Pls tell me bout ur 8 inch dob. I'm thinking to get one Will it be good for dso , i live in bortle 7 + if u can suggest some filters...(it is my first scope ) 😊
@@shreyasj4502 my first dobsonian was an Orion Starblast 6i intellescope which was a "point to" giving you the coordinates of the object you like to view, and all you have to do is align the scope with the coordinates. This was very helpful to locate fainter objects. It was an excellent scope for viewing, and I did use it for some planetary photography as well. I was able to capture excellent moon shots with the perfect magnification. For deep sky, you would want ideally a goto EQ mount and a refractor because the optical glass in refractor remove a lot of aberration. And the tracking will be a lot more accurate. Thinking back now, I'm glad I bought it as my first scope. It provides excellent views of the nebulae like Orion, planets like Saturn and jupiter, and you can attach a dslr for a really low cost and get fantastic images. Feel free to take a look at my instagram for examples of my Dobsonian work and I'll send you some of the videos I used to get me started in taking images @rhd__luc ☺️ clear skies!
@@lucasmaguire7625 Wow , thanks for sharing your experience . But I need a scope for visual n not for photography coz I'm new to all this + setting up the EQ mount might be difficult for me. So I'm thinking of a simple dob , then i can upgrade later . And one more thing I've heard about refracted is that they don't focus R and B colour at the same place so i might lose interest in using them ...😅need higher aperture for viewing through the city sir, Thanks for helping. ☺👍🏻
Thank you for confirming my decision of buying a reflector as my 8yrs old daughter (and myself) first telescope. I'd loved the universe my whole life and now that she is loving the same science programs I watch, it is time for both of us to get our feet wet in astronomy. Greetings from Costa Rica!
I had a telescope as a kid... so I suppose you could say I started with visual astronomy. However, that was too many years ago to count. What actually got me hooked recently was purchasing my Lumix G9 this past spring. During the summer I decided to try taking photos of the moon on a whim... happened to be sitting outside enjoying the warm summer evening, looked up and saw the moon and thought let me try to get a picture of it. So I learned how to take pictures of the moon. I took a bunch of photos of the moon in different phases and with different framing and composition. One of those nights I saw that Jupiter and Saturn were there in the sky and thought to myself... Hmmmm... can I get a picture of them? I pointed my camera to Jupiter and snapped a shot. When I saw that not only had I gotten Jupiter, but also it’s larger 4 moons, I was blown away. Sure, the image is terrible... but holy cow! I captured Jupiter!!! It fueled my curiosity to see what else I could do. Since then I’ve imaged Andromeda and Orion - both done on a static tripod. I wanted more, so I bought a Star Adventurer Pro. Tonight is supposed to be the first clear night since I got it, so I’m heading out to hit Andromeda again - this time tracked - even though it’s the night before the full moon. Hopefully I’ll be able to get some better data!
I started astrophotography 2 years ago but knew that I was not qualified enough to see the moon or any planets. As an 10 year old I bought a cheap 50€ telescope and with a smartphone holder I was able to photograph the moon and see the awesome craters. Then half a season later, I noticed some objects with a stable light that didn't flicker like stars. Then I asked myself: Aren't these like rocky planets? Then after 10min of trying to get a nice view of them, I looked closely to one of them and noticed that it had some some stuff like paper around it and said, waitx5 times.... Isn't this Saturn and... Yes it was!!! I was extremely blown away too, after viewing it. Then I looked at Jupiter and shouted once again!!!! Now I have a better telescope and have seen the Orion nebula.
This is the best advice I have come across in my research for my first telescope, I can now see a future where I own both of the telescopes shown in this video. Another piece of advice I came across and feel is valuable for early astronomers is to start with binoculars! They can provide a fun, portable and even more affordable means of learning, studying and appreciating our night sky. This is the stage I am at while I save for my first telescope and has opened a path for me and I hope others to get a head start!
I always recommend a refractor over any reflector or dob because they are easier for a newbie to point and find an object. They also don't suffer from collimation issues. I had a reflector for 10 years as a kid and another bigger reflector for 10 years as an adult but they were both so frustrating to operate, I seldom use them, maybe once a year at most. But I recently found a 70mm refractor at a thrift store for $35 and it made all the difference. I started to enjoy using it because I could find things more easily and so I got to see a lot more. I used it for 2 years very regularly and that pushed me over the edge to get a goto telescope. Now I have a very nice SCT but I don't have to worry about pointing it. It already knows where everything is!
sure if you're gonna use to to look at jupiter the moon or saturn, but for deep space objects like galaxies, clusters etc, you need a reflector since an 8 or 10 in refratctor would be huge and cost a ton of money so as far as bang for the buck, a simple newtonian reflector, but for a little kid or someone not too deeply into astronomy, a refractor is fine. it just depends on what you want to use it for. and as far as finding objects, a telrad sight makes finding things easy, those finder scopes suck, everything is upside down, the viewing area is way too small, they're a nightmare, a telrad type of pointer with a red dot on the sky makes finding studd super easy and you can always get a electronic finder to be even more precise.
@@westoftherockies I maintain that THIS is a bad idea. Nobody should go spend $1000+ just to decide if they are interested in a hobby. A 70mm refractor is an ideal starter scope that will let you see enough to know whether you want to spend more or not.
@@westoftherockies Do you understand the point? It is: what would you recommend for a first time telescope buyer? What is an ideal first telescope? Naturally that depends on how big is your allowance. For a child - teen, there is no better or more appropriate first scope that a $200 refractor. And even for an adult, that is STILL the most appropriate first scope. A first time telescope buyer will only be able to find bright objects like the moon and planets and double stars and bright clusters. A beginner is not going to go looking for deep sky objects. Save that for a reason to upgrade after you know you are very interested in the field. Because you need that too. But this is the most appropriate because it then gives you time to decide what is really the best upgrade path for you. You learn from its deficiencies what direction to go in. And you can still use it to take on trips or share with the kids and neighbors. I think what you are recommending is an ideal second telescope, but in my opinion its not a good first telescope. Its too expensive just to find out IF you or your child will keep up the interest.
Nah, spending $200 just so you can then spend $300 on a better performing reflector is not a good suggestion. Better to start with a 6" dobsonian and get straight to the point.@@Robert08010
I got a Skywatcher Skyliner 150 for my first scope in April after watching a lot of your videos and Im still amazed everytime i look through it. After getting to all the planets and some globular clusters i visited the Andromeda Galaxy last weekend and all the motivation got even doubled. LOVE IT! and THANK YOU for getting me into this hobby! Also greeting from Germany :D
Me: *buys reflector telescope totally not within the budget after wondering for weeks which telescope to get* Trevor literally 2 days later: "Hey, buy this one!" Me: . . . thanks.
@@pratiknaik6676 hey tum mujhe suggest kr skte ho kya ki beginning mai mujhe refractor ya reflector mai se konsa telescope lena chahiye ?? Or India mai konsa telescope best rahega . Plz bro
@@user-zf5cd1lk3y If you want to observe moon or on earth distant object.. You can go for refractor telescope. With reflector you can watch Jupiter saturn as well. In short far away object. You can get on Amazon. There are videos on TH-cam with beginner level telescope both refractor and reflector.. Somewhere around 40 Thousand रुपए. I am also astro enthusiast. Thanks.
@@pratiknaik6676 But can I see meteorites, ANOVA, galaxies through refletive telescope? Because I saw some videos related to telescope, they found out that they cannot be seen in deep space even more than refractive telescope. So can u suggest me some models ?
I got a 10inch dobsonian reflector back in May as my first scope! I live in a Bortle 5 so I'm pretty lucky as for light pollution. With a 10inch aperture you can see a lot of objects, especially deep sky ones, and it never gets boring (except the nights when it's cloudy or there's the moon)!
I just bought Orion 8" Dobsonian yesterday, It was full moon night, spectacular. As I'm new, catching Mars was getting difficult, also not able to get magnified view, slowly will learn more.
From where did u buy ur scope sir? On amazon its not available...I am also thinking of getting an 8" dob (GSO)+Can u tell what all u could see with it ? Clear skies ( thank god rainy season has ended ) !
@@shreyasj4502 8" Dob is quite a popular beginner Telescope because of its wide offering. We need to have set of eyepieces, for me I'm missing 10mm, with that I can get more zoom view of moon, Mars etc. I've already viewed Jupiter, Saturn with it, you can also see Andromeda etc too
I have a table top dobsonian and I love it. It’s the Sky-Watcher 100P so slightly smaller than what you’ve shown here but it only cost £100! The best telescope is the one you use the most 👍🏻 great video Trevor, should be useful for lots of people!
Got into deep sky photography recently and your vids are really inspirational pal , just to achieve an image is difficult when you start and is addiction from that moment on . Love it . Keep up the positive vibes . Clear skies ......
My first telescope was a 10" dob(Orion XT10i). It's still my most used. I have one of those 5" tabletop dobs too and they are neat little scopes. That would be my recommendation for those starting out on a budget($200). I have the Bushnell and it has surprisingly good optics. I prefer it over my Explore Scientific 127mm apo refractor and Celestron 8SE SCT. Reflectors are awesome! For those starting out on a larger budget, I'd say 8-12 inch dob. Get the biggest you can afford and reasonably transport - for some that may be an 8 while others may find a 10 or 12 is manageable. Don't forget that eyepieces and other accessories will cost a lot too. So budget for that. Look at the used markets too. Lots of people buy telescopes and quickly lose interest so there's some good deals to find out there.
