What is a good first telescope?

[Killshot]

I live at a high elevation on the island of maui.. and i've decided i should start taking advantage of my location and get a telescope

anyone have suggestions for a good first telescope?

thanks

[Maksutov]

I live at a high elevation on the island of maui.. and i've decided i should start taking advantage of my location and get a telescope

anyone have suggestions for a good first telescope?

thanks

How much money do you have to spend on it?

[Killshot]

I'd like to not spend more than $1000

[SpaceTrekkie]

I have a nexstar 5i. It was about 1000 dollars (a little less) very nice! If you want to go lower priced my first scope was a 70 dollar tasco go-to scope. the 5i i have now is simple to use and also has the go-to but is much more expensive than the Tasco.

Okay i will stop talking now..i dont really seem to know what i am talking about. But i definitly suggest something with a Go-to feature (makes observing alot easier and less frustrating when you cant seem to find what you want on your own)

-ST the attempting to be helpful (and failing)

[Maksutov]

If you can go a little over the $1000 Meade has a number of 8" Schmidt-Cassegrains that have lots of features, GoTo, and the advantage of an 8" objective's light-gathering power. The SC-8 LXD55 is a typical example of one of these. It's also very portable.

BTW, Meade has a deal going where you get $650 of Super Plössl eyepieces for $99 that ends Feb 29th. The SC-8's one of the qualifying scopes.

Anybody else?

[Mars]

Any websites that are reputable?

[Maksutov]

Any websites that are reputable?

Here's (http://www.astronomy.com/content/static/beginners/scopebuyingguide/sbg_1.asp) a good one. Good luck! :)

[JohnW]

I'm a returnee - I just bought a telescope after being witout one for nearly twenty years.

Do you know your way around the sky? If not, consider getting a good pair of binoculars. The field of view is much wider, so you'll find things more easily.

If you feel ready for a telescope, consider what you want to do with it, and where you want to do it. How important is portability? Are you interested in deep space, the solar system, or both? Are you willing to sacrifice image quality for better light-gathering ability? There is no "best" first scope for everyone.

I don't like GOTO scopes for beginners - it's like learning to drive by hiring a chauffeur. There are other schools of thought on this, and I know a lot of people love the convenience. Remember if you buy a GOTO scope, you're spending money on electronics which you could be spending on optics and mechanics.

I did a lot of homework before spending any money, and a lot of people seem to recommend a 6-8" Dobsonian reflector for beginners. So I bought a 4" refractor.

[aurora]

Try the book StarWare by Harrington. It's a good text for considering and comparing the different types of telescopes.

There is no one answer to the question "what is the best kind of telescope" because it depends not only on your budget but also on what you intend to do with it, how important portability is, what your personal preferences are, etc.

Is there an astronomy club on your island? If so, you may want to attend one of their meetings.

[Killshot]

Do you know your way around the sky? If not, consider getting a good pair of binoculars. The field of view is much wider, so you'll find things more easily.

Good idea, thanks

If you feel ready for a telescope, consider what you want to do with it, and where you want to do it. How important is portability?

Portability isnt too important.. all i would need to do is take if from the house to outside.. i dont plan to fly with it anywhere.. and a trek into the crater would be out of the question.. and the summit is closed at night except for the lucky people who get to work with the big telescopes at science city....
so ya.. i dont think it needs to be portable..

Are you interested in deep space, the solar system, or both? Are you willing to sacrifice image quality for better light-gathering ability? There is no "best" first scope for everyone.

I would really like to be able to check out comets that come around
but deep space sounds interesting too

Is there a telescope that is good for both?

Thanks for all the input everyone

[RevRob]

I would say look into the Meade LXD-55 series. You can get into a 10" reflector with Go-To or 6" refractor with Go-To for right at $1000 and UHTC coatings for a tad bit more. You can get into smaller scopes for around $5-600. I have the LXD-55 10" UHTC and it is a great scope for the price and will take you way beyond your dreams for sure. It is more scope than most people will ever need but the price makes it worth it! The computerized mount and all are ready to go with digital/CCD/emulsion photography and can be controlled via lap-top and software. I will try and find a pic I took checking the optics and ancient digital camera (Mavica FD7). I need a lighter digital camera because that heavy one taxed the drives pretty good. Remember aperature is the key to what you see! I also have an Odyssey1 13.1" and Meade Starfinder 16" Dobsonian mount scopes and will be working on getting them tracking and paired with a camera.

[Diamond]

I live at a high elevation on the island of maui.. and i've decided i should start taking advantage of my location and get a telescope

anyone have suggestions for a good first telescope?

thanks

You live at the top of Mount Haleakala? Man, its cold up there...... \:D/

[Killshot]

well i dont live at the top.. but i am over 4000 feet.. but yeah.. there can be quite a temperature difference between sea level and here ;)

[aurora]

You got one recommendation for a SCT.

But with a budget of around $1000, and a desire for deep sky, and no need for portability, I'd be tempted to suggest a larger Dob. Say a 10 inch. Either a larger premium dob, or a larger SCT with solid mount and electronics would cost more than the budge.

[Mars]

I'm glad I found this topic, lots of good information! Only bad thing here in Florida where I live, light polution is all over.

[JohnW]

I'm glad I found this topic, lots of good information! Only bad thing here in Florida where I live, light polution is all over.

You can still see a lot through light pollution. In Seattle, I get great views of the planets, and star clusters and double stars are pretty easy. Not much luck with nebulae yet, but a filter might help.

If the views from your yard aren't good, you might not need to travel far to improve the view. Just getting a couple of hundred yards from street lights can make a big difference. Just be prepared to explain to Florida's finest why you're creeping around the park at midnight.

[Mars]

I'm glad I found this topic, lots of good information! Only bad thing here in Florida where I live, light polution is all over.

You can still see a lot through light pollution. In Seattle, I get great views of the planets, and star clusters and double stars are pretty easy. Not much luck with nebulae yet, but a filter might help.

If the views from your yard aren't good, you might not need to travel far to improve the view. Just getting a couple of hundred yards from street lights can make a big difference. Just be prepared to explain to Florida's finest why you're creeping around the park at midnight.

Thanks! LOL on the FLorida Finest!