Telescope

M4LMiniMe

Member
Feb 6, 2004
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does anyone know where i can find a high power telescop. please link also what are some good brads. thanks
 

KLin

Lifer
Feb 29, 2000
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If you were in Fresno, CA then this would be the place to go to get a high powered telescope.
 
Nov 17, 2004
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If you want really powerful you're gonna have to build your own. Buy yourself a few acres in the middle of nowhere and it'll be a fun project for this Spring. Plenty of sites that'll help. Good luck.
 

Maggotry

Platinum Member
Dec 5, 2001
2,074
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telescope.com

I've bought lots of stuff from them over the years. Be sure to visit their leanring center if you're new to optics/telescopes.

What kind of price range do you have?
 

KLin

Lifer
Feb 29, 2000
30,454
763
126
Originally posted by: M4LMiniMe
a couple hundred

you might as well go to your local toys r us and pick up a tasco branded telescope then.
 

Maggotry

Platinum Member
Dec 5, 2001
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Originally posted by: M4LMiniMe
a couple hundred

is this a good one will i beable to see good distance and clear.
http://www.telescope.com/shopp...eyword=skyview+pro+127

You said a couple hundred then linked to one over $500. And it's backordered. Will this be your first telescope? I'd hate for you to spend $500 on a scope, use it a few times, then put it in a closet. What kind of observing do you plan on doing? Deep sky objects? Planets? Do you have dark skys where you live?

Read this article.
 

yhelothar

Lifer
Dec 11, 2002
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The Mak-Cas you chose is great. It's a good scope for astrophotography as it has a strong sturdy mount. If you just want a good viewing scope and don't want to do astrophotography, I'd get a dobsonian. It's much easier to use, and gives you a lot more power for the price.


Originally posted by: SchrodingersDog
Get this.
http://www.costco.com/Browse/P...=&topnav=&cat=
and return it if you don't see what you want to see. Costco won't care.

high power != high magnification.
That telescope is §hit.

 
Nov 17, 2004
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Well the thing is the guy's trying to do something he's never done on a limited budget. Do you think the local optics shop is gonna want to take back the $500 piece after he's taken it to the desert for a few weekends and decides he's not into it? There's a differance between good purchase advice for an experienced user and advice for a novice.
 

yhelothar

Lifer
Dec 11, 2002
18,409
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Yes. Orion Telescope is a very reputable, high profile company. It has a 30 day satisfaction guarantee, so he can still take it back.
 

AndrewR

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
11,157
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After spending money on a couple cheap scopes, I found one consistent fact -- put money into your tripod or mount if you can't put money into the scope. Even a good scope on a bad mount is a complete waste because if you can't fine tune the image, you won't see anything.

So, even if you're buying an inexpensive telescope, make sure that the tripod is worth something. Otherwise, it'll end up like my Christmas present from a few years back, which is sitting in the closet gathering dust because it's just shy of useless for observing (shh, don't tell the wife!).
 

yhelothar

Lifer
Dec 11, 2002
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Ditto on the mount advice.

Dobsonian mounts are solid, inexpensive, and easy to use mounts that are excellent choices for beginners. They lack the function to "track" or follow the stars as the earth rotates. This makes long exposure astrophotography impossible. Although it's the best choice for anyone that just wants a quick easy viewing, a large scope for little money.

 

Hayabusa Rider

Admin Emeritus & Elite Member
Jan 26, 2000
50,879
4,268
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The 500 dollar scope is a good entry level one.

There is a frustration factor that you must count on. A 150 dollar "Magnifies a zillion times!" scope WILL be used once or twice then be put away. It's like having a car guaranteed to break down every time you use it.

Mounts must be sturdy. Some like equatorial, some like Dobs. They both have advantages and disadvantages, but getting one which sucks, well sucks. You are trying to see something, not pin the tail on the planet, as it wobbles in and out of view.

Buy cheap = get useless.
 

yhelothar

Lifer
Dec 11, 2002
18,409
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EQ ones are harder to use and are extremely heavy. Dobs are a bit lighter, but they are extremely bulky.
I think dobs make a great entry level scope as they provide the best image and starts off at a low price.
Although there are many disadvantages of owning a large scope with a dob mount. I had an 8" dob a while back, and I live in a heavily light polluted area. Larger scopes are worse for light polluted areas because they gather more light, and will end up gathering the light from street lamps and skyglow. The sheer size and weight of the scope made it difficult to transport the scope to a dark sky area. I ended up never taking the the scope to a dark sky area in my three years of owning the scope. The Mak-cas from the link would be the ideal scope for me, as it is small and easy to transport, and does not have an enormous aperture that would gather in too much light from the light pollution.
 

Descartes

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
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Looking to spend 2000 to 3000? Now you tell us, thanks.

For that kind of money you're going to need to decide a few things. Are you looking for an astrophotography setup, or just the best visual setup you can get? If visual, I would go for the largest aperture dob that you can find. AstroMart often has people selling fantastic dobs for that price well into the double-digit aperture range.

If you're looking for an astrophotography setup, well, that's too long a discussion. You're going to have a hard time getting a high-quality setup for $2-$3k, but you could start out with a decent mount like the Celestron Advanced Series. You could then get a nice apo refractor from Orion (80ED or 100ED) for about that amount. It won't be a great visual scope, but it will do well for astrophotography.

We need more information. BTW, this is my visual setup, and you can see the Celestron Advanced Series mount on the left. I use it with my computer so that I can monitor remotely, and I also use it for my lighter refractors for simpler astrophotography. The Orion reflector you see there isn't that great a scope, but it's light and it works well enough for quick visual work.