Hi would u help me choosing their telescope. Here is a few that I got recommended 1) Orion starblast table mount 4.5 - out of stock until Aug 1 2022 2) skywatcher heritage 130p I worried about having to make a shroud and ... The dew since it is extension and will it break or ruin easily ? 3) bresser messer 130/650 Not much information about it 4) zhella Z130 ( I can't find it anywhere but seems like a good one solid piece ) Would u please please help thanks
@@ericaroundtheworld Of those I'd probably go with the sky-watcher 130p. They have a 150p version that's an inch more aperture for a reasonable amount of money. They also sell both models in a version that has tracking and object locater that uses your cell phone, which would be a good investment if within your budget. A shroud is highly recommended with these collapsible tube telescopes to keep dew and stray light out. You can do without one if stray light or dew is not a problem where you observe. I made a shroud out of protostar flock board which is a flexible plastic, and attached it with double sided tape to the inside of the upper ring so that it slides into the tube when collapsed. Works well but I had to remove the primary mirror to install it. A cheaper and easier shroud would be a sheet of thin black foam that you can buy at any craft store. Use duct tape to attach it around the outside. Works just as good but you will need to remove and re-attach it every time. This scope will come with 2 eyepieces, a 25 and 10mm I believe. They are OK but you will want to get either a 2X barlow or a 5mm to get higher power(130X) that is very useful for the moon and the planets. You will also need a collimation tool if it doesn't come with one. A plastic collimation cap or a sight tube/cheshire combination tool(aka collimation eyepiece) will suffice. Your #4 I believe is the Zhumell Z130. That's like the 130p but has a solid tube and a rack and pinion focuser. That's a great choice as well but they went up in price a whole lot recently. An excellent choice though if it's in your budget. The AWB One Sky is also the same thing as the Skywatcher 130p so if that's the one you are leaning toward, you can go with whichever one is cheaper or in stock.
@@ericaroundtheworld One other thing I forgot to mention although it is kind of obvious, with any tabletop telescope you will need a table or something sturdy to set it on. A folding glass patio table works well for something that is sturdy, portable and not too expensive. Puts it at a good height to sit in a lawn or patio chair when observing.
Great video as always Trevor;) What I find is important to remember is the saying that goes, "the best telescope is the one you use the most". I purchased a 10" dob as my second telescope having previously owned a 6" newtonian on a cheap eq mount. The 10" is great and superior for the money, although since then I've purchased a small 72mm ED refractor and a 102mm APO and I gain a lot more satisfaction by using them since they're easier to set up, carry and etc. I find that proper ED refractor nowadays are very capable on high magnification for planets, lunar, double stars and etc. but also deep sky since they're easier to travel to deep sky with because of their size. I live in an apartment in a Bortle 7/8 location which I think is worth mentioning, and time is limited, so if you do have the time and space for a large dobsonian then go for it! But keep in mind that it should be enjoyable to get your scope out even just for an hour or so.
Very solid advice. I have the Heritage 150p shown here as my 50 something telescope and love it. I've also had surprisingly good results imaging planets with it by stitching short AVI files together in PIPP, although the smart phone approach will be easier for beginners as stated here of course.
Hi would u help me choosing their telescope. Here is a few that I got recommended 1) Orion starblast table mount 4.5 - out of stock until Aug 1 2022 2) skywatcher heritage 130p I worried about having to make a shroud and ... The dew since it is extension and will it break or ruin easily ? 3) bresser messer 130/650 Not much information about it 4) zhella Z130 ( I can't find it anywhere but seems like a good one solid piece ) Would u please please help thanks
Will Hertiage 130p difficult to take care of ? The extension part worries me a bit . Due to some people had mentioned about needing to put. Shroud .some says about the dew and condensation. Is it harder to maintain or to keep it out from water
Trevor, thanks for producing/posting this for everyone. A great public service you've done here. I hope the beginners take your advice. It's sound. I started with a 3 inch Celestron and did everything manually. So when my wife bought me an LX200 (yikes!), I could hang until I caught up to the learning curve. Cherry Springs would soon follow. Hope to catch you there again (if they ever let you cross the border again, sheesh!). And yes, for all of you that buy a new scope, be prepared to sit and wait for a week or so until the clouds clear. It comes with the territory. LOL!
Really interesting to have your feedback on the choice of instruments for beginners. You convinced me to buy a simple telescope (and a dobson is really a good choice with a very good quality/price) for the start and then upgrade my equipment if I catch the virus. I currently use a "longue vue" (don't know the name in english) with a maximum magnification of 60x and I succeeded in taking beaufituls pics of the moon with my smartphone manually putted on my "longue-vue" and its tripod ; I ordered an adaptator yesterday to fix my phone on the lense,thus it will be easier to take pics with my phone. Thank you for you advice ; not always easy to understand all you say since I'm french and not fluent in english but that worths to improve my english to follow you.
Great video. Exactly what I needed, being very attracted to astronomy for years, not knowing where to start and what matters. You got me decided to take the step and get a tabletop Dobsonian to start with. All your videos are so inspiring, huge thanks for beautifully sharing that passion
Reason to go for Dobsons in first telescope: - Azimutal mount in general is just cheaper and "plug and play", equatorial is sure find for tracking but it make such a huge step in the learning curve... - Because of how dobsonain mount is super cheap (basically just a base and a fork, no tripod, very few mechanical part involved) that mean most of what you buys is in the mirror, in terme of aperture, therefore how much you can see and you can magnify, Dobson is the value for money. It has been say, but I would personally REALY recomand to allocate a part of you budget to other eyepieces, maybe two (one barlow if it was not include with the telescope you get and one ocular), the reason you might want another ocular is that ones along with telescope "ready to go pack" usually have a very cheap lense design that does not allow a nice, wider fied of view, and when it comes to "zooming", apparant field of view is as important as magnification. Honestly you don't need to go crazy on this, if I would not recomand big ocular walet that will contain 5 ocular, 2 barlows and 5 filter you'll end up beeing using only 5 items like in it, I would have a look at smaller packages that might seems less catchy and less "worth it", but realy will have all you need. Personla experience here, My first telescope was a Newtonian 114/900 (Aperture/focal), coming along with a 20mm, 6mm and 4mm ocular and a x2 barlow, basically, the 4mm was mostly unusable. I get a pack that contain a 25mm, a 10mm and some filter... and except the barlow, I never used the original optics again. those new ocular has like 60/70 degres FOV against the 20/40 of the original and it is such a change: you can still have a great magnitude and having a realy good overview of what you are looking for.
Just got my 8'' Dobsonian for Christmas. Can't wait to put it together and start gazing. This all started because a random youtube video of you popped up on my feed.
I started with 4" F8 scope on a tripod and only looked at the moon, saturn, and jupiter. Watched a cool video on the 8" Apertura that Trevor did then started searching for a used scope. Found an 8" Zhumell dobsonian and and 6 decent eyepieces. It's been an experience that is well worth it. I have seen a lot of deep space objects that just amaze me. Astronomy will be my hobby for a long time...no astrophotography in my near future though. Watched enough of Trevor's videos to see the technical expertise and money needed to go this route. Thanks Trevor for the inspiration!!
Look into doing untracked astrophotography there are a surprising amount of deepspace objects that can be photographed with just a regular photography camera and tripod. Its more time intensive but obviously much cheaper.
Great advice! I think a lot of people make the mistake of buying whatever is available (including me in the beginning) then realize it doesn't meet their goals. Make a plan, know your goals and do the research.
My first telescope was a Argos Tasco when I was about 12, my first scope bought with my own pennies was a Bresser 70mm x 700m refactor on a equatorial mount... An before I found your channel Trevor, I bought a Meade LS 6" goto that I've managed to get some nice images from... Now I'm on the hunt for a 80mm tripplet an something portable to use with my Skywatcher allview mount as it's easy to use goto and is wicked for panned timelapse's... Also saving for the skywatcher EQ5 or 6 to use with another 8" shimt cassagrain tube assembly... Clear sky's...
Some models of this telescope come with a Vixen rail on the side, which makes it more useful for the long term because you can install it on a more sophisticated mount later on. This will extend the life of the instrument if you get more serious about astronomy. Also, you can install a webcam style of camera (eg ZWO) into the eyepiece and do some quite good astrophotography of bright objects. The one I got was called the Sky-Watcher Heritage 130P FlexTube. There are a number of TH-cam videos on this model.
I run the same scope. What I'd love to do is get my hands on a Virtuoso set, remove its 90mm Mak-Cass, and put the 130mm Newt from the 130P onto the Virtuoso base. :) The one limiter with the 130P and 150P is the location of the mount rail. These scopes are designed to have the mount rail at 3 O'Clock. All the EQ mounts I've seen, have the rail at 6 O'Clock. Mounting the 130P or 150P scope at that location will have the eyepiece rotated to the opposite side of the scope, and the finder in an unusable spot.
personally, meade(anything from them above $100) and basically every orion is just amazing, if you want celestron you have to spend a lot to actually get something good like their cassegrain. And yes manual is the best, helps a lot, my first was a meade infininty 80mm, $120usd, really nice for beginners, I would recommend getting one or 2 plossls to have the best time, and the telescope will work when transitioning to astrophotography, and literally every orion that I see on the market is amazing, sure there are a few cons, but the pros outweigh the cons. If celestron is the way you want to go, their travels scopes are good, their powerseeker aren't as good and I would recommend you get another scope if you want to do astrophotography to go with their powerseeker eq mounts. And thanks Trevor, for helping, IK it can be daunting to find a good first telescope for visual or astrophotography and I think you elevated a lot of stress in finding it. AND I forgot to mention, go with wider, unless your doing planetary, I really recommend anything above 80mm and maybe a focal length of anything under 500 for a refractor and maybe 120mm for reflectors.
