i am getting a friend a telescope for x-mas is a 4.5" reflector a good one? can you see rings of saturn w/it?

Question

I am pricing them on ebay and am torn between the 4.5" and 6" reflector telescopes. He is not exaclty an ameture so i want to get him a good one. Can you still see the rings of saturn and any galaxies with the 4.5?

Answer 1

It will depend on the type and quality of mount.

Optically, 4.5" is enough to see the rings of Saturn. And he'll certainly be able to see the Andromeda galaxy with it.

But unless you're buying from a store that specializes in telescopes, odds are you'll end up with an overpriced toy that's frustrating to use.

Ebay is a marvelously bad place to buy a scope. Most "Telescope dealers" on ebay are selling "discount store" telescopes with mediocre optics and flimsy mounts.

Orion makes a 4.5" Dobsonian telescope that is pretty useful. Meade makes good and bad scopes in that size.

Since your friend isn't a beginner, it would make sense to have them involved in the decision. They may already have a decent scope, and in that case it might make sense for you to pick up a nice eyepeice or two for them.

If you ask about specific models, we can look them over for you.

You can pm me for specific help.

I'm not in the business - I just don't want to see people end up with scopes that aren't fun to use.

Answer 2

First of all, try to include him in the decision making, especially if he already has an interest in astronomy. Choosing a telescope is fun, and he may already have some idea of what he wants.

Secondly, almost all the telescopes on eBay are cheap junk: poor optics, shaky mounts, and very hard to use. The same goes for what's sold at Wal-Mart, Costco, and such. The only place to get a good telescope is at a telescope store. It won't necessarily cost more, but it will have been chosen by an experienced person who wants you as an ongoing customer, and will provide help and service, if needed. Check the Yellow Pages under "Telescopes"; if there's no store near you, buy from a reputable internet dealer such as Orion, Astronomics, High Point, OPT, etc.

A 4.5" reflector is about the minimum for serious observing; 6" or 8" would be better. The best value in telescopes is a reflector on a Dobsonian mount, like these:
http://www.telescope.com/control/category/~category_id=dobsonians/~pcategory=telescopes/~VIEW_INDEX=0/~VIEW_SIZE=1000000
http://www.skywatchertelescope.net/swtinc/product.php?class1=1&class2=106

You can't go wrong with any of these; they all have good optics on a solid, easy to use mount. I own one of these myself.

Answer 3

You can definitely see the rings of Saturn with a 4.5 inch telescope, or even a 3 inch if it is a good one. Of course bigger is better and 6 inch is better than 4.5, but I have seen the rings of Saturn is a cheap 3 inch telescope at 32 power.

But as others have said, do not buy on eBay or Walmart. Telescopes can be good quality or horrible quality, and if you don't know how to asses quality, buy from some place like this source, which has good quality telescopes.

Answer 4

Please, PLEASE don't purchase a telescope from eBay, Walmart, Kmart, or Toys 'R' Us!
The reason I say this is because you won't get a guarantee that what you're buying is what has been advertised.
Telescopes from these marketers are notoriously cheap in design and function: i.e. claims of really large amounts of magnification, spindly aluminum tripods, inferior eyepieces, and the like.
You'd do yourself (and your friend) much better if you purchased from a reputable manufacturer or dealer.

Do yourself a favor, and check out this link:

http://www.telescope.com

This is Orion Telescope's home page. They offer a wide variety of scopes in a wide range of prices. All telescopes are new, and have factory guarantees to back them up.
Remember when purchasing, the more aperture the scope has, the more light it will gather, hence a brighter, more well- defined image.
Good Luck and Clear Skies!
B

Answer 5

The rule stands: buy telescopes from telescope stores. Do not buy them from department stores, Costco, or eBay.

Not all eBay telescopes are junk, but you have to know what you're doing to tell the junk from the good stuff. Those 6" short tube reflectors, in particular, should be avoided like the plague.

Answer 6

Don't make the mistake that I did. For the same price that you can buy one of the self-contained, factory made one (with no capacity of expansion) you can go to an optical shop and get a astronomy unit with a basic lens. Both have the exact same resolution and magnification, but the one form the optical shop can have it's reflectors and lens upgraded.

Why your friend one telescope when you could be getting them a "new telescope" every time you want to give them a gift just by upgrading one piece?

Answer 7

Good advice ALL! --------- try these links for a place to buy a 4.5 inch Dobsonian.
http://www.astronomics.com/main/Telescopes_and_Telescope_Accessories.asp/catalog_name/Astronomics/category_name/Home

http://www.optcorp.com/

http://www.telescope.com/control/main/

Answer 8

Give him the money and let him pick the instrument he wants.