Re: beginner telescope

Any of these would be fine, and will be a "keeper" even if they later
decide to upgrade to a better / more expensive scope.

Orion Observer 70mm alt-az ($130)
Orion StarBlast mini-Dobsonian ($180)
Orion Short Tube 80mm EQ-1 ($285)

Orion is good value-for-money, pretty decent quality and has good
customer service (in case they need help with the product or need to
replace a defective/broken part).

A go-to scope will be probably too complicated for a 9 years old. The
cheapest one (Celestron StarSeeker 70mm) sells for around $290. For
that amount of money, I'd rather "invest" in better optics and buy the
Short Tube 80mm.

A good planisphere and a book are "must-have" accessories. The best
observation guide for a small telescope is, by far, "Turn Left at
Orion" by Guy Consolmagno. Easy to use with precise instruction on
how to find interesting stuff in the sky, with nice explanations of
space objects. It also gives useful tips on how to care and use the
scope for beginners.

Another good option for a kid is a pair of decent binoculars (7x50 -
around $100), together with "Turn Left at Orion". The kid will be
able to see many of the objects described in the book with binoculars,
and they are cheaper and easier to use than any telescope.

Orion scope can be bought on-line at www.telescope.com. I have been
buying from the regularly over the last 4 years and never had any
issue.

katekebo



On Mar 27, 9:01 pm, caler...@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
A friend called me to ask advice about getting a first telescope for
her 9 year old son. I have casually been interested in astronomy for
30 years and have a C5. I've been very happy with the C5 and haven't
looked at any equipment in over 10 years and don't really know
anything about what's on the market now. I'm tempted to recommend an
80mm refractor. I'm also wondering about goto scopes - I have no idea
how well they work and if there's any significant difference among
brands. I know there's value in learning to read charts and star hop
(that's all I've ever done) but I know others may get frustrated with
this.

I don't know their price range, but I assume low end.

Any thoughts on what I should suggest?

Thanks.

Charles Lerner


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Starter scope for 9 year old: StarBlast or SkyQuest?
    ... I should also add that the Newtonian reflectors sold by Orion have ... the StarBlast scope has a focal ratio of about f/4 and the ... nicer, cleaner star images. ... StarBlast, ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)
  • Re: orion xt8 dob
    ... What other scopes are out there that are better than the XT10? ... On Tuesday 03/09/06 I received my Orion xt8 intelliscope. ... Through the 10 mm eyepiece, I felt like I could plan ... though the scope is almost too much for them. ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)
  • Re: spotting scope question-specific
    ... This system with tripod costs $550, ... Orion has a liberal return policy. ... for a scope like this, ... ED80, and if the Orion Express was available at the time, I would have ...
    (rec.birds)
  • Re: orion xt 12"
    ... I consider to buy the orion intelliscope 12" but should i do it after ... disappointing but I still like the scope and recommend it. ... I think that about the only areas you might find a problem with are weight, ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)
  • Considering an Obsession 12.5"
    ... Orion 8" XTi with the computer object locator since they first came ... starter scope as an introduction to astronomy. ... moderately dark skies to the South, ... 10 MM Telvue Radian - Used often in the dob, and the only eyepiece ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)
Quantcast