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What is the best telescope under $1000 USD?
Many people say that there is no "best" telescope, because everyone's needs are different. For example, some people would rather have an 8" scope on a tracking mount than a 10" scope that's a non-tracking dob. Some people have weight restrictions, since they can only lift a certain amount. Some people's cars are smaller than others. Some want a computer locator, some are into the thrill of the hunt.
My view is that $1000 doesn't buy you a bigger APO telescope for high contrast planet views than a Newtonian Dob with an offset mask for the same price. Offset masks are cheap. If you've got a 90 mm offset mask for a 250 mm scope, that's like having a 90 mm APO. Can you get an APO over 90 mm for under $1000? And SCTs are always twice the cost per aperture than Newtonians. And, SCT's have larger central obstructions than Newtonians. So even same aperture isn't equal, resulting in lower contrast. So in my view, the Newtonian wins hands down. That leaves the mount. And for under the $1000, you have to give up quite a bit of aperture to get a good EQ mount. Since you can get a push-to computer on a dob these days, the dob/Newtonian wins. That's a 12 inch Newtonian dob without a computer, a 10 inch with a computer, or an 8 inch Newtonian on an EQ mount without a computer. For me, the 10" wins hands down.
Argue with me. Best argument wins BA. Note: you have to disagree with me to win. So, no brown nosing.
The heaviest bit of my 10" is 27 lbs. Sure it's bulkier than your 11" SCT, but it's 11 lbs lighter. And it's easier to put together, since the dob mount is lower. And this is essentially the same area, since the SCT has a larger obstruction. But you can't get anything like an 11" SCT for $1000. An 11" SCT is $3000. You'd rather have a 6" SCT on a tracking mount than a 10" Dob with computer, or 12" Dob without? If so, why not an 8" Newtonian on an EQ mount? Heaviest bit on the 12" truss dob is 40 lbs (much heavier than the 10").
There's no reason you can't use an offset mask with an SCT. It's just a smaller mask per diameter than a Newtonian.
You might be able to put a tracking wedge under the 10" Newtonian for cheaper than buying an astrophotography scope. Limited to approximately 1 hour images. But you can stack. I've not yet tried it. I might attempt a DIY project.
I wasn't able to find a new 90mm APO for $1000, but i did spot an 85mm APO for $750. So this is much more comparable than i thought.
No real aperture fever here. I've got a 10" Newtonian Dob. It sets up in 3 minutes, fits in the car, etc. It's a grab & go scope. I use 8x21 binoculars mostly. If i really want a good look, i use the scope. So the 8x21s are just to find stuff. I used to use 8x42s, but they're much heavier, and don't fit in my pocket.
I recently observed with a guy who has a 16" truss dob. Should be a magnitude brighter. Wouldn't fit in my car. But it might if i had a hatchback. He doesn't have a computer, and doesn't have 3 minute setup time. For this sort of thing, my club has a 22". I'd use the club scope more than if i owned it, due to 3 person setup requirement.
For $3000, i might stick with the 10" Newtonian, but buy an EQ mount (the Atlas) with it's computer for about $1700. There may be a better EQ mount. Then i could convert back to a dob if i want. But i don't like how high the 10" is on this mount. And the jury is out on how good it is at photography. I mean, it's better than the Dob, but how is it at long exposures, i don't know.
I've got a laser now, and use it the same way you do. I have a dove tail mount for it, so the laser can go where my finder is. After alignment, i don't use the finder scope much. I have NOT found that re-adjusting the Dob between customers is difficult. With the little kids, i have to check if they've moved it anyway. And i like to change objects frequently. The pushto system uses a 9 volt battery that lasts for months of heavy use. I have cobbled together dew heaters for primary and secondary that last all night on AA's. I use rechargables.
Sure, at 300x, objects fly across the field of view. But i move the Dob, the object is at the other edge again, and the mount settles immediately. It's totally rock solid. Now, outreach is tough at 300x. But i do 240x all the time.
