[Chaos-l] Question about telescope

[Tony Rice]

Used can be great way to go, Craig's list can be a good source which avoids
the expense of shipping (and danger or poor packing) and gives you the
ability to see the scope to get a feeling for how well it's been cared for.

Looking at the scopes you've mentioned below are dobsonian telescopes, good
choices which give you a lot of telescope for the money.  Their downside is
that they can be a bit bulky.  If you plan on observing in the backyard,
that may not be a big problem but getting it out to a site where you can
observe with less light polution can be a challenge. The main difference
between the two you mention is the aperture (size of the opening where light
enters) 6" vs. 8" and about $50.  Probably not a huge difference to you as
you are just getting started observing.  Consider the less expensive one and
add on a Barlow lens to your purchase which essentially doubles
the magnification of the lens that comes with the telescope.  Another nice
feature of the scopes you mention is that they us red dot finders which
makes finding what you are looking for easier.

If cost is a concern, consider something a tabletop telescope like the
Celestron FirstScope (Orion makes something similar, I forget the name).
 They are smaller and gather less light but are significantly less expensive
(which is nice) but their greatest feature for beginners is their size.
 You'll probably get it out and use it a lot more than you would a bigger
scope like the Orion Skyquest series.  I've got several telescopes at home,
big and small but can take my little FirstScope with me wherever really
easily.  If you find you or your son is hooked, you could then upgrade to
something a bit bigger later.

Hope that helps a bit,
Tony

On Mon, May 23, 2011 at 10:51 AM, michelle s <shellytex1 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Hi, my son and I want to buy our first telescope. We want easy to use but a
> good quality one that won't break the bank, and we won't want to replace
> after a few months. From what I've been reading on the internet, the Orion
> skyquest xt8 looks like a great one. Can anyone give us advice about it? Is
> it worth getting this one over the xt6, or is there an entirely different
> one that is preferable?
> He is anxious for me to order one NOW, so pls advise. Also, I'd prefer to
> purchase used, as they are pretty pricey new. No idea where to find one
> used.
> Thanks,
> Michelle
>
> _______________________________________________
> Chaos-l mailing list
> Chaos-l at rtpnet.org
> http://rtpnet.org/mailman/listinfo/chaos-l
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://rtpnet.org/pipermail/chaos-l/attachments/20110523/af8d8dc0/attachment.html>