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**DONOTDELETE**
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Hello all,
Another moment to chuckle at a newbie (and a broke one at that) I guess  but if you only had enough money to buy a 60mm refractor or a celestron 114eq firstcope reflector which one would you buy? And BTW are the scopes all of the sudden going for more on eBay becuase of all the Mars craze?
60mm refractors where like going for 30 bucks last month now they are going almost 100.
I really just want to start with a small scope because at this point its all I can afford and want to get used to handeling one since I am clueless about all the knobs and stuff also my time is limited so I wont be able to get out much and use it. Im interested in looking at the planets more than any other thing and from what I have read it says refractors are best for this. But what wins out a 60mm refractor or a 114 newt. reflector?
Thanks
M
PS I can get either for about the same price at this point I just want to know which would suit me better.
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Ron B[ee]
Tyro
Reged: 04/27/03
Posts: 4719
Loc: CA
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I would actually get neither  and put some cash into buying a book like Star Ware or Backyard Astronomer to get more idea of what are different telescope types and its strength and weaknesses.
If you reaaaally can't wait and want to see Mars badly, then I'd look into the Orion XT6, 125mm StarMax or the Celestron C102-HD refractor. For a good deal of used scope, I'd rather go to Astromart than eBay.
http://www.astromart.com/categories.asp
Ron B[ee]
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5-inch Tele Vue NP127 APO 
4-inch Tele Vue TV-102 APO 
8-inch f/6 Discovery PDHQ Dob 
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Hello M!
Well, Ron has some very good points you should look into...
But, if you are caught between a rock and a hard place, and you "MUST" buy either one of these scopes you mentioned, I personally would go for the 114 reflector.
At almost twice the aperture, it should allow you to see "MORE" than the 60mm refractor will...
Take care, and good luck!
Ivan
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**DONOTDELETE**
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Thanks alot for the advice. I'm still not at that a point where I feel like I will fall off a cliff if I dont get a scope but it feels close I'm going to check out astromart and see what they have. I might just borrow some binos my brother has to see mars at the end of the month and hold off.
Thanks again
M
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jrcrilly
Refractor wienie again
Reged: 04/30/03
Posts: 22479
Loc: NE Ohio
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Quote:
Im interested in looking at the planets more than any other thing and from what I have read it says refractors are best for this. But what wins out a 60mm refractor or a 114 newt. reflector
The "refractors for planets" thing has a basis - but since it's much easier to make a decent cheap reflector than a decent cheap refractor there's usually a quality difference that must be taken into account. A really cheap refractor may not give you much joy, where an entry-level Chinese reflector can actually give you some decent views. Also, aperture is always an issue - an excellent refractor can keep up with a (usually much cheaper) reflector of somewhat larger aperture, but I'd expect any reflector to do a better job than an achromat of half it's size (such as the two you mention).
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John C
Urban Observatory
Tele Vue Pronto
A&M/Astreya 76mm F/6 APO
TMB/LOMO 80mm F/7.5 APO
Tak FSQ-106N F/5 APO
Meade 152ED F/9 "APO"
152mm F/10 achromat
Tak CN-212 8" F/12 classical Cass/ F/4 Newt
Teeter 20" F/3.8 truss Newt w/ServoCat
LXD750, EM-200, CI-700
ST-10XME
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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As much as I love refractors, I'd have to side with the reflector on this one too.
60mm cheap refractors are just that. The eyepiece(s) probably won't be the greatest either.
You'll get better results with the reflector in this case.
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EdZ
Professor EdZ
Reged: 02/15/02
Posts: 12601
Loc: Cumberland, R I , USA42N71.4W
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Go for the larger aperture.
Even 20x binoculars would show mars as nothing more than a "fat red Star".
edz
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Teach a kid something today. The feeling you'll get is one of life's greatest rewards.
member#21
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Darren
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 07/17/03
Posts: 885
Loc: 44N, 79W (Newmarket, Ont., Can...
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Aperture wins. Go for the reflector. Light gathering ability increases geometrically with increase in aperture, not arithmetraically. (I.e. with the square of the aperture.) So a 114mm reflector has nearly four times the light-gathering ability of a 60mm refractor.
Note: I currently own a 114mm reflector. True, it's a 'umble department-store Bushnell Newtonian on a flimsy mount, it's not a name-brand scope. Regardless, I don't see a whole lot of detail on Mars. I get the south polar cap and Syrtis Major, but not much else. So don't expect to see the sorts of views used in the ads in S&T.
Ron's advice is quite good: You can sometimes get excellent entry-level equipment on Astromart that would easily outshine a new 60mm refractor for the same amount of money.
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Clear nights ... dark sites,
Darren
Edited by Darren (08/13/03 04:00 PM)
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dlapoint
sage
Reged: 08/18/03
Posts: 452
Loc: Moncton NB Canada
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Go for the reflector. I have a c4.5 eq. The older modle with the wooden mount. It was the only scope I had for over 10 years. I've found all the planets(except pluto) Most of the messiers and countless other dso's. Its a good all around scope. Get yourself a good finder or a telrad and a good book. The messier objects by stephen omeara is a good choice. He shows how to find each object and describe them. all observations were made with a 4 inch scope. an extra eye piece or 2 will also help. I had a barlow, 9.2 and a 42 mm as well as the 26 mm that came with it. It served me for years. I still have it and always will.
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Antares 127 F6.5
Skywatcher Pro ED100
Orion 72mm Eon
Orion XT8
C4.5
Naglers 16mm T5, 9mm T6
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**DONOTDELETE**
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Hello all,
Well I held out and didn't get either. Im fine with this being that Astronomy does seem to be a hobby for the patient (which I have a fair share of I think ) I live in an apt. building in the NYC area so you can imagine the pollution and lights but I do have to say Ive been blessed to be able to see Mars every night from my city polluted bedroom window. Its amazing how with all the buildings around me and the little bit of sky Im permitted I can still see it from 10:30 pm it comes out from behind one of the buildings across from me then disapears at about 3 am to a building on my right. Its the only thing I can I see besides 2 or 3 other stars on a cloudless night out here from my window.
Anway thanks for all your replies.
Michelle
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