Hi would u help me choosing their telescope. Here is a few that I got recommended 1) Orion starblast table mount 4.5 - out of stock until Aug 1 2022 2) skywatcher heritage 130p I worried about having to make a shroud and ... The dew since it is extension and will it break or ruin easily ? 3) bresser messer 130/650 Not much information about it 4) zhella Z130 ( I can't find it anywhere but seems like a good one solid piece ) Would u please please help thanks
I absolutely endorse all that you say here. I've been singing the praises of the Heritage 130P ever since I got it several years ago for (a) my granddaughters to use when they visit and (b) to demonstrate various things, including collimation, on the astronomy courses I teach. I also put mine on an AZ4 mount for star parties, etc.
Hi would u help me choosing their telescope. Here is a few that I got recommended 1) Orion starblast table mount 4.5 - out of stock until Aug 1 2022 2) skywatcher heritage 130p I worried about having to make a shroud and ... The dew since it is extension and will it break or ruin easily ? 3) bresser messer 130/650 Not much information about it 4) zhella Z130 ( I can't find it anywhere but seems like a good one solid piece ) Would u please please help thanks
@@ericaroundtheworld By "zhella" do you mean "Zhumell"? The 130s are all optically very similar. I have had the Skywatcher 130P Flextube for 7 years, and haven't yet managed to break it 😁 . The helical focuser can tend to work a bit loose, but a few turns of PTFE plumbers tape fixes that. The other one to consider is the AWB 130 - just a differently-branded SW. Don't get "paralysis by analysis" - just go for whichever one is available.
The mechicals of the telescope tend to be underrated. Your cheap (affordable) refractor is OK for objects between the horizon and 60 degrees above horizon. If your target is near the zenith the long refractor is a pain. Your cheap reflector (= Newtonian on a Dobson mount) is suited to zenith viewing other than axis movements at zenith make getting to a zenith target as awkward as a polar target with an equatorial mount. Experience has taught me that a good set of binoculars 70 x 10-20 is the most convenient eye viewer and today I still use these to track down an intended target. I switch to another unit....large refractor or Schmidt-cassegrain when I am ready to get serious. Binoculars are under-rated.
My first telescope I was given an old meade 4" reflector. Very, very out of date but managed to upgrade a few things, eyepiece etc. Great for planet and moon viewing. I did find the most frustrating thing learning the equatorial mount so I agree on the dobsonion as a recommendation. Planning to drive into AP when budget allows. Probably some time off so I'll be sticking with this setup for a while.
Hi would u help me choosing their telescope. Here is a few that I got recommended 1) Orion starblast table mount 4.5 - out of stock until Aug 1 2022 2) skywatcher heritage 130p I worried about having to make a shroud and ... The dew since it is extension and will it break or ruin easily ? 3) bresser messer 130/650 Not much information about it 4) zhella Z130 ( I can't find it anywhere but seems like a good one solid piece ) Would u please please help thanks
I contemplated for months between the dobsonian and the equatorial mount. Ultimately picked the eq5 (not motorized). It’s also good start to get familiar with the sky, plus if you’re planning to do photorgaphy later and you do not insist having a go-to you can upgrade it with a budget double axis motor capable of tracking and guiding.
I guess you wanted to indicate the contrast between a Dobsonian and an Equatorial mount, as you definitely are aware of the fact that Dobsonians do apply Newtonian scopes. I also skipped the Dobsonian stage, for no apparent reason. It was just an intuitive decision. Just unlock the equatorial suspension grip, and you have something like a free-swinging mount which is almost like a Dobsonian. That is also why you need to balance your scope well (I know it is necessary to minimize wear on your motor drive, but also to prevent your scope from responding to gravity unpredictably, once you unlock the manual slow drives).
Hey Trevor! Great vid/advice, but i do think you should have explained more about the issues with collimation with the Reflectors my friend! Collimation really puts a lot of novices off the hobby, out of sheer frustration! Also, I think a 60mm - 70mm Refractor, with the ease of use and no collimation required, would probably be a more user friendly alternative for a beginner? yes the views wouldn't be as deep, but 99.99% of novices start off with the really bright, obvious and easy to find objects like the Moon and brighter planets and stars, so the extra light gathering capabilities of the larger aperture reflectors aren't really necessary for a novice ? Just my thoughts sir! Wes, Liverpool, UK.
Thank you so much for this video, and all of your rationale for buying the tabletop manual telescope. I was debating with some electronic versions but you convinced me to start with the basics.
Going to buy a tabletop dob for my niece soon. My first telescope was a 10" Skywatcher Flextube manual dob, which I love (but it's heavvvvy). Amazing for visual, and I manage to get awesome shots of the planets, moon and even the ISS. Then I got a SkyGuider Pro to take some deep sky photos. Gotta love this hobby.
Great video Trevor! I had the exact same scope as my first one. I would definitely recommended manual dobs for beginners because they have a lot of aperture for the cost, and you can manually find objects and learn the night sky.
Great advice, Trevor! I started with a pair of binoculars to start learning the night sky starhopping. Two years later I'm slowly building up my astrophotography rig but at least feel more confident in finding what I'm looking for!
Appreciate you doing videos on the basics despite the advanced level you normally operate on. It really helps people like me trying to get started in this.
this table top dob was my first scope...and its perfect for starting out in visual astronomy...i`ve still got it as a quick grab n go if i need it,i purchased it back in 2013...since feb this year i have upgraded to an 8inch dob ...and i`m glad i did as the images are that much brighter and crisper...but this table top dob is a great little scope and i deffo recommend it.
Hey Trevor, so as a newb I’ve been watching a lot videos for beginner telescopes, and I’ve probably watched about 20 or more of yours. Just want to say that I find your channel to be the best combination of technical depth and viewer engagement. You make these really interesting the way you speak to the viewer, staying focused, and provide really useful information without being dry. Well done. Not to mention the production quality of the film making for these really shines. I’ve decided that my first telescope will be a visual one, a Celestron 10” Starsense Dobsonian. It seems to be in the sweet spot where it still requires manual push to point it to the target, but with the companion app that mounts on it, it will guide you to the target without automatically slewing for you. I was torn between this model and the 8” Celestron NexStar 8SE, but the light gathering of the dobsonian should allow for more planetary viewing while still modestly seeing deep space objects. As a photographer though, after watching another of your videos I’m already planning for an astrophotography rig using my professional level camera gear on a Sky Watcher Adventurer 2i tracker. For many years I’ve wanted to photograph Andromeda and I’m want to finally make that happen. Thanks so much.
Best telescope dealer I ever found was John, at the old Perceptor dealership in Schomberg (now deceased) back in 1998. When my youngest son became interested, we went there to buy a 'scope. John refused to sell us one! He recommended we find and attend a few Star Parties first - talk to people, see what they were doing, ask for recommendations. Then he handed my son a copy of a current magazine which had a list of Star Parties across Canada, and refused to let me pay for it. We went to two parties - traveled all the way to New Brunswick for one! Returned, and bought an 8" Dobsonian from John. It is here in my study right now, and the whole family right down to great-grandkids use it. Wonderful man, wonderful advice, wonderful legacy for John AND me to leave. Thanks for asking, and thanks for the memories.
hey mate, which model did you order and are you enjoying it? I'm having a hard time finding a retailer which has currently dobsonians in its stock :/ . I live in europe so I would love for your feedback, thanks in advance!
i started with bins to get use to the sky then moved to 5inch goto then 10inch goto then 12inch dob and now thinking of getting a 16inch. and im messing around with a yukon 3x night vision monocular gen 1+ and you can see milky way and the large galaxys with out the need of a camera.
Trevor, you already helped me pick my first telescope earlier this year. I bought the William optics space cat based on your recommendations and I still love it! Thank you for your insight and it really helps the rest of us! 👍😊
Hi would u help me choosing their telescope. Here is a few that I got recommended 1) Orion starblast table mount 4.5 - out of stock until Aug 1 2022 2) skywatcher heritage 130p I worried about having to make a shroud and ... The dew since it is extension and will it break or ruin easily ? 3) bresser messer 130/650 Not much information about it 4) zhella Z130 ( I can't find it anywhere but seems like a good one solid piece ) Would u please please help thanks
I seen this on a video from 9 years ago from a college and I've looked everywhere for this telescope thank you so much for doing this video I couldnt find it anywhere until this
I agree that this model of telescope is remarkably good. I normally use a 9.25 inch Celestron and a 4 inch APO refractor. But I got one of these for a special purpose and I was surprised how good it was. What I ended up doing with it was chemically removing the aluminium coating on the two mirrors and using it for solar observation (both in white light and CaK). Most of the light (95.4%) goes out the back of the curved mirror (much like a Herschel wedge). After reflection off the second mirror, only 0.2% of the original solar light passes through. You can then use a modest ND filter for white light or a CaK filter. It turns out this is an inexpensive way to make a big aperture and quite safe solar telescope. It's actually useful for lunar observation too because for visual use, the moon is actually way too bright (without using an ND filter).
I bought my first telescope last week! It's a 130/650 skywatcher NT on a skywatcher stardiscovery az goto stand with a synscan wifi-adapter and i love it!
