Reddit mentions: The best binoculars, telescopes & optics

Hello :-)

What is your budget?

Most cheap and small telescopes are utter garbage, sorry. "Small" and "Pocket" suggest a small aperture and flimsy mount. For astronomy, that's a deadly combo :-)

• Binoculars. As /u/sflamel wrote :-) Even cheaper $30 binoculars such as the Cometron 7x50 are OK, but you get what you pay for. Still, a better choice than anything in the sub-$100 range.
  
  
• Verdict: Yes!
  
  
• $20: Astromedia Cardboard newtonian, plumber's telescope kit or Galilean kit (US). These work, are educational and fun to build. Overall they make more sense than a small telescope. IF the person likes to build stuff.
  
  
• Verdict: Yes?
  
  
  
• 50mm refractor. These cost under $50, but mount and accessories simply suck. Sorry. They might look like your normal telescope, and beginners will think: "This is great!" but they are not. Some start at 27 dollars. Even the ones from Brands like Celestron or Meade (e.g. 50az, 60az, 60eq) share some of the issues (stability, accessories).
  
  
• Verdict: Please No.
  
  
• $40-$60: Firstscope 76/300, Meade Lightbridge Mini 82 and similar.
  
  
• Travelscope.
  
  
• Those are cute small telescopes, but they do not show a lot. I used mine a couple of nights, but moved on. They have flawed optics making them less ideal for planets, and for wide-field, binoculars are much easier to use.
  
  
  
• Verdict: Firstscope/Mini: Maybe yes. Travelscope: Maybe No.
  
  
• 70eq, 70az and similar telescopes: Mount often not ideal. They work, but 70mm aperture is pretty limited by today's "standard".
  
  
• Verdict: Inspire or LT 70az maybe, but you can usually get a better telescope for a similar price-tag.
  
  
• $70-$100: Orion Skyscanner 100; Often $75 as "2nd" (used/refurbished) via Telescope.com. For that, it's a nice table-top telescope that already is more useful than the 3" table-tops. Still, it's not ideal.
  
  
• Verdict: Maybe. Beats most, far from perfect.
  
  
• $130 Dazzle 4.5. This is where it starts to get a bit better. 4.5" aperture already shows quite a bit compared to the other entry-level telescopes. It's not ideal for planets, but still outperforms all the cheap 3" telescopes.
  
  
• Verdict: Yes. Better choice in this price-range!
  
  
• Ignore all the 127eq and 114eq in this price-range. They either have flawed optics (bird-jones 114/1000, 127/1000; Spherical mirror: Astromaster 130) or a weak mount (All of them).
  
  
• Verdict: Burn. ... Especially these and the smaller refractors can often be found for $10-$20 on the classifieds, because no one wants them anymore.
  
  
• $180-200: Lightbridge Mini 130, Zhumell z130, AWB Oneksy (Europe: Heritage 130p). These are among the best entry-level telescopes despite some quirks. Other telescopes in a similar price-range are the Meade Inifnity 102mm (short, not ideal for planets, but decent otherwise), 90eq (decent but small aperture shows less), Orion xt4.5 (a bit more expensive, focal-ratio has some benefits compared to the 130mm table-tops, but it's price is close to a great 6" dobsonian). These might look like toys to some, but they are much less than an overpriced, bad, weak little refractor with 5 star rating on Amazon.
  
  
• Verdict: Wow!
  
  
• $300, $400: Skywatcher 6" or 8" dobsonian, Zhumell z8. Big. More expensive. Show so much more. z8 has so many accessories it's one of the best deals out there.
  
  
• Celestron Nexstar 130 or 127 SLT: Computerized, but GoTo will NOT make everything easier for beginners. Relatively compact. 8" will show a lot more though.
  
  
• Verdict: DO NOT get these. You will have tired employees all the time. They will stay up all night looking through their great telescope and come to work sleepy every other day!
  
  Difference a large aperture makes
  
  Size, Portability
  
   
  
  If you where thinking of something like a small $10-$20 handheld monocular or a $20-$50 spotting-scope: These work well for day-time and the moon. They are pretty bad for astronomy though. Anything with zoom in this price-range is. And over 10x magnification is difficult to hold free-handed, during the night, when you try to focus on a small detail. It's tolerable during the day, but not for nebulae and such.
  
  &nbp;
  
  TL;DR: "Turn left at Orion" or "Nightwatch" plus binoculars -> Best entry level set for beginners. Or at least the telescope in the $120-$200 range.
  
  
  Clear skies!

Edit at the top for the OP - Don't buy a telescope until you're committed to the hobby. If you live in the US go to a local star party whenever you have the chance. People will be more than happy to let you take a quick peek through their scopes and explain what you're looking at. Before you buy a scope, get acquainted with the hobby by getting a simple star chart, you can pick those up for $10 online. And then buy these binoculars Those are the gold standard for people just starting out. They're only $50 and they're great. On the off chance that they are mis-collimated just call their customer service line and they'll walk you through how to fix it. It's not the big deal some people make it out to be. They have a nice wide field and they're great for learning the sky. The seven sisters are amazing through them as is the moon, and they're just powerful enough to see Albireo clearly. On a dark night you can also see the Orion Nebula (although small) and see the full disc of Andromeda as well as all the Galilean moons around Jupiter.

Books:

The Backyard Astronomers guide

Turn Left at Orion

Websites:

• Astronomy Cast - Start at episode one and just work your way up. Probably the best astronomy podcast in existence.
  
  
• Universe Today Run by Fraser Cain of Astronomy cast
  
  
• Star Stryder - Dr. Pamela Gay's blog
  
  
• APOD Gorgeous photos and explanations to go with them.
  
  
• Centauri Dreams - For when you want to dream big... but not necessarily realistic.
  
