Although you can technically get to 399x magnification (the 6mm eyepiece with the barlow lens), the most I'd expect to get out of this is maybe 80x or 90x, maybe less (cheap glass you'll just end up seeing imperfections in the lenses).

These will show you the planets, but they won't be what you are expecting. They will be small coloured dots, maybe able to resolve a little more detail on the big planets (Jupiter and Saturn). The views of the moon would be excellent, and open clusters such as Pleiades are pleasant to look at (but unexciting for most as they just appear as pockets of stars).

As an example, I took this photo a few years ago with a 6" newtonian telescope (£150, Skywatcher 130 the one in the post is only a 4" telescope). Note the colour distortion, the obvious pattern from the cheap lens.

I took this on a12.5" rental scope.... Used to want my own, but the investment for the casual dabbler is far too much

Would this be suitable for an aspiring peeping tom?

Before buying please visit http://stargazerslounge.com/ so that you understand what you're getting with this sort of scope. i.e. not much.

I purchased a 2nd hand scope last year for £130 and it was miles better than this one. I still sold it on though because of the hassle of getting it out of the garage and set up, esp. when it's freezing outside (which it will be, because it'll be clear skies you want and that's when the temp drops).

My recommendation would be if £40 is what you want to spend to look at the stars, get a pair of binoculars. You're far more likely to use them (just step outside the back door and put to your eyes!) and a £40/£50 pair will give some reasonable views of the moon and some of the DSOs (dark sky objects). Part of the hobby though is really learning about the sky and understanding what you're looking at. You won't get anywhere near the images that you see on the BBC website or whatever. Not until you've spend £1k+ on a set up that allows astro photography anyway!

Just my tuppence worth.

Just bought this for hubbies birthday next week. So fingers crossed! £3.99 postage and delivered in 2-3 days.

Is it true you can only see the moon with these?

Anyone know of good ones that you can see more for less than 100.00 ?

For a reflector, 150mm mirror is generally considered minimum, this is 80mm. However, it looks better in the online pictures than the £25 telescopes that have been in the deals from supermarkets, and at that price could be worth a punt. You'd be able to see Jupiter, Saturn and Venus with it, and some of the brighter deep sky objects, as well as stars.

Would this be suitable for an aspiring peeping tom?

Although you can technically get to 399x magnification (the 6mm eyepiece with the barlow lens), the most I'd expect to get out of this is maybe 80x or 90x, maybe less (cheap glass you'll just end up seeing imperfections in the lenses).

These will show you the planets, but they won't be what you are expecting. They will be small coloured dots, maybe able to resolve a little more detail on the big planets (Jupiter and Saturn). The views of the moon would be excellent, and open clusters such as Pleiades are pleasant to look at (but unexciting for most as they just appear as pockets of stars).

As an example, I took this photo a few years ago with a 6" newtonian telescope (£150, Skywatcher 130 the one in the post is only a 4" telescope). Note the colour distortion, the obvious pattern from the cheap lens.

Im looking for a decent beginner telescope ( second hand would do just fine) are there any good recommendations ? i obviously would like to keep the cost relatively low and i dont need to be able to see the entire galaxy in an egg cup lol.

It's nice to get an insight into this, something I know nothing about.

Before buying please visit http://stargazerslounge.com/ so that you understand what you're getting with this sort of scope. i.e. not much.

I purchased a 2nd hand scope last year for £130 and it was miles better than this one. I still sold it on though because of the hassle of getting it out of the garage and set up, esp. when it's freezing outside (which it will be, because it'll be clear skies you want and that's when the temp drops).

My recommendation would be if £40 is what you want to spend to look at the stars, get a pair of binoculars. You're far more likely to use them (just step outside the back door and put to your eyes!) and a £40/£50 pair will give some reasonable views of the moon and some of the DSOs (dark sky objects). Part of the hobby though is really learning about the sky and understanding what you're looking at. You won't get anywhere near the images that you see on the BBC website or whatever. Not until you've spend £1k+ on a set up that allows astro photography anyway!

