Which Telescope Should I Get

[The Mangler]

Originally Posted by ozzmoziz

wonders what kind of scope u have?

90mm Mak. (1200mm focal lenght)
In the market for something bigger though.
Trying to decide between a Dob (10") or a bigger Mak. (5"...?)
I'm still kinda new at this, so don't hesitate to tell me about other options.

Is Konus any good? They seem cheaper than everything else, which leads me to believe that they are inferior (usually you get what you pay for, but not always...)

I know this is a pretty general question, but what kind of scope is best for taking pictures? (My main interests are planets and nebulas)

Sorry to hit you up with so many questions...

Should we move this to the "Telescopes" section?

[ozzmoziz]

i have 2 skywatchers sometimes i think i should of bought something else ,, but nope! i get very clear images at 240 x on a good nite on my 8 inch scope.
and for one it was at a good price $725 can 839 with tax cam with tripod but no motor for tracking that was extra. its up to u i mean a mak 5 inch is good for planets but for deep space not as good course ur mirror is not as wide
if you gona get one i recommend a Newtonian , you could always go with a dob but , am sure with a Newtonian you ll have way more fun and for taken pics is best!!..

[Dragon Star]

I was looking at one of those large scopes at Walmart, I am thinking about getting one...

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=4183991

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=2684095

Which is more bang for the buck? Do you think it is worth it? Are they as powerful as the scopes you have? Is Autostar hard to navigate?

Let me know what you think!

[ozzmoziz]

the etx 60 looks more sterdy
but for that price you can get much better at a telescope store around u
if your willing to spend that much id look for something else then that
you can get a good reflector for that price around 6 inches with tripod but no motor. shop around

[Dragon Star]

I know I can get more for my $$$ without the Autostar, but I really have no frigging clue what I am doing, so drooping some numbers or letters into a LCD is a lot easier for me until I get used too messing with it.

Thanks for the suggestion.

[ozzmoziz]

don t worry you don t need it after a while ull get used to it..

with mine i can find any thing in the sky its not hard.. just got to know where things are

and trust me ull learn real quick and ull say to urself wow thats kewl..

i did lol

if u need help ill help and i know tons of pages that will help

[Darryl]

Originally Posted by Dragon Star

I was looking at one of those large scopes at Walmart, I am thinking about getting one...

Which is more bang for the buck? Do you think it is worth it? Are they as powerful as the scopes you have? Is Autostar hard to navigate?

Let me know what you think!

Hi Dragon Star,

Is this your first telescope?

The most bang for the buck is going to be something like a 6" or 8" dobsonian reflector. Even if we are not talking about money, there will be no comparison as to what you will see out of a 6 or 8 inch dob compared to one of those telescope you provided the links for from Wal-mart. If you are going to get a telescope go to a proper shop that sells astronomy equipment.

I would suggest you get a book like NightWatch by Terence Dickinson. Its an excellent book on helping you decide what telescope to get along with topics on general astronomy.

[Dragon Star]

Alright, thanks for your comments.

[The Mangler]

Astronomoics is a online catalog I buy a lot of stuff from. One of the reasons I go to them is that they are pretty close to me (about a 2 hour drive - in Texas, that's close) if I want to go to their store and see the stuff in person. They have a pretty good page on how to pick a telescope on their website.

Click on "How to pick a telescope" up at the top. On that page they have different topics to help you figure out what you want. If the information on the website doesn't answer your questions, they will be happy to help you if you e-mail them.

[sunofsky]

a middle size telescope is best for handling, I think so, I am not saying that don't purchase the big one, but many time getting the tools, and 'after maintainance' is some what critical to follow.

sunil