  
• EarthSky - Science news with an Astronomy slant
  
  
• SpaceWeather - Shit about the sun
  
  
• Zooniverse - Participate in real science
  
  
• Space.com - All space all the time.
  
  
• Planetary Society - More awesome space stuff
  
  
• Citizen Sky - Little more advanced but another way to contribute.
  
  
• AAVSO - Learn about variable stars and contribute to the cause.
  
  Phone apps: (If you have an android phone)
  
  
• Google Sky - Augmented reality app that shows you exactly what you're looking at.
  
• Satellite AR - Will show all satellite passes above you in real time. Also augmented reality.
  
• SkEye - Similar to google sky but with much more detail
  
• Heavens Above - Find satellite passes, Iridium flares, ISS passes, all sortable by date, time, location, and luminosity.
  
• Where is IO - A great Jupiter map for figuring out which moons you're looking at when observing Jupiter
  
• Star Odyssey - A great tool to find data on stars. Like a mini encyclopedia about star targets.
  
• Telescope Calculator Lite - When you get a scope, you can input all variables and get specs for your scope and eyepieces. Great tool for the field.
  
  Must have programs for your computer:
  
  
• Celestia - Can do anything but the learning curve can be discouraging. Amazing program once you learn the basics.
  
  
• Stellarium - The most essential amazing amateur program ever created. Look up any star, constellation, asterism, messier object, etc etc etc, then see what it will look like through your exact telescope at any time of night. INCREDIBLE and essential program.
  
  
• Virtual Moon Atlas - Unreal program for lunar observing. Love it. Love it. Love it.
  
  That should keep you busy for awhile.
  
  Edit: Can't believe I forgot Cloudy Nights Pretty much the most comprehensive Astronomy forum on the web.
  

Getting your first scope is so exciting! I'm very much an amateur and casual observer myself, but my dad and I have been into astronomy for about four years now.

First, I recommend looking into some space/astro societies in your area, there's Tacoma Astronomical Society and Rose City Astronomers in my area for example! Each club has different resources, but they can be super helpful. You can meet locals and see if they have resources you can rent- like telescopes, or books and whatnot. It's saved me a dime or two. Sometimes they have online forums too. I also highly recommend going to star parties, it's where I've learned the most! You can see other people's set ups, ask loads of questions, and get a better sense for what you might want. We did this for about 6 months before getting our first scope, and before that we nabbed a pair of nice binoculars .

Now, you have to consider, when you get a scope you aren't just getting a scope. You're probably getting filters, eye pieces, protective gear, batteries, red lights, etc. etc. and then probably a tool box to carry all of this- which you might want to customize with foam or something to keep everything safe and tidy. It's an Investment. Now, looking at jupiter and saturn won't require much, but eventually you might want to look at the moon (needs filters), or special eyepieces that let have more magnification, or there's even filters that let you see some colors, etc!

I, personally, would highly recommend getting a manual (specifically, Dobsonian *) scope for your first one- not computerized. Learning the sky and it's constellations is part of astronomy, and having to find stuff yourself is really helpful- and rewarding! Plus, computerized scopes require pretty hardy batteries, especially if you want to take it out to darker skies which usually means more rural aka no plugs. They also require certain stars to be be visible to be able to calibrate. Manual scopes require no plugs, no consistent power source, and no learning computer programs-NexStar can be a pain imo, some reading required (plus Jupiter and Saturn are pretty easy to spot with the naked eye anyways). Plus it's fun being able to point out stuff to friends just by knowing where a few stars are. We only got a computerized equatorial mount (meaning it tracks objects) when we wanted to try out long exposure astro- photography. This 8in dob was our first scope, and I still love it- it's the go-to (Craigslist, amazon used, and other shops are worth a gander too).

*I'm 99% sure dobsonian and newtonian telescopes are the same, except for the mounts they're on (newtonian is tripod, dobsonian is a base that can move up down and in a circle)

Also, I consider Sinnott's Sky Atlas a must!

Lmk if you have any questions!

(Edit: sorry if this is repetitive- reddit says there are four comments, but isn't letting see me them atm.)

I don't know much about the tunnels, but I'm sure others do. Check out other local parks, big and small, to find places you like [Winton Woods, Sharon Woods, Mt. Storm, Ault Park, etc).

Take The Cake [Cafe+Bakery] in Northside has a chalkboard menu, so every day the food is different, but awesome. (I'm biased towards this place. Others will say MELT, etc)

If you like music, be sure to keep track of all the local venues, big and small.

• 20th Century Theater, Madison Theater, etc
  
• Memorial Hall, Music Hall
  
• Northside Tavern, Mayday, MOTR, Drinkery, Neon's, Mockbee, (is BunkSpot still open?)
  
• US Bank Arena, Riverbend, Bogarts, etc
  
• Contemporary Art Center also has the occasional concert
  
  Arcade Legacy is popular amongst redditors, they moved to Cincinnati Mills Mall, haven't checked out the new location yet, but they have $10 all you can play, plus a large selection of music and games that are very reasonably priced.
  
  MPMF Indie Summer Series is going on now. Every Friday on Fountain Square there's live music, 3 bands each night, and sometimes they have really good tunes. My highlights from last year were Pomegranates and These United States.
  
  If you like stargazing, or just want to be able to see stars, I recommend Stone Lick State Park. It's about 50 minutes East of Cincy, and the park is a dark sky site, so there's not much light pollution and you can see the sky much better than you can in the burbs or the city. I've got a pair of these Celestron binoculars, you can see some incredible stuff on a clear night.
  
  That's all I've got off the top of my head. Cheers!
  