Maybe it's just that there's a big knee of the curve at the 10" Newtonian Dob, and it happens to be near my $1000 mark. I may have mispoken. For $3000, i'd still get the $700 Newtonian Dob with computer and then get a Paracorr, maybe two low power 2" eyepieces, a couple higher power 1.25" eyepieces with wide AFOV. Green laser. Mount for the laser. A good carry bag for the scope. A good box for the eyepieces. A couple books. A couple charts. $3000 still isn't enough for photography.
One thing that bothers me is how good a hydrogen alpha solar scope really is. Would i really look at the Sun that much? But damn, they're good.
The trouble with astrophography is that the guys at the club who do a great job at it have a minimum of $9000 in equipment. I'd really like to be able to do it for less. I think it can be done, but haven't proven anything. They can't image in strong wind, but a cheap tent can solve that.
I borrowed an 8" SCT from my club for outreach events. I was able to get it aligned for groups with half hours between adjustment. I still needed a kitchen stool for kids, and bigger kids since the eyepiece is on a higher tripod. You need a diagonal for the SCT, where you don't for a dob. I still had to watch the scope, because of the little kids. It limits my talking. It didn't have a GoTo, so a 9 volt battery ran the motor. But though i knew a dozen objects, i couldn't just point to a galaxy, then a cluster, then a nebula in the same five minutes, as i've done with my pushto. The views are OK, though. And, i've aligned the manual setting circles and found objects. Slow, but i was new at it.
7 Answers
- SalvadorLv 71 decade agoFavorite Answer
Sounds like you've already made up your mind.
If I had $1000 to blow on a telescope, and I couldn't cheat and get a televue ethos eyepiece, I'd go with an 90mm APO with a motorized mount. I already have a damned good 10" dob but would love tio get into astrophotography
- Larry454Lv 71 decade ago
Well, as you say, everyone's needs are different. I can understand why you would prefer that scope for observing all kinds of objects. It really is ideal. Max aperture, easy setup, quick moving from one target to the next, etc.
But that does not fit my interest. What I like best about the hobby is sharing it with others. I like nothing better than the 5 second pause between "I can't see anything" and "Oh, wow!" So I take my scope out to schools, scout groups, summer festivals under the street lights, etc. If I have 20 people standing in line, I cannot re-center the scope between each viewer - it doesn't work. I need a reliable clock drive so I can set a target and it will be centered a half hour later.
In the same sense, I am always showing the folks what they are seeing before they get to the eyepiece. So I use a laser pointer - with respect for others - to show them the shape of the constellations and the location of the target. They find it interesting if they know that the M13 cluster is 1/3 of the distance along the side of Hercules. In fact, they find it interesting to see the constellation Hercules. So a computer finder is of little use, since most of my targets are big and easy to find - for me. If the sky is too light polluted to find those targets, it's probably time to find another location. And if I don't know the sky, the computer is not going to help me explain it to anyone else.
As far as the SCT vs a Newtonian on an equatorial mount, I have found that the components of my 11 inch Schmidt-Cassegrain are much lighter and more compact that those of a Newtonian of similar aperture. Nothing weighs more than 38 lbf, and it is easy to set up and use.
So it is true that I cannot achieve the views of the high priced apos, or perhaps even a masked Newtonian. I have compensated for that somewhat by obtaining the best eyepieces that I can - which helps a lot on a dark night. But I can show a whole group of kids their first look at Saturn in ease and comfort. I'll take that trade.
I highly respect your choice. It is well reasoned and logical. It's just not my choice. Regards -
ADDED: Of course, my scope cost more than $1000, so my case is sort of unfair in that regard. But the logic would remain unchanged - perhaps the aperture and the mount quality would would suffer if I had to spend less.
ADDED (2) In the same sense - what would you buy if you had - say - $3000 to spend? It's just another part of the criteria to consider.
