SingAstro

HI... mE nEwBie aGaiN.. after Seaching the web.. i found out something abt telescope and one of the website actuallly recommeded some telescope.. but i am not so experience.. so i need some you guys comments here... tnkZ..
1.Celestron Star Hopper 6" Dobsonian =s$1150(strictly for astronomy use)
2.Celestron Star Hopper 8" Dobsonian =S$1530(Strictly for astronomy use)
3.Celestron C6R-GT GoTo Refractor =$2925.Celestron C8S-GT GoTo SCT =RM8,900
5.Celestron Nexstar 8 GPS SCT =s$5755.Celestron Nexstar 4GT with Tripod =RM3,650
7.William Optics Megrez 80 II Refractor OTA =S$1400
TnkZ

i'm not going to address the telescopes one by one but i can give you a general idea of what to expect
for the dobsonians, if you're interested in astrophotography, they're not good because they tend to be too bulky to track and they do not have the german equatorial setup so long exposures cannot be done with them. what's more the fact that it is hinged like a see-saw limits the weight of the type of equipment you can put on the focuser
nexstar sucks too for the same reasons IF YOU ARE GOING TO DO astrophotography. if you are just for viewing, nexstar is wonderful

Hi,
Please try to avoid uppercase and lowercase mix together, it quite difficult to read.

Dobsonian is good.. big aperture and cheap, but it is bulky and heavy, so you may have transportation problem.

6" Refractor is good too, but it is very long and bulky and CG5 may not be a suitable mount... the len cell is really heavy.

8" SCT is also a good scope, but more heavy and bulky than the Nexstar 4GT. If you only want for visual, can handle an 8" SCT and budget is not a problem, go for the Nexstar 8" SCT else Nexstar 4GT is a better choice. If you want to do astrophotography in the future, C8S-GT will be a better choice... you can always change to a better mount.

William Optics Megrez 80 II Refractor is a great secondary scope, but I think it is too small for a beginner scope, unless you cannot handle any bigger scope.

Basically, all scope are good, but you need to consider other factors... such as budget, portability and etc. So it is best to join others in observation first and check out their scope... find one you can afford and can handle without problem.

Anyway, if you can afford it, try to get at least a 4" scope as your first scope.

By the way, I would recommend Sky-Watcher 5" MCT(my previous scope) if you like to observe planet. If you like to observe DSO, wide field and like to play with telescope, I will recommend the Sky-Watcher 6" F5 Newtonian(my current scope).

Have a nice day.

heh, continue searching and reading. just do not be fooled by the size of those scopes on the net. they are often much bigger and bulkier than u expect.

i have nothing against dobs, as long as u have transport and the price is cheap. those prices u listed is kinda out.

~MooEy~

then is the price reasonable?

desmond_lim87 wrote:then is the price reasonable?

what site is this?
I don't about the rest but for the nexstar 8gps, you're paying S$1000+ for shipping...I don't think it cost THAT much...I think YL Low paid less than S$5000 for his shipped to Singapore. He bought from Optcorp, I think.

Also, the Nextstar 4 should cost less than my ETX105. I bought mine for around $1700+, so the Nextstar 4 should not cost more than $1500 (its 1-2 notches below the ETX due to its Tasco origins but still a decent performer).

What scope you should buy depends on your needs and mobility.
A big scope will require a car unless you stay in a bungalow with clear view of the sky...For portability, a 4-5" is good but for more serious viewing, the sweet spot is 8". That is why although the ETX105 has been a very solid performer, I am SOOOOOOOO tempted to upgrade to an 8". Only the price, and thought of having to carry it around is holding me back....for now....

rich

HI... mE nEwBie aGaiN.. after Seaching the web.. i found out something abt telescope and one of the website actuallly recommeded some telescope.. but i am not so experience.. so i need some you guys comments here... tnkZ..
1.Celestron Star Hopper 6" Dobsonian =s$1150(strictly for astronomy use)
2.Celestron Star Hopper 8" Dobsonian =S$1530(Strictly for astronomy use)
3.Celestron C6R-GT GoTo Refractor =$2925.Celestron C8S-GT GoTo SCT =RM8,900
5.Celestron Nexstar 8 GPS SCT =s$5755.Celestron Nexstar 4GT with Tripod =RM3,650
7.William Optics Megrez 80 II Refractor OTA =S$1400
TnkZ

I had the Nexstar 4 once. Quite a fun scope to use. I still miss it a little.
Anyway, I got mine for S$1300 (inclusive of shipping from US and GST) at that time, but that was without the tripod.

If the Megrez 80 II package you saw is the standard OTA package that offers just the scope + bag + diagonal, then the price is about S$100 more than our current local price for the same thing.

Hope this helps.

Unless you are thinking of going to astro-photography in the future, I would advice against the Celestron GTs. The equatorial mounts are heavy and bulky, and will take quite a while to setup and align. For visual use, I would go for the Celestron 8" SCT if cost is not an issue. Try to avoid N4 as the optics are poor, while the WO's 80mm aperture is really too small for a first scope.

The scope prices you obtained are very high. Suggest buying from www.optcorp.com Reputable dealer in the US, and you can pay them a reasonable service fee for a full inspection of your scope before shipment.