telescopes ?'s
can anyone recommend a decent telescope for around or under 200 bucks ? we just bought one from spg and it is a P.O.S . they are returning it for a full refund .i need to find one of these things w/o buying 100 of them .dont see any in our local stores so i guess its mailorder or fleabay ....
help
wrench
help
wrench
0
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What do you want to do with it? Astronomical? Bird watching?
Neighbor surveillance? Photography of terrestrial objects?
Do you plan on it being in one place, or do you want/have to move it to use it?
If you want a decent Scope for $200, you will be buying USED, and will have to be a little lucky, or a great bargainer.
More realistic budget would be around $500.0 -
I don't think you can get anything "decent" for $200. My BIL paid over $5k for his.
I bought one of those cheapy $200 ones a few years ago and the stand was pretty nice but the scope was a POS - I took it back.0 -
My instrument was a killer deal, but I shopped forever to find it: I got a Celestron C8 for $700, with two Eyepieces, a Barlow 2X, and a field Tripod. The owner had been using it with a video Camera to watch the stars arriving at Hollywood Premieres, putting it on his "Big Screen" tv at his house on a hillside - he had purchased a Meade 14-inch instrument, and was tired of having the Celestron around.
I bought a fitted case full of eight oculars, from 20mm to 3.5mm, and a 3X Barlow, from Edmund Scientific, for $249.0 -
The absolute best bang for the buck deal that you can find regularly in swap sheets is a Newtonian (Reflector) scope - watch for a 10-inch primary objective, and if it is in a Dobsonian Mount, you have a winner!!! Second best would be a Newtonian in an Equatorial mount, last would be an 8-inch in an AZ-EL mount tripod.
Forget clock drives, Computer Mounts, extra oculars, extras.
Seriously, you will be very lucky to find a good example of even the least of those above for less than $200, unless it is damaged, or junk optics.
Good Luck Hunting!0 -
Sorry for $200 all you will get is junk whether you are looking for a spotting scope or an astronomical scope. A passable spotting scope is the Bushnell Sportview. 0 -
sorry i should of mentioned the use .it is star gazing . we are at beginer level and like to pick out brighter stars and planets while at our camp (really dark there ). well it looks bleak to find a decent scope for my budget ,and running out of time (wifes b-day present soon ). i guess ill go to plan b . lots of scopes on ebay but im not a gambler .....
wrench0 -
Depends on what to wish to do. I have a 6" Orion Newton reflector 
and in the process of buying a 11" or 14" Celestron "Go to" Schmidt-Cassegrain
I am having a blast doing photos with my CCD camera! But Got to tell ya
strait up- You have Reflectors, Dobs, Schmidt-Cassegrains, Apo Refractors etc. They all are suited for needs of viewing of sorts.
What do yo wish to look at? Deep Space? Nebula's? Planets?0 -
Wanted to add for the casual stuff go 6" or better. The Mead 14" observatory grade is just a little out of reach at a little 7k[:D] 0 -
Do you already have a decent pair of Binocs? Use them, if you have 8 or 10X Binocs. On a good seeing night, you can have have a ball looking out into the void. Only real problem is that you have to describe to each other where to aim, but with most cheap scopes it will be the same. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by FrancF
Depends on what to wish to do. I have a 6" Orion Newton reflector and in the process of buying a 11" or 14" Celestron "Go to" Schmidt-Cassegrain
I am having a blast doing photos with my CCD camera! But Got to tell ya
strait up- You have Reflectors, Dobs, Schmidt-Cassegrains, Apo Refractors etc. They all are suited for needs of viewing of sorts.
What do yo wish to look at? Deep Space? Nebula's? Planets?
Your 6'' reflector is the minimum IMO... even for a beginner... hope you get you new one!!!
To the topic poster...
I'll tell you what... figure out some way to get a least that....and take my word for it, the very first night out you'll get more than your moneys worth... the first time you see this puppy out there in the night sky,
you never regret spending the klinkies. And that is just one of so many wonders out there that I'm betting you'll be obcessed with it and be wanting and wishing you had a bigger and better telescope within minutes of your first score!!!0 -
Wow! A few of my eyepieces alone cost over $250 a piece for my big telescope.
It all depends on what you want. Terrestrial or Astronomical viewing, or a little of both? What do you want to do?
FYI - I will be selling one of my 3.5" Maksutov-Cassegrain Spotting Scopes soon. It is used for both T&A viewing. It will be in the $200 to $300 range. Comes with 2 eypieces.0
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