Hi,
Welcome to SingAstro!!
Scope look small on paper and seem small in our mind... how big can a 8" scope be when you look at your A4 size paper which had a width slightly longer than 8". But remember, the 8" mean the diameter of the primary mirror of the scope and not the diameter of the scope. The diameter of the scope is usually larger... 9" or 10". Then you add the length of the scope, the weight, the mount and etc... So, it's best that you take a look at the actually scope and setup before you decide... Astro Scientific is a good place to look at scope. If they don't have a 8SE, look at their other Celestron 8" SCT setup... all Celestron 8" SCT OTA (Optical Tube Assembly) had basically the same physical dimension.
AccessDenied wrote:Hi folks, decided to get into astronomy
Need some good advice.
Should I just get a cheap beginner scope first or go straight to a better one like the Nexstar 8SE use it for many years to come and thus save costs$?
Seems like the Nexstar would be a good buy for a beginner since it has all the auto-alignment/GOTO and computerized features? 'Cos I might not have any idea where to point the thing too
And the GPS module I suppose helps a lot too by locating your cords
and based on the time/date this helps with the alignment?
Can't we just input in our location manually? Is this module a necessity?
GPS is not a must as you can just key in your coordinate manually and basically you can use the same Singapore coordinate anywhere in Singapore as Singapore is not that big to make a real different.
AccessDenied wrote:
What about CCD cams for this thing?
Are you going to do visual or imaging?? If mainly doing visual or may be some lunar and planetary imaging, this is a good setup and will last you for many years to come. But if you plan to shoot deep sky object, this setup is not suitable... you need an EQ mount and something shorter focal length especially you are a beginner in imaging.
AccessDenied wrote:
If I decide to get the Nexstar 8SE, what are the best purchasing options?
So I know of this:
a) Astro: offered crazy price of $3,600 - $4,000
b) astrobargains: $2,900
c) Direct from Celestron+Vpost+GST: $2,200?
d) Optcorp+UPS Worlwide Expedited+GST: $2,380
e) Optics Planet+USPS International Priority Mail+GST: $2,200
What do you guys advice?
Thanks
Most company don't ship Celestron product directly to customer in Singapore as Astro Scientific is Celestron official dealer/distributor in Singapore. They might ship if you use VPost, but you take all the risk. Also, there'll be no local warranty which mean you can't send to Astro Scientific and expect them to service the scope for free even if under warranty or you had to send the scope to Celestron yourself for servicing. Same with Astro Bargains, but at least you don't need to worry about shipping.
Anyway, I'm not sure whether it's a good idea to get a computerized scope without local warranty... So it's all up to you.
Good luck and happy shopping.
Have a nice day.