I recommend the same type of telescope. The Astronomers without Borders One Sky telescope or an Orion Starblast 4.5. But I think an 80-90mm achromatic refractor can also be great to start with, like a Meade Infinity 90mm (and similar), which comes with a good tripod and can be upgraded.
Thanks for yet another great film! Aside from a pedagogical and engaging approach your are clearly weighing in variances in economy and other factors, felt both in brain and heart, great stuff! Regarding a "first scope" I always feel a bit reserved when friendly experts like yourself recommend a Dobsonian. For me, the main reason is practical handling and storage. I live in apartment so setting up is a major issue, involving e.g. transport and even thoguh I have an elevator and good car, this becomes a major issue. I would like to see a "beginners guide" that addresses partability and storage as major factors (important in all urban areas globally, i.e. 50% of earths population?). Also, I would be prepared to invest a bit more in "my first setup" to push usability slightly further. I so hope you have not already done that film... :D
Hey!! Okay so my first telescope was a Carson Red Planet Rp-400.. I found it at a yardsale. I’ve found a new love for astronomy and plan on registering for school for Astro Physics soon. What do you recommend for the next level at home telescope for me??
My first scope was a 13 years ago a Celestron 6” reflector on Eq mount, first it was nice twisting the RA knob but then it was straightforward to add a motor to track so I focus on tweaking my observation skills on in the Ep!
I agree completely, Trevor. I started in August 2018 with a 76mm Dobsonian and the view of the Moon got me hooked, which made me buy a Skywatcher 8 inch Dobsonian, which I got to see the Orion Nebula for the first time through and it also made me learn the night sky. Then I decided I wanted an EQ mounted telescope but had a limited budget, so 2 months ago I bought a Skywatcher 150p EQ 3-2 and fell in love with the EQ mount. Now people are advising me to sell my 8 inch Dob and use the cash to buy EQ motors, but I can't do it. LOL. I love the 8 inch Dobsonian so much that I just can't sell it. Thank you for your great videos. They have helped me a lot on my journey.
One disadvantage i have is the light, i don't live in a particularly dark place, so, i don't know if that could affect too much photography for example
I’m looking for something for my husband who is a 67 year old beginner. We spend most of our time at our lake house in the very north of ND. Canada is about a 1/2 mile hike across the frozen Lake Metigoshe. It gets very cold and windy here but the night skies are beautiful. He’s taken an interest and is quite good at spotting what he can with his binoculars. I think this would be great for him! Will it hold up to our frigid temperatures (can get -40)?? How/where can I purchase???
It’s so easy to get attached to astronomy and since I started it’s been apart of me and it’s never gonna leave me! Also this is the video I have been waiting for! It’s like you read my mind!!
Started with a $60 funscope from Orion for 6 months before I upgraded to a Skyquest xt8. I definitely recommend starting small and moving up from there.
Good video Trevor, I always recommend a Dobsonian and watch your getting started video. It is good you made a newer version. I like the collapsible table top version - I haven't seen that before. - Cheers Kurt
I have started astrophotography with a mirrorless camera and telephoto lens. I have a Sky Watcher Star Adventurer and want to make sure my first scope will fit the tracker. I will likely get the TPO UltraWide 180mm f4.5 but I occasionally long for a Spacecat 51. The lens I use now is a Pentax SMC 150mm f3.5.
Great video. In the midst of many others that give a general overview of every type there is, this one is very specific and offers very clear information on what’s possible, what’s not, how to rise through the ranks etc... you hit this one right out of the park.
Hi. Not a telescope. Go for some binoculars and a parallelogram mount. Much more suitable for you. Alternatively if the mount proves too expensive try to run to some low magnification stabilised binoculars. Failing that ordinary binoculars, but avoid anything too heavy to hold for a long time. The bigger the front lens you can afford and cope with the weight of the better. I would not go above x 20 magnification even with the parallelogram mount and for non stabilised around x 7 would be much more sensible. Big binoculars - or telescopes for that matter - are heavy and difficult to hand hold still enough for astronomy. Start small and see if you like the hobby. If all this is too expensive consider starting with meteor watching - best done laid back in a comfortable chair with human eyes, a blanket and a hot drink .- at least here in the winter! To use a telescope from a wheelchair is tricky but it can be done. You need a large rotating platform both for you and the 'scope and an electrically height adjustable pier. Big bucks I'm sorry to say. A Newtonian or Dobson is not very suitable either, you need one with the eyepiece at the opposite end to the objective lens. A refractor or Cassegrain. Best wishes. BobUK.
Dude, I love this, but you didn’t mention focal length. I have 2 small table-top dobs for newbies. I have an old Meade ETX f/12 that sees no use at all because it is so darn difficult to find anything at that f/stop.
Really wonder how many dobs are sitting in a closet unused though. For a beginner a refractor would be much more simple and intuitive to use with no collimation. And if you buy a little dob like that, if you take it somewhere what do you put it on? You have to transport a table with you. I also find it hard to believe that you don't get better views with a large high quality refractor versus a $300 tabletop dob. For one thing, you don't have a central obstruction.
I have a dlsr already and was looking for something for a camera to connect to also though ,is there a telescope you would recommend in the 3-500$ price range? And do you have any experience with arduino based star trackers?
I bought a Heritage 130p as my first telescope in 2013 with a Celestron case of lenses and filters that I got for half-price because there was a small dent in the case. It's still one of my favourite telescopes because of how easy it is to transport and set up, and one that's great to bring to my work to introduce the youth I work with to the night sky.
I bought the 150p flextube. I have since used 3d printing to mount a dlsr directly on the focuser. Together with my diy equatorial platform i can take 8s pictures for about an hour with approx 5 pixel fwhm stars. I can see the structure of m33, get nice shots of orion nebula and flame nebula. Pacman i can make out but not pretty, so this seems to be my current limit. Still improving though.
Some great clear and concise information. 👍🏼 I'm new to all this, I'm a beginner looking for a telescope for myself and two young children. You've cleared up a few things for me with your explanations. Cheers
This was my first telescope and I couldn't agree with you more on this choice! Simple, easy to use, collapsible, and easy to transport. I was able to great planetary pictures with it via my phone, then learned stacking, upgraded to an equatorial mount, fitted my dslr on this (just don't extend the setup as far to get the backfocus you need), and kept progressing. This was also the perfect height for my daughter and introduced her to astronomy as well. This allowed me to learn and progress as I go further and further into this hobby.
I’ve recommended similar scopes for beginners, but my preference is for them to get hand held binoculars. Even a cheap set from a hunting goods store will allow you to learn the sky and see many more stars than with the naked eye. Then if astronomy is not for you, you still have a tool for terrestrial viewing.
When you buy your first telescope, what you need to do is be is be prepared to wait for 2 weeks after you get it for the clouds to pass
😂😂👍🏻
Clear skies to you !
No joke! LOL
Same here in southern Germany. No Mars opposition visible and no seeing for 3 weeks.
When there are clouds use your telescope to look at the neighbours
That's exactly what happened to me when I bought my first telescope. It was so frustrating
The hard part: finding a telescope that's actually in stock.
Loool
Yeah very true
Soooo trueeee !
Just buy a 1.500,- Astrograph, i had no problems with availability! 😁
Apertura AD series, and many other dobsons just raised their prices
0:29 ah those clouds are more fascinating than ever
1:09
clouds ahhh yes my favorite
Keep the great videos up! You are my number 1 source for telescope reviews and information!
I think he has some extraordinary vision , he can see thru clouds .
Impressive, isn't it?
I love clouds, but not on my astronomy nights
Especially here in Tennessee gotta expect like 2 clear nights, maybe 3 if lucky in a week
An 8" table top Dob was my first as well! I've since then moved onto a full AP setup!
Pls tell me bout ur 8 inch dob. I'm thinking to get one
Will it be good for dso , i live in bortle 7 + if u can suggest some filters...(it is my first scope )
😊
@@shreyasj4502 my first dobsonian was an Orion Starblast 6i intellescope which was a "point to" giving you the coordinates of the object you like to view, and all you have to do is align the scope with the coordinates. This was very helpful to locate fainter objects. It was an excellent scope for viewing, and I did use it for some planetary photography as well. I was able to capture excellent moon shots with the perfect magnification. For deep sky, you would want ideally a goto EQ mount and a refractor because the optical glass in refractor remove a lot of aberration. And the tracking will be a lot more accurate. Thinking back now, I'm glad I bought it as my first scope. It provides excellent views of the nebulae like Orion, planets like Saturn and jupiter, and you can attach a dslr for a really low cost and get fantastic images. Feel free to take a look at my instagram for examples of my Dobsonian work and I'll send you some of the videos I used to get me started in taking images @rhd__luc ☺️ clear skies!
@@lucasmaguire7625 Wow , thanks for sharing your experience . But I need a scope for visual n not for photography coz I'm new to all this + setting up the EQ mount might be difficult for me. So I'm thinking of a simple dob , then i can upgrade later . And one more thing I've heard about refracted is that they don't focus R and B colour at the same place so i might lose interest in using them ...😅need higher aperture for viewing through the city sir,
Thanks for helping. ☺👍🏻
Love my AP equipment :)
Isnt this too expensive as a first scope? 2 or $3000 maybe?
I've got my next scope all picked out... a 28" dob... just can't afford the table to put it on yet...
You don't need a table. You'll need a step ladder. 😆
Thank you for confirming my decision of buying a reflector as my 8yrs old daughter (and myself) first telescope. I'd loved the universe my whole life and now that she is loving the same science programs I watch, it is time for both of us to get our feet wet in astronomy. Greetings from Costa Rica!
