MnAstro Forums

I'm not sure of this should be posted here or in the Equipment/Gadgets group, but figured I would start here.

I have been a member of MAS for about a year now and am new to astronomy overall. I have tried most of the scopes from the loaner program, which has been a wonderful opportunity to try several different types. I have been using the loaner scopes to view the moon, planets, and some of the brighter constellations.

I am looking to purchase my first scope and am interested in getting input from wise others. Most of the time I will use the scope on my deck or driveway located in New Brighton, which is rated as Class 8 on the Bortle Scale. I would like to take it with me when I go camping or to darker sky locations, so it needs to be fairly easy to transport in terms of size and weight.

I have a budget between $600 to $1000 for the whole set-up - so OTA, mount, tripod, finder scope, eye pieces, filters, and any type of storage containers. I wear glasses and would like to focus on a setup that provides wide field of views so it is comfortable and objects can be easily located. I don't plan on doing any type of astrophotography, aside form occasionally putting my iPhone up to the eye piece to take a picture to show family members. I want to keep the experience as simple as possible. I have been looking at the Takahashi Starbase 80 based on information I have heard from a few podcasts I follow, and am open to other ideas.

Thanks for the bandwidth -
Cindy Johnson

Hi Cindy,

I do not think the StarBase 80 would be a good choice. A few months ago I purchased one just to see what one could get from Takahashi at that price point. The telescope itself may not be too bad, but it is hard to tell with the really wiggly mount!

If you would like, you could loan mine (like new) and see what you think. If you like it I would sell it to you for $100.00. If you don't, just return it sometime.

Email or call me if you are at all interested.

Clear Skies,
Kurt

Kurt.Casby@comcast.net
651-735-3637

Trena purchased a 6" Newt from Orion that has a good mount and is go-to. It has been a good first scope and I know she still uses it today, even after getting a 14" Dob. It did not come with a bag, so she quilted one up. It is light weight and I believe it holds colimation very well.

f I remember correctly, the brand new purchase price was about $800.

Perhaps she will see these posts and correct my errors.

Or perhaps a Celestron NexStar 6SE. 6” aperture is generally my recommended minimum for a first/only scope. I see that one is on sale at OPT now for $800. https://optcorp.com/collections/sct-tel ... exstar-6se

I love refractors, but 80mm is going to be disappointing for a lot of objects (and then there's the wiggly mount). I'd second either Dave or Steve's recommendations for a 6" as a good portable scope with decent light grasp.

I'd recommend an 8" dob. Yes, they're big and clunky but the aperture is well worth it. I have one and I never go up north without it.
Orion Telescope has a Skyline brand dob that comes with a right angle finder, a 2" 2-speed focuser, and two eyepieces for under $600.
https://www.telescope.com/SkyLine-8-Dob ... 113094.uts
With that, a sky atlas, red flashlight, and a 5 gal bucket to sit on, the universe will be your back yard.

Clear skies,
Marty

Hi Cindy,

The first thing I ask people who are looking to buy their first telescope is "what are you going to use it for"? Are you planning to mostly look at planets? If so, I would point you towards a refractor or perhaps a Maksutov telescope. Or are you interested in deep sky objects, such as galaxies and nebulae? If so, then a 6-8" Dobsonian may be right for you. Are you interested in taking pictures? Maybe you're interested in all of these things... if so, you could consider an all-around scope such as an SCT.

The second question I ask is how portable does your scope need to be? Do you live in the city or in a place with not much space for a telescope? Will you need to lug it somewhere to get to darker skies? If so, the type of car you have can also influence your choice. Is it big enough for a larger scope and accessories?

Finally, price. You mentioned that your budget is $600-$1000, and that includes the mount, eyepieces and everything else.

Dave mentioned a great option above, Trena's 6" Orion scope, which I think is actually this Maksutov, not a Newtonian:

https://www.telescope.com/Orion-150mm-M ... p/9967.uts

A 6" Mak will be great on planets and brighter deep sky objects (DSOs). But it's 6" aperture and f/12 configuration will limit what you can see re: DSOs.

If you can squeeze a little more into your budget, the Celestron 8" SE might be a great option to consider. It will give your tracking, and GoTo capability, and Celestron sells a ton of these:

8" SE: https://www.adorama.com/cnn8se.html?gcl ... google-dsa

6" SE: https://optcorp.com/products/celestron- ... CqEALw_wcB

Finally, if you don't care about tracking but want to get a "light bucket", consider a 6", 8" or 10" Dobsonian. You're really paying for a larger mirror, and a highly portable and light configuration, but it won't have tracking. Dobsonians would be the best option for DSOs, and is won't be too bad on planets either:

https://www.telescope.com/catalog/searc ... =dobsonian

Let me know if you have any further questions. I hope this helps!

Suresh

Actually, Trena's scope is this one:
https://www.telescope.com/Orion/Orion-S ... /e/430.uts
Get the option with the controller.

johndoeson wrote: ↑Fri Nov 27, 2020 3:30 pm I have a budget between $600 to $1000 for the whole set-up - so OTA, mount, tripod, finder scope, eye pieces, filters, and any type of storage containers.

Thanks for the bandwidth -
Cindy Johnson

Cindy,

First, wondering if you had decided on which scope to get... if not, I saw that Kurt had posted a scope for sale:

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=12168

I read through the replies and each scope recommended are good scopes. I personally find the Celestron 8" SCT telescope excellent. It was my first scope (which I still have 40 years later) and have unintentionally "collected" 6 more SCT scopes of various sizes.

Now, every scope type has their advantages and disadvantages, the SCT is a good compromise of light gathering, focal length, price, portability, easy of use, maintenance, etc.


Merle Hiltner
Minnesota Astronomical Society
Eagle Lake Observatory Facility Director
Onan Observatory • Sylvia A. Casby Observatory • HotSpot Classroom
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unintentionally "collected" 6 more

I guess it’s not intentional unless it’s more than 10?