Help getting a Starter Scope

[Clifford60]

Orly, please don't scare the lady.

Each one of us the expectation is different. Some took an AP shot with the hp is already very happy, while others still not happy with a $10k setup because it is not Hubble's standard.

I managed to take a single frame shot of NGC3532 via bino I am quite happy with it because I did it with a bino, a-focal of course.

It is the achievement that count with the limited resources and many a times not whether the picture meet Hubble's standard.

[orly_andico]

Well, that is true.. but in my opinion and experience, at least, unless one can get a very good bargain, something below $300 many times ends up being in the "disposable" class, e.g. the build quality simply isn't there. To repeat one of my favorite quotes..

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” – Benjamin Franklin

But ok, here's what I'd suggest:

http://www.amazon.com/Orion-10022-Table ... 002JO06PO/

$200 USD and eligible for Amazon Global which means shipping to Singapore is free.

[Clifford60]

Yes, the 90mm new MAK setup for US$200/- is a good price especially as the 1st budget scope. If don't want to mount on the provided table top mount, it can be mounted on a reasonable camera tripod for more accessible height. This setup is very portable which meet her needs.

The scope can easily adapt for simple prime focal or a-focal AP but will need a better high ISO camera due to the long focal length and limited aperture. Well as mentioned, it is the achievement that count.

[Hardwarezone]

1) amazon free shipping to SG have weight and size restriction. This item surpassed the limit.

2) it is only for item sold by amazon, not 3rd party (Orion) . Amazon's price is USD 3 higher + USD 52 shipping

[orly_andico]

That's weird... that item came up when I clicked the "Eligible for AmazonGlobal" button in the Amazon search.

Well.. that's the other thing. Shipping of stuff from the US is steep. But buying local has its own pitfalls (and greatly increased prices, as the local dealers also have to absorb the shipping cost plus they need to keep spares for warranty returns). The problem with a small market..

But if buying local.. I'd probably go for the Sky Watcher Heritage 130P. A bit more than $300 (compared to the Vixen Space Eye) but

1) perfectly apochromatic

2) I have always been suspicious of "beginner" telescopes and their tripods

Also, McGill will let you RENT the Heritage 130P for $50, for 3 days. And if you choose to buy one, they will deduct the $50 from the $379 purchase cost. That's a fantastic deal if I ever saw one.

[Clifford60]

Skywatcher Heritage 130P a baby DOB, may not portable for her to bring around during her trip. There is something she has a concern too, the need of collimation.

I think she can try to find a 2nd hand MAK from this forum at her budget. Of course she can ask the site on the 90mm MAK on the shipping charges.

[orly_andico]

well.. another approach is to just buy a Nikon Action Extreme 10x50. It's under $150 and is eminently portable. And you can buy it locally. It would benefit from a tripod mount but it doesn't come with a bracket. Something can probably be jigged up.

[Sivakis]

Clifford, you're referring to the Orion Starmax Mak 90mm?
http://www.telescope.com/Telescopes/Cas ... 102016.uts

Wondering if the pictures with the shipping box would give an indication of the estimated box size..
Est. diameter: 10cm
Est. OTA length: 28cm

Seems to be a box size of 20x20x56?

[Gary]

hi Masters and Experts:
I chanced upon this site and this site is a treasure!!
I always loved staring at the sky, I can locate Orion and big dipper with no maps thru naked eye. I like to look at the moon is a must, but more I want to see planets and some stars with my scope. I have no scope now but will those listed below suffice? Or do I need to up my budget?
I don't mind second hand scopes.
Some pointers from the elders here will be greatly appreciated. I am looking at refractor because I am a bit scared of the maintenance of Reflector lens, does it take a long time to collimate the Newtonian lens? I don't want to fumble and before I look thru my baby start crying.
I was initially looking at the oversea websites and the shipping costs was terrible, so I looked within, the science centre, Astro-Bargains store seems to have a good listing.
However when I looked at the Galileoscope Bundle (Galileoscope+Diagonal+Tripod) - S$160, it seems that no one is talking about this one. Is this a bad scope?
Should I get this one or the celestron first scope? I am worried these will not keep me interested enough before I buy again.
I have been to one TPY CC view and library view before to look at the lunar eclipse when I was pregnant.
Now my son is 2 and a half years and I will be making holiday to Malaysia, Indonesia, I like to get a telescope to view the night sky there.
My budget is around $200, initially I thought I could buy something decent around 100 bucks but I think I was wrong. hehe.

Hi Jeannie. Welcome to the forum. Glad you enjoy the spectacular total lunar eclipse session at TPY CC on 10 Dec 2011 (http://www.astro.sg/2011/12/total-lunar ... ntral.html) and congrats on the birth of your son since! He may have caught the astro bug that night while still in your tummy.

Thanks for posting this encouraging info. Sometimes astronomy promoters expect people to pick up the hobby very quickly after a stargazing session and may feel disappointed if that is not the case and draw the quick inaccurate conclusion that the public is just not interested enough. We all have different priorities in various stages of our lives. So the "reward" for promoting stargazing may come a few or many years later when participants recalled those wonderful stargazing moments.

Base your requirement and expectations, I agree with Clifford what you need may be a MCT on a camera tripod with slow-mo controls (e.g. manfrotto 410). Incidentally, Clifford60 was there at the total lunar eclipse event too and you may have already spoken to him back then. He is the one manning the big binocular.

A small 80mm budget refractor (e.g. a used Orion ST80) may also be a good choice if you are willing to trade the ability to zoom in more on planets easier + some false colours on bright objects in return for wider field of view (important for beginners finding objects in the sky initially even with the help of finderscope) and slightly sharper stars.

If you really can't stretch your budget for the above, a decent binocular as suggested by Orly is also a good way to start (but you will not be able to see planetary surface details with it). My friends and I just came back from an amazing stargazing trip over the weekend. Luckily it was quite a secluded area, else the loud expletives yelled out during the binocular stargazing session may have woken up the residents! And that is also coming from someone there who owns a 12-inch dobsonian telescope.

The skies in dark sites in Malaysia and Indonesia will be amazing on a clear night. So do not worry too much and try to observe there as much as possible to get the maximum value out of your purchase. I have not stargaze in Indonesia yet but base on many reliable first-hand accounts, the Indonesian custom seems to be more particular/stringent with regards to bringing across astronomical equipment compared to Malaysia.

In addition to the wealth of resources in this forum, you may also find these article useful:
- http://www.astro.sg/p/buying-telescope.html
- http://www.astro.sg/2013/09/astronomica ... ublic.html

Hope to observe with you and your family again someday. The next toa payoh public library talk + live stargazing will be this coming Saturday 7 June at 7:30pm.

[Clifford60]

Clifford, you're referring to the Orion Starmax Mak 90mm?
http://www.telescope.com/Telescopes/Cas ... 102016.uts

Wondering if the pictures with the shipping box would give an indication of the estimated box size..
Est. diameter: 10cm
Est. OTA length: 28cm

Seems to be a box size of 20x20x56?

Hi Sivakis, yes this is the same scope posted by Orly. It indicated that the shipping weight is 10.5lb or slightly less than 4.8kg. The scope OTA itself is less than 1.7kg if plus the mount, it is 2.8kg. However, I can't find the size of the box.

Typically in shipment, it doesn't use the actual package weight, instead it uses volumetric weight which is LxWxH in cm /6000 (std calculation), however, DHL divide by 5k instead of 6k.