I am about to buy a telescope for astronomical use. I have looked at the Schmidt-Cassegrain and Maksutov-Cassegrain varieties and I seem to have an inclination towards the Meade ETX 125PE more than the Celestron Nexstar NX6, but I have no background on any of them to say which is better. I know this is not top of the range, but buying a telescope for any money, it is important to get the right one. Can anyone give me a hand at selecting. My budget is $900 to $1100.
2007-04-20 06:36:34 · 10 answers · asked by btiger75 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Thanks for the answers!! I really apreciate all the advise I have got and up to now, I have incremented my knowledge. However, Instead of 2 telescopes in mind, now I have waaaaay more. The second hand 'scopes sound tempting, but what of manufacturer faults or garantee? Have any of you bought a second hand and have very few problems? I'm thinking of going down the 8" path if there is good feedback on this matter. Oh, this telescope will be initially used for observing planets, globlular clusters, some nebulae and some of the more visible Messier objects. The portability is utmost, since I live in a very hilly but almost cloudless area. Again, thanks for your answers up to now.
2007-04-22 22:14:17 · update #1
I personally like Meade ext 125PE, it is AWSOME.
I highly recomend it.
Bob
2007-04-20 06:57:46 · answer #1 · answered by bob 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Meade is the bigger vendor, Celestron is the smaller. This debate was like the Ford vs. GM thing or the Sinatra vs. Crosby "back in the day." Lately Meade has been more severely stressed financially and there have been many quality "issues' reported.
I own TWO SCTs but my main point is I would recommend neither of these small telescopes in your budget range. You risk mechanical failure and the payoff is small for the aperture. Think instead about an eight or ten inch Orion XTintelliscope(4.5, 6, 8, 10, and 12 inch options)--a non motorized reflecting telescope with a small computer that locates objects but YOU do the pushing. You could probably buy an 8 inch for the same money.
One of my observing buddies was using one of these last night and it blows away what you will get in the five inch range.
Good luck. And remember: it seems like the purchase of a lifetime but sometimes, if the bug gets you, the purpose of one telescope is to lead you to another.
Also highly recommended: joining www.astromart.com and buying a used instrument. For Newtonians you can save hugely. You can also put up a "wanted" ad. It costs $15 (once only) to join. This is the New York Stock Exchange of used telescope equipment. So your "beginner's money" will go a lot farther if you buy from someone who has a good rating. If you put up a "wanted ad" and say you are a beginner and want a beginner's scope you will get a lot of helpful answers. I bought an 8 inch SCT and a Super Polaris telescope (no computer, but it has analog--mechanical--setting circles) with a motorized drive on a Super Polaris mount for $500. You might be able to get a used ASGT mount for around $500 and put a $350 to $500 c8 (probably a bit older) on it. Again, good luck, and take the time to shop around at Orion, at Astromart, and take note that Astromart has some "forums" where people offer advice to newcomers.
Oh yes, if you live somewhere with LOTs of plants and humid weather dew will be a problem on refractors and SCTs. One of the advantages of a Newtonian telescope is that the design is more resistant to dew formation. I own as I said an 8" and a 14" SCT and I know a LOT about how to keep dew off. But for a newcomer, maybe you don't want to bother.
Bear in mind that whatever you buy it can be resold fairly readily on Astromart.
2007-04-21 06:09:42 · answer #2 · answered by gn 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In general, Meade and Celestron are no better than one another. Both companies make good telescopes.
To choose a good telescope, you first have to decide what you want to use it for, and what you want it to do.
An 80mm apochromatic refractor with a long focal length may offer excellent views of the planets and take sharp photos of stars but good luck seeing any galaxies in it other than M33 and M31.
A 16" dobsonian may be able to show you all of the objects in the messier catalogue but you won't be doing much astrophotography without certain modifications, and it won't fit in your hatchback unless it's a truss tube model.
The Meade ETX 125PE will serve you best for planetary viewing, lunar and star cluster viewing. It will be able to see some nebula and galaxies but not many. With a focal ratio of f/15, it is an extremely "slow" telescope and you will have to use long exposure times on dim objects if you do astrophotography.
The Celestron Nexstar 6 SE (couldn't find an NX6) collects only slightly more light than the Meade ETX 125PE. It has a slightly shorter focal length...
Personally, I think, between the two, I'd go for the Celestron Nexstar SE, thought I don't like the one arm mount. To tell you the truth I'd choose a different telescope altogether.
For $1100 I might try to find a used 10" Meade LX200. These are well suited for deep space viewing, ,astrophotography, and get nice views of planets. A celestron of similar specifications would be nice as well, though probably more expensive. I'd settle for an 8" schmidt-cassegrain from either of these companies though.
A good place to go to get opinions on telescopes is http://www.astromart.com
Also try http://www.cloudynights.com
2007-04-22 18:35:49 · answer #3 · answered by minuteblue 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have been an amateur astronomer on and off but only with moon and planets. I wanted to know what was the best astronomy telescopes and so I looked tn the mags. I read that there are only two that are reliable....American and russian. I bought a Meade 4" refractor with various eyepieces and a Barlow len 3x and have seen good detail of the planets. I have also done some astrophotography and was lucky enough to get a picture of Hale Bopp comet. I have no complaints with Meade telescopes...and I would say to you...give it a try.
2007-04-25 07:29:56 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
celestron merged with tasco and there are some thoughts on that. but as far as to go schmidt or maksutov. I think you will find the maks will give you better sharpness but are a bit more expensive. I've been looking at getting a first scope now too and have been conversing a bit with a telescope dealer and can share my insights if you want to msg. me.
2007-04-27 18:42:30 · answer #5 · answered by bastian915 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have owned 24 different telescopes, including both Meade and Celestron:
http://www.gaherty.ca/telescopes.htm
On the whole I have been more satisfied with Celestron. But I have found Orion to be a more reliable supplier of telescopes than either of these:
http://www.telescope.com/
2007-04-21 11:08:57 · answer #6 · answered by GeoffG 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A couple of years ago I bought a good telescope for my Grand Daughter and was very disappointed as they live in the edge of a large city. The city lights will partially blind u so that u can not see much.
2007-04-20 09:15:47 · answer #7 · answered by JOHNNIE B 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have a Meade lx200gps8"sct. If I were to do it all over again, I would buy a celestron. my friend has a celestron and it focuses more smoothly
2007-04-20 15:10:47 · answer #8 · answered by paulbritmolly 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have you looked at SKY and TELESCOPE magazine's latest views on telescopes? One of its main objectives is to rate telescopes.
2007-04-20 06:47:34 · answer #9 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Meade is generally better built.
2007-04-20 11:49:56 · answer #10 · answered by Nomadd 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