  
  *Edit: Final Friday's in OTR/Cincy, most of the galleries have stuff going on [wine & cheese], same thing with a lot of the bars. Second Saturday in Northside is the same deal. Going to gallery openings is fun because you can feel fancy, see some good art (sometimes), and drink free booze.

Just did a bunch of binocular research last year. I was looking for a pair for similar things as you, though mostly stargazing and hiking. Personally, I wound up buying a pair of Pentax PCF II 10x50s, which are waterproof, well-built, steady, sharp, and ~$150.

8x vs 10x is a personal thing. I'd heard people say 10x was harder to hold still, but I found the difference there to be negligible and the extra magnification very nice to have. I'd go to a store and try out models that come in both magnifications (e.g. comparable 8x and 10x Nikons or something) to figure out which you like more and what you can hold steady comfortably. The field-of-view difference is there, sure, but again it's a matter of taste; to me, 5º for my set vs 6.5º for some others wasn't a deal-breaker.

It sounds like you're leaning towards mostly daytime use, which makes things a little easier, because the other big variable with binoculars is the exit pupil (= objective diameter / magnification), which controls how much light gets to your eyeballs. For the same magnification, a bigger objective size gives you more light-gathering power at the expense of more size & weight (& cost, usually). As an example, "standard" 7x35 binoculars have an exit pupil of ~5 mm, which is a good balance of weight and dusk-time visibility. 7x50s, on the other hand, sometimes get called "night glasses" because they're so much better at gathering light than your eyes that they really bring out detail well in crappy lighting. If you're going to be using these exclusively during the day, you could get away with a 4mm exit pupil, but I'd consider something larger if you're thinking about astronomy use or if you might be attending night-time games (especially poorly-lit high school or collegiate games).

So, in your 8x vs. 10x case, that means your choices are really 8x40 and 10x50 in a 5mm, or 8x56 and 10x60 in a 6mm. There's lots of good pairs in all of those categories; I'd skip the 7mm-exit-pupil pairs, since they get heavy fast at 8x or 10x. Generally you get better quality at a lower price point with porto-prism binoculars than roof-prism pairs, so that's a consideration, though the Monarchs are consistently well reviewed (they were also above my own price-point). Nikon does make a very-well regarded pair called the Action Extremes, though. I'd also look into Pentax and Oberwerk models. Oh, and if you wear glasses, make sure you get something with adequate eye relief so you don't have to pop your glasses or shades on and off every time you want to use the binoculars.

Good hunting! =)

> I have a tiny little step ladder that would perfect and folds nicely

Great! And you can also use that stepladder to sit on, since you'll rarely be using the scope when it's fully vertical, however, having somewhere to sit on is a great way to increase your stability and enhance the observing experience. And stepladders happen to be one of the quick-and-dirty solutions I suggest around quite often.

> I'm so glad you mentioned binoculars! I didn't even think about that but it is such a great solution. Any tips on binoculars?

Well, it depends on your budget. Basically, the best 7x50 bins you could afford. Something like Celestron Cometron 7x50 if you're super tight on budget, or Nikon Aculon A211 7x50 if you want a more durable set that'll last you for longer. There're a lot more options, these are just the two that immediately came to my mind :)

Binoculars are also great aid to have aside the telescope as well. you can use them to plot star hopping route, or just look at objects that would be otherwise too large to fit into telescope's field of view.

I know this is late, but I'll answer anyway. I'm a 14-year-old. A few months ago I did chores and saved for a compound microscope. It is my prized possession and has inspired me to dabble in AP biology on my own time. I believe if your child is already inspired by the wonderful world of microscopy, the type does not matter, as long as it works well. Although, if you combine it with slides and accessories/stains to prepare your own slides, your child could learn more about lab skills. This would be ideal for kids who can be delicate with such instrument, as microscopes of any kind require optics in satisfactory condition. There is a microscope made of sturdy cardboard that I briefly looked into called the Foldscope. It's not digital, although you can put a phone up to the lens. Because it is small, it is portable. I don't have too much knowledge on the digital ones because I don't have one. the most popular one on Amazon looks to be this one. It is important to note that digitals will only look at the surface of the specimen, so if you're looking at, say, the cells of red onion membrane, you'll need a bottom light like that on a compound microscope. They are also constrained by USB cables. Choosing the right one for me was time-consuming since I wanted a cheaper one but also a high-quality one. It took maybe a full day of research to decide. I think children (me included) want the highest magnification possible. Some companies will say they have 2000x magnification, but in reality, the image is enlarged without increasing the resolution of the image. If you zoom in on a picture, it does not become more detailed. Be wary of this when looking at the specs. I realize most of this information is not about digital microscopes but I thought I could contribute.

​

http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/e1sa0/my_kids_asked_santa_for_a_microscope_for/ Some not bad advice in that thread. Let me second a stereo-microscope. The stereomicroscope in my lab is easily my favorite to play with. I'd start by reading this

I think something like this or something like this which are, as far as I can tell, modified dermatologist scopes, might be good for a 5th grader. (Reviews are pretty good indicators on this, though don't trust zoom numbers most zoom 20-30x and the rest is all digital.) I spent a summer volunteering at a place with something like these, they are fun. Also if you want something that doesn't take pictures but is a pretty neat field scope you should check out, this, this, or this (note, jeweler loupes do not have lights built in). If you want something kind of medium range, most sites recommend Celestron scopes as pretty good. If you really want a compound microscope (and you know how to operate a microscope, I can't emphasize this enough, otherwise it will not work!) this is recommended by the microscope buying guide. (Also as someone else said, you will run out of stuff to look at pretty fast with a compound scope.) Though that site has a number of nice compound microscopes.