Just my tuppence worth.

Please dont buy that. Whether the glass is any good is not the point. The horrible cheap mount will drive you to drink. Its so hard to use a wobbly mount. Consider this instead. You just set it on a table or wall.
http://www.firstlightoptics.com/heritage/skywatcher-heritage-76-mini-dobsonian.html
Same price and a ton better. Cheap mounts are the pits.

Binoculars are good if you like them and can hold them steady enough. I can't and for me its a telescope every time.

You can certainly see more than the moon (although the moon looks AMAZING with this). I have seen the rings around Saturn and the moons of Jupiter. The craters on the moon are in so much detail, it's just fascinating.

Admittedly it's not the best telescope but its great for a beginner or someone in a small budget. I would say the quality image I saw was similar to the one in the above post.

The main problem is the tripod, there is no way to swivel or tilt the scope without physically loosening the screws and moving it then tightening it. The red dot finder is good though.

Nothing beats finding and seeing the planets yourself.

I also had the skywatcher 130 for a while, it wasnt a cheapy lens, i didnt get any distortion and could clearly see the cassini division of Saturn, maybe JBardey was having issues setting it up right.

Great value for money with a decent sturdy equatorial mount, a little fiddly to get right but thats the story with a lot of manual tracking scopes

Im in the attic in our house and we have a huge roof window and i would love a telescope which could connect to my laptop and/or computer, ive spotted one on ebay but does nowhere else sell anything like that ?

Is there any point in the higher magnifications? As far as I understand, they go way beyond what this scope can resolve anyway.

I was going to build a telescope from an old (admittedly not stellar) 500/8 lens, together with a 10mm or a 6.5mm eyepiece. It would beat this on price, but would it give a comparable quality? A 60mm refractor should be comparable to an 80mm relector, I guess.

I took this on a12.5" rental scope.... Used to want my own, but the investment for the casual dabbler is far too much

This model works great for the money, but it's a shame the normal price is so sky-high :sunglasses: in the UK, you can get this for 50 euro in Germany without any promotions, it's just Jessops adds £80 on the top of it.

I got mine a couple of years ago for the same price so the deals been around ages. The telescope is not as useless as people are making out, I really enjoyed using it and it enabled me to see things I couldnt have otherwise seen. For the price it's a pretty good start to see if you enjoy it. The thing is, I hate the cold!

Yeah it's not the most expensive high quality one but we didn't have £1000 + to spend and its likely to end up not being used often.

I was using this telescope and spotted the following on the moon:

Last time I was there Costco were doing a deal on a scope with loads of expensive lenses.

Tempted.

While I`m on the subject I`ll also recommend this guide Turn Left at Orion, for anyone into Astronomy really.

Use code BINOS10 for 10% extra off making it £35.99

thats made me buy these thanks op and cmoi

Definitely get binoculars rather than this, BUT make sure they are ones that you can attach a tripod adapter to, and get yourself a camera tripod or monopod.

(Edit: Even if you get binoculars without a tripod adapter attachment point, you can still buy special binocular clamps that work with binoculars. The tripod adapter attachment may be easier to use, though.)

If you want to look through a telescope, join a local astronomical society and go along to one of their observing evenings.

I own an 8" Celestron skycatcher (basic Newtonian telescope) with a Dobsonian mount. You can see some great views with it, but it cost me about £550 along with a collection of good eyepieces, and I've used it about 20 times in the last 10 years. It was not a good investment for me.

However, I am lazy, and I don't like the cold!

ill probably only use this one or two times, so I think £40 is a good price to find out if you enjoy it.

I have this scope, and it's a right pain in the backside. The stand is the main issue, as mentioned. I've never yet managed to see much other than the moon through it, it's like trying to aim an oiled pig in a slingshot at a monkey on a distant hill. It does get pretty good shots of the moon, mind you. Although my plan to hook it up with an SLR didnt really work out, as the focal lengths were all wrong and then I got bored..

