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Telescope advice

garbulky

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Hi all,
I'm looking for help buying a BUDGET telescope. Not looking for something fancy.
Main goal is to look at the moon. Also would be nice to see some of the planets like perhaps Saturn or mars, maybe.

Ideally it would be between $60-80. But I can swing as much as $100.
Also it has to be from Amazon. And more importantly light. Heavy gear would be out.
Any suggestions?
 

pkane

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Hi all,
I'm looking for help buying a BUDGET telescope. Not looking for something fancy.
Main goal is to look at the moon. Also would be nice to see some of the planets like perhaps Saturn or mars, maybe.

Ideally it would be between $60-80. But I can swing as much as $100.
Also it has to be from Amazon. And more importantly light. Heavy gear would be out.
Any suggestions?

At that price you’re unlikely to find something good. Don’t look for the largest magnification, look for larger aperture (lens diameter) and exhangeable eyepieces. Hard to find something with a tracking (and stable) mount at that price range, but that would be another very useful feature.
 
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garbulky

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At that price you’re unlikely to find something good. Don’t look for the largest magnification, look for larger aperture (lens diameter) and exhangeable eyepieces. Hard to find something with a tracking (and stable) mount at that price range, but that would be another very useful feature.
You're right, it's definitely on the budget range. What kind of lens diameter do you think would work? 60 mm?
 
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garbulky

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After talking around, I think I'm getting a better idea.
I have a few limitations.
1. Price. I was hoping close to 80 but I could get up to 100 if I push or maybe even a $120 but prefer not to.
2. Weight. I have physical issues so even what people would consider light tends to be too heavy. I would love something at 5 pounds or close to that with a mount.


Perhaps expecting to see the planets is too much of an ask at this price range and weight. I will be satisfied with seeing the moon. Basically I'm looking for something that works and isn't a toy. And to be honest I can't tell the difference. I was looking at a 60 mm or 70 mm scope on amazon.
 

RayDunzl

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Perhaps expecting to see the planets is too much of an ask at this price range and weight.

See if there is an "Astronomy Club" in your area, and visit them on a clear night.

Moon is easy to view.

It (and everything else) moves as the Earth revolves. Higher magnification = smaller field of view = faster apparent movement, without tracking/motorization.

Planets, with a cheap scope, will be sort of a smudge.

Without much light gathering capability (diameter) not much else to see except stars (pinpoints of light).

https://www.deepskywatch.com/Articles/what-can-i-see-through-telescope.html
 

Blumlein 88

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I'll be less tactful. It is hard to get anything worth having at those prices.

The suggestion to visit an astronomy club meet is a super good one.

One possible way out is to look on your local Craigslist. A Dobsonian reflector is often a good choice in this situation.
It won't do tracking. If you only want a minute or two at a time look these are good.

Here is an example you might well find on Craigslist in your budget. It currently costs $199, but in the past of course was less expensive. You might even get lucky and find a 6 inch one in your price range on Craigslist. BTW the below dobsonian is rather short. You might use it on a short wall or small table (which creates stability issues). If you find a 2nd hand 6 incher they are longer.

https://www.amazon.com/Orion-10015-...45765343&sr=8-5&keywords=dobsonian+telescopes

If you have a decent camera tripod already, these are surprisingly good among cheaper scopes.
C70 Mini Mak. You could use the included tripod for sky objects on a table top, but it will frustrate you.

https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-52...8&qid=1545765583&sr=8-1&keywords=c70+mini+mak

If you should see a Celestron C90 version on craigslist it is even better. I have one I use with some quality eyepieces.

An equatorial mounted reflector or refractor even if manually driven can make it easy to track and extend viewing times. But those are going to have counter-weights and may be too heavy for you.

EDIT to add: even these lower end scopes will allow you to view Saturn and any closer planets. Maybe not great images, but you'll be able to see that Saturn has rings. The moon is easy. You can see moons around Jupiter with binoculars.
 
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pkane

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You're right, it's definitely on the budget range. What kind of lens diameter do you think would work? 60 mm?

Think at least double that. 114-150mm. It’ll probably have to be a reflector at this price range (using a mirror). A reflector will also make it a bit more compact.
 
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