With so many scopes out there, so which suits me?

[simei-sky]

Yap, I think most people would say, "well it depends..."

Anyway, I have gone through some of the "Buy-sell" section and did come up with some interesting find.

But generally, I hope to get a package (all in type) as it can be overwhelming choosing the eyepiece to stand & etc., or at least most of the items are inside the package. Just want to enjoy the wonderful view of the space first and hopefully it can develop from there...

can anyone help as I begin this space journey?

Looking for:
-Viewing planetery as compare to deep sky(I think it is a good place to start, say the MOON)
-Package: 2 eyepiece?, scope finder, basic stand, case?
-Not too heavy and low maintenance
-last but not least, $$$$: est. $800???
-Most likely i may skip a spotting scope (I do not know how to identify them from the telescope in the "Buy-Sell" section)

Someone did recommended a 5" SCT or MCT (do not know what it means, but hope it is a good start)

What about the Orion 80mm ED APO?


Cheerio for now
Ivan

[weixing]

Hi,

-Viewing planetery as compare to deep sky(I think it is a good place to start, say the MOON)
-Package: 2 eyepiece?, scope finder, basic stand, case?
-Not too heavy and low maintenance
-last but not least, $$$$: est. $800???
-Most likely i may skip a spotting scope (I do not know how to identify them from the telescope in the "Buy-Sell" section)

Someone did recommended a 5" SCT or MCT (do not know what it means, but hope it is a good start)

Base on your requirement, a C5 or Sky-Watcher 127 will fit your requirement, but will exceed your budget of S$800. The nearest will be the Sky-Watcher 127 package put on sale by fizzy123 ( http://www.singastro.org/viewtopic.php?t=3303 ) and VinSnr NexStar 5i ( http://www.singastro.org/viewtopic.php?t=3076 ).

Anyway, for planetary view, I think it is best to used above 200x (not a problem for a 5" SCT/MCT scope). For DSO, normally use the lowest magnification that you have to medium magnification of around 100x.

What about the Orion 80mm ED APO?

I won't recommend you to get this scope... the scope is good... will be a good second scope, but I don't think this scope make a good first scope... the aperture is a bit small to be useful in Singapore and it is more expensive.

Have a nice day.

[Airconvent]

Hi simei-sky
Welcome to Singastro!
As with all newbies here, I strongly encourage you to read the long FAQ...its worth it as it will give you an idea of what scopes there are.
Next, do drop by our local vendors The Physical Space , mcgill.com and astrobargains. we also have a vendor from Germany! check out their prices too. Personally, I think you should drop by weixing's weekly sessions first to get an idea what scope suits you...
for beginner, I recommend you get vincent snr's $1200 Nexstar 5i....that's a good scope at a good price.

cheers

[HoO_Germany]

Yap, I think most people would say, "well it depends..."

Anyway, I have gone through some of the "Buy-sell" section and did come up with some interesting find.

But generally, I hope to get a package (all in type) as it can be overwhelming choosing the eyepiece to stand & etc., or at least most of the items are inside the package. Just want to enjoy the wonderful view of the space first and hopefully it can develop from there...

can anyone help as I begin this space journey?

Looking for:
-Viewing planetery as compare to deep sky(I think it is a good place to start, say the MOON)
-Package: 2 eyepiece?, scope finder, basic stand, case?
-Not too heavy and low maintenance
-last but not least, $$$$: est. $800???
-Most likely i may skip a spotting scope (I do not know how to identify them from the telescope in the "Buy-Sell" section)

Someone did recommended a 5" SCT or MCT (do not know what it means, but hope it is a good start)

What about the Orion 80mm ED APO?


Cheerio for now
Ivan

Hi Ivan
wellcome to the Singastro Forum
As you are a beginner and you wish to see the planets and deepsky it will recomands a 6" / 1200 mm Newton telescope. This kind of telescope is a mirror scope wich it ahve a relatively long tube and a mirror diameter of 150mm. The system sizes are 6" f/8 Newton.
Mounted on a EQ5 mount this will be a very good investment in your hobby. As later can be upgraded some motors to take astro-photography.
For a beginner is important to have a instrument where no adjustment require and where you can start "out of the box".
Such a 6"f/8 Newton cost with a EQ5 mount complete with shippin cost to Singapore 1326 S$. I know, this is much more as you intented to pay, but the telescope has a good planetary performance and why it is a f/8 also a good one in deepsky watching.

Clear skys
Robert

[jermng]

Hi,
I think Weixing and Richard's recommendation for a 127mm Skywatcher MCT or the Nexstar 5" SCT from VinSnr are the way to go.

If you are considering a Newtonian, I would suggest getting a 6" or even 8" Dobsonian instead of one on an EQ mount. Canopus is selling an 8" Dob for only $800.
A Dobsonian is truly an instrument that you can TRULY "start "out of the box".
" You just put down the rocker box, slide in the OTA, balance it, tighten some screws and you can start.
For an EQ mount, you've got to consider conterweight issues, set the latitude and align north at the start of the session. It is also not as straight forward to point as a dob in Alt-azimuth mode.
I'm not saying an EQ mount is difficult to learn, in fact, it is just as simply to use once you learn it, but a Dob would be more practical and less troublesome to set up especially since you didn't mention you wanna do astrophotography.

Having said that, I think the 127mm Skywatcher MCT (Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope) would be a great choice for you. If you get a good one, which they generally are, you don't have to worry about collimation (aligning the optical planes in the telescope by adjusting the mirror positions )as a beginner and can get almost instantly get sharp views. With an SCT (Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope) and Newtonian/Dobsonian, you've gotta consider collimation. Although once set, collimation usually stays, there will be times where adjustment is necessary and you might wonder why your planets aren't as sharp as before. Collimation can be a 5min job for some people or a night's frustration for others. However I think it's much easier to collimate a dob cos you can do it in the day, so you might wanna think bout that.

All these might sound a little confusing at first, but don't worry, it's not. Whichever scope you decide to get, the very nice people on SingAstro will definitely teach you how to use it. Just bring your scope down to any observing session and I'm sure any of those present will be able to help if you need any.
That's the good thing bout SingAstro!

Also, before you commit to purchasing a scope, hop down to a couple of observing sessions and take a look through the scopes, that way, you'll know what to expect in a scope. Try looking through scopes of diff sizes if available and of course try the scope you're interested in for a comparison (if available).

When I started out, I thought planets would be the way to go too, cos they were the only things that had "form" and "structure" in the eyepiece compared to stars. I was so wrong! Now I'm hooked on DSOs (Deep Sky Objects) - Globular Clusters, Open Clusters, Nebulae etc. These are really beautiful through a telecope.

What does that mean? Join an observing session before buying your scope to better know what you want.

[Canopus Lim]

I am selling the 8 inch Orion dob for only $600 (not $800) and that includes Quickfinder (a new one cost about $80), scope case and Ultima 30mm eyepiece! Sadly nobody wants it.

[acc]

I would highly recommend Canopus' dob as a great beginner's scope which is going for an amazing price. The 8" aperture surely throws up a much more satisfying image then smaller scopes. If Ivan drives, this would be a perfect starter scope.

[jermng]

wah lau .... that's a great deal! If I didn';t already have an 8", I would grab it.

[weixing]

Hi,
Yes... The Orion 8" dob is the best deal around... would recommend it, but one of his requirement is:

Not too heavy and low maintenance

So I think he didn't drive...

Have a nice day.

[jermng]

HAHA .. so finally 5" MCT lah ...