A cheap telescope? for around 150 quid?.

a reply to: NoRulesAllowed

I see much sharper with the skywatcher.
Cheers for that

originally posted by: NoRulesAllowed
Celestron NexStar 4SE

"Go To", and even EQ Mounts (at least for low cost scopes)....is all relatively unnecessary gimmicks.

If you get a scope for $200 or $300 with a fancy computer/GoTo mount or an EQ mount you will pay most of it for the mount and crappy optics. Problem: OPTICS are the most important.

I recommended that telescope because as a beginner a lot people get turned off from the challenge of finding stuff. Think of the Go To feature as training wheels or a gateway drug to a larger telescope with better optics.

Summary: Get a scope that fits in your budget. Don't be too concerned about optics because it is actually more important to learn the basics and develop a realistic expectation of what it takes to view the heavens. Poor optics can make viewing annoying but not being able to find what you want to view is even worse.

Nobody has really touched on a few of these key points. They are key points because they are common beginner mistakes. I think most of us went through this.

1. Unrealistic expectations
2. Using too high of magnification when trying to find a star
3. No alignment of the star finder
4. Trying to align it at night at an object that isn't prominent (small angular size)
5. Poor mount

I can't stress enough that using too high of a magnification and no means of finding the star is a recipe for disaster. It will leave you frustrated. A cheap mount will make it all the more difficult to attempt to find what you are looking at. If you are using a barlow lens, eyepiece with max magnification, no finder, and an awful mount you might get frustrated looking for something as big as the moon.

Personally I think you could get the cheapest scope out there and learn how to focus on your target. This would serve you better than spending a lot of money and getting frustrated at day 1. I have a cheap $50 scope that has terrible optics but it is still fun to use because it is extremely small, light, and portable. I never would have purchased it on my own but it was a gift. I used it out of respect and I was surprised that I had lots of fun.

Also, you don't need a finder scope. You can make a cheap makeshift finder with a red dot like the sites on a bb gun.

Here are two links about beginners mistakes (err tips) and aligning the finder.

Begginer Tips
www.rocketroberts.com...

Aligning Finder
starizona.com...

Great advice about byuing a telescope: newburyastro.org.uk...

a reply to: JadeStar

The go to feature is a good start once aligned true north. Meade makes a decent cheap version also. I would avoid any scope from ebay, have heard horror stories about optics. I would stick with astronomy club sales. They keep the scopes in good shape .