I wish you two clear skies!
Hope yoyr enjoying it your duaghter dhould be around 11 very close to my age ! Im 14
I had a telescope as a kid... so I suppose you could say I started with visual astronomy. However, that was too many years ago to count. What actually got me hooked recently was purchasing my Lumix G9 this past spring. During the summer I decided to try taking photos of the moon on a whim... happened to be sitting outside enjoying the warm summer evening, looked up and saw the moon and thought let me try to get a picture of it. So I learned how to take pictures of the moon. I took a bunch of photos of the moon in different phases and with different framing and composition. One of those nights I saw that Jupiter and Saturn were there in the sky and thought to myself... Hmmmm... can I get a picture of them? I pointed my camera to Jupiter and snapped a shot. When I saw that not only had I gotten Jupiter, but also it’s larger 4 moons, I was blown away. Sure, the image is terrible... but holy cow! I captured Jupiter!!! It fueled my curiosity to see what else I could do. Since then I’ve imaged Andromeda and Orion - both done on a static tripod. I wanted more, so I bought a Star Adventurer Pro. Tonight is supposed to be the first clear night since I got it, so I’m heading out to hit Andromeda again - this time tracked - even though it’s the night before the full moon. Hopefully I’ll be able to get some better data!
where can we see the photos you took?
TLDR
G9 seems like a great camera. My g7 is fine but it’s not sturdy and has a busted lens mount so once I get the money I might get one
Nice
I started astrophotography 2 years ago but knew that I was not qualified enough to see the moon or any planets. As an 10 year old I bought a cheap 50€ telescope and with a smartphone holder I was able to photograph the moon and see the awesome craters. Then half a season later, I noticed some objects with a stable light that didn't flicker like stars. Then I asked myself: Aren't these like rocky planets? Then after 10min of trying to get a nice view of them, I looked closely to one of them and noticed that it had some some stuff like paper around it and said, waitx5 times.... Isn't this Saturn and... Yes it was!!! I was extremely blown away too, after viewing it. Then I looked at Jupiter and shouted once again!!!! Now I have a better telescope and have seen the Orion nebula.
This is the best advice I have come across in my research for my first telescope, I can now see a future where I own both of the telescopes shown in this video. Another piece of advice I came across and feel is valuable for early astronomers is to start with binoculars! They can provide a fun, portable and even more affordable means of learning, studying and appreciating our night sky. This is the stage I am at while I save for my first telescope and has opened a path for me and I hope others to get a head start!
I always recommend a refractor over any reflector or dob because they are easier for a newbie to point and find an object. They also don't suffer from collimation issues. I had a reflector for 10 years as a kid and another bigger reflector for 10 years as an adult but they were both so frustrating to operate, I seldom use them, maybe once a year at most. But I recently found a 70mm refractor at a thrift store for $35 and it made all the difference. I started to enjoy using it because I could find things more easily and so I got to see a lot more. I used it for 2 years very regularly and that pushed me over the edge to get a goto telescope. Now I have a very nice SCT but I don't have to worry about pointing it. It already knows where everything is!
sure if you're gonna use to to look at jupiter the moon or saturn, but for deep space objects like galaxies, clusters etc, you need a reflector since an 8 or 10 in refratctor would be huge and cost a ton of money so as far as bang for the buck, a simple newtonian reflector, but for a little kid or someone not too deeply into astronomy, a refractor is fine. it just depends on what you want to use it for. and as far as finding objects, a telrad sight makes finding things easy, those finder scopes suck, everything is upside down, the viewing area is way too small, they're a nightmare, a telrad type of pointer with a red dot on the sky makes finding studd super easy and you can always get a electronic finder to be even more precise.
@@westoftherockies I maintain that THIS is a bad idea. Nobody should go spend $1000+ just to decide if they are interested in a hobby. A 70mm refractor is an ideal starter scope that will let you see enough to know whether you want to spend more or not.
@@westoftherockies Do you understand the point? It is: what would you recommend for a first time telescope buyer? What is an ideal first telescope? Naturally that depends on how big is your allowance. For a child - teen, there is no better or more appropriate first scope that a $200 refractor. And even for an adult, that is STILL the most appropriate first scope. A first time telescope buyer will only be able to find bright objects like the moon and planets and double stars and bright clusters. A beginner is not going to go looking for deep sky objects. Save that for a reason to upgrade after you know you are very interested in the field. Because you need that too. But this is the most appropriate because it then gives you time to decide what is really the best upgrade path for you. You learn from its deficiencies what direction to go in. And you can still use it to take on trips or share with the kids and neighbors. I think what you are recommending is an ideal second telescope, but in my opinion its not a good first telescope. Its too expensive just to find out IF you or your child will keep up the interest.
Nah, spending $200 just so you can then spend $300 on a better performing reflector is not a good suggestion. Better to start with a 6" dobsonian and get straight to the point.@@Robert08010
I got a Skywatcher Skyliner 150 for my first scope in April after watching a lot of your videos and Im still amazed everytime i look through it.
After getting to all the planets and some globular clusters i visited the Andromeda Galaxy last weekend and all the motivation got even doubled. LOVE IT! and THANK YOU for getting me into this hobby! Also greeting from Germany :D
Me: *buys reflector telescope totally not within the budget after wondering for weeks which telescope to get*
Trevor literally 2 days later: "Hey, buy this one!"
Me: . . . thanks.
Which one you got?
@@pratiknaik6676 hey tum mujhe suggest kr skte ho kya ki beginning mai mujhe refractor ya reflector mai se konsa telescope lena chahiye ??
Or India mai konsa telescope best rahega .
Plz bro
@@user-zf5cd1lk3y If you want to observe moon or on earth distant object.. You can go for refractor telescope. With reflector you can watch Jupiter saturn as well. In short far away object.
You can get on Amazon. There are videos on TH-cam with beginner level telescope both refractor and reflector.. Somewhere around 40 Thousand रुपए. I am also astro enthusiast. Thanks.
@@pratiknaik6676 okk thank you bro 🙏
@@pratiknaik6676 But can I see meteorites, ANOVA, galaxies through refletive telescope? Because I saw some videos related to telescope, they found out that they cannot be seen in deep space even more than refractive telescope.
So can u suggest me some models ?
At the beginning of this video I seriously thought that telescope next to him was twice the size it actually is lol
Oh my god I just realized it wasn’t after reading your comment
its the skyquest xt10 or xt8 I believe
@@slo_z31 No, it is too small. Looks like a Sky Watcher Heritage 130.
@@aemrt5745 definitely a heritage, it comes into focus around 5:30, believe it’s the 150P though.
I got a 10inch dobsonian reflector back in May as my first scope!
I live in a Bortle 5 so I'm pretty lucky as for light pollution. With a 10inch aperture you can see a lot of objects, especially deep sky ones, and it never gets boring (except the nights when it's cloudy or there's the moon)!
How has it been using it ? was it a good buy ? do u still have it and use it ?
@@Revelation13-8 It's been great. Really easy to use and it's definitely worth the money if you are a fan of space. I still have it yes
@@giammy0 Ok cool , I just ordered the 10" dobsonian bresser with the 11" 82 eyepice as my first proper scope
I just bought Orion 8" Dobsonian yesterday, It was full moon night, spectacular. As I'm new, catching Mars was getting difficult, also not able to get magnified view, slowly will learn more.
From where did u buy ur scope sir? On amazon its not available...I am also thinking of getting an 8" dob (GSO)+Can u tell what all u could see with it ?
Clear skies ( thank god rainy season has ended ) !
@@shreyasj4502 8" Dob is quite a popular beginner Telescope because of its wide offering. We need to have set of eyepieces, for me I'm missing 10mm, with that I can get more zoom view of moon, Mars etc. I've already viewed Jupiter, Saturn with it, you can also see Andromeda etc too
I have a table top dobsonian and I love it. It’s the Sky-Watcher 100P so slightly smaller than what you’ve shown here but it only cost £100! The best telescope is the one you use the most 👍🏻 great video Trevor, should be useful for lots of people!
8" Dob on the manual chipboard mount is great, looking into good eyepieces is a bit daunting...
Got into deep sky photography recently and your vids are really inspirational pal , just to achieve an image is difficult when you start and is addiction from that moment on . Love it . Keep up the positive vibes . Clear skies ......
My first telescope was a 10" dob(Orion XT10i). It's still my most used. I have one of those 5" tabletop dobs too and they are neat little scopes. That would be my recommendation for those starting out on a budget($200). I have the Bushnell and it has surprisingly good optics. I prefer it over my Explore Scientific 127mm apo refractor and Celestron 8SE SCT. Reflectors are awesome! For those starting out on a larger budget, I'd say 8-12 inch dob. Get the biggest you can afford and reasonably transport - for some that may be an 8 while others may find a 10 or 12 is manageable. Don't forget that eyepieces and other accessories will cost a lot too. So budget for that. Look at the used markets too. Lots of people buy telescopes and quickly lose interest so there's some good deals to find out there.
Hi would u help me choosing their telescope. Here is a few that I got recommended
1) Orion starblast table mount 4.5 - out of stock until Aug 1 2022
2) skywatcher heritage 130p I worried about having to make a shroud and ... The dew since it is extension and will it break or ruin easily ?
