Telescope help!

Al1x

I hope this is the right place to ask.

I would love to buy my husband a telescope for his birthday. My budget is around £150. I would love one that is suitable for a beginner but good enough to see some good stuff in the sky!

I don't know anything about telescopes but this one has caught my eye:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Celestron-31045-Astromaster-130EQ/dp/B000MLL6RS/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1403346849&sr=1-1&keywords=Celestron+Astromaster

Is it any good?

And there is this one, I think its the same one but with a motor, is that worth the extra?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Celestron-31051-Astromaster-Reflector-Telescope/dp/B0013Z42AK/ref=sr_1_5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1403346849&sr=1-5&keywords=Celestron+Astromaster

Is there any other telescopes that are around my budget that are better than these ones?

Thank you

ljonski

http://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/telescope-reviews/telescopes

Crinkmeister

If that is the amount you want to spend, then you have made a good choice. Having the motor means that an object will remain in view without you having to touch the scope. There is no better scope for that amount of cash - in my view. If you want further advice, head over to https://www.stargazerslounge.com

SailorSam

I remember when that sky-at-night programme was on Tv them saying for a beginneer you were just as good getting a decent pair of binoculars.

Crinkmeister

SailorSam wrote: »

I remember when that sky-at-night programme was on Tv them saying for a beginneer you were just as good getting a decent pair of binoculars.

Whilst this is true, a telescope on a tripod will give a more rewarding viewing experience.

teleaddict

Has your hubby any previous experience with using telescopes. If not and he is a complete beginner then a dobsonian telescope might be better, as they are easier to set up and get viewing. The downside is they are purely manual, so you have to keep nudging them to keep things in view.
Either way like Crinkmeister said head over to stargazerslounge. There are different areas for various topics, each with a miriad of advice plus everybody friendly and willing to give any advice that you may require. The forum is free to join like this one, but once the bug bites, its not quite as moneysaving ;-)

Al1x

Thanks everyone. No he hasn't had any experience with telescopes, I will take a look at dobsonian ones.

Crinkmeister

Thing about a Dob (as teleaddict said) is that you need to keep centring the object that you are viewing by hand - ie by nudging the scope a little at a time. Experienced Dob users will tell you that this is not a problem and I don't doubt them, but my own preference is for something that tracks without me having to touch it - hence I do not own a Dob! It's a personal choice. Having said all that, and for the price you want to pay, I still think your first choice was the best. You can get a Dobsonian for your price bracket, but they tend to be table top mounts which, in my opinion, can be a bit awkward.

InsideInsurance

I found http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/196278-what-can-i-expect-to-see/ a very good article to read initially to ensure your expectations are realistic as to what you will see through a modest home telescope -v- what the Hubble telescope captures.

Its on our to buy list but I continue to find there being far too many options and variables to actually be comfortable to buy.