price of telescope

edwinteo · Post by **edwinteo** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 11:00 pm

hi...new in here...hope i can get some help here....

1) May i know how much is a PowerSeeker 60 (which i view it at http://www.astro.com.sg)? and is it good enough for a newbie?

2) I have seen some topic and ur do recommand 5" for newbie....eerrr...may i know what does the 5" means? the size of the lense?

3) Reflector and Refractor...which is better? i only know that the Refractor have a mirror inside which need to be clean where i have seen it in one of the topic...

4) i have read one of the topic and it stats that diff Focal length let you see diff stuff...then how do you know which is which? like f/8, f/11, f/12, f/15 ect....

Post by **weixing** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 11:19 pm

Hi,

1) May i know how much is a PowerSeeker 60 (which i view it at http://www.astro.com.sg)? and is it good enough for a newbie?

2) I have seen some topic and ur do recommand 5" for newbie....eerrr...may i know what does the 5" means? the size of the lense?

My recommendation is don't get the PowerSeeker 60 (a 60mm scope) as a first scope. The 5" here mean the aperture of the telescope is 5" or 127mm... the diameter of the pimary mirror or lens. My recommendation for first scope is at least a 4" or 102mm for refractor and at least 5" or 127mm for SCT/MCT/Newtonian.

3) Reflector and Refractor...which is better? i only know that the Refractor have a mirror inside which need to be clean where i have seen it in one of the topic...

Refractor got no mirror... it use lens only. Reflector use mirror and Compound scope (SCT/MCT) use both a corrector plate (a type of lens) and a mirror. It got quite a numbers of factor when deciding between which type is better... usually price, quality and portability. Read the telescope faq in the faq section.

4) i have read one of the topic and it stats that diff Focal length let you see diff stuff...then how do you know which is which? like f/8, f/11, f/12, f/15 ect....

The f/12, f/15 & etc is what is called f-ratio. A "faster" scope (smaller f-ratio, such as f/5) mean it can see a wider field of view more easily than a "slower" (bigger f-ratio, such as f/12) scope of the same aperture. So if you are interested in viewing wide field, usually you'll selected a "faster" scope, but if you are more interested in planetary, double star or those require high magnification, then a "slower" scope may be more suitable.

As I had mention, read the FAQ ( http://www.singastro.org/viewtopic.php?t=32 ) first and it'll give you some idea of what telescope is and what to look for... then post here if got any more questions.

By the way, welcome to SingAstro!!!

Have a nice day.

PS: Some formula for your quick reference:
f-ratio = focal length of telescope / aperture of telescope
magnification = focal length of telescope / focal length of eyepiece
Field of view = apparent view of field of eyepiece / magnification

Post by **Airconvent** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 12:04 am

Hi edwin
Don't forget to read the FAQ ..it has a wealth of info there!
and welcome to singastro...!

Tachyon · Post by **Tachyon** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 8:54 am

Welcome!

By the way, the way I learnt about telescopes is to read the catalogs! Heh.. Lucky you, there are lots of online catalogs available... but don't believe everything it says!!

Cheers!

Canopus Lim · Post by **Canopus Lim** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 8:59 am

Maybe it would be better for Edwin to get a binoculars first before deciding on a telescope. Especially telescopes can be frustrating for beginners.

kayheem · Post by **kayheem** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 9:13 am

Personally, I would recommend binoculars to newbies only if they have a low budget of $100-200. If they can afford it, I would recommend a 5" SCT or MCT on a portable mount e.g. Manfrotto 410 gear head with Manfrotto 055 tripod or equivalent.

This is a deadly combo of aperture, portability and simplicity. It has enough focal length for a pleasing view of planets and a decent aperture for DSOs. It can also be set up in 1 min.

What still applies is that the person should still look around, try out the different scope types before deciding.

Kay Heem

Canopus Lim · Post by **Canopus Lim** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 11:38 am

Yes the 5 inch SCT/ MCT would be a good start. Hmm that depends if he is willing to venture into this expensive hobby without giving up, then the money would be well spent.

edwinteo · Post by **edwinteo** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 12:26 pm

actually i'm learning now in sch...is an extra subject.....how much is the cheapest 5" or 4" i can get for a new one or a 2nd hand one? and..one more thing....any recommanded shop selling? currently i only know astro science centre and astrobargin.com....

Canopus Lim · Post by **Canopus Lim** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 12:52 pm

Do you mean you are taking astronomy module in ntu? I have a friend who is currently studying that module.

mrngbss · Post by **mrngbss** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 8:22 pm

Hi Edwinteo,

You are studying astronomy module? Can I ask you to find out more about this module? I've got students asking me if astronomy is studied in universities and other places. PM me your email can?