I think its glasses your looking for, never mind a telescope

I bought a Jessops telescope this time last year, it was awful - could only see the moon!

Spend the money on some of their binoculars, trust me :-)

does it feel big in your hands? I need a wide shaft

Do you guys know if you can get telescopes that can be set up then remotely operated to view say on an IPad or PC ?

Can anyone recommended some decent binoculars then?

There's another one on HUKD here: http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/jessops-astronomical-telescope-1100-102-79-99-was-179-99-1430379

Was £179, now £79 "Unlike many starter telescopes, the Jessops 1100-102 Reflector Telescope has a 102mm objective diameter, much larger than the 60-80mm normally found". Worth the extra £40 or not?



Ha! I thought that too - TOTALLY different picture! Should'a gone to Specsavers....

what about these binoculars

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5566666.htm?CMPID=GS001&_$ja=tsid:11527|cc:|prd:5566666|cat:sports+and+leisure+%2F+hobbies+and+crafts+%2F+binoculars

Does anyone have recommendations for viewing the iSS and Moon with a budget of around £250, i would also need a camera mount?

And maybe your eyes need testing- aside from that the photos are of the same thing, they don't have much in common.
It's Messier42, Orion's nebula and one of the most well known deep space objects. Hence there's loads of pics online.

I wouldn't go chucking around claims of image theft if I were you, it's not very nice.
Here's a screenshot of the run plan fyi... :wink:

Absolute crap scope. Totally pointless having an 80mm mirror on a reflector. It's effective size is also nearly cut in half by the secondary mirror, making this about as useful for astronomy as staring through a used loo roll tube. Don't bother.

After watching the video pointed to by a hotuk person perhaps you could have taken it when it was further away and should have waited till it was closer. Might not be the reason but the video did show some basic mistakes people make when using a telescope

I know you were responding to someone else but just so you know when I asked if I had seen it on twitter it was a genuine question, I recently added someone because of their very impressive astro photography :smiley:

By the looks of these reviews the only thing youre likely to see is Uranus when you use this.......

Not an arbitrary amount, and not rotated. It is flipped optically, appearing upside down, i.e.180 degrees out. There are inverting eyepieces available to make the image upright, but these are generally avoided on astronomical instruments as the orientation is less important than the aberrations and loss of light they introduce.

Good one for starter enthusiastic.. Good find.. Heat added..

Cold. Mount will be unsuitable and a pain to use. £40 better spent on some binoculars.

like has already been said...
buy binoculars or (something like 8x40, 8x50, 7x50, 10x50).
or prepare to pay more.

Sir Patrick Moore (grhs) made many a guide book recommending good basic telescopes sizes.

please don't discount binoculars either as using both eyes you actually get 4x the contrast of using the one.

what kind of view are we expected to see with those? can you post a photo up? dont want to waste good money for a closer view of moon only

Are binoculars better then a good 50x zoom camera? In the end it will be much more easy to take a photo and capture that ideal condition view.

I can't post a photo as I haven't been able to take any with my current camera. Just bought a new one so I will try and take a decent photo when it arrives. As for what you can see, well, you can see the moon really clearly and as previously stated, things look a lot clearer with binoculars as you're using both eyes. You can also just make out Jupiter and it's moons. Although it appears as a small dot with some smaller dots round it. What is good about it is the ease of which you can pick them up and put them down again. This keeps things interesting rather than annoying (when setting up telescopes). What I really enjoy though is looking at the parts of the sky which appear empty to the naked eye but with the binoculars you can see a lot more. Superb for bird watching as well.

I am a complete beginner and I'm very glad I got the bins. Won't be taking on a serious telescope for a while yet.

i am an amateur astronomer and i have had this scope for 2 years, it certainly does the job for me and i can vouch for it, i have seen nebulae, saturns rings and have even been able to pick out bands on jupiter, IMO its £40 well spent and infact the only bad thing about the telescope IMO is the mount, as its not equatorial. the actual scope itself though is fantastic!

oh and for all those who buy one, a word of advice, if you use the tripod on its lowest setting and sit down it is much more stable (less shake)

Buy binoculars instead of this scope.

