14 replies to this topic

[jra5253]

Hello!

 

I'm not sure which forum to post this is because it relates to both, but I'm looking to buy a computerized telescope. I'm starting an astronomy club and amongst other telescopes, I want to purchase a computerized telescope because its quick setup and a reliable, easy backup. I'm not sure which brand is better for my case and for what it matters I have a budget of around 600$. I know astronomy depends on many factors but Id love to be able to see the planets and maybe nearby galaxies. Please help me out with your recommendations and knowledge!

 

Thank you so much

[Anony]

Maybe consider one of the Celestron starsense scopes? It's push-to, not go-to, however.

 

DX5 is around $500. DX102 when on sale is closer to $300. 8" Dob would run around $800.

 

A Virtuoso GTi 150P would also be within your budget (neither Meade or Celestron).

[Frisk]

It would be helpful to know your location and viewing conditions. 

 

Also understand that you would need a power supply of some sort.

 

Since you imply you will have other scopes is it fair to assume you don't need to purchase eyepieces?

 

If you look at the 8SE Yay or Nay post you will get a lot of good information. 

[mlord]

$600 is a tiny budget for new purchases.  The minimum for a computerized Go-To telescope would probably be the 6SE, and even that is around $1000..

 

The StarSense Push-To scopes are under $1000 as a semi-manual alternative.

[Thrifty1]

If you are knowledgeable about telescopes I'd suggest looking for a used Meade ETX125 or Celestron NexStar telescope (5SE or 6SE).  All of those you can find between $400 and $600 used.  

 

I have several Meade ETX telescopes and a Celestron NexStar 6SE I found used for $500 this year.  There are pros and cons of each brand.

 

The NexStar may be more sturdy as the ETX has a lot of plastic in the gears and drives.  I am comfortable with fixing them so I don't mind buying used ETX telescopes. 

 

Meade went bankrupt and lost a lawsuit to Orion a few years ago.  Orion took over the Meade brand as part of the settlement.  Orion is just starting to make and sell a couple of the ETX telescopes again (ETX90 and ETX125).  Parts are hard to find for the older ETX telescopes.  

 

For your $600 price point you can easily find a used NexStar 5SE and if patient maybe a 6SE.  

 

If you want new, then the NexStar 4SE ($544) or NexStar127SLT ($609) are nice Maksutov-Cassegrain telescopes that will be good for solar system objects.  The 4SE has a better fork mount but the 127 will give you an extra inch of aperture.  

[rutherfordt]

 

Meade went bankrupt and lost a lawsuit to Orion a few years ago.  Orion took over the Meade brand as part of the settlement.  Orion is just starting to make and sell a couple of the ETX telescopes again (ETX90 and ETX125).  Parts are hard to find for the older ETX telescopes.  

Actually-- it was Meade's Chinese owners (Ningbo Sunny Electronics) who lost the lawsuit to Orion.  As part of their attempt to avoid judgement, they had Meade declare bankruptcy, even though Meade was solvent and not having any sort of financial issues.  As part of the final settlement, Meade was purchased by Orion (not "taken over") leading to the current relationship between them.

 

People see the word "bankrupt" and seem to automatically assume that Meade was in financial straits, but that wasn't the case here.

 

 

 

 
 

Edited by rutherfordt, 24 September 2023 - 09:16 AM.

[vjstangelo]

$600 is a fair offer for a used 6SE. I have one and love it.

Edited by vjstangelo, 24 September 2023 - 10:26 AM.

[Thrifty1]

Actually-- it was Meade's Chinese owners (Ningbo Sunny Electronics) who lost the lawsuit to Orion.  As part of their attempt to avoid judgement, they had Meade declare bankruptcy, even though Meade was solvent and not having any sort of financial issues.  As part of the final settlement, Meade was purchased by Orion (not "taken over") leading to the current relationship between them.

 

People see the word "bankrupt" and seem to automatically assume that Meade was in financial straits, but that wasn't the case here.

 

 

 

 

Sorry I did not have the wording correct regarding their filing bankruptcy as a result of losing the lawsuit. My intent was to show there was some significant disruption and unknowns about the Meade product line. 
 

While they are just now reintroducing the ETX line it is too early to know if it will be successful. The retail price points they announced are pretty high and it appears they went back to a prior design, not the more recent Observer series design.  

[Frisk]

I suspect the OP is looking at used equipment.

[PJBilotta]

Nothing against Meade - I loved both my old LX5 and little ETX 90 when I had them - but there are several good reasons to choose Celestron (particularly used at around $600). There are more of them and more Celestron users out there (aka, more people who can help if you run into issues), they tend to have a more stable and reliable go-to system, are more robust, and they are still made and supported. The Nexstar SE system is generally tried and true, functions well, and continues to be improved upon and updated.

As noted above, you do get the biggest "bang-for-the-buck" from their newer line of StarSense scopes - technologically-aimed, but human-driven. The only thing that can fail or break down is your cell phone, and they are still a perfect manual scope when it does.

Edited by PJBilotta, 24 September 2023 - 03:48 PM.

[jra5253]

It would be helpful to know your location and viewing conditions. 

 

Also understand that you would need a power supply of some sort.

 

Since you imply you will have other scopes is it fair to assume you don't need to purchase eyepieces?

 

If you look at the 8SE Yay or Nay post you will get a lot of good information. 

Hi Im in the Tampa, FL area!

[jra5253]

I suspect the OP is looking at used equipment.

Originally I was not, after asking a friend and looking at this forum, its clear thats its definetely the cheaper move. If I am looking for used telescopes, Where is a good place?

Edited by jra5253, 02 October 2023 - 01:25 PM.

[jra5253]

Hello!

 

I'm not sure which forum to post this is because it relates to both, but I'm looking to buy a computerized telescope. I'm starting an astronomy club and amongst other telescopes, I want to purchase a computerized telescope because its quick setup and a reliable, easy backup. I'm not sure which brand is better for my case and for what it matters I have a budget of around 600$. I know astronomy depends on many factors but Id love to be able to see the planets and maybe nearby galaxies. Please help me out with your recommendations and knowledge!

 

Thank you so much

I now understand that my budget is limiting, and I think i can push upwards a bit. Would yall recommend focusing on a good lens and buying a separate mount, or go with a package deal of sorts? Secondly,  to clarify, all eyepieces fit on other telescopes right? 

[dave85374]

Check the classified section on this site.  I would suggest a used 6" Celestron SE.  More people have these and the 8" model and could give you more help if you run into problems.  Would really be nice if you could find someone close to where you live as the shipping cost isn't small.  I live in AZ and I sold my 8" SE to a guy in the Chicago area and he paid the shipping cost which was $180 for the whole thing in the original shipping box.  A couple have been sold in the past couple of weeks and one was in VA I believe.

 

Good luck.

[Frisk]

I think I would suggest the book Nightwatch.

 

Then I would suggest you find a local club. Or do you want to start one because the local club is defunct?

 

Do you mean eyepiece when you say lens or do you mean optical tube assembly (OTA).

 

You will likely use 1.25 inch eyepieces with a 1.25 inch diagonal regardess of the type of OTA. The useful magnification will depend on the OTA at both ends ‐ lowest and highest. You will also want to consider the field of view.

 

But suffice it to say a good 25mm to 35mm EP will be useful anywhere.  

 

You can futz around here https://astronomy.to...field_of_view/ 

 

It looks like Tampa has a lot of light pollution. Are you planning to travel out of town for viewing?