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Ok, STW astronomers, the eldest has asked for a telescope for Xmas.
The consensus seems to be bigger the aperture size, the betterer...
The good lady wfe is looking at [url= http://www.jessops.com/online.store/categories/products/skywatcher/mercury-707-telescope-89846/show.html ]this[/url] 70mm model, for about £65-70, but is this size unit actually any good ?
The typical "bigger must be betterer" in me is looking at [url= http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/celestron-powerseeker-114eq-reflector-telescope-a08xl ]this[/url] 114mm model, for another £30 (minus 4% back from Quidco).
Advice...please ? 😐
The first one is a refractor telescope, the second is a reflector model. The refractor uses lenses to collect the light whereas the reflector uses a mirror and then a lens (the eyepiece). The reflector is better as cheaper refractors have baffles fitted inside the tube which restricts the light. If I was you I'd go to a 'real' telescope shop who can advise you... and prices will be better value rather than maplin etc who add their huge profits - not sure where you're located but try http://www.telescopes-binoculars.co.uk/
For that budget I would be looking at something second hand.
Have a look on here [url= http://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/ ]http://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/[/url]
Really cheap optics are pretty rubbish.
It's a bit like a FS BSO from Halfords, on paper it has the disk brakes, lots of gears and sufficient travel. In reality it's a heap of shite!
Been looking at this as well. Lots of youtube stuff: this explains all the types fairly well:
STW, yesterday:
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/where-to-buy-a-telescope
And a longer discussion from two weeks ago:
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/want-telescope-for-7yr-old-10yr-old-and-45yr-old