Beginner scope - Meade Telescope

[SLAPSHOT]

My kids (10 & 8) have become interested to astronomy, so, I'm looking at getting a telescope for Xmas. I came across a Meade DS2102 AT telescope at a local Costco model. However, I did come across another Meade model while surfing the web ... Meade ETX-80AT TC. Although slightly move expensive, it appears to be a better option for my first telescope, ... Iwould greatly appreciate any suggestions between the DS models and this one .. or others models to consider.
Thank you

[ozark1]

I presume that we are talking a budget $270 for the ETX-80 (list is $449). The question is why would you spend that much on a small 2.5" refractor? The ETX Maks are worth the $$$, the refractors aren't.

That would leave the DS - which is a 4" refractor. You'll see more with this instrument and it still has a basic autostar.

Personally I'd avoid both and for the same budget head for a 6" dobsonian from Orion or Celestron. You'd lose the autostar but have a much bigger and usable telescope that would allow you to see much deeper - many of the brighter DSOs, galaxies and nebulae are possible with this type of scope.

[aurora]

All the people that I know that have ETX's basically put them in a closet and never use them. So what if the computer can find 20,000 objects if there is only enough aperture to see 40 of them?

[SLAPSHOT]

Thank you very for the responses and recommendations. I'll will certainly check out the dobsonian models.

[redshifter]

Here's a great example of a 6" dob, which will perform very well as a first scope for you and your kids. No goto capability, which is just fine as it will enable you to learn the sky together.

http://www.telescope.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=238462&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=4&iSubCat=9&iProductID=238462

[paul6000000]

I would take into account light pollution (do you live in big city?). This aperture would be more than fine for the moon and saturn. I saw it at the costco myself and was shocked when I turned it around and saw the size of the lense. I found this thread looking for reviews...I might be picking one up myself. While the images might not be quite as good as the best dobs out there, it doesn't weigh as much as a dob and it LOOKS like a telescope (your kids might be best pleased by that fact on xmas morning). It looks like it would worth the risk since the price is so low. You could get something bigger later.

I have a 6 in. dob myself and live in the city, so that's all the aperture I need. I also don't think a 6in. dob is such a big step up that it will show anything more incredible (deep sky-wise, unless you live out in the country) that most 10 yr. olds would appreciate.

But I'm no expert and I don't mean to sound as opinionated as this might come across, especially as I haven't had a chance to use this refractor.

[redshifter]

Image quality is only part of the equation here. You also need a stable, easy to use mount to have a usable scope. A 6in. dob will almost invariably be more stable than a comparably price EQ or alt-az mounted scope. Additionally, set up time for a dob is vastly shorter than other types of scopes. You will have to collimate a dob (as with any other reflecting scope) from time to time, but this also can be done quickly once you learn how it's done. The manual that comes with the Orion dobs explains collimation pretty well.

While it's true that a non-dob will 'look like a telescope' sitting under the tree Xmas morning, I can almost guarantee the 6 in dob will be more usable, enjoyable and will get a lot more use in the field as a first scope.

Something you ought to consider doing is visit a local astronomy club and/or star party, get a feel for all types of scope, and talk to people with experience with diff. types of scopes. This forum is a good starting point though. Once you can use different scopes yourself, you'll get a better idea for what works for you and what doesn't. Based on my experience, there's nothing better than a 6 or 8 inch dob for an entry level, first telescope for not much $.

[Dave Mitsky]

I agree with redshifter. All things considered, a small Dob is a great first telescope.

Dave Mitsky

[scidan]

I purchased my DS2102 from Costco in July 2006. I have used it about 100 times already. I have many problems with it so I just use it manually. I completely ignore the autostar and just find what I want to see without the computer aid. From what I hear, it is not that good anyways.

The tripod pretty much sucks. When there are any wind gusts, even as low as 5mph, the scope jiggles around and I need to wait for it to calm down until visibility is good again.

Set up and tear down time is very quick. That is what allows me to use it so much. I can't stand the lack of stability in this product.

However, after viewing through numerous other telescopes at the Chabot Observatory in Oakland (many different brands and sizes) including the 20" and the 36" scopes, it is releiving that the optics seem to be pretty good. Viewing Saturn and the moon is great. Jupiter was okay. But probably my fault since Jupiter was the first thing I tried to find and I was very inexperienced with the use of the scope at that time. Probably will be better this year.

All in all, the scope is not worth the money. I am going to purchase something else later this year, but keep the 2102 for lunar observing only. It really does a good job with that. I like the Konus Konusky 200 Newtonian. Any opinions on this one? Thanks.

[John Vandermeulen]

A bargain store in our area (Nova Scotia) has a number of these scopes, still fresh in their boxes. Somewhere around $180 (Cdn), although I expect that he will gladly come down to move these scopes.

Initially I thought that I might pick up one for the Autostar Goto feature, and hook that up to a small Orion 4" Starblast (dob). But I don't see how I can separate the Autostar mechanism from that one-armed cradle. Any suggestions, please?

How can anyone build a scope around a 4" refractor for ca $250!!?? Is that lens any good?

John V
Nova Scotia

[scidan]

If you can get a 2102 for $180 then that is a better deal than I got and it would make the scope much more worth the money. The lens is fine, but you will need to invest in a barlow lens and an additional eyepiece since the 26mm and 9.7mm lenses are not enough to see everything you may want to look at. I purchased a 2x and 3x barlow and also a 12.4mm super Plossl. With the 3x and 12.4mm, I get about 193x and can see Saturn very well. In a dark area, I can slightly make out the Cassini division and in a light polluted area I can easily make out Titan. I saw several moons of Jupiter, though making out the details on the planet were difficult since I was so novice (not too good at focusing). I have been using the scope for a while so I know quite a bit about its problems and good points as well. If you have any other questions, please ask.