I am a newbie to astro

harlequin2902 · Post by **harlequin2902** » Sat Oct 04, 2003 10:45 am

btw.. is MCT abit cheaper than a 80mm refractor?? i mean new ones...

Size for size, Refractors are usually more expensive than anything else. But we're comparing a 5" Skywatcher MCT with a 80mm Skywatcher Refractor here, so considering both are brand new units, the 80mm Refractor will be a couple of hundred dollars cheaper.

dew · Post by **dew** » Sat Oct 04, 2003 12:11 pm

i suggest you take your time in choosing a telescope that you want and the binoculars too.. (i would stay away from buying binos from lucky plaza.. i bought my first pair from there and really kanna ripped off man.. definately recommend mcgill or harlequin)
i'm still pretty new to astronomy too and one of the first things i learnt is that the price of the telescope is just half the total cost if you dont buy as a complete package deal..
for example you buy telescope, look through, see mars is the size of a pinprick, need to buy new eyepieces. then maybe a case to transport the scope, then dry cabinet.. haha.. but dont worry, your spending can still be kept under control if you do the right research before hand and know exactly what you want.

eu-wen

Post by **zong** » Sat Oct 04, 2003 12:30 pm

dew wrote:but dont worry, your spending can still be kept under control if you do the right research before hand and know exactly what you want.

Haha, well said, but anyway for a good enough telescope a few K is still needed, i don't find spotting scopes any much better off than a pair of good binos... I have a 12X50 binos, and i've tried a spotting scope, they're not much different. So if you have only 1K, I'd rather have a good telescope. But not a 12X one! i have trouble using it as it is so bulky...

IceAngel · Post by **IceAngel** » Sat Oct 04, 2003 1:33 pm

oh.. this morning i went to dig my bino out... and now i realise that my bino is a Tasco 7x35mm one... is that good for beginning spotting some stars???

harlequin2902, so do u sell bino tripod/stand too?? and how much is one of that??

Post by **zong** » Sat Oct 04, 2003 3:15 pm

oops, for the above... I meant if you only have 1K, I'd rather have a pair of good BINOS...

Yeah IceAngel, I would actually have reccommended 7x50, it has wider FOV, but as someone said earlier, any optics is better'n naked eye ob, yeah?

IceAngel · Post by **IceAngel** » Sat Oct 04, 2003 3:36 pm

wat's FOV???

harlequin2902 · Post by **harlequin2902** » Sat Oct 04, 2003 4:02 pm

wat's FOV???

FOV is the Field of View. Simply put, the wider the better of course, for astronomy. You'll be able to frame more stuff into the same view at any one time. Makes viewing more pleasant and you won't feel as if you're looking through a toilet roll etc...

IceAngel · Post by **IceAngel** » Sat Oct 04, 2003 4:20 pm

hahaha... icic.. learn new things everyday..

Post by **zong** » Sat Oct 04, 2003 11:04 pm

Hehe, nice. Learn with that first, try to recognise different stars, so you will have less problems when using a scope...

Anyway Harlequin, yeah, you haven't replied about bino mounts, are there any in your shop? I'd like to have one too... But my budget would be puny... My binos are so heavy I can only withstand a 5 min observation, rest for 10 minutes then continue...

Grievous · Post by **Grievous** » Sat Oct 04, 2003 11:43 pm

No worries Leslie, I am teaching RP Astronomers (They are officailly named, Hooray!) the basic strings of Astronomy currently, Not the superstrings yet, hehe. Do join us if you have the time...PM me if ya interested eh?

Charlie