Advice on what kind of telescope to buy?

Question

Ok, for Christmas I'd like to purchase a telescope for my hubby. I've found a few that look ok, but I'm not sure if it's good or not.

1.) Galileo 1000mm x 120mm Reflector Telescope
10mm (100x) eyepiece
20mm (40x) eyepiece
3x Barlow lens
CIR electronic finder
2" to 1.25" eyepiece adapter
Counterweight rod assembly
Tripod telescope mount with electronic tracking
Tracking control hand set
Galileo Trilogy software set
AC adapter
Car accessory port adapter
2 AA batteries
Manual

2.)Meade DS-2114ATS-LNT 114mm AutoStar Reflecting Telescope
Adjustable aluminum tripod
(2) 1.25" super Plossl eyepieces
DS-2000 mount
Red dot finder
Astronomy software DVD
Tripod tray and hardware packet
Measures approx. 18"L x 5" in diameter
Uses 8 AA batteries (not included)
Model #: DS-2114ATS-LNT
Comes with a manufacturer's 1 year limited warranty

I'll add the last one in just a second. I'm running out of room. =P

3.) Galileo 900mm x 102mm Newtonian Reflector Telescope with Electronic Focus

20mm (45x) eyepiece
6.8-16mm (56x-132x) zoom eyepiece
3x Barlow lens
1.5x erecting lens
Multiple ocular holder
Electronic focuser
Mars-eye electronic finder
2 counterbalance weight assemblies
Metal tripod
Galileo Trilogy software set
Manual

Answer 1

Of the three you mentioned, I'd favor the Meade, but there may be better choices depending on your husband's level of interest and knowledge. A couple of good places to shop for telescopes: http://www.telescope.com/ and http://www.first-telescope.com/.

You can discuss your options and learn more about telescopes online at the yahoo telescopes group or the cloudynights.com forums.

Answer 2

If he's expressed to you that he wants a telescope and he's fairly knowledgable about them you should let him pick it out as he probably has a particular kind in mind. You can still surprise him by buying him a copy of Sky and Telescope magazine and inserting the gift card into it, and he should really consider buying a used one.

The telescopes you're looking at aren't toys but be aware there are more serious astronomical instruments out there.

Between the two you listed, the Meade would be a better choice. The problems with the Galileo is that the give you a 20mm eyepiece and a 10mm eyepiece. These are moderatly high magnification eyepieces and they are probably of poor quality. High magnification is generally bad. It's like trying to read a book with a microscope that doesn't focus. To compound the problem, they provide you with a 3x barlow which is probably also of poor quality. Barlows increase the magnifying ability of an eyepiece and if the eyepiece is already too high of a magnification the Barlow is useless.

Both of these telescopes have questionable mounts. The Galileo has tracking for astrophotography but it may only be good for photos of the moon because the mount may not be steady enough or the tracking precise enough for photos of things that require more magnification or long exposure times. The AutoStar has goto which will point itself to an object. A lot of people who don't care to waste time finding things like this, but it is expensive and were you to buy a telescope without it for the same price, you'd generally be able to get a better telescope as far as quality goes.

The Meade is $299 and the Galileo is considerably cheaper but I think Meade is more reputable. But again, you should let him pick the telescope. You could buy him a nice eyepiece for it, or a quality 2x barlow.

Answer 3

Hi. It's a personal choice, but I would go with the Meade DS-2114ATS-LNT. I have a Meade MTS-SN^ and love it. The mount will be easier to use, the scope will align itself more easily, and the object finder is a plus for a beginner. Use the best eyepieces you can afford. (If he upgrades later the eyepieces are interchangeable.) A 20-25mm is a good starting size.

Answer 4

I have been out of using telescopes too long to help select pertickular models.
A quick thought to pass on to u. If u are planing on useing it in a city the lioghts will reduce your vision. I found it very disipointing.