I've made two recommendations before. I am not an astronomer, amateur or pro. I have been interested and have found some information about it, that's where these come from.
First order of business. Bigger hole is better. Always. Get the biggest diameter scope you can get. With that in mind these two have been suggested as great starters:
The Astroscan a good review from Dan's Data. It used to be cheaper, and normally was recommended before the next one, but now they're pretty close in price, but that one is still smaller and more portable.
The Orion Dobsonian XT8 Though really any 8" telescope would be good, but at 350$ for a well reviewed major name brand one is very nice.
Oh, and two more things, 1. get a book from somewhere. It's really important to know what's worth looking at, when and where. 2. find and speak with an astronomy club. They often have viewing events where you go and look through their setup scopes. That'll get you recommendations, perhaps second hand eq, and at the very least an idea of what you're getting into.
Edit: Wow, thanks generous stranger!

Well depending on how much they want for that telescope, you won’t want for much - it’s a nice piece of equipment with good clarity/contrast and intense magnification capabilities; your planetary view will be insane with the right eye pieces. If the other sub you’re referring to is r/astrophotography, they’re probably right - I haven’t looked too deep into AP on their level quite yet.

That being said, you don’t need an incredibly expensive telescope to get started, and astrophotography can be done on many levels. If you want to be able look at the Orion Nebula, but maybe be able to photograph Jupiter with a cell phone mounted to the eyepiece (after enjoying laying your own eyes on it, of course), this can be done for much less.

Hope this helps; reflectors are “cheap” (because they’re easy to make), if you aren’t sure about spending that much money to start out I definitely recommend going that route - either a dobsonian: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001DDW9V6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_xf5wCbC5CSXBS

Or if you’d rather the computerized “GoTo” scene (which requires calibration by “marking” 2 or 3 stars in the sky so the scope knows where you are): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZY9KOTE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_0i5wCb6HWP53C

Both of those were just examples, obviously you can spend what you want on what you will. I don’t disagree with other people on buying “anywhere but amazon”, but I can’t be a hypocrite ;I got my $100 special (celestron astromaster 70AZ refractor... which I love lol) on amazon and it’s great for searching what’s out there. Unfortunately they also tend to have the best price.

Unreal Developer's Kit. It's Epic's game engine, free to download, but if you sell any games made with it, you either have to purchase a license or give epic a percentage of all profits.

As far as telescopes go, if you can look to go to some sort of star party first to get an idea of what does what. A lot of people opt to start off with a good set of binoculars until they get their celestial body finding chops to a point that they can get the full enjoyment of the more expensive stuff.

This was my first star gazing purchase

The club I'm a part of has an observatory in a park with a 16 inch telescope. Those will run you about 10,000 USD. Portability is also a big issue, especially if you live in a city. A lot of people opt to buy an 8inch scope after the binoculars, as its a good improvement, and is still manageable size wise. Those will cost closer to the USD $500 range not including the costs of different eye pieces you'll need. I really recommend looking into a local club if interested, they can really help out, and you can test the equipment so you won't have to go into it blindly. Also there are other directions you can go into - some members are into solar astronomy, others radio astronomy and some are more interested in astrophysics than star gazing.

Thanks for the detailed response! Your other posts on this subreddit have been super helpful for me with researching and starting out! :)

> How much for each? Where are you from? No local offers?

It's 600$ for the XT8 and 630$ for the SkyWatcher, so around 200$ in shipping for each. I'm from Lebanon and sadly there's no local offers. The only scopes sold here are Celestrons, and they're priced quite high mostly due to their electronics.

Another poster mentioned that the SkyWatcher is pretty much the same as the AD8, does it have the same optics, construction, etc?

> About the mirror review: Got a link? That sounds odd.

The 'fatal flaw' comes from the 4th paragraph of 1st review on the amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/Orion-8945-SkyQuest-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/B001DDW9V6

I did some searching on Cloudy Nights, but there doesn't seem to be anything on it. The reviewer might be mistaken.

As for astigmatism, I don't mind having to take my glasses off and on. However, I think I read about people who have certain diopter values (unsure of mine and almost have no knowledge of eyepieces, exit pupil, etc.) who can't really see well through eyepieces without glasses.

I'm not really concerned about myself when it comes to observing with or without glasses as I'll probably be fine, but I'd like my mom to look through this scope as well. She has worst astigmatism than me, so I'd rather err on the side of caution and go with at least some eye relief if possible.

You mentioned high magnification helps for viewing without glasses, so wouldn't a barlow be worth it in that case? The only thing I know about them comes from this video from the stickied post: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpF1_Q5yPsk&list=PLLM5fRxAaC_cx-7xgBfGHGAi9d144AoRZ&index=5

He mentions they're a worthwhile investment since they can essentially double the amount of eyepieces you own. Also, would they offer good eye relief?

>Else, you'd have to try if you can live with ~13-15mm eye-relief (e.g. the $20-$40 gold-line, HR Planetary clones) or if you need eyepieces with 20mm ($80-$130+++) eye-relief.

13-15mm eye relief doesn't sound bad for those prices. Do you recommend any specific ones for planetary viewing, as well as clusters and some DSOs in case I get the SkyWatcher?

>Finder's included, but a Telrad is great for DSO if you have a dark sky and can see enough stars.