Get some lidl binoculars, the bresser ones. Will be better and used more often

It's the Orion nebulae and photo's like the pic of Orion can be taken with any moderately priced set up (£1k +)

Check out this every Sunday. It's a virtual star party where people from around the globe attach webcams to their telescopes (of various sizes and qualities) and point them to objects like the Orion Nebulae. You will learn a lot and all noobs are welcome.

I've only a small telescope (Celestron 102SLT) but it's miles better than this but I'd implore anyone to buy binoculars. I use bino's far more than I use my telescope.

The Moon pic above and this were taken with a webcam attached to my scope:

For the love of money please DO NOT BUY THIS telescope its pointless, looking at the moon and it wobbles around like crazy yes i have seen Jupiter i think as it could have been a smudge on the lens thats how bad it is, you will never ever get it to stop wobbling, i even bought a converted Philips webcam to use for capturing but again it wobbles too much. Save your money people!!!

As many others have said. Rubbish scope, even for £40. If thats your budget get some binos and a tripod. Much much better option.

Hi, I'm looking to buy a good one for my son on his 11th Birthday to use it for a few years between £100-£200 can you advice from your experience which is the best to buy within this budget including any accessories (Sky-Watcher or Celestron), please send some links
Thanks

I think everyone is being too harsh on this scope, I have had for a couple of years and its not as bad as people are making out. I am a beginner and it didn't put me off, the rings on Saturn and jupiters moons and red spot were amazing to see.

I was told by someone that I can't take photos with this scope because of the lenses but I don't really know much about that.

Yes I agree the mount isn't the best but its still worth the £40 price tag and didn't have any problem finding the things I was looking for, especially with google sky maps app on my phone.

There are better ones available with a higher price tag but I would say this is a good budget one.

Have to admit I have never tested a pair of good binoculars though so don't know how it compares but the craters on the moon are extremely sharp with this.

BINOCULARS USERS:
Any recommendation which Binoculars is better for the quality:
SAKURA SUPER RESOLUTION ZOOM BINOCULARS 21 X -260 x60
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251068074556?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2648

Or: Serious User Binoculars 10x50 Special Anti Glare Fully Coated Optics
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221078085972?var=520100859128&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649
Please advice, thanks

Is this suitable for spying on my neighbours getting naked?

Can someone recommend a tripod for my 10x50 bins please?

No need to be rude just because I own the item and wasn't disappointed with it.

I already have a D3200 which lens would be recommended? also the binoculars are incredibly cheap so i might try some, which ones would you recommend?

Search ebay for Hilkinson 12x50. Decent quality porro prism for £40. 12x is a bit high magnification for handheld but maybe can improvise with a support, or lean against something while viewing.

The Sky at Night review of the Ostara 10x50 some years ago :
http://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/review/binoculars/ostara-elinor-10x50

But the Hilkinson are 98m/1000m while the SAKORA are 47m/1000 at 21x and for days and nights vision, aren't they better?

Zoom binoculars are generally not regarded as a good idea :
http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php/Cat/0/Number/45514/page/0/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/vc/1
The 12x of the Hilkinson makes it specialised enough. If the Sakura really is a 21-260x zoom I can't really see it as being potentially useful. Decent quality at higher magnification costs money and weight.

Hi all,

I can speak from bitter experience on this product as I bought one for my son the last time it was reduced.

Yes it looks the job
Yes its cheap
No is a total waste of time and money, we compared it to the cheap binos we had and the Binos won hands down.

We have since given it to a charity shop as it was used a couple of times and then left it in the conservatory.

I do not reccomend this product to anyone, honestly trust me on this one!

