH ha .... so you did get a feel of how tough "astrophotography" is :mad:. Trust me ... the farther away (sky objects) we wish to point our scope - the tougher is it to get it stable on the viewfinder. But with patience - loads of it, you will be rewarded.

I wish to get back again to one of the best articles ever written - on 'What to know/look for while buying a scope" - PLEASE READ & DIGEST IT IN ITS ENTIRETY - http://media.skyandtelescope.com/documents/AboutScopes.pdf - Highly recommended to read
Lastly - to most of us in India, we just have a few more days/weeks before the clear skies at night will last. Once the monsoon clouds start rolling in, then right until late September it's hopeless to do any star-gazing - the night sky (esp over all coastal areas/cities) will be too hazy & fuzzy.... so except for viewing the Moon & even she would play hide-n-seek behind the clouds.
 
@terence_fdes
Wow, What a thread... Thank you so much for awesome information. I didnt know this thread created by me will be so useful.

Guys, please share which one did you take finally, I am hunting for a good REFRACTOR one within 7k.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I'm thinking of getting actual hands on experience before buying anything. Would give a fair idea of what companies or telescopes to avoid. Don't want a thousand bucks lying waste in a cupboard.
 
No. That thought has not crossed my mind. Bothering someone is not my style.
I did some thinking and Astronomy seems serious stuff and not for me.
I don't think I could give enough time a week to go out and look up at the sky. The only times I've looked up to see the stars was when there was a power cut. Winters are the best time to see stars with naked eye I believe. Sun sets early and air is cool too. Plus not many clouds in the sky.

Main reason is I'm a bit lazy in such outdoor activities type of hobbies. ;)
 
Praks said:
@6pack
Do you plan to visit @terence_fdes ?
Click to expand...
Hmmm .... nice thot

6pack said:
No. That thought has not crossed my mind. Bothering someone is not my style.
I did some thinking and Astronomy seems serious stuff and not for me.
I don't think I could give enough time a week to go out and look up at the sky. The only times I've looked up to see the stars was when there was a power cut. Winters are the best time to see stars with naked eye I believe. Sun sets early and air is cool too. Plus not many clouds in the sky.

Main reason is I'm a bit lazy in such outdoor activities type of hobbies. ;)
Click to expand...

No bother at all for anyone on TE who want's to drop in at my place - Andheri-East/Takshila Colony/Mumbai...... [I am a good cook too, so some "bites" along with a 'lil peg will help loosen up things] :happy:

BUT hey ... I do not have any Telescope today... (see my earlier post. I had one over 30-35 years ago).... and I yearn to get one again.

But there's a lot more to LIFE that we all can discover and share.

@6pack ..... please do not give up so soon, and so easily. @Praks ... (apologies If I have been a little tough on you). It's not easy, especially with the multitude of telescopes that are available - and all having their own limitations. We may never get a chance to get into an Observatory or use the Hubble-Telescope or the Radio-Astronomy disc array at Pune - all of which are a 1000 times more powerful than the telescopes that we will buy/own.... STILL.....

ASTRONOMY - TELESCOPE & terrestrial-viewing, and a love for seeing/discovering what lies beyond our horizon is a marvelous adventure into the unknown. Once you discover the joy & thrills - you can share this with your kids and others too.

TRY THIS FIRST STEP
Install the android app - Google-Sky Map (see my earlier post) and go out onto your terrace/balcony - start identifying the "recognisable" objects in the sky. If you find this a "thrill" then move to the next step..... which is "checking out a real Telescope". Of course be prepared for "disappointments" - unclear skies and many, many, many attempts to understand the first step. And in so many ways you will learn and discover so much more about your own self.

Cheers
Terry
 
Last edited by a moderator:
bottle said:
Yeah this thread is like the first few steps to form the TE Astronomy club :D
Click to expand...
Hello guys. Any with telescope from Kerala , Kannur or kozhikode



For my scope I shortlisted to

1) Orion SkyQues XT4.5 Classic Dobsonian Telescope

D=114 / F=900mm Dobsonian reflector. . Rs. 18,300 http://www.tejraj.com/skyquest-xt45classic.html

Good Quality build. Eyepiece. within budget.,
Two plossm eyepiece ,.etc




2) Orion SkyQuestâ„¢ XT6 Classic Dobsonian Reflector

(expensive . Provably skip this and get X4.5)

D=150 / F=1200mm parabolic reflector. . Rs. 24,600 http://www.tejraj.com/skyquest-xt6.html

3)STAR TRACKER 135 / 1100 FS AZ D=135 / F=1100mm parabolic reflector. . . . Rs. 16,500

http://www.tejraj.com/sky135fsaz.html


But waiting some more time..Trying to find some one /place to test each telescope type before making purchase
 
RajeshJ said:
Hello guys. Any with telescope from Kerala , Kannur or kozhikode

For my scope I shortlisted to ........

But waiting some more time..Trying to find some one /place to test each telescope type before making purchase
Click to expand...

Check this place keralaastronomy - I came across it on FB (no luck for any local astronomers groups in Kannur or Kozhi).

AND BOY-O-BOY with your kinda budget you can straightaway migrate to Level 2 scopes - The Orion Dob XT6 is a proven beauty, she has a 6" aperture - WOW. All three of the scopes that you have chosen are for "semiserious astronomy". Large apertures with affordable prices are possible ONLY with Dobs (a similar aperture Refractor scope will be 3 times more expensive and a Reflector scope twice as expensive).

For Dobsonians, I hope you understand it's limitations too - the XT6 weighs 15.69 kgs, the XT4.5 is 7.98 kgs and the Star tracker 20 kgs. If portability is not an issue then no problems.

Follow this path - check as many user reviews as possible
- check out actual image views on you-tube etc
 
@terence_fdes
As you said you dont have scope now, Do you plan to purchase one ?

Well I am not too much into astrology but always curious to know what lies ahead of earth. Kind of like Sci fi movies.. Specially after Trasnformer - dark of the moon.... moon landing etc..

This is always in my mind that we are not alone.. though this kind home scopes cant show the universe but still gives a feel of knowing something atleast where machines reach.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Back
Top