I'm in a Bortle 7 zone and will be doing most if not all my observing there so the sky isn't very dark. From what I've read, the SkyWatcher's finder is serviceable. Do you have any experience with it?

i hear you, friend. i think the library is a great idea. even if you don't check anything out, it would be fun just simply browsing the stacks.

i'm really glad you mentioned you're into space. i'm a bit of a space geek myself (highly recommend /r/astrophotography). easily one of the best purchases i made last year was sky watching binoculars. i don't know anything about your budget, but they are relatively cheap for what you can see with them (described towards the end of this paragraph). these are 15x70, meaning they have 70mm lenses so they can gather a lot of light, and objects are magnified 15 times, so they appear 15 times larger in the binos. the downside to 15x magnitude is holding them by hand means the image will shake a bit - it's doable by hand, but it helps to hold them but rest the lens-end on something like a chair to hold them steady (a tripod would be best if you have one or can buy one, but i have simply laid on the ground outside and basically used my face to keep them steady while looking straight up). anyway, i can reliably see 3 to 4 of jupiter's moons with these. now, they are pinpoints of light in the image, but you can definitely see them and see how they are all in similar planes. saturn becomes oblong because of the rings, you can almost see the gap between the body and the rings. shadows in the craters at the moon's terminator are visible. depending on where you are, you can see the general shape of the gases of the orion nebula (m42, or messier number 42).

anyway, i kind of rambled here but if you're into space, 15x70 binos are an excellent place to start before diving into the telescope world. happy to provide more info if needed.

Just have Takahashi custom build you one of these for ~$300,000

http://www.takahashi-europe.com/en/FET-300.php (yes, that's a 12" apochromat)

And you'll be all set :D

On a more serious note, I would take the time to save up to $350-400 dollars. That might be easier said than done, but it opens up a solid class of telescopes for you that will be more rewarding and enjoyable to use.

As others have said, an 8" dobsonian is perfect for a beginner. It's easy to use, easy to set up, and gives excellent aperture for your dollar. Great general-purpose telescope.

If you want to stay at $300, then an Orion 6" SkyQuest Classic is a solid purchase:

http://www.amazon.com/Orion-8944-SkyQuest-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/B001DDW9UW

When to harvest. So first off, get yourself something to take a really close look at the trichomes. I just ordered this usb microscope https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06WD843ZM?ref=ppx_pt2_dt_b_prod_image and its only $20, well worth it for all the other stuff you can zoom in on too, but now let's look at those trichomes. As they grow and start appearing they will be clear, they will then turn white over the weeks of flower and then turn amber and brown by the end of flower. Each of these colors has massive effects on the trichomes and how the high will feel. Clear/milky white will give a more alert, energetic, uppity high. While amber/brown give a more sedated, narcotic type of feel. If you want a more energetic high, harvest while they're milk white. For a more sedated high, harvest at amber. If you want a mix of both, keep an eye on them as they transition from milk white to amber and harvest when you're comfortable with them. It's not recommended to harvest with clear trichomes, or many of them at least, and by the time they get dark brown they will actually start to fall off and you DO NOT want that. Lastly, make sure you flush your plants for a week or 2 at the end of flower to get the nutrients out of those buds. And be sure to let them dry slow, this will yield the best results. I'd recommend to dry trim in order to keep the buds drying slower

For the planets viewing from your backyard will be fine because they are very bright, but for most DSO's you will need to go to a dark spot, use this http://www.jshine.net/astronomy/dark_sky/

Id go with a 6 inch dobsonian because you have the aperature to see DSOs but is small enough that you can actually take it to a dark site where you can view them.
http://www.amazon.com/Orion-XT-6-Classic/dp/B001DDW9UW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1331787043&sr=8-2

Now for eyepieces:
You take the focal length of the scope, and divide it by the focal length of the eyepiece and you get the magnification it will provide.
For example the 6" scope I linked has a focal length of 1200mm, so with a 10 mm eyepiece you will get 120x.

Tthe best views of the planets are going to to be about 180-200x when you factor in seeing conditions and having to adjust the scope for the planets moving(move faster at higher mags).
For DSOs you want to use lower magnifications because they are very faint, so you will want from 40-100 depending on what you are looking at.
The orion sirius plossl eyepieces I have give great crisp clear images so im sure you will be happy with them, and they are not very expensive at about 40-50 each.
Barlows basically double your scopes focal length, so when used with an eyepiece it doubles the magnification. They effectively double your eyepiece collection so consider them when you are picking eyepieces.
Also download http://www.stellarium.org/ it is free and will teach you the constellations and will show you how to find anything you want.

Edit: also learn to collimate whatever scope you get or else you wont see anything good.

Rule of thumb is avoid cheap refractors. With refractors you need top notch optics to get good results, and you will never find them on cheaper ones. Don't be fooled by the magnification number, 300x magnification is useless when your optics cannot produce good results to begin with. It's just a cheap trick they use to impress beginners


Your best bet, with a 200€ budget is to get a good pair of binoculars, something around 15x70 and a tripod. If you still want a telescope, what you need is a reflector. Check out the dobsonians in Amazon, they're great and pack a lot of power for what you pay for, best bang for your buck as a beginner. Example: Orion 8944 SkyQuest XT6 Classic Dobsonian Telescope https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001DDW9UW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_DsWCCb75RADY1

Telescopes are one thing where price does really matter though, it is advised to spend as much as you can on one, because quality and results obtained exponentially go up the pricier they are.

My suggestion would be to get a pair of nice binoculars, and if you like what you see thru them in the night sky (completely dark, away from City lights preferably) save up for a nice telescope. I've seen quite a few deep sky objects with just these cheap Olympus 10x50 ones, in completely dark skies. Olympus Trooper 10x50 DPS I Binocular (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000AKGX3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_HIWCCb36S5DK2

Good luck!

These are my suggestions - feel free to ask more questions if you need anything!

Read these guides (not by me) - I wish I had had something like this when I started: http://homegrow-pro.com/quantum-board-build-grow-tent/ And this one: http://homegrow-pro.com/the-3x3-grow-tent-setup/

The links and suggestions below are oriented for Canadians, so feel free to ask for alternatives.