Gunner

Ameriv. Sorry. Just realised you are considering purchasing for an 11 year old. Unless you have a support for them, the 1kg or so of some of these binoculars will probably not make them enjoyable to use unless on a support.
Also need to be careful that a binocular collapses down enough so the eyepieces are close enough together for junior.
Something like this might get much more use in the long term :
http://www.opticron.co.uk/Pages/savanna_wp.html

Any suggestions for a telescope suitable for hooking up to a Canon EOS 650D DSLR camera? I want to take shots of objects in the night sky.

I have already acquired the camera, several filters, remote shutter, and a tripod. Now I just need a telescope.

This deal seems pretty bad from the reviews.

Are these any good for the price? 50mm and reduced to £22 at Argos.
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5800614.htm


Nope, you'll want a refracting (traditional looking) telescope if you want to look at things on Earth. Binoculars would be a better choice for that.

These (also available on Ebay) look a safer bet than a zoom model :
http://www.7dayshop.com/7dayshop-10x50-sport-series-binoculars-ref-7day10x50

Thanks, I've seen suggestion that zoom models aren't as good, any reason for that? Less reliable? Lower quality? More lenses? Would it be so bad to just have the zoom models and keep them at the default zoom level?

As someone who has never looked through such a big telescope, can I ask you a seemingly simple question please? Does that wonderful image represent what you were able to see yourself when looking through the EP? Or does the photograph look better due to the camera being on long exposure times, etc?

I'm just trying to get a feel if that's what would be seen through the EP if I had a 12" DOB?

Thanks but I want to buy something I can use with my 11 years old son for a few years and to see if he's interested before I buy him expensive one ends up in the shed.
This is what I'm thinking: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251068074556?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649
Do you think this will be good for both of us, he likes ships, sea, and will go kayaking with him this spring.
Thank you xx

Is this the one you recommend? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/190769867662?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2648

re. zoom binoculars, gave a link in post #84 to a discussion. It seems that technically it is difficult to do it well. Seems even the very top brands have not found them economic to make; though eg. Leica do still have the Duovid line which offers two magnifications in the same binocular, not zoom.
Typically at the low end of the zoom the quality is OK but the field of view very narrow (like looking down a tube). As you zoom, the apparent field of view opens up but the brightness, contrast and any sense of sharpness quickly reduces. If you are hand holding the binocular, you may well even see less detail. So by having zoom you've missed out on having something that gives a nice wide field of view, is brighter and more contrasty as well as lighter and less cumbersome.

That's the 12x50 I referred to earlier, Amerviv. As I said, most folks might struggle to hold a 12x50 steady without a support and it is pretty heavy at nearly 1kg. But if you are committed to using it for sky watching it seems like a good deal.

If you are going kayaking somewhere scenic and want a binocular on board, you'd probably be looking for something with less magnification (since you might not be steady) and that is lighter and waterproof (which the Hilkinson 12x50 happens to be).

When I was a kid I didn't enjoy using my dad's 7x50 binoculars because they were too big and heavy. I mainly used them reversed as a magnifying glass. Mind you it was probably their weight and bulk that brought about the end of a long run of him losing or having his binoculars stolen.

Thanks Chrisjackson I think I'll go with the Hilkinson, How come you're up until now, I'm doing a night shift, are you?

Ahh I understand the issue now, thank you very much for this explanation. :smiley:

Actually no but it seems beauty sleep never worked for me, so...:neutral_face:
Hoping you won't end up cursing me if you struggle to get steady views at 12x. Lots of folks have dedicated lots of thought and experiments to this. Never used one but check out pictures of Finn Stick; might be a more comfortable way to support the weight.

kDelta : must admit I'm not qualified to speak from first hand bitter experience like gunner in post #85 but have read posts by quite a few folks who bought big Sunagor zoom binoculars (or the like). Seems it can end up a bit like owning one of those Victorian diving suits (which ends up filling up your wardrobe) when all you want is a pair of trunks and a snorkel.

