Newbie Looking For Telescope

[hatflyer]

I'm looking for a telescope to use with my DSLR for DSO, with a focal length >400mm, weighs 6 lbs or less, and costs <$600. Does such a telescope exist?

Thanks.

[chris_g]

One example, OTA weight with accessories, 4.3 lbs, focal length 420, cost $540

https://agenaastro.com/sky-watcher-evos ... 11180.html

Most equipment sites will let you filter by focal length then sort by price. However, your cost doesn't stop with the OTA.

Good luck,
Chris

[JayTee]

Are you aware of the two best Astro gear classifieds site?

They are (in no particular order), Cloudy Nights classified, and Astro Mart.

Cloudy Nights is free, Astro Mart requires a small sum for membership to see the prices. I use both of them. I just bought a 6-in refractor in perfect condition off of Astro Mart for $200 and it's a $2,000 telescope. So I would suggest you take a look and see what you can find.

[hatflyer]

Narrowing it down to these, so far. Thoughts?

-Sky-Watcher EvoStar 72 f/5.8 Apo (lightweight)

-Tecnosky APO 70/420 FPL53 (lightweight, tho more expensive)

-Astro-Tech AT70ED 2.8" f/6 ED

-SVBONY SV503 Telescope, 70ED F6

-Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5

[chris_g]

The Orion ED80, it's 600 native. But you will need to add the cost of the field flattener. I use the Orion ED80 .85 reducer flattener. I bought it almost two years ago. Prices have gone up.

@JayTee is right, go look at the classified sites as well. Find some really good deals there, including some really nice yard cannons sometimes.

Clear Skies,
Chris

[Bigzmey]

Astrotech 80ED is within your specs.

https://www.astronomics.com/astro-tech- ... r-ota.html

[The Wave Catcher]

Astrotech 80ED is within your specs.

https://www.astronomics.com/astro-tech- ... r-ota.html

I second that recommendation. However, I’m a visual observer so take it for what it’s worth.

I just bought one yesterday and received it today, less than 23 hours later! I already have an AT102ED but I had to purchase a heavier mount for it. The AT80ED is the same size as my little Bresser and seems to be very stable on my smaller Bresser (rebranded ES Twilight Nano) mount. So far, I’ve only observed the sun with it (solar filter of course) this afternoon but if the clouds hold off I’ll bring it out tonight. The sunspots and plage on the sun were sharp and I didn’t notice any chromatic aberration. Here in Texas it still got up to 96 F (35.5 C) today so I didn’t observe long in the sun.

I love my AT102ED but I’m experimenting with finding the best performance vs weight (portability) ratio.

By the way, the build quality of the Astro-Tech telescopes is way above their price point. You will find no plastic anywhere so these may be good to pass down through the family.

[pakarinen]

Narrowing it down to these, so far. Thoughts?
-Astro-Tech AT70ED 2.8" f/6 ED
.

The AT70ED gets very good reviews on Cloudy Nights. The AT72EDII gets excellent reviews for astrophotography, but is more expensive.

I already have an AT102ED but I had to purchase a heavier mount for it.
I love my AT102ED but I’m experimenting with finding the best performance vs weight (portability) ratio.
.

What are you using with your AT102ED? I bought one last spring and I'm sort of struggling with what to mount it on.

[The Wave Catcher]

What are you using with your AT102ED? I bought one last spring and I'm sort of struggling with what to mount it on.

I’m using an Explore Scientific Twilight 1 Alt/Az mount. I works good with it though it is rigid and there was a little too much vibration after slewing the telescope. I put some furniture pads underneath each foot and that solved the problem.

The complete setup, AT102ED and Twilight mount weighs in at 26 lbs (11.79 kg). Not too heavy, but a bit cumbersome if I don’t take it apart first, mainly because the eyepiece tray prongs (for the legs) stab me in the chest.

[davesellars]

I'd rather go with slightly less aperture (if you're set on a refractor that is) with great quality optics than more aperture but lesser quality optics especially for DSO AP. Although, you need to realise that one scope is not really capable of doing everything!

You may have to factor in a longer dovetail or counterweight to balance the scope as well with a DSLR it can get really back heavy (with my 80ED) and is not balanced well on the Dec axis.