Essentials

• Grow Tent: 3 ft x 3 ft x 6 ft is the size you'd probably want. This is the one I bought: https://www.amazon.ca/VIVOSUN-Hydroponic-Observation-Window-Growing/dp/B01DXYMKIO
  
• Light: https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Pre-assemabled-Kingbrite-2019-newest-samsung_62123342418.html?spm=a2700.icbuShop.41413.14.161358f6VLfhlM This light is a fantastic LED quantum board that is very easy to assemble - I got the 3000K one with the epistar, but this one has the better CREE version
  
• Fabric Pots: Head to Amazon and grab yourself a 5-pack of 7 gallon fabric pots https://www.amazon.ca/VIVOSUN-Gallons-Thickened-Nonwoven-Handles/dp/B00TF9E9PY/
  
• Also get yourself a saucer (you can get this at any garden store) and a pot elevator for each pot (pot elevator example: http://amazon.ca/Gro-Pro-725675-Level-Elevator/dp/B01J37FHF8/)
  
• Soil: Get yourself a bail of Pro Mix HP with mycorrhizae (it's cheap, reliable, and hard to overwater) from Canadian Tire, Rona, any store really and get also a bag of earthworm castings. Cover the bottom of your fabric pot with the castings (2-3 inches deep) https://www.homehardware.ca/en/20l-organic-worm-castings/p/5025712
  
• Nutrients: Gaia Green Dry Amendments (All Purpose and Power Bloom) Mix the All Purpose in with your Pro-Mix HP and then top dress your "soil" every month, changing it to Power Bloom during flowering https://www.canadiangardensupply.com/gaia-green-all-purpose-4-4-4.html https://www.canadiangardensupply.com/gaia-green-power-bloom-2-8-4-power-bloom-2-8-4-2kg.html
  
• Ventilation: Get the AC Infinity Cloudline T4 - it's absolutely worth it. Then purchase a 4-inch carbon filter and 4 inch tubing from Amazon (branding doesn't matter for these two things) https://www.amazon.ca/AC-Infinity-CLOUDLINE-T4-Ventilation/dp/B06ZXWN3BG https://www.amazon.ca/AC-Infinity-Dual-Layer-Aluminium-Ventilation/dp/B071LHCFZ8 https://www.amazon.ca/VIVOSUN-Australia-Charcoal-Pre-filter-Included/dp/B01DXYMBU6
  
• Timer: You can go cheap on this, but also consider a smart timer (like a Wemo) https://www.amazon.ca/Insight-Switch-Enabled-Compatible-Amazon/dp/B00EOEDJ9W
  
• Seeds: Jahseeds.ca - Canadian breeder, amazing beans, amazing price! Go with feminized seeds for your first round. https://jahseeds.ca/shop?olsPage=t%2Ffeminized-seeds
  
  
  Extra accessories
  
  
• 2 fire extinguishers (one for just outside tent, one for outside the room, where the tent is located)
  
• Pruning shears (seperate ones for trimming live plants and ones for harvesting) https://www.amazon.ca/Pruning-Gardening-Straight-Stainless-Precision/dp/B076HL5JJM
  a lighter (for sanitizing)
  
• a set of tweezers, for planting your sprouted seed
  
• some garden gloves
  
• rope ratchets for your lights
  
• zips ties for protecting things
  
• binder clips (for low stress training)
  
• plant ties (soft rubber and wire kind)
  
• watering can
  
• two pairs of measuring spoons for dry amendments
  
• a clip on fan and rotating fan (for air circulation over and under the canopy)
  
• markers and a pack of tag plant markers for identifying plants
  
• soil moisture https://www.amazon.ca/Soil-Moisture-Sensor-Meter-Hydrometer/dp/B014MJ8J2U
  
• paper towels (for germination)
  
• Bucket Head Wet Dry Vacuum Powerhead Lid for 19 Litre (5 Gal.) Multi-Use Buckets great for gathering up the excess water and tipped soil) https://www.homedepot.ca/product/bucket-head-wet-dry-vacuum-powerhead-lid-for-19-litre-5-gal-multi-use-buckets/1000666690
  
• 3 five gallon buckets (1 for the buckethead vacuum and 2 for extra water reservoirs) and two lids
  
• 3 surge protector power bars
  
• Various AC power extension cables
  
• 1 trellis net (for ScrOG training)
  
• USB microscrope (used to check the trichomes at harvest - if you want you can also get an adapter so it plugs directly into your smartphone, as opposed to plugging it into a computer) https://www.amazon.ca/Jiusion-Magnification-Endoscope-Microscope-Compatible/dp/B06WD843ZM
  
• 62% Boveda packs for curing
  
• Mason jars for curing and storage
  
• hanging rack for drying (you can substitute this for a hanger and some plant ties)
  
• Duct tape
  It's a little more expensive at the start, but this setup will pay for itself within two harvests.
  
  
  With this setup you can expect to yield between 8 to 10 oz every run (even with autos), once you grow accustomed to the cycle.

Based on the very little info you provided (and my advice for most amateurs) I'd recommend a dobsonian, because you will get the most bang for your buck if you're willing to spend some time learning the sky, and in the short term you will be able to see planets and the moon very clearly. You save money with a dobsonion because the technology is very simple-  it is essentially just a long metal tube, with two mirrors mounted on a simple pressboard mount. What you save on simplicity, you can put towards aperture. The aperture does two things- it allows more light to enter your eye allowing you to see fainter objects (such as nebula, galaxies, etc), and increases the highest useful magnification of the scope, which is better for planetary viewing. Overall, bigger= better so long as the optics are decent.  
One of the advantages of the dobsonian telescopes is the simple movements- it has an Altazimuth mount. That means there are two perpendicular axes for the mount, a vertical and a horizontal. It makes pointing the thing incredibly easy. "Equatorial" mounts are much less intuitive, they are set up to follow the arc of the sky and have adjustments that move the scope in counterintuitive ways. These mounts are much better for photography, but for simple viewing they are cumbersome in my opinion.
The disadvantage to the dobsonian is the lack of a motorized mount and the lack of a goto system (unless you spend much, much more). This means you will have to learn the sky, and once your skills improve, you will never be able to use this scope to photography deep sky objects. However, since they are so handy for quick viewing, even if you move on to different equipment, the scope will still be useful. I still use mine for photographing planets even though I have upgraded to an SCT, and just last week I used it to photography the International space station.