Actually no but it seems beauty sleep never worked for me, so...:neutral_face:
Hoping you won't end up cursing me if you struggle to get steady views at 12x. Lots of folks have dedicated lots of thought and experiments to this. Never used one but check out pictures of Finn Stick; might be a more comfortable way to support the weight.

No I won't chrisjackson, and I hope you'll get more sleep in the next few nights, thanks for your advice :smirk:

And by the way I've just received (Chatty1) Badge Earned!
I don't know how this will benefit us on HUKD, but thanks everyone.

Chatty 1 2 January, 2013
Chatty Badge Level Yellow is earned when you leave 100 comments on other people's threads

I was just reading about "Badges to be earn" from the email I received and God I think I have read or heard this sentence in one of my dreams before:
"contributor - Level 2 / 3 Contributor Badge Level Two is awarded to more established members once they've posted 20 deals"

hi, am very interested in buying a telescope (looked a few years ago but found it complicated so didnt purchase). Would love to get one before the skygazing programme starts again. I am looking at either Skywatcher Heritage 130P Flextube Telescope OR the Skywatcher Heritage 130p Flextube based on what ive read on here (unless someone can come up wiht any others that are recommended?). Which would be the better of the 2, would like it to last and be able to see as much as possible.

Would I see more with the above compared to the http://www.firstlightoptics.com/heritage/skywatcher-heritage-76-mini-dobsonian.html - this alludes to seeing the moon etc, would like to see jupiter and more.

Would also like to add a compact camera to take photos would I just need this Skywatcher Universal 1.25 Inch Digiscoping Adapter (50823) as already have a good quality compact camera? is it as easy as just attaching it to the telescope?

sorry so many questions have read up a bit on this but find it quite confusing. Will take a look at the stargazers lounge.

thanks in advance Lisa

Your best advice really would be to ask on stargazers lounge. There are a few people here who know a fair bit, but others who wouldn't know a dog star if it bit their bum!

I can connect my DSLR ok to my scope, but not so sure you can do this for a compact. (you actually focus using the camera "through the lens" (albeit via a telescope adjustment) so think it unlikely you could do this with a compact.)

You could opt for an imager which you can connect to your laptop, though they will be limited to planetary use.

Which two are you interested in? You've put the same model twice to compare..

Duh...........sorry
Skywatcher Heritage 130P Flextube Telescope OR Skywatcher Explorer 130 (EQ-2) or do I go for the cheaper one skywatcher-heritage-76-mini-dobsonian? Other recommendations for £100-150 budget?

Have a DLSR so can connect that instead of compact so would like that facility

Hi Lisa,
Those two are the ones I am considering, both are excellent but pros and cons for both.

The Heritage is a dobsonian mount so very simple to use, pretty much a grab and go scope. The explorer 130 uses the eq2 mount and currently the motorised version is good value at FLO which means it will track the sky for you so you don't have to keep adjusting it, downside is setup time.

I am going for the Heritage and a decent Barlow lens, as I think I will use it more often. Plus it is quite compact when packed away so I can take it on camping trips up in Scotland.

I was considering astro photography, but the Stargazing lounge consensus is at this price point you won't get anything really capable of doing it justice. So the Heritage wins it for me, the best scope is the one you will use :smiley:

HTH

Thanks barijohn, I preferred the Heritage, where is the motorised version dont think I seen that? Are you going for a 2x barlow lens, that is what I was thinking? Cant get onto stargazing lounge as it blocked me so waiting for a reply from admin :disappointed: what is FLO please? thanks

Oh sorry I mean the motorised Skywatcher Explorer 130 (EQ-2), http://www.firstlightoptics.com/reflectors/skywatcher-explorer-130m.html for £165 this actually includes a 2x Barlow, though a cheap one I expect. Which is where it gets complicated, as this is the same price as the Heritage with a decent Barlow :neutral_face:

There are a couple of good video reviews of both here:
Heritage - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEs_MMcJ7JA
Explorer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rV_2nl8VHwg

