[Main General Bulletin Board | BBFAQ | Prev by Date | Post Followup ] Member Login / Signup - Members see fewer ads. - Latest Member Gallery Photos Size matters - go smaller (and cheaper) Like This Post: - Subscribe to Daily Digest for this Bulletin Board Posted by Ari [Email] (#2847) [Profile/Gallery] (more from Ari) on Mon, 17 Jan 2005 06:35:18 In Reply to: OT: Telescope for a kid, Bill Homer [Profile/Gallery] , Fri, 14 Jan 2005 21:48:56 Alert me when someone posts in this thread: Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup

Telescopes are great. The downside of bigger ones is that, well ,they're big. Big to carry, big to lug out to the backyard or that dark spot, and big to store. Of course, the solution are those nice SC- folded optics types, like the better Meads or Celestrons. But now you're talking Big Bucks - and no offense, if you kid decides that something else is the Big Thing in three weeks, you're out some sizeable cash.

My advice is to go cheap and small. When that becomes too limiting, then you'll know more about the 'sport' to make a better decision as to what you want. And I advise against the computerized mounts, and maybe even motorized mounts, to start. You and child will learn a lot about astronomy by having to deal with a non-computer-aimed telescope. And a lower-magnificiation - wider-field one is best to start with, so even an motorized mount is unnecessary at first.

I'd go with a simple refractor, as basic as you can. The idea of binoculars is great - that's how I started. Get a nice set of wide field binos, with big lenses - they're brighter that way. No need to spend $500 - go inexpensive first. The great thing about binos is that they are very portable, and you can use them in daylight for hiking. If you can get a set with a tripod mount, that and an inexpensive photo tripod (also multi-use with cameras and videocams) makes a nice setup.

posted by 192.249....

• OT: Telescope for a kid, Bill Homer , Fri, 14 Jan 2005 21:48:56
  • Follow-up, Bill Homer , Mon, 17 Jan 2005 21:20:27
    • Re: Follow-up, dboone, Mon, 17 Jan 2005 22:02:23
      • Yes, wide field eyepieces, get some good quality..., TKC, Tue, 18 Jan 2005 07:39:59
  • Re: OT: Telescope for a kid, dboone, Mon, 17 Jan 2005 20:06:46
  • Re: OT: Telescope for a kid, Aaron Govatos, Mon, 17 Jan 2005 08:29:38
  • Size matters - go smaller (and cheaper), Ari , Mon, 17 Jan 2005 06:35:18 <-- Viewing This Message
  • Maybe none...., LesH, Sat, 15 Jan 2005 11:01:02
  • Start with a small binoculars for general star...., TKC, Sat, 15 Jan 2005 06:14:07
  • Re: OT: Telescope for a kid, chrisx, Sat, 15 Jan 2005 00:34:31
  • Make your own!, Ernesto , Fri, 14 Jan 2005 22:54:51
    • Re: Make your own!, MI-Roger , Sat, 15 Jan 2005 06:18:57

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