I am a newbie to astro

Got a question on astronomy that you'd wanted to ask? Ask your questions here and see if the old timers can give you some good answers.
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IceAngel
Posts: 330
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2003 1:05 pm
Favourite scope: Sky 90
Location: Tampines

Post by IceAngel »

ya.. TP dun have.. eh... just changed principle.. i dun think he will let a Astronomy club formed.. he's so fussy about money that he even closed some of the CCA like badminton, etc. :(

so.. no need to hope opening one.. :D

hmm... u now studying in NP?? i wondering how u get fund to buy scope? eh... working part time??
*~Stars AND Clear Sky always~*
Leslie
*Owner of Antares 93mm Achromat Refractor* :)
-10.11.03-
*Owner of Takahashi SKY 90 Fluorite Doublet Apochromat Refractor* :D
-25.03.06-
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harlequin2902
Posts: 744
Joined: Tue Sep 30, 2003 11:04 am
Location: Singapore, Sengkang

Post by harlequin2902 »

Hi harlequin.. eh.. i have gone to ur website which sell the telescope, but the price is not stated.. so wat's the price for the cheaper range of scope for beginner like me which already have everything a beginner need?? maybe u can name some prices as well..
Hi, anyway if the website has prices listed, it won't apply to Singastro members because we do give special discounts to you guys :lol:

I can get you a brand new 80mm Refractor for around your budget if you're really interested, but it'll be the optical tube and basic accessories only. You'll still need to spend some extra $ to get the tripod and mount. Please contact me in private if you're interested.
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acc
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Posts: 2572
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2003 11:15 pm
Favourite scope: Mag1 Instruments 12.5" Portaball

Post by acc »

for MCT/refractor, is it possible to get one within the range of $200 - $500?? pardon me if my budget is too low..
I would recommend the 5" MCT available from McGill or Harlequin. It has excellent optics, and offers a very good balance between portability, aperture and price.

IMHO, 5" aperture is the sweetspot where you start getting sufficient light grasp to enjoy many of the DSOs. Buy anything smaller and you may be hungering to get a larger scope after the first few sessions.... :o
Grievous
Posts: 390
Joined: Wed Oct 01, 2003 4:46 pm
Location: Singapore
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Post by Grievous »

IceAngel wrote:ya.. TP dun have.. eh... just changed principle.. i dun think he will let a Astronomy club formed.. he's so fussy about money that he even closed some of the CCA like badminton, etc. :(

so.. no need to hope opening one.. :D

hmm... u now studying in NP?? i wondering how u get fund to buy scope? eh... working part time??
I literally slaved my arse off. Hehe :) , but then again, i had made my choice right cos i have reviewed and tried out different scopes and settled for what i am interested in (You can say im VERY faithful to my scope). For me, the 14K i've spent so far for my astronomical needs is well worthed it. Ask around the 'seniors', they could have spent much more than me.

So whatever scope or equipment you wanted, be sure to test it out, read reviews and ask the others that had used it. Take your time and work towards it financially. Know your needs well and you will avoid spurring more money than intended.

Charlie
www.staradise.com

P.S: Your principal is really a pain eh? But you are always welcomed to join our observing sessions, if you want, you could come to either NP or RP where im serving as a senior and mentor respectively to learn more.
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Airconvent
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Post by Airconvent »

Grievous wrote: For me, the 14K i've spent so far for my astronomical needs is well worthed it.
Oh no charlie! $14K?? Please don't scare away the little bunnies!
:lol: They would think only the very well off (or those who work their ass off) can afford a scope...in fact , for about $900, you will be able to get a decent scope with mount and some low end eyepieces....heh heh
The Boldly Go Where No Meade Has Gone Before
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United Federation of the Planets
Grievous
Posts: 390
Joined: Wed Oct 01, 2003 4:46 pm
Location: Singapore
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Post by Grievous »

Hahahah...yah lar....but im the kind of guy that will like to 'Get things right the first time round' or else i'll keep on doing it till its flawless...Well, typical Taurus i'll say. The FLT had proved and WOW-ed me many times over so its money well-spent, but i'm just afraid that i've under-utilised 'Her'! Im sorry 'hunny'!