3) bresser messer 130/650
Not much information about it
4) zhella Z130 ( I can't find it anywhere but seems like a good one solid piece )
Would u please please help thanks
@@ericaroundtheworld Of those I'd probably go with the sky-watcher 130p. They have a 150p version that's an inch more aperture for a reasonable amount of money. They also sell both models in a version that has tracking and object locater that uses your cell phone, which would be a good investment if within your budget. A shroud is highly recommended with these collapsible tube telescopes to keep dew and stray light out. You can do without one if stray light or dew is not a problem where you observe. I made a shroud out of protostar flock board which is a flexible plastic, and attached it with double sided tape to the inside of the upper ring so that it slides into the tube when collapsed. Works well but I had to remove the primary mirror to install it. A cheaper and easier shroud would be a sheet of thin black foam that you can buy at any craft store. Use duct tape to attach it around the outside. Works just as good but you will need to remove and re-attach it every time. This scope will come with 2 eyepieces, a 25 and 10mm I believe. They are OK but you will want to get either a 2X barlow or a 5mm to get higher power(130X) that is very useful for the moon and the planets. You will also need a collimation tool if it doesn't come with one. A plastic collimation cap or a sight tube/cheshire combination tool(aka collimation eyepiece) will suffice.
Your #4 I believe is the Zhumell Z130. That's like the 130p but has a solid tube and a rack and pinion focuser. That's a great choice as well but they went up in price a whole lot recently. An excellent choice though if it's in your budget.
The AWB One Sky is also the same thing as the Skywatcher 130p so if that's the one you are leaning toward, you can go with whichever one is cheaper or in stock.
@@ericaroundtheworld One other thing I forgot to mention although it is kind of obvious, with any tabletop telescope you will need a table or something sturdy to set it on. A folding glass patio table works well for something that is sturdy, portable and not too expensive. Puts it at a good height to sit in a lawn or patio chair when observing.
Great video as always Trevor;) What I find is important to remember is the saying that goes, "the best telescope is the one you use the most".
I purchased a 10" dob as my second telescope having previously owned a 6" newtonian on a cheap eq mount. The 10" is great and superior for the money, although since then I've purchased a small 72mm ED refractor and a 102mm APO and I gain a lot more satisfaction by using them since they're easier to set up, carry and etc. I find that proper ED refractor nowadays are very capable on high magnification for planets, lunar, double stars and etc. but also deep sky since they're easier to travel to deep sky with because of their size.
I live in an apartment in a Bortle 7/8 location which I think is worth mentioning, and time is limited, so if you do have the time and space for a large dobsonian then go for it! But keep in mind that it should be enjoyable to get your scope out even just for an hour or so.
Very solid advice. I have the Heritage 150p shown here as my 50 something telescope and love it. I've also had surprisingly good results imaging planets with it by stitching short AVI files together in PIPP, although the smart phone approach will be easier for beginners as stated here of course.
Hi would u help me choosing their telescope. Here is a few that I got recommended
1) Orion starblast table mount 4.5 - out of stock until Aug 1 2022
2) skywatcher heritage 130p I worried about having to make a shroud and ... The dew since it is extension and will it break or ruin easily ?
3) bresser messer 130/650
Not much information about it
4) zhella Z130 ( I can't find it anywhere but seems like a good one solid piece )
Would u please please help thanks
Will Hertiage 130p difficult to take care of ? The extension part worries me a bit . Due to some people had mentioned about needing to put. Shroud .some says about the dew and condensation. Is it harder to maintain or to keep it out from water
Thanks
Trevor, thanks for producing/posting this for everyone. A great public service you've done here. I hope the beginners take your advice. It's sound. I started with a 3 inch Celestron and did everything manually. So when my wife bought me an LX200 (yikes!), I could hang until I caught up to the learning curve. Cherry Springs would soon follow. Hope to catch you there again (if they ever let you cross the border again, sheesh!). And yes, for all of you that buy a new scope, be prepared to sit and wait for a week or so until the clouds clear. It comes with the territory. LOL!
Really interesting to have your feedback on the choice of instruments for beginners. You convinced me to buy a simple telescope (and a dobson is really a good choice with a very good quality/price) for the start and then upgrade my equipment if I catch the virus. I currently use a "longue vue" (don't know the name in english) with a maximum magnification of 60x and I succeeded in taking beaufituls pics of the moon with my smartphone manually putted on my "longue-vue" and its tripod ; I ordered an adaptator yesterday to fix my phone on the lense,thus it will be easier to take pics with my phone. Thank you for you advice ; not always easy to understand all you say since I'm french and not fluent in english but that worths to improve my english to follow you.
Great video. Exactly what I needed, being very attracted to astronomy for years, not knowing where to start and what matters. You got me decided to take the step and get a tabletop Dobsonian to start with. All your videos are so inspiring, huge thanks for beautifully sharing that passion
Reason to go for Dobsons in first telescope:
- Azimutal mount in general is just cheaper and "plug and play", equatorial is sure find for tracking but it make such a huge step in the learning curve...
- Because of how dobsonain mount is super cheap (basically just a base and a fork, no tripod, very few mechanical part involved) that mean most of what you buys is in the mirror, in terme of aperture, therefore how much you can see and you can magnify, Dobson is the value for money.
It has been say, but I would personally REALY recomand to allocate a part of you budget to other eyepieces, maybe two (one barlow if it was not include with the telescope you get and one ocular), the reason you might want another ocular is that ones along with telescope "ready to go pack" usually have a very cheap lense design that does not allow a nice, wider fied of view, and when it comes to "zooming", apparant field of view is as important as magnification. Honestly you don't need to go crazy on this, if I would not recomand big ocular walet that will contain 5 ocular, 2 barlows and 5 filter you'll end up beeing using only 5 items like in it, I would have a look at smaller packages that might seems less catchy and less "worth it", but realy will have all you need.
Personla experience here, My first telescope was a Newtonian 114/900 (Aperture/focal), coming along with a 20mm, 6mm and 4mm ocular and a x2 barlow, basically, the 4mm was mostly unusable. I get a pack that contain a 25mm, a 10mm and some filter... and except the barlow, I never used the original optics again. those new ocular has like 60/70 degres FOV against the 20/40 of the original and it is such a change: you can still have a great magnitude and having a realy good overview of what you are looking for.
Iam 27 and how did you know I want a telescope for Christmas it will be my first one very interesting stuff up there
Just got my 8'' Dobsonian for Christmas. Can't wait to put it together and start gazing. This all started because a random youtube video of you popped up on my feed.
I started with 4" F8 scope on a tripod and only looked at the moon, saturn, and jupiter. Watched a cool video on the 8" Apertura that Trevor did then started searching for a used scope. Found an 8" Zhumell dobsonian and and 6 decent eyepieces. It's been an experience that is well worth it. I have seen a lot of deep space objects that just amaze me. Astronomy will be my hobby for a long time...no astrophotography in my near future though. Watched enough of Trevor's videos to see the technical expertise and money needed to go this route. Thanks Trevor for the inspiration!!
Look into doing untracked astrophotography there are a surprising amount of deepspace objects that can be photographed with just a regular photography camera and tripod. Its more time intensive but obviously much cheaper.
Great advice! I think a lot of people make the mistake of buying whatever is available (including me in the beginning) then realize it doesn't meet their goals. Make a plan, know your goals and do the research.
I have a 130mm APO and a 178mm Mak. The Mak for visual astronomy, the APO for Astrophotography.
I bought the Aperture AD8 on your recommendation. Couldn’t be happier! Thank you.
Took your advice from the previous video - got myself an 8 inch dob, absolutely awesome. Thank you and clear skies!
I've been watching a lot of "first telescope" videos. Thanks for narrowing it down to ONE type. Finally ready to actually place an order.
My first telescope was a Argos Tasco when I was about 12, my first scope bought with my own pennies was a Bresser 70mm x 700m refactor on a equatorial mount... An before I found your channel Trevor, I bought a Meade LS 6" goto that I've managed to get some nice images from... Now I'm on the hunt for a 80mm tripplet an something portable to use with my Skywatcher allview mount as it's easy to use goto and is wicked for panned timelapse's... Also saving for the skywatcher EQ5 or 6 to use with another 8" shimt cassagrain tube assembly... Clear sky's...
Does it work in the cold? I live in Canada 🇨🇦
Some models of this telescope come with a Vixen rail on the side, which makes it more useful for the long term because you can install it on a more sophisticated mount later on. This will extend the life of the instrument if you get more serious about astronomy. Also, you can install a webcam style of camera (eg ZWO) into the eyepiece and do some quite good astrophotography of bright objects. The one I got was called the Sky-Watcher Heritage 130P FlexTube. There are a number of TH-cam videos on this model.
I run the same scope.
What I'd love to do is get my hands on a Virtuoso set, remove its 90mm Mak-Cass, and put the 130mm Newt from the 130P onto the Virtuoso base. :)
The one limiter with the 130P and 150P is the location of the mount rail. These scopes are designed to have the mount rail at 3 O'Clock. All the EQ mounts I've seen, have the rail at 6 O'Clock. Mounting the 130P or 150P scope at that location will have the eyepiece rotated to the opposite side of the scope, and the finder in an unusable spot.
personally, meade(anything from them above $100) and basically every orion is just amazing, if you want celestron you have to spend a lot to actually get something good like their cassegrain. And yes manual is the best, helps a lot, my first was a meade infininty 80mm, $120usd, really nice for beginners, I would recommend getting one or 2 plossls to have the best time, and the telescope will work when transitioning to astrophotography, and literally every orion that I see on the market is amazing, sure there are a few cons, but the pros outweigh the cons. If celestron is the way you want to go, their travels scopes are good, their powerseeker aren't as good and I would recommend you get another scope if you want to do astrophotography to go with their powerseeker eq mounts. And thanks Trevor, for helping, IK it can be daunting to find a good first telescope for visual or astrophotography and I think you elevated a lot of stress in finding it. AND I forgot to mention, go with wider, unless your doing planetary, I really recommend anything above 80mm and maybe a focal length of anything under 500 for a refractor and maybe 120mm for reflectors.