Anyways- so you can benchmark your price for this, here's a link to the amazon page for an Orion 6" dobsonian. https://www.amazon.com/Orion-894...  It's about the least amount you can spend without being disappointed by the scope as your hobby develops. If you can swing it- spend a bit more and get an 8" or 10". There are entire reddit communities devoted to this hobby you can check out, a lot of great advice about equipment there. The first link is good for someone that's on a budget, the second is good if you're curious about astrophotography.
https://www.reddit.com/r/telesco...
https://www.reddit.com/r/astroph...

I have a common 700x76 so its fine if I cant really see much detail (of course I would like to upgrade but right now my only option for sky viewing is hiking). As long as I dont downgrade from there Im fine. I got a plossl 25mm lens which improved the quality a lot but it's still hard to distinguish much detail.

My current budget would be around a 100 dollars. Where I live (Argentina) things are pretty rough with inflation and basically anything like this costs almost twice as much when you make the conversions. I have a relative travelling to the US and they could pick up a scope like this for me. Of course I could simply hold on and save for the next occassion.

Nebulae is something I would love to see but I could never do it, probably due to the light pollution. I basically gave up on them thinking its impossible. Would I be able to see them with a refractor? Clusters and panning scross the sky also sounds good and kind of what I want to do.

Maybe I should get some binoculars instead but I would really like a telescope I can take on hikes and take some beginner pics with my phone, sorry for the link but something like this is what I had in mind: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001TI9Y2M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_9dnDDbVM2WANA

Dobsonian is a type of mount - which is of the style: Alt-azimuth opposed to the other popular style: Equatorial
You can read about the differences here: http://science.howstuffworks.com/telescope5.htm

In short, Dobsonian style mounts are designed to be stable and easy to use but they're not ideal for long term tracking of objects in the sky for the use in say astrophotography. I would recommend this type for a beginner just because I find it easier to understand and use. It is also one of the cheaper solutions. Most Equatorial style mounts with a good telescope will cost you a good deal more than $300.

As for the 6" mirror. It's really quite simple. The bigger the mirror, the more light it collects and the better the image will be. Besides overall quality of the telescope, location, pollution, etc.. bigger is ALWAYS better. 6" is a good starting point. the XT8 (8" version) of the same maker is also a good choice, but would cost you a bit more than $300 - coming in at around $350 + accessories / shipping.

Take a look at these pictures: http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/product-gallery/B001DDW9V6/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_1?ie=UTF8&index=1

Taken from a XT8. they will give you an idea of what you'll be able to see with these telescopes.

Here's the thing about optics for astronomy. The reason that we can't see stuff isn't because it's very far or small, but because it's very dim. To see the most interesting things in the sky, you don't really need to zoom, but just collect more light (effectively make your pupil larger). It's also comparatively much less expensive to make a larger light collector than it is to make something with a lot of zoom. Zoom is good for looking at the moon or Jupiter. Light buckets are better for everything else, like galaxies or nebulae.

So my advice to you is to look at 2 options. 1st is a "dobsonian telescope" which is basically a big tube with a concave mirror at the bottom to direct something like 12" of light into your 1/4" pupil. $3000 is more than you need, and many people actually just build them, because the mirror to eyepiece alignment is the important part and the rest is just for making it easy to aim, adjust and transport. The 2nd thing which I recommend you can do inexpensively right now is to buy some astronomy binoculars and a basic camera tri-pod to mount them on. With these you'll be able to find tons of stuff. Most of the stuff you'll look for with 12" dob scope, but just with less definition. These are the ones that I have and they're great!

The three finger test is a great test, but only once you have properly calibrated your fingertips against a knife that is truly sharp. If you don't know what a sharp knife feels like on your fingertips, it isn't going to be a whole lot of help here.

Until you get to that point, here is a much better guide:

http://knifegrinders.com.au/Manuals/Sharpness_Chart.pdf

Also, while a 8x - 10x jewelers loupe is certainly helpful, one of these is much more helpful:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078N34WZR

And one of these is much more helpful still:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XNYXQHE

To be entirely honest with you, you should go for a light bucket. If you don't mind paying juuuuust a bit extra, I would go with an 8" Dobsonian. I've read in multiple places that it's the best bang for buck. You should start out, as heptapod said, with just a pair of binoculars and learn the sky. You can find many sky maps online and if you subscribe to Astronomy magazine, they supply you with a good amount. You can find an 8" Dob on Amazon from Orion for $329, which is a great deal. The larger the diameter of the telescope, the more light you'll be able to gather from the cosmos. There's many different things to check out when grabbing a telescope.

Check it: http://www.amazon.com/Orion-SkyQuest-Classic-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/B001DDW9V6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=photo&qid=1266821888&sr=1-1

Look throughout some guides: http://findascope.com/
and others. I'm saving up for a 12" Dob. I'm also joining the local Astronomy club at the museum (The Neville Museum's Astronomical Society) which isn't a bad idea and you should look into as well. Good luck, and congrats on getting into an amazing field!

Saved this comment from a fella in micro grocery to start my set up

These are suggestions - feel free to ask more questions if you need anything.

