Beginners telescope advice?

dave66

Hi there,

Hope the folks on this forum don't mind me asking for some advice on buying a beginner's telescope.

My Son will be 9 next weekend, he has recently joined the astronomy club in his school and has become completely fascinated with the subject, he has been using some cheap binoculars we own but would really love to get a telescope for his birthday. I'm an amateur photographer so ideally would like to be able to use the telescope with him to capture some images (I understand that will require an adaptor).

The thing is I know very little about telescopes, we really don't have a big budget, but I reckon the stuff that is on sale in places like Smyths toys are going to be, well toys. I'd like to get something my Son will get some time out of before wanting/needing to upgrade.

I'd really like to keep the business in Ireland and have tracked down 2 options that fit our budget:

SAXON 767AZ €99
The advert/spec says "76mm aperture, 700mm focal length. A basic handy reflector for introducing astronomy using the Newtonian mirror system. The 767 AZ has an aluminium tripod, three 1.25" eyepieces (4mm, 12.5mm and 25mm) giving a broad range of magnifications and a 5x24 finderscope, 1.5x erecting eyepieces for terrestrial viewing. 18% more light gathering power than a 70mm, enough to allow simple study of Moon, planets, star clusters and brighter nebula. Probably the most reasonably priced reflector on the market."

• 700mm focal length Newtonian telescope
• Bright F9.2 - 76mm lens diameter - high details
• Finderscope 5x24 Finder
• 1.25" 25mm eyepiece
• 1.25" 12.5mm eyepiece
• 1.25" 4mm eyepiece
• Highest Practical Power: x525 magnification
• Suitable for all 1.25" accessories
• 3x Barlow lens
• 1.5x erecting eyepiece
• Tripod
• Central Tripod Tray

Astromaster 70 EQ €129

• Quick and easy no-tool setup
• Permanently mounted StarPointer
• Erect image optics - Ideal for terrestrial and astronomical use
• Quick release dovetail attachment - no tool setup
• German Equatorial Mount with Setting circles - to accurately locate and track sky objects
• Rugged pre-assembled tripod with 1.25" steel tube legs - Provides a rigid and stable platform
• All coated glass optics for clear, crisp images
• Deluxe accessory tray for convenient storage of accessories
• The Sky Level 1 planetarium software with 10,000 object database and enhanced images

Are either of these worth considering or can anyone suggest an alternative that can be got for less that about €130?

Thanks in advance for any help/guidance.

Dave

peterako

Hi there,

There is a FAQ on this forum for this kind of question.

If it were a choice between the two you've listed I'd go for the Refracter (Astromaster 70 EQ).

Buy the most apperture you can afford.
Bearing in mind that your child's interest may wane. But it's less likely to if he/she can see more and more apperture collects light = see more.

MAKE SURE THAT NOBODY LOOKS AT THE SUN WITH A TELESCOPE UNLESS YOU HAVE ADEQUATELY PREPARED IT FOR SOLAR OBSERVATION. INSTANT BLINDNESS WILL RESULT.

Lens (Refractor) apperture is roughly 1.5x Mirror Apperture.

So 76mm v's 105mm (1.5 x 70mm on the Astromaster).

Also, Celestrons are decent scopes.

Finally...I personally prefer an EQ mount to an AZ mount.

On the included Software.....

Free Stellarium is the way to go

I have a second hand Astromaster 130 EQ (Reflector) for sale in that price range. PM me if you're interested.

Having said all that...one of the most frustrating things you will find is actually finding objects in the sky. It's just a learning process....and with this in mind a decent pair of binoculars and a trop may be a good start.

Even the Bresser Binoculars in Lidl at the moment are a great start...

Clear skies, and best of luck,
Peter

dave66

Peter,

I really appreciate your comments and answers. The 130EQ looks very tempting, I'd just be concerned that it might be too advanced for my Son at this stage. I'll PM you about it.

Dave