Oh FLO = First Light Optics :wink:

This guy is worth following on Twitter for things happening in the night sky https://twitter.com/VirtualAstro

Did a google on "amateur astronomer frustration" and found this nice easy read (nice colours too) :
http://www.astronomy-education.com/index.php?page=169

Can any of the keen astronomers here can offer a link to a funny rant about the frustrations of being an amatuer astronomer? Can imagine a smogasbord of issues such as light pollution, glaring street lights, neighbour's dog, nosey neighbours who suspect you of being a perv, clumsy and uncooperative kit, freezing cold, frustrating partly clouded skies, generally cr*p weather just when you're ready to go etc etc. If I could choose a hobby for my worst enemy...:smile:

Bing bing! Congratulations Chrisjackson, you are correct! Astronomy is a hobby for your worst enemy!

Hate the fact I came across it and got hooked. It's cost me the best part of £750 so far and all I have to show for it is a freezing bum! :wink:

And that is what I'm afraid of, That's why I bought a car with heated seats. :wink:

Ouch. I guess this should be your anthem :smile:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWddzmJgKT8&list=PLB46801C0B2D5991A

Still at least you got a better deal than Hinkley United FC season ticket purchasers :confused:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_conf/conference_north_table/default.stm

Can I see it?

Arf :smiley:

Hoping this thread isn't dead....
Im looking to buy a CHEAP telescope to start with as a tester. But I want to use with my canon eos. Is this compatible with the correct equipment? or is it completely wrong?

To all the doom and gloom merchants out there, for Christ's sake it is not meant as a top notch scope! It is an entry level model. Yes, it may be overpriced compared to other countries I accept that. You get what you pay for though. The way some people are we would never get any new aspiring astronomers taking up the hobby. To hear you doom mongers you have to spend upwards of a thousand pounds from the offset :disappointed: Which the vast majority of people would not be willing to do therefore they would never take up astronomy :disappointed: One person in this country may get one of these and it kindles the fire within. They go on to purchase a better scope. They start to get really serious, money is flowing in the economy, that person has a hobby for life and may even take it up professionally. Who knows? They might even make some fantastic scientific discovery that benefits all of mankind? All because they bought what some people are calling a crap telescope.....

The mount is the biggest problem.buy a second hand tripod,a good old one will be far superior and more stable than a cheap new one.
My wife bought be one of these scopes as a pressie a few years ago.I gave it away.
A fiddly scope with poor results will only serve to put you off astronomy.

I'm sticking to my binoculars at this rate, this telescope sounds like it's not up to the job unfortunately.

Would I be able to see attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion, or C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate with one of these?

No. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.

I bought a jessops telescope as I got the astronomy bug, it killed it off as it was so poor :-(

Jessops have gone into administration!

As of today 09/01/2013
Jessops have gone into administration
http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/jessops-set-administration-135242567.html

yes we heard - no need to reply on every Jessops thread.

Count your blessings. Would you rather be like CFC whose lips are apparently so frost bitten from nights under the stars that (as demonstrated in post #114) he is now incapable of correctly pronouncing one syllable words...

Hope he's game for one last tease, honest :smiley:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20958659 hope u all got your orders as they gone bust!

And that is the third time that has been said on this thread alone...

expired http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ab04efbe-5c1b-11e2-ab38-00144feab49a.html#axzz2Hhis1Rjd

bit of a late comment but i thought i would add something after about a year and a half of owning this scope. its a bag of s41t, im no expert but all you can really see is the moon, seen jupiter and its moons but jupiter just looks like a star with no detail. thats all your gonna get to be honest. ive used it about 4 times, the mount is a pain in the **** to use and the whole thing is very light and flimsy. £40 was all it was worth, jessops are rip off merchants lol

I got this telescope about 5years ago, used it all the time til I moved house, more difficult to use now, this cost more than £300 at the time, to see the price drop like this is crazy! I was going to sell it but no point now :-/