Read this guide - I wish I had had something like this when I started: http://homegrow-pro.com/quantum-board-build-grow-tent/ Read this guide too: http://homegrow-pro.com/the-3x3-grow-tent-setup/

Essentials

• ⁠Grow Tent: 3 ft x 3 ft x 6 ft is the size you'd probably want. This is the one I bought: https://www.amazon.ca/VIVOSUN-Hydroponic-Observation-Window-Growing/dp/B01DXYMKIO
• ⁠Light: https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Kingbrite-240W-samsung-lm301h-288v3-quantum_62120261175.html?spm=a2700.7803241.0.0.31d73e5fhFxf6a This light is a fantastic LED quantum board that is very easy to assemble - I got the 3000K one with the epistar
• ⁠Fabric Pots: Head to Amazon and grab yourself a 5-pack of 7 gallon fabric pots https://www.amazon.ca/VIVOSUN-Gallons-Thickened-Nonwoven-Handles/dp/B00TF9E9PY/
• ⁠Also get yourself a saucer (you can get this at any garden store) and a pot elevator for each pot (pot elevator example: http://amazon.ca/Gro-Pro-725675-Level-Elevator/dp/B01J37FHF8/)
• ⁠Soil: Get yourself a bail of Pro Mix HP with mycorrhizae (it's cheap, reliable, and hard to overwater) from Canadian Tire, Rona, any store really and get also a bag of earthworm castings. Cover the bottom of your fabric pot with the castings (2-3 inches deep) https://www.homehardware.ca/en/20l-organic-worm-castings/p/5025712
• ⁠Nutrients: Gaia Green Dry Amendments (All Purpose and Power Bloom) Mix the All Purpose in with your Pro-Mix HP and then top dress your "soil" every month, changing it to Power Bloom during flowering https://www.canadiangardensupply.com/gaia-green-all-purpose-4-4-4.html https://www.canadiangardensupply.com/gaia-green-power-bloom-2-8-4-power-bloom-2-8-4-2kg.html
• ⁠Ventilation: Get the AC Infinity Cloudline T4 - it's absolutely worth it. Then purchase a 4-inch carbon filter and 4 inch tubing from Amazon (branding doesn't matter for these two things) https://www.amazon.ca/AC-Infinity-CLOUDLINE-T4-Ventilation/dp/B06ZXWN3BG https://www.amazon.ca/AC-Infinity-Dual-Layer-Aluminium-Ventilation/dp/B071LHCFZ8 https://www.amazon.ca/VIVOSUN-Australia-Charcoal-Pre-filter-Included/dp/B01DXYMBU6
• ⁠Timer: You can go cheap on this, but also consider a smart timer (like a Wemo) https://www.amazon.ca/Insight-Switch-Enabled-Compatible-Amazon/dp/B00EOEDJ9W
• ⁠Seeds: Jahseeds.ca - Canadian breeder, amazing beans, amazing price! Go with feminized seeds for your first round. https://jahseeds.ca/shop?olsPage=t%2Ffeminized-seeds

Extra accessories

• ⁠Pruning shears (seperate ones for trimming live plants and ones for harvesting) https://www.amazon.ca/Pruning-Gardening-Straight-Stainless-Precision/dp/B076HL5JJM
• ⁠a lighter (for sanitizing)
• ⁠a set of tweezers, for planting your sprouted seed
• ⁠some garden gloves
• ⁠rope ratchets for your lights
• ⁠zips ties for protecting things
• ⁠binder clips (for low stress training)
• ⁠plant ties (soft rubber and wire kind)
• ⁠watering can
• ⁠two pairs of measuring spoons for dry amendments
• ⁠a clip on fan and rotating fan (for air circulation over and under the canopy)
• ⁠markers and a pack of tag plant markers for identifying plants
• ⁠soil moisture https://www.amazon.ca/Soil-Moisture-Sensor-Meter-Hydrometer/dp/B014MJ8J2U
• ⁠paper towels (for germination)
• ⁠Bucket Head Wet Dry Vacuum Powerhead Lid for 19 Litre (5 Gal.) Multi-Use Buckets great for gathering up the excess water and tipped soil) https://www.homedepot.ca/product/bucket-head-wet-dry-vacuum-powerhead-lid-for-19-litre-5-gal-multi-use-buckets/1000666690
• ⁠3 five gallon buckets (1 for the buckethead vacuum and 2 for extra water reservoirs) and two lids
• ⁠3 surge protector power bars
• ⁠Various AC power extension cables
• ⁠1 trellis net (for ScrOG training)
• ⁠USB microscrope (used to check the trichomes at harvest - if you want you can also get an adapter so it plugs directly into your smartphone, as opposed to plugging it into a computer) https://www.amazon.ca/Jiusion-Magnification-Endoscope-Microscope-Compatible/dp/B06WD843ZM
• ⁠62% Boveda packs for curing
• ⁠Mason jars for curing and storage
• ⁠hanging rack for drying (you can substitute this for a hanger and some plant ties)
• ⁠Duct tape

It's a little more expensive at the start, but this setup will pay for itself within two harvests. With this setup you can expect to yield between 8 to 12 oz every run, once you grow accustomed to the cycle.

Strictly speaking, wattages and THD are a good guide for figuring out quality, but are certainly not a hard-and-fast rule. Knowing your brands and trusted opinions are better, listening to it yourself is best.

The link in the sidebar has some good ones.

I'm actually in exactly the same position as you at the moment, I'm considering this one as it's the cheapest (50w per channel, ~au$80 delivered), but apparently this one is much better even though it's only 30w per channel and is $20 more.

Or then again I could anticipate future upgrades and just go for this yammy amp which is 100w per channel for ~$190.

I really like that Denon one