Hi would u help me choosing their telescope. Here is a few that I got recommended
1) Orion starblast table mount 4.5 - out of stock until Aug 1 2022
2) skywatcher heritage 130p I worried about having to make a shroud and ... The dew since it is extension and will it break or ruin easily ?
3) bresser messer 130/650
Not much information about it
4) zhella Z130 ( I can't find it anywhere but seems like a good one solid piece )
Would u please please help thanks
I absolutely endorse all that you say here. I've been singing the praises of the Heritage 130P ever since I got it several years ago for (a) my granddaughters to use when they visit and (b) to demonstrate various things, including collimation, on the astronomy courses I teach. I also put mine on an AZ4 mount for star parties, etc.
Hi would u help me choosing their telescope. Here is a few that I got recommended
1) Orion starblast table mount 4.5 - out of stock until Aug 1 2022
2) skywatcher heritage 130p I worried about having to make a shroud and ... The dew since it is extension and will it break or ruin easily ?
3) bresser messer 130/650
Not much information about it
4) zhella Z130 ( I can't find it anywhere but seems like a good one solid piece )
Would u please please help thanks
Is it easy to break since it is with extension . And will it gather dew and require extra care
@@ericaroundtheworld By "zhella" do you mean "Zhumell"? The 130s are all optically very similar. I have had the Skywatcher 130P Flextube for 7 years, and haven't yet managed to break it 😁 . The helical focuser can tend to work a bit loose, but a few turns of PTFE plumbers tape fixes that. The other one to consider is the AWB 130 - just a differently-branded SW. Don't get "paralysis by analysis" - just go for whichever one is available.
The mechicals of the telescope tend to be underrated. Your cheap (affordable) refractor is OK for objects between the horizon and 60 degrees above horizon. If your target is near the zenith the long refractor is a pain. Your cheap reflector (= Newtonian on a Dobson mount) is suited to zenith viewing other than axis movements at zenith make getting to a zenith target as awkward as a polar target with an equatorial mount. Experience has taught me that a good set of binoculars 70 x 10-20 is the most convenient eye viewer and today I still use these to track down an intended target. I switch to another unit....large refractor or Schmidt-cassegrain when I am ready to get serious. Binoculars are under-rated.
My first telescope I was given an old meade 4" reflector. Very, very out of date but managed to upgrade a few things, eyepiece etc. Great for planet and moon viewing. I did find the most frustrating thing learning the equatorial mount so I agree on the dobsonion as a recommendation. Planning to drive into AP when budget allows. Probably some time off so I'll be sticking with this setup for a while.
Hi would u help me choosing their telescope. Here is a few that I got recommended
1) Orion starblast table mount 4.5 - out of stock until Aug 1 2022
2) skywatcher heritage 130p I worried about having to make a shroud and ... The dew since it is extension and will it break or ruin easily ?
3) bresser messer 130/650
Not much information about it
4) zhella Z130 ( I can't find it anywhere but seems like a good one solid piece )
Would u please please help thanks
I contemplated for months between the dobsonian and the equatorial mount. Ultimately picked the eq5 (not motorized). It’s also good start to get familiar with the sky, plus if you’re planning to do photorgaphy later and you do not insist having a go-to you can upgrade it with a budget double axis motor capable of tracking and guiding.
I guess you wanted to indicate the contrast between a Dobsonian and an Equatorial mount, as you definitely are aware of the fact that Dobsonians do apply Newtonian scopes.
I also skipped the Dobsonian stage, for no apparent reason. It was just an intuitive decision. Just unlock the equatorial suspension grip, and you have something like a free-swinging mount which is almost like a Dobsonian. That is also why you need to balance your scope well (I know it is necessary to minimize wear on your motor drive, but also to prevent your scope from responding to gravity unpredictably, once you unlock the manual slow drives).
Hey Trevor! Great vid/advice, but i do think you should have explained more about the issues with collimation with the Reflectors my friend! Collimation really puts a lot of novices off the hobby, out of sheer frustration! Also, I think a 60mm - 70mm Refractor, with the ease of use and no collimation required, would probably be a more user friendly alternative for a beginner? yes the views wouldn't be as deep, but 99.99% of novices start off with the really bright, obvious and easy to find objects like the Moon and brighter planets and stars, so the extra light gathering capabilities of the larger aperture reflectors aren't really necessary for a novice ? Just my thoughts sir! Wes, Liverpool, UK.
Thank you so much for this video, and all of your rationale for buying the tabletop manual telescope. I was debating with some electronic versions but you convinced me to start with the basics.
Which exposure setting do you recommend for phone camera?
Going to buy a tabletop dob for my niece soon.
My first telescope was a 10" Skywatcher Flextube manual dob, which I love (but it's heavvvvy). Amazing for visual, and I manage to get awesome shots of the planets, moon and even the ISS.
Then I got a SkyGuider Pro to take some deep sky photos. Gotta love this hobby.
Great video Trevor! I had the exact same scope as my first one. I would definitely recommended manual dobs for beginners because they have a lot of aperture for the cost, and you can manually find objects and learn the night sky.
Great advice, Trevor! I started with a pair of binoculars to start learning the night sky starhopping. Two years later I'm slowly building up my astrophotography rig but at least feel more confident in finding what I'm looking for!
I bought 2 pairs of binoculars this year. Seen some very cool things. Next year I'm going to get a telescope.
Appreciate you doing videos on the basics despite the advanced level you normally operate on. It really helps people like me trying to get started in this.
this table top dob was my first scope...and its perfect for starting out in visual astronomy...i`ve still got it as a quick grab n go if i need it,i purchased it back in 2013...since feb this year i have upgraded to an 8inch dob ...and i`m glad i did as the images are that much brighter and crisper...but this table top dob is a great little scope and i deffo recommend it.
Hey Trevor, so as a newb I’ve been watching a lot videos for beginner telescopes, and I’ve probably watched about 20 or more of yours. Just want to say that I find your channel to be the best combination of technical depth and viewer engagement. You make these really interesting the way you speak to the viewer, staying focused, and provide really useful information without being dry. Well done. Not to mention the production quality of the film making for these really shines.
I’ve decided that my first telescope will be a visual one, a Celestron 10” Starsense Dobsonian. It seems to be in the sweet spot where it still requires manual push to point it to the target, but with the companion app that mounts on it, it will guide you to the target without automatically slewing for you. I was torn between this model and the 8” Celestron NexStar 8SE, but the light gathering of the dobsonian should allow for more planetary viewing while still modestly seeing deep space objects.
As a photographer though, after watching another of your videos I’m already planning for an astrophotography rig using my professional level camera gear on a Sky Watcher Adventurer 2i tracker. For many years I’ve wanted to photograph Andromeda and I’m want to finally make that happen. Thanks so much.
This video has come at the right time my son wants one for Christmas with the enormous choice out there you have made it simple thanks great vid
Best telescope dealer I ever found was John, at the old Perceptor dealership in Schomberg (now deceased) back in 1998. When my youngest son became interested, we went there to buy a 'scope. John refused to sell us one! He recommended we find and attend a few Star Parties first - talk to people, see what they were doing, ask for recommendations. Then he handed my son a copy of a current magazine which had a list of Star Parties across Canada, and refused to let me pay for it. We went to two parties - traveled all the way to New Brunswick for one! Returned, and bought an 8" Dobsonian from John. It is here in my study right now, and the whole family right down to great-grandkids use it.
Wonderful man, wonderful advice, wonderful legacy for John AND me to leave.
Thanks for asking, and thanks for the memories.
Couldnt agree with you more! I started with a 6” Dob and then swapped the base for an EQ5 mount and never looked back!
I’m so new to this that I’m waiting for the 8” dobsonian I ordered yesterday to arrive. I’m excited to see what this thing will be capable of.
hey mate, which model did you order and are you enjoying it? I'm having a hard time finding a retailer which has currently dobsonians in its stock :/ . I live in europe so I would love for your feedback, thanks in advance!
How did it go
i started with bins to get use to the sky then moved to 5inch goto then 10inch goto then 12inch dob and now thinking of getting a 16inch.
and im messing around with a yukon 3x night vision monocular gen 1+ and you can see milky way and the large galaxys with out the need of a camera.
I just really wanna see Andromeda the most trevor would a good tabletop be good for that? Not to take pictures or anything but really get a good view
What a great video. Loved the simple explanations and advice. Off to buy my first table top dobsonian - from a local dealer obviously. Thanks so much.
Trevor, you already helped me pick my first telescope earlier this year. I bought the William optics space cat based on your recommendations and I still love it! Thank you for your insight and it really helps the rest of us! 👍😊
Which one did u get .
Hi would u help me choosing their telescope. Here is a few that I got recommended
1) Orion starblast table mount 4.5 - out of stock until Aug 1 2022
2) skywatcher heritage 130p I worried about having to make a shroud and ... The dew since it is extension and will it break or ruin easily ?