I would recommend this:
https://www.astronomics.com/astro-tech- ... l?___SID=U

The FPL3 optics will give you very little discernable CA - AT seem to have a very good build (although I've not used one I'm fairly sure these come out of the same factory as my Starfield 102ED... Sure you could go with the cheaper 72mm version but you'll probably be "upgrading" before too long to better optics if you really get in to it.

[hatflyer]

I'd rather go with slightly less aperture (if you're set on a refractor that is) with great quality optics than more aperture but lesser quality optics especially for DSO AP. Although, you need to realise that one scope is not really capable of doing everything!

You may have to factor in a longer dovetail or counterweight to balance the scope as well with a DSLR it can get really back heavy (with my 80ED) and is not balanced well on the Dec axis.

I would recommend this:
https://www.astronomics.com/astro-tech- ... l?___SID=U

The FPL3 optics will give you very little discernable CA - AT seem to have a very good build (although I've not used one I'm fairly sure these come out of the same factory as my Starfield 102ED... Sure you could go with the cheaper 72mm version but you'll probably be "upgrading" before too long to better optics if you really get in to it.

Are any telescopes besides reftractors worth looking at?

[davesellars]

Thinking about it... I was going to suggest something like the Skywatcher 130PDS reflector but you'd need a coma corrector and I think it's over your weight limitation anyway. Unless you plan on putting it on a sturdy mount perhaps better to stick with a small refractor!

[chris_g]

I'd rather go with slightly less aperture (if you're set on a refractor that is) with great quality optics than more aperture but lesser quality optics especially for DSO AP. Although, you need to realise that one scope is not really capable of doing everything!

You may have to factor in a longer dovetail or counterweight to balance the scope as well with a DSLR it can get really back heavy (with my 80ED) and is not balanced well on the Dec axis.

I would recommend this:
https://www.astronomics.com/astro-tech- ... l?___SID=U

The FPL3 optics will give you very little discernable CA - AT seem to have a very good build (although I've not used one I'm fairly sure these come out of the same factory as my Starfield 102ED... Sure you could go with the cheaper 72mm version but you'll probably be "upgrading" before too long to better optics if you really get in to it.

Are any telescopes besides reftractors worth looking at?

That depends on what you are trying to image, longer focal lengths for smaller objects. Refractors by far are the easiest to set up, IMHO. A refractor ED150 F/10 is about 1200 focal length native, lots of money. My C8-SCT, 2032 native and 1280 with a focal reducer, less than half the cost (but still lots of money), more difficult to work with but has distinct advantages over the ED150, namely weight and size. I started with an ED80 almost two years ago. Since, I've added a WO ZS73 so I could get full frame and a bigger FOV. I recently added the 8" SCT for tiny stuff. I will eventually add at least one more at about 800mm focal length. Below is a link to what looks like a halfway decent article that talks about the different type of telescopes.

Odyssey Magazine - Types of Telescopes

Clear Skies,
Chris

[hatflyer]

I think I'm leaning towards the Astro-Tech AT72EDII. Not as heavy as the 80s. As for flatteners, what's the limit on how little a flattener reduces focal length? I guess a 1.0 is too much to hope for?

[notFritzArgelander]

I think I'm leaning towards the Astro-Tech AT72EDII. Not as heavy as the 80s. As for flatteners, what's the limit on how little a flattener reduces focal length? I guess a 1.0 is too much to hope for?

you can find them. Orion has a near 1.0 flattener for short refractors. https://www.telescope.com/Orion-Field-F ... /99608.uts i've no experience with it. maybe someone else?

[chris_g]

I think I'm leaning towards the Astro-Tech AT72EDII. Not as heavy as the 80s. As for flatteners, what's the limit on how little a flattener reduces focal length? I guess a 1.0 is too much to hope for?

No, it's not. I have an Z73 with a flattener only. And the specs are almost exactly same as far as native focal length. You'll also get a scope capable of illuminating a full frame sensor, it is more expensive but not that much. The flattener is $218

Astro Tech AT72ED and William Otopics Zenith Star 73 and it's 1:1 flattener