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FAQGeneral Telescope Information Questions & Answers
Every day, we have potential telescope purchasers come into our store with stars in their eyes. Our staff used to be surprised at the number of people who would state that they had ALWAYS wanted a telescope, and that they were so happy to finally be able to make that dream come true. But we are not caught by surprise when hearing this little confession anymore, as it seems that nearly everyone, at one time or another in their life, has dreamed about being able to look into the depths of the heavens from their own little piece of earth. I have never met a person who actually FORGOT the first time they saw Saturn through a telescope. It is a memory that holds on tight to our imagination and imbeds itself in our list of important life experiences... much the same way we remember the first launch of the Space Shuttle, or, if we are "experienced" enough, the assasination of John F. Kennedy. If you have always wanted a telescope, or if, like myself ten years ago, you find that you are suddenly struck with the desire, you will need some help. There are lots of ads out there in telescope-land, and lots of opinions to go with them; and afterall, how often does one shop for a telescope? This is the reason for the OTHER look that potential telescope purchasers have when they come into our store... the look of utter confusion! The information is broken down into three parts: Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Begin, Telescopes Designs-Their Pro's and Con's, and General Questions and Answers. TOP In order to help you decide which telescope path to walk down, ask yourself these questions: 1) Do I want to use my telescope during the day, at night, or both? Not all telescopes fit all applications well. If you want to use your telescope to whale watch, for instance, you will want to pick either a refractor or Cassegrain design. You will want to stay away from reflectors. The reason for this is that reflectors (more on the design differences later) give an upside-down or sideways view of the world, while either a refractor or Cassegrain telescope is capable of a image erect, left-to-right correct "picture".TOP 2) Do I want to take pictures through my telescope? If you are into photography or think you might want to be in the future, it is important to consider a few things. First of all, a sturdy mount for the telescope is of more importance that usual... and it is always important! A shaky mount will a fuzzy picture make. Stay away from the inexpensive 60mm alt-az refractors. The mount on these things is just not stable enough. You will also want to stay away from the "Dobsonian" style telescopes if you want to do photography. While this style telescope is wonderful for visual use, the mount does not lock down. So this leaves better refractors, Cassegrain-style telescopes, and equatorially mounted reflectors on your list of possibilities. If you want to do "deep-space" photography like the photos you see in the pages of Astronomy or Sky & Telescope magazine(s), you will need a dual-axis drive on your telescope. More on this later...TOP< 3) Do I want to travel with my telescope? Take it in my car? Take it on a plane? (I feel like Dr. Suess...) Portability is a very strong deciding factor here. If you want to travel on an airplane with your telescope, you will want to pick one that will fit underneath the seat for your peace of mind. If you want to travel in your car with your telescope, as most people do (dark skies give the best deep-space views), then you need to think about whether the telescope, tripod, and accessories will fit in your car (and allow you to still be able to wedge a thermos of coffee between the seats). The most portable telescopes are Cassegrain-types and short focal length refractors. More portable still are the above-mentioned telescopes mounted on a sturdy photographic tripod (See Spotting Scope Info).TOP 4) Who is this telescope for? An adult? A child? Both? If you are buying this telescope for yourself (assuming you are an adult) or another grown-up, remember that our expectations are a bit higher than that of a child. We expect the telescope to move smoothly, give nice images, and allow us to see a plethora of objects. A child could very well be happy with a telescope that will resolve the moon well and show the rings of Saturn. Consider the age of the child. The older he or she is, the more they will expect. A cheap, department-store telescope is not worth getting regardless of the age, however. More enthusiastic beginners have lost their love for astronomy because of the disappointing results and ridiculous claims made by the marketers of these telescopes. Better to get a good pair of binoculars or save your money towards a better telescope.TOP 5) Do I have a computer, and would it thrill me to no end to be able to run my telescope from my PC and possibly do electronic imaging through my telescope? Five years ago, this question wouldn't have been worth asking, because five years ago, CCD cameras were for the most part only used by observatories and professionals. Today, CCD cameras take up a substantial percentage of ad space in the astronomical magazines and are geared toward the amateur astronomer. If you own a personal computer or are thinking about taking the plunge soon, you may want to consider the idea of integrating your telescope with your computer via software and/or a CCD camera system. While this type of equipment is more expensive than other astronomical setups, it is still well within the reach of a growing number of people AND it will give you instant gratification as you see images you have taken with your CCD system coming up on your computer terminal minutes after the shot was taken! This truly is a wonderful time in history to be embracing the hobby of astronomy!TOP 6) How much do I want to spend? It always comes down to this, doesn't it? Telescopes are available in a very wide price range... from about $150 for a 60mm alt/az refractor with tripod (telescopes can be assumed to come complete with tripod unless otherwise stated) to $15,000+ for Meade Instrument's 16" computerized LX200! Luckily, there are lots of choices in between those two numbers. In general, you can figure the following (for a more complete list of product available, see our Product Page:Now that you have asked yourself the above questions, and hopefully have answers to a few of them, it is time to learn about the different telescope designs out on the market today. As you will see, there is a design out there best suited for what you want to do most... deciding just takes a little reading, soul-searching, and, in some cases, compromising just a tad! |
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