A Beginner's Scope

Written by Rob Lambert

What telescope should I buy? The first question often asked when the public visits a LVAS star party is not easily answered. If you were to ask 10 people what a beginning astronomer should consider as their first telescope, you would most likely get 10 different opinions. The number of opinions would probably decrease if you were to only ask members of the LVAS, since we seem to be inclined toward similar opinions. Well, I'm going to attempt to give you the opinion of a typical amateur astronomer. Hopefully, you'll find some helpful guidance in what follows.

To begin with, I must agree with our previous President, Geary Keilman and many other LVAS members - stay away from the department store offerings that tout 500x or greater magnifying power for less than $200. Buying one of these cheap, and I mean cheap department store telescopes will quickly place you on the road to frustration and disappointment. These telescopes use inexpensive components and have very flimsy mounts. Fortunately, this was the first piece of sage advice I received from LVAS members when I first began considering what telescope I should buy. Unfortunately, some of my friends didn't listen to this advice and they have been sorely disappointed in what they got, or better yet, didn't get for their money.

When considering what telescope you should buy, you have to first decide how much you are willing to spend. Most new amateur astronomers don't have an unlimited budget and must set a limit on what they can spend on a hobby. Deciding how much you can spend will determine which route you can take. I'll base my recommendations on this premise.

If you want to get started in amateur astronomy and have only around $100, don't fret; there's even a path for you that will benefit you in the long run. For your $100 you should start with a set of binoculars. Some very good binoculars can even be purchased from WalMart, but I would recommend you buy your binoculars from Orion Telescopes and Binoculars or similar retailer that specializes in optical equipment. Your binos should be 7 x 50 or 10 x 50, where the first number is the magnification and the second number is the size of the objective lens in millimeters. Binos over 10x are difficult to hold still for stable viewing. Orion has several binos for $100 or less. For $99.95 there are two choices of Orion Scenix binos, either 7 x 50 or 10 x 50.

If you feel you must have a telescope right way, most LVAS members would suggest that a Newtonian reflector on a Dobsonian mount provides the best value for the beginning astronomer. Some tripod mounted scopes are difficult to set up and align and are too complex for youngsters to operate. A Dobsonian reflector may not look like the beginner's idea of a telescope, but they offer more viewing capability and ease of use per dollar spent. Following are some suggested telescopes you might consider, depending on your budget. These are only suggestions from one amateur astronomer and before running out to buy a scope, spend some time at a LVAS star parties and check out the various telescopes you will see there.

Less than $200 - The Orion StarBlast Astro 4.5-inch Telescope. This is a basic Newtonian reflector on a modified Dobsonian mount - a simple point and view tabletop telescope. It's a great little scope for viewing the Moon, planets, and even many brighter deep sky objects like the Messier Objects. Since it is not computerized, you'll need a sky chart to help you navigate to viewable objects (See last paragraph). The same scope can also be purchased on an equatorial mount for those that may prefer a little more advanced setup. Orion and other manufacturers offer similar scopes in this price range, but there are trade-offs in ease of use and quality.

Starblast Astro 4.5-inch

Between $200 and $400 - There are several scopes you might consider in this price range, depending on whether you require computerized object location. If you think you can learn the night sky well enough to find its treasures, you can get more viewing capability (larger aperture) if you forego a scope with "Goto" capability. For example, you can buy a larger Starblast Astro 6-inch or a 6-inch SkyQuest Dobsonian scope for $250 plus tax and shipping whereas a smaller Meade ETX 80 (3-inch) tripod-mounted Goto scope would cost you about the same. A 4.5-inch Goto scope will cost you about $350 plus tax and shipping. Remember, the larger the aperture, the brighter objects will be. (See sample scopes below.)

Orion Starblast Astro 6-inch

Orion SkyQuest XT6

Meade ET-80-AT

Celestron StarSeeker 114 (4.5")

If you have $500 to spend, I would recommend the Orion SkyQuest XT6i Intelliscope. This is a 6-inch Dobsonian telescope with a computerized Object Locator. This is not a Goto scope, but is what we call a "Push To" scope. The object locator tells you how to position the scope left and right, up and down to find objects after you've aligned it on two bright stars. It requires you to be familiar enough with the night sky to identify and move the scope to two bright stars for the alignment process.

Orion XT6i Intelliscope

Orion XT8i Intelliscope

If you have between $600 and $900, I would recommend the Orion XT8i or the XT10i. These two scopes are larger versions of the Intelliscope mentioned above. The obvious difference is cost and size of the objective mirror. Both give you a tremendous amount of light gathering capability for your money. The XT10i was my first scope and is still my primary telescope. When I step up to a larger scope, I plan to keep my 10-inch. I can easily move it from the front door out into the yard, fully assembled, for a quick look at the night sky. The Object Locator helps me find deep sky objects under the light polluted skies here in Vegas. I wouldn't recommend a scope any larger than the 10-inch Intelliscope as your first scope. Anything bigger becomes more difficult to transport and setup.

Orion XT10i Intelliscope

As you can see, it doesn't require a huge budget to get started in amateur astronomy. There is a starter system that will fit almost anyone's budget. Now, that doesn't mean that you can't put a lot of money into this hobby. As you observe and become more involved in this great hobby, there will be accessories and upgrades that will entice you to spend additional dollars. And beware the dreaded bane of amateur astronomers the world over - Aperture Fever - the absolute need for a larger telescope.

One last thing, before I close. There are some supplemental accessories you should consider as part of your starter kit. These include a set of binos mentioned above, a star chart - either free from Skymaps.com or the Pocket Sky Atlas - for locating popular deep sky objects, and a red-lens flashlight to provide light for seeing your star chart without destroying your night vision.

Hopefully, these recommendations will provide a little help to those struggling with that "first scope" decision. For additional information on the telescopes mentioned in this article, visit "Orion Telescopes & Binoculars" and "Oceanside Photo & Telescope". Clicking on the photos above will take you directly to a page for that telescope.

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