Best GOTO telescope for a beginner £250-£400?

Question

Can somebody suggest a GOTO telescope for me that costs between £250 and £400?

I am a beginner and I have been interested in astronomy for years! haha

But I am interested in getting a GOTO telescope.

Thanks :)

BTW i am in the UK.

digquickly · Accepted Answer

Well, ..., there isn't one that is any good for that price range. The closest price for a decent goto scope is £745.00 (see below). So, you've got a few options.

1) By a large aperture scope for £435 such as the: Skywatcher Skyliner 250PX Dobsonian.  Really the larger the aperture the more you can observe.
2) Save your money until you can afford a GoTo Scope.

You can purchase cheaper goto scopes than the one I mentioned above however, they will be nothing but garbage.  Or as we say here in the south "Trash on a Tripod".  Really don't waste your money on such garbage.  They'll lure you in with promises of great performance but in the end you'll be sorely disappointed.   In the meantime read the article below  on purchasing a first telescope.

Purchasing a First Telescope
--------------------------------------------
When considering a 'first' telescope, I first suggest that you read the following article will give you some information on how different types of telescopes work, as well as, additional buying tips: http://www.raleighastro.org/observing/general-articles/102-purchasing-a-telescope

Now the best pricing for a decent first scope that I can suggest is a Dobsonian scope with a 6"  or 8" mirror  (e.g. Skywatcher Skyliner 150P Dobsonian - ~£215 or Skywatcher Skyliner 200P Dobsonian - ~£289).  The lowest cost "beginner's" GoTo computerized scope that has astrophotography capability (meaning you still have to buy some accessories to make it fully astrophotography ready) is the Celestron NexStar 6SE at £745.00

The dobsonians I've suggested is a great visual beginner scopes and are super for just taking out to the backyard for casual observing but will definitely hold their own at any amateur astronomy gathering. they're also easy for young people to use and operate. You can do short exposure astrophotography with them but not long exposure astrophotography (for that, as you saw above, you'll need a lot more money - See "Astrophotograpphy for Web Cams - Robert Reeves").

The Dobsonian scopes I mentioned and the Celstron NexStar 6SE will be much more durable and of higher quality tan any depsrtment store scope you'll find. Moreover, you'll be able to see all of the Messier objects (DSO's) plus many of the brighter NCG objects (DSO's), many many stars plus: Mercury, Venus, Earth's Moon, Mars, Jupiter and it's moons, Saturn, its rings and moons, Uranus, Neptune and the dwarf planet Pluto, as well as, many of the minor planets, comets, and asteroids. Plus, it's easy to transport, setup, and use (under 60 seconds from car to ground ... no kidding).

Bottom Line: any scope with less than a 6" mirror with a 1200mm focal length, IMHO, would be a waste of money. See the links below for low priced dobsonian scopes with 6" and 8" mirrors. However, the larger the aperture (size of primary objective ... like an 6", 8", 10", 12" mirror or larger) the better. Also, there are many brands of dobsonian scopes made by many different companies that you can choose from. I only offered these as examples because they are popular with our club members.

For more advice I would suggest that you contact your local astronomy club.  You don't have to own a telescope to join! Joining your local astronomy club is the best way to nurture your passion for astronomy.  Plus, you'll find that they'll be able to provide you lots of great advice and support for acquiring and operating a telescope.

UK Links
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http://www.green-witch.com/acatalog/Dobsonian_Range.html
http://www.firstlightoptics.com/proddetail.php?prod=dobsky150
http://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-skyliner-200p-dobsonian.html
http://www.scsastro.co.uk/catalogue/orion-skyquest-xt6-classic.htm
http://www.firstlightoptics.com/se-series/celestron-nexstar-6se.html
http://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-skyliner-250px-dobsonian.html

Anonymous · Answer

Best Goto Telescope

Steve B · Answer

Join your local Astronomy Society & ASK THEM for advise .. most members are very willing to show off their own kit and help a 'new starter'

More to the point, just like your first car,  you should 'test drive' a few other members telescopes .to 'see what suits you' . ... and then consider buying 'second hand' ... (whilst telescopes hold their value better than cars, I'm afraid it's till true that the one you buy at the (specialist) dealer will be way over the price of the same thing second hand on eBay, especially if it's 'buyer collects' )

PS expect to pay £500+ for anything 'decent', even second hand

? · Answer

The least expensive GOTO telescope that I would recommend is the Celestron NexStar 6SE. It costs £749 which is a bit over your budget:
http://www.widescreen-centre.co.uk/Products/Celestron_NexStar_6_%28XLT%29_.html
The 5-inch version just falls within your budget, but has a smaller aperture and a less solid mount:
http://www.widescreen-centre.co.uk/Products/Celestron_NexStar_5_%28XLT%29_.html
A better alternative would be the Orion IntelliScope 8XTi, which is "pushto" rather than "goto." It's just as good as a GOTO scope at finding things, but uses human power rather than motors. It is also quieter, uses less batteries, and has a larger aperture. That's the one I would choose:
http://www.widescreen-centre.co.uk/Products/ORION_USA_SKYQUEST_XT8_Intelli.html

[Edit] Oops, I misread your budget as £600 rather than £400.  You just can't get a decent computerized telescope at that price. Your best bet would be a non-computerized 8-inch Dob like this:
http://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-skyliner-200p-dobsonian.html

Aperture is more important than computerization.

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Best GOTO telescope for a beginner £250-£400?

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