ADDED (3) - You're right - I wrote most of my response without thinking about the cost - which was your original criterion. But you are thinking in terms of someone out in the middle of a field looking at dim stuff all night. That's not my favorite thing to do. Granted, I have to spend more to practice the hobby my way, and granted, that was not your original question. But the way you have phrased the question sort of automatically leads to your own set of choices, doesn't it?
I mean, if I had to make that choice, I would probably put off the purchase until I could afford the scope I have. In fact, that's exactly what I did do for 20 years before I bought this scope. So your question as worded does not really apply to my version of the hobby. Anyone interested in astrophotography would have the same issue - i.e.: "a $1000 limit doesn't make any sense in my astrophotography hobby - I couldn't do anything." The hobby of amateur astronomy - as you know - is not limited to one way of doing things. If it was, we would all own Dobsonians. So what I said is still true and may be of value to someone.
ADDED (4) Agreed - If I ever buy another scope, it will probably be a solar one.
I cannot imagine trying to keep a good view on a Dob while the kids are lined up and pushing to get a look. If you can do it, you have my utmost respect.
No hard feelings!
- n2s.astronomyLv 41 decade ago
It sounds like you have developed a strong case of aperture fever. But, there is more to astronomy then can be had with a big light bucket.
For me, first and foremost, I want a good EQ mount. I want something that can track a target smoothly, even with a reasonable level of magnification. Pushing a shoving works fine at 50x; but at 200-300+ the slightest touch can knock your target out of the field of view. It is much easier with slow motion RA that is either manually driven or moved by a motorized clock drive.
I also find it easier to rotate a diagonal, then the entire OTA. Lets make that a point in favor of the SCTs and refractors, at the expense of the EQ mounted newtonians. While most of the APOs, are going to be beyond the budget of someone with $1000 limit, the slower achromats are very nearly as good. A Celestron CR6, or Meade AR6 can deliver some very sharp planetary views; There is a little color, but not enough to really make much of a difference; and if you can find an F15 refractor there is almost no color aberration at all.
But, the best telescope for you is going to be the one you use the most. Unless, you are lucky enough to set up a permanent observatory, that, usually means a modestly sized scope. The Celestron 10N on a CG5 goto is excellent, but it weighs about 120Lbs, requires a battery tank, and it is not the kind of thing I want to set up for a quick viewing session; for one thing the big tube takes time to cool down.
The scopes I use the most are usually more along the lines of a 3-5 inch refractor, or a 6-inch newtonian. They are the kinds of scopes that you can simply grab and use, for all of those short 1 hour viewing sessions. That, and a good pair of binoculars, is enough to keep you busy for a long time.
- Anonymous6 years ago
This Site Might Help You.
RE:
What is the best telescope under $1000 USD?
Many people say that there is no "best" telescope, because everyone's needs are different. For example, some people would rather have an 8" scope on a tracking mount than a 10" scope that's a non-tracking dob. Some people have weight restrictions, since they can only...
Source(s): telescope 1000 usd: https://shortly.im/YQW5m - How do you think about the answers? You can sign in to vote the answer.
- GeoffGLv 71 decade ago
My main telescope is an 11" Starmaster Newtonian on a Dobsonian mount, which is mounted on a Tom Osypowski equatorial platform. This is pretty close to my ideal except it's worth around $4000, not $1000! It has superb optics, an excellent mount, and equatorial tracking. If I needed to stay under $1000, I'd go with an Orion SkyQuest XT10 Intelliscope, and try to add an equatorial platform when I could afford it. Apochromatic refractors are nice toys, but cost way too much money for a reasonable aperture. I just can't enjoy myself with less than 6" aperture.
- Anonymous5 years ago
This Site Might Help You. RE: Best Telescope For Astro Photography, Under 1000$? The title says it all. I have dealt with astronomy and photography for a while, and I am looking to get into a mix of the 2. I know about t-mounts and adapters, just need a scope.