3) bresser messer 130/650
Not much information about it
4) zhella Z130 ( I can't find it anywhere but seems like a good one solid piece )
Would u please please help thanks
@@ericaroundtheworld heritage 130
I seen this on a video from 9 years ago from a college and I've looked everywhere for this telescope thank you so much for doing this video I couldnt find it anywhere until this
I picked up an 8-inch dob this summer and have enjoyed it. Just need to get to a darker sky than metro Atlanta.
I agree that this model of telescope is remarkably good. I normally use a 9.25 inch Celestron and a 4 inch APO refractor. But I got one of these for a special purpose and I was surprised how good it was. What I ended up doing with it was chemically removing the aluminium coating on the two mirrors and using it for solar observation (both in white light and CaK). Most of the light (95.4%) goes out the back of the curved mirror (much like a Herschel wedge). After reflection off the second mirror, only 0.2% of the original solar light passes through. You can then use a modest ND filter for white light or a CaK filter. It turns out this is an inexpensive way to make a big aperture and quite safe solar telescope. It's actually useful for lunar observation too because for visual use, the moon is actually way too bright (without using an ND filter).
I bought my first telescope last week! It's a 130/650 skywatcher NT on a skywatcher stardiscovery az goto stand with a synscan wifi-adapter and i love it!
I bought a skywatcher eq2, I´m really happy with it and will never stop with this hobby
I recommend the same type of telescope. The Astronomers without Borders One Sky telescope or an Orion Starblast 4.5. But I think an 80-90mm achromatic refractor can also be great to start with, like a Meade Infinity 90mm (and similar), which comes with a good tripod and can be upgraded.
have the Astronomers without Borders One Sky it is a great little entry level telescope
Thanks for yet another great film! Aside from a pedagogical and engaging approach your are clearly weighing in variances in economy and other factors, felt both in brain and heart, great stuff!
Regarding a "first scope" I always feel a bit reserved when friendly experts like yourself recommend a Dobsonian. For me, the main reason is practical handling and storage. I live in apartment so setting up is a major issue, involving e.g. transport and even thoguh I have an elevator and good car, this becomes a major issue. I would like to see a "beginners guide" that addresses partability and storage as major factors (important in all urban areas globally, i.e. 50% of earths population?). Also, I would be prepared to invest a bit more in "my first setup" to push usability slightly further.
I so hope you have not already done that film... :D
Just got my 8"! Loveing the view!
Hey!! Okay so my first telescope was a Carson Red Planet Rp-400.. I found it at a yardsale. I’ve found a new love for astronomy and plan on registering for school for Astro Physics soon. What do you recommend for the next level at home telescope for me??
Thank you so much Trevor. Very useful info as I'm in the process of getting my first telescope. Clear skies Amigo !
What is the optical zoom in telescope 🙏 tell me
Nice video I've always wanted to get a telescope for star gazing and this was helpful in helping me learn what will be best for me to start with
Great review. Im gonna buy the virtuso 150P for me and my family. Will treat myself with a zwo 294cam to do some eaa in near future. Happy days.
My first scope was a 13 years ago a Celestron 6” reflector on Eq mount, first it was nice twisting the RA knob but then it was straightforward to add a motor to track so I focus on tweaking my observation skills on in the Ep!
When will you doing a video on the HyperStar?
I agree completely, Trevor. I started in August 2018 with a 76mm Dobsonian and the view of the Moon got me hooked, which made me buy a Skywatcher 8 inch Dobsonian, which I got to see the Orion Nebula for the first time through and it also made me learn the night sky. Then I decided I wanted an EQ mounted telescope but had a limited budget, so 2 months ago I bought a Skywatcher 150p EQ 3-2 and fell in love with the EQ mount. Now people are advising me to sell my 8 inch Dob and use the cash to buy EQ motors, but I can't do it. LOL. I love the 8 inch Dobsonian so much that I just can't sell it. Thank you for your great videos. They have helped me a lot on my journey.
Im a beginner, never had a telescope. Where did you buy the 8 inch dobsonian pls?
@@andreaguillen5288 Hi. I bought mine from a website called First Light Optics. It is a UK based shop.
One disadvantage i have is the light, i don't live in a particularly dark place, so, i don't know if that could affect too much photography for example
I’m looking for something for my husband who is a 67 year old beginner. We spend most of our time at our lake house in the very north of ND. Canada is about a 1/2 mile hike across the frozen Lake Metigoshe. It gets very cold and windy here but the night skies are beautiful. He’s taken an interest and is quite good at spotting what he can with his binoculars. I think this would be great for him! Will it hold up to our frigid temperatures (can get -40)?? How/where can I purchase???
It’s so easy to get attached to astronomy and since I started it’s been apart of me and it’s never gonna leave me! Also this is the video I have been waiting for! It’s like you read my mind!!
Iv been wanting a telescope for a long time and this really helps me out! Thanks :3
Started with a $60 funscope from Orion for 6 months before I upgraded to a Skyquest xt8. I definitely recommend starting small and moving up from there.
Good video Trevor, I always recommend a Dobsonian and watch your getting started video. It is good you made a newer version. I like the collapsible table top version - I haven't seen that before. - Cheers Kurt
I like the way the front of that scope extends. Is that feature to extend the actual focal length?
how often do you have to collimate these type of scopes compared to a cheap refractor ?
I have started astrophotography with a mirrorless camera and telephoto lens. I have a Sky Watcher Star Adventurer and want to make sure my first scope will fit the tracker. I will likely get the TPO UltraWide 180mm f4.5 but I occasionally long for a Spacecat 51. The lens I use now is a Pentax SMC 150mm f3.5.
Just got a 70mm and me and my son been out almost every night we love it , will upgrade later then pass the 70mm on to him.Awesome informative video
Great video. In the midst of many others that give a general overview of every type there is, this one is very specific and offers very clear information on what’s possible, what’s not, how to rise through the ranks etc... you hit this one right out of the park.
You always do a great job explaining, thus oh so appreciated. Stu in Phx.,AZ
Great session. Any particular scope you think would work good from my wheelchair? Access to the eyepiece would be an issue
Hi. Not a telescope. Go for some binoculars and a parallelogram mount. Much more suitable for you. Alternatively if the mount proves too expensive try to run to some low magnification stabilised binoculars. Failing that ordinary binoculars, but avoid anything too heavy to hold for a long time. The bigger the front lens you can afford and cope with the weight of the better. I would not go above x 20 magnification even with the parallelogram mount and for non stabilised around x 7 would be much more sensible. Big binoculars - or telescopes for that matter - are heavy and difficult to hand hold still enough for astronomy. Start small and see if you like the hobby. If all this is too expensive consider starting with meteor watching - best done laid back in a comfortable chair with human eyes, a blanket and a hot drink .- at least here in the winter! To use a telescope from a wheelchair is tricky but it can be done. You need a large rotating platform both for you and the 'scope and an electrically height adjustable pier. Big bucks I'm sorry to say. A Newtonian or Dobson is not very suitable either, you need one with the eyepiece at the opposite end to the objective lens. A refractor or Cassegrain. Best wishes. BobUK.
Dude, I love this, but you didn’t mention focal length. I have 2 small table-top dobs for newbies. I have an old Meade ETX f/12 that sees no use at all because it is so darn difficult to find anything at that f/stop.
The link you give is to a 5", not an 8". Is the 5" a good starter?
Really wonder how many dobs are sitting in a closet unused though. For a beginner a refractor would be much more simple and intuitive to use with no collimation. And if you buy a little dob like that, if you take it somewhere what do you put it on? You have to transport a table with you. I also find it hard to believe that you don't get better views with a large high quality refractor versus a $300 tabletop dob. For one thing, you don't have a central obstruction.
I have a dlsr already and was looking for something for a camera to connect to also though ,is there a telescope you would recommend in the 3-500$ price range? And do you have any experience with arduino based star trackers?
I can't find one online anywhere. My daughters birth day coming up and she would love one of these. Any ideas?
my first telescope was a 10" dobsonian and then got a celestron 6" CG on an AVX mount.
I bought a Heritage 130p as my first telescope in 2013 with a Celestron case of lenses and filters that I got for half-price because there was a small dent in the case. It's still one of my favourite telescopes because of how easy it is to transport and set up, and one that's great to bring to my work to introduce the youth I work with to the night sky.
I bought the 150p flextube. I have since used 3d printing to mount a dlsr directly on the focuser. Together with my diy equatorial platform i can take 8s pictures for about an hour with approx 5 pixel fwhm stars. I can see the structure of m33, get nice shots of orion nebula and flame nebula. Pacman i can make out but not pretty, so this seems to be my current limit. Still improving though.
Some great clear and concise information. 👍🏼 I'm new to all this, I'm a beginner looking for a telescope for myself and two young children. You've cleared up a few things for me with your explanations. Cheers
5:14 is cloud watching a thing too? :D
This was my first telescope and I couldn't agree with you more on this choice! Simple, easy to use, collapsible, and easy to transport. I was able to great planetary pictures with it via my phone, then learned stacking, upgraded to an equatorial mount, fitted my dslr on this (just don't extend the setup as far to get the backfocus you need), and kept progressing. This was also the perfect height for my daughter and introduced her to astronomy as well. This allowed me to learn and progress as I go further and further into this hobby.
Im interested in buying this! What kind of things can you see with it?
I’ve recommended similar scopes for beginners, but my preference is for them to get hand held binoculars. Even a cheap set from a hunting goods store will allow you to learn the sky and see many more stars than with the naked eye. Then if astronomy is not for you, you still have a tool for terrestrial viewing.
Great video. Thank you. That was very helpful. Are there any temperature restrictions for the reflector telescopes? Can they be used mid-winter?