Advice needed - Which telescope to buy

[Davegn]

WOW!
80mm ED doublet refractor!
Was only thinking of ST80 for terrestial and astronomical use.

Orion StarMax 127mm Equatorial Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope
http://www.telescope.com/Telescopes/Cas ... p/9826.uts

Btw, Jessquek, you would not need a Equatorial mounts (EQ mount) for terrestial use.
Equatorial mounts are used to track star movements. could be quite a hassle if you use them for terrestial viewing.

what i would suggest is getting a altazimuth mount (AZ mount). it can be used for terrestial and astronomical viewing.

[rlow]

ST80 is a f/5 achromat that is alright for low-power widefield views, but if you want to use higher magnification, say to try looking for a squirrel 15km away, it is better to use a good ED doublet that is still within the budget. Of course a triplet apo would be the best choice.

[jessquek]

LOL

I dont think it is practical or realistic to observe a squirrel at 15km away

[cloud_cover]

I second rlow's advice. A good quality 80mm ED is portable, easy to handle and will allow both wide views as well as close ups. The ED glass should reduce light scattering due to chromatic aberration ( which is when the colors of light don't all focus together at the same spot, usually leaving a bluish haze at the boundaries of bright and dark areas)
I also suggest a good alt-az type of mount such as the Vixen Portamount or Televue Gibraltar, which will work for both daytime and astro use. Even a sturdy photo tripod with a good quality head will suffice.
If money is an issue, then I'll suggest a used Astro Tech.80mm or Orion80ED/Celestron Onyx. A reasonable used price for these scopes is USD250-400, depending on condition.
If cash is not such a factor, then the TMB92, Takahashi Sky90 or Televue 85 are premium options but they will definitely be more than S$1000, not budgeting for eyepieces.
Some new equipment can be bought from various vendors: The shop at science centre brings in Celestron and other brands, Staroptics does Vixen and Astrobargains can bring in any scope from the US for you for a fee.
If you want just casual use with built in eyepieces, then perhaps spotting scopes from reputable brands like Nikon or Pentax will fit your needs. They have the advantage of being highly portable and quite ruggedized. ( various models)
The spotting squirrel in 15km distant tree is not realistic as the air currents over 15km of hot ground will severely distort the image, not to mention the squirrel generally wants to look like a part of that tree.

[jessquek]

thanks to all seniors for your invaluable and detailed advice. will keep me busy for some time researching le :p



cheers!
Jessie

I second rlow's advice. A good quality 80mm ED is portable, easy to handle and will allow both wide views as well as close ups. The ED glass should reduce light scattering due to chromatic aberration ( which is when the colors of light don't all focus together at the same spot, usually leaving a bluish haze at the boundaries of bright and dark areas)
I also suggest a good alt-az type of mount such as the Vixen Portamount or Televue Gibraltar, which will work for both daytime and astro use. Even a sturdy photo tripod with a good quality head will suffice.
If money is an issue, then I'll suggest a used Astro Tech.80mm or Orion80ED/Celestron Onyx. A reasonable used price for these scopes is USD250-400, depending on condition.
If cash is not such a factor, then the TMB92, Takahashi Sky90 or Televue 85 are premium options but they will definitely be more than S$1000, not budgeting for eyepieces.
Some new equipment can be bought from various vendors: The shop at science centre brings in Celestron and other brands, Staroptics does Vixen and Astrobargains can bring in any scope from the US for you for a fee.
If you want just casual use with built in eyepieces, then perhaps spotting scopes from reputable brands like Nikon or Pentax will fit your needs. They have the advantage of being highly portable and quite ruggedized. ( various models)
The spotting squirrel in 15km distant tree is not realistic as the air currents over 15km of hot ground will severely distort the image, not to mention the squirrel generally wants to look like a part of that tree.

[weixing]

Hi,
If you are getting an Astronomical telescope (not a spotting scope) for terrestrial use, make sure you use a correct image prism diagonal... most diagonal come with an Astronomical telescope is not a correct image diagonal... meaning that the image produce by an Astronomical telescope is either mirror image or upside-down... not an issue when use for Astronomical observation as there is no up or down in space, but will be very odd to see the squirrel and the tree all upside-down or mirror image (not that bad if you don't need to follow the squirrel).

Have a nice day.

PS: If you had no idea what is a diagonal, see this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_diagonal

[Bergkamp_]

For me if it is under 1k.. easy to grab and go will be a 2nd hand 5" MCT (Skywatcher) + Manfrotto 410 gear head with tripod (2nd hand) + 3 eyepieces (below 10mm, 10-20mm, 30mm-40mm).

[jessquek]

thanks for your kind advice

Hi,
If you are getting an Astronomical telescope (not a spotting scope) for terrestrial use, make sure you use a correct image prism diagonal... most diagonal come with an Astronomical telescope is not a correct image diagonal... meaning that the image produce by an Astronomical telescope is either mirror image or upside-down... not an issue when use for Astronomical observation as there is no up or down in space, but will be very odd to see the squirrel and the tree all upside-down or mirror image (not that bad if you don't need to follow the squirrel).

Have a nice day.

PS: If you had no idea what is a diagonal, see this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_diagonal

[jessquek]

Hi bro Bergkamp

thanks for your great advice. i am considering getting a 5" MCT or a 4" refractor. I like the refractor due to it's wider fov which i tink is fantastic for terrestial viewing.

but my hubby also likes the mct as it has higher magnification.

seems silly to buy both, scali cant see any squirrels but have 2 elephants instead...



Jessie

For me if it is under 1k.. easy to grab and go will be a 2nd hand 5" MCT (Skywatcher) + Manfrotto 410 gear head with tripod (2nd hand) + 3 eyepieces (below 10mm, 10-20mm, 30mm-40mm).

[Clifford60]

thanks for your great advice. i am considering getting a 5" MCT or a 4" refractor. I like the refractor due to it's wider fov which i tink is fantastic for terrestial viewing.

Between the 2, a traveling bag (not luggage) can bring the 5" MCT around. 4" refractor is about 1.5x the length of the MCT, so you will need a bigger bag. To have a wider fov, just use higher fl eyepiece like 32mm or 40mm, but then telescope fov is always very small.

seems silly to buy both, scali cant see any squirrels but have 2 elephants instead...

Good one. MCT, you may have a chance to see the squirrels.