Charlie
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IceAngel
Posts: 330
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2003 1:05 pm
Favourite scope: Sky 90
Location: Tampines

Post by IceAngel »

Grievous wrote:
IceAngel wrote:ya.. TP dun have.. eh... just changed principle.. i dun think he will let a Astronomy club formed.. he's so fussy about money that he even closed some of the CCA like badminton, etc. :(

so.. no need to hope opening one.. :D

hmm... u now studying in NP?? i wondering how u get fund to buy scope? eh... working part time??
I literally slaved my arse off. Hehe :) , but then again, i had made my choice right cos i have reviewed and tried out different scopes and settled for what i am interested in (You can say im VERY faithful to my scope). For me, the 14K i've spent so far for my astronomical needs is well worthed it. Ask around the 'seniors', they could have spent much more than me.

So whatever scope or equipment you wanted, be sure to test it out, read reviews and ask the others that had used it. Take your time and work towards it financially. Know your needs well and you will avoid spurring more money than intended.

Charlie
www.staradise.com

P.S: Your principal is really a pain eh? But you are always welcomed to join our observing sessions, if you want, you could come to either NP or RP where im serving as a senior and mentor respectively to learn more.
but before joining ur observing session, i need to get familiarise with most of the stuff about astro first.. and i am keen to get a scope to start off with.. so i will do my survey of those different kinds of scopes first before joining those observing sessions.. :)
*~Stars AND Clear Sky always~*
Leslie
*Owner of Antares 93mm Achromat Refractor* :)
-10.11.03-
*Owner of Takahashi SKY 90 Fluorite Doublet Apochromat Refractor* :D
-25.03.06-
User avatar
IceAngel
Posts: 330
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2003 1:05 pm
Favourite scope: Sky 90
Location: Tampines

Post by IceAngel »

harlequin2902 wrote:
Hi harlequin.. eh.. i have gone to ur website which sell the telescope, but the price is not stated.. so wat's the price for the cheaper range of scope for beginner like me which already have everything a beginner need?? maybe u can name some prices as well..
Hi, anyway if the website has prices listed, it won't apply to Singastro members because we do give special discounts to you guys :lol:

I can get you a brand new 80mm Refractor for around your budget if you're really interested, but it'll be the optical tube and basic accessories only. You'll still need to spend some extra $ to get the tripod and mount. Please contact me in private if you're interested.
btw.. is MCT abit cheaper than a 80mm refractor?? i mean new ones...
*~Stars AND Clear Sky always~*
Leslie
*Owner of Antares 93mm Achromat Refractor* :)
-10.11.03-
*Owner of Takahashi SKY 90 Fluorite Doublet Apochromat Refractor* :D
-25.03.06-
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MooEy
Posts: 1275
Joined: Sat Oct 04, 2003 6:24 am

Post by MooEy »

hmm..it would be quite easy to recommend a scope, but i'm actually quite against getting one for the time being. maybe u should go join some local astro clubs in their observation and have a feel of wat it would be like seeing thru a scope and also a bino. maybe go learn a little about recognising stuff and using scopes first.

anyway, bino is quite an indepensible tool, the pair of fujinon 7x50 i "used" to be using have to helped me locate lots objects. great voyeur tool also =X a pair of 7x50 bak4(prism type) fully multi-coated would be nice.

~MooEy~
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gwenyi
Posts: 233
Joined: Wed Oct 01, 2003 7:28 pm
Location: Holland Close

Post by gwenyi »

well... there are many factors you must consider before u get ur scope

1.portability
2.pricing
3.purpose

since u are currently a student, you might not have private transport... so, you might wanna consider those grab and go scopes. 1 example of our grab and go astronomers is harlequin2902(he and his pronto =p). If u were to purchase some scope that is too bulky ... u might end up having it hibernate in the dehumifier. yeah.. so, try not to get a bulky scope unless u dun mind the hassle of dragging it to every observation session.

next, pricing is also another factor. well.. if ur parents work at the Singapore mint :D .. then i dun think this shld be a problem at all =p. Try to set a budge so that u can browse through different types of scopes avaible within the budge u have already set. this would help u decide on which and what type of scope to get.

furthermore, the purpose of the scope is another vital factor to consider. some of us here would want to do astrophotography with our scopes, while some would like just do visual astronomy. Astrophotography might not be as easy as it seems and it is not really recommended for people who have just entered astronomy. Astrophotography would require a lot of money, time and patience.


take time to choose ur first scope...
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