A versatile scope for beginner
Posted: Sat May 16, 2015 12:00 pm
Dear All,
HeIlo! I am new to astronomy. I have a plastic reflector telescope for years and managed to see the moon. Even used the iphone to capture the image. But I know that is a toy but it was the largest telescope I could find in a toyshop. Mistake obviously! I also bought the Celestron Skyscout a few years ago.
I am aware that this question is asked a thousand times hehe.. but no, my question is not what beginner scope to buy as there are already tons of postings online about this. I am hoping to get a versatile scope. And these are my specs - imaginary or otherwise, and I hope the seniors here can give me some advice. Some of my ideas are obviously impractical but hey that is the fun of it all.
1. I need a lightweight portable scope. Small enough to put behind my rugsack when I cycle to the East Coast's Bedok jetty (that is probably the only place I know that has less light pollution). Or I can drive to any of the darker carparks there and set up my scope on the car. So a tripod is nice but I think I can live without it for now. In future, the tripod should be light enough I can strap it to my back. Call it the Amateur Bicycle Astronomer. Exercise and yet see the stars :-)
2. I only want to see the Moon and planets. None of the deep space stuff. I am also aware of the limitations of a beginner's scope and budget.
3. I am a geek so the idea of a Goto scope is so appealing. I was told that the light pollution is so bad here that many goto scopes will have trouble locating the three objects required for alignment. Tech like Celestron Prodigy does not work all the time here. So my beginner scope will not have goto technology but I like the idea that I can upgrade it. So the question - is there a scope that is versatile and upgradeable. Say I start with a wooden table stand, then a tripod and then a goto tech. I am aware it is cheaper buying the whole setup in one go but it will conflict item 1 (too heavy) and I hate the "rusting golf club syndrome" if I use it a few times and lose interest. I am aware that not using a goto scope teaches you more about astronomy. But as a tech geek, a "robotic" scope is just too cool to ignore :-)
4. I thought of getting the Celestron Cosmos Firstscope or the Celestron Travelscope but they dont look like a big upgrade of my toy reflector scope which is more than a meter long. Obviously the optics for these proper scopes are far, far superior. I also found out there is a thing called the Skyscout scope in which you piggyback the Skyscount onto the scope but it looks like a Travelscope with attachment.
5. I saw this Orion Starmax 90mm. Price around SGD350 plus delivery. It is within my budget. The weight is slightly heavier than the Macbook Pro. Just a table top stand and I can upgrade to a tripod. And gosh there is another endless blackhole discussion on which tripod is steady etc etc etc.. but I am ok without the stand for now. Can i buy third party tech to make it a goto scope? I know the logical thing to do is to bite the wallet and get the Celestron SE4 but it will be too heavy to lug around. Is there a better sweetspot scope out there?
6. Terrestrial viewing will be nice. Not that it is a must have option but it will be a nice option just for fun.
7. Budget Max: SGD350. My CTO friend always warns me "Buy cheap, buy twice". If I get crazy about the hobby, sure I would invest in a monster scope but this is just wetting my feet. But I dont want to get a scope in which I regret every time i look into it and wish I got something bigger and better.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Summary:
Is the Orion Starmax 90mm the best scope for my beginner's needs including the portability?
Can I upgrade it into a goto scope with third party modification? (Or maybe just get another when the time comes.)
Thank you.
Mun Hong
HeIlo! I am new to astronomy. I have a plastic reflector telescope for years and managed to see the moon. Even used the iphone to capture the image. But I know that is a toy but it was the largest telescope I could find in a toyshop. Mistake obviously! I also bought the Celestron Skyscout a few years ago.
I am aware that this question is asked a thousand times hehe.. but no, my question is not what beginner scope to buy as there are already tons of postings online about this. I am hoping to get a versatile scope. And these are my specs - imaginary or otherwise, and I hope the seniors here can give me some advice. Some of my ideas are obviously impractical but hey that is the fun of it all.
1. I need a lightweight portable scope. Small enough to put behind my rugsack when I cycle to the East Coast's Bedok jetty (that is probably the only place I know that has less light pollution). Or I can drive to any of the darker carparks there and set up my scope on the car. So a tripod is nice but I think I can live without it for now. In future, the tripod should be light enough I can strap it to my back. Call it the Amateur Bicycle Astronomer. Exercise and yet see the stars :-)
2. I only want to see the Moon and planets. None of the deep space stuff. I am also aware of the limitations of a beginner's scope and budget.
3. I am a geek so the idea of a Goto scope is so appealing. I was told that the light pollution is so bad here that many goto scopes will have trouble locating the three objects required for alignment. Tech like Celestron Prodigy does not work all the time here. So my beginner scope will not have goto technology but I like the idea that I can upgrade it. So the question - is there a scope that is versatile and upgradeable. Say I start with a wooden table stand, then a tripod and then a goto tech. I am aware it is cheaper buying the whole setup in one go but it will conflict item 1 (too heavy) and I hate the "rusting golf club syndrome" if I use it a few times and lose interest. I am aware that not using a goto scope teaches you more about astronomy. But as a tech geek, a "robotic" scope is just too cool to ignore :-)
4. I thought of getting the Celestron Cosmos Firstscope or the Celestron Travelscope but they dont look like a big upgrade of my toy reflector scope which is more than a meter long. Obviously the optics for these proper scopes are far, far superior. I also found out there is a thing called the Skyscout scope in which you piggyback the Skyscount onto the scope but it looks like a Travelscope with attachment.
5. I saw this Orion Starmax 90mm. Price around SGD350 plus delivery. It is within my budget. The weight is slightly heavier than the Macbook Pro. Just a table top stand and I can upgrade to a tripod. And gosh there is another endless blackhole discussion on which tripod is steady etc etc etc.. but I am ok without the stand for now. Can i buy third party tech to make it a goto scope? I know the logical thing to do is to bite the wallet and get the Celestron SE4 but it will be too heavy to lug around. Is there a better sweetspot scope out there?
6. Terrestrial viewing will be nice. Not that it is a must have option but it will be a nice option just for fun.
7. Budget Max: SGD350. My CTO friend always warns me "Buy cheap, buy twice". If I get crazy about the hobby, sure I would invest in a monster scope but this is just wetting my feet. But I dont want to get a scope in which I regret every time i look into it and wish I got something bigger and better.
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Summary:
Is the Orion Starmax 90mm the best scope for my beginner's needs including the portability?
Can I upgrade it into a goto scope with third party modification? (Or maybe just get another when the time comes.)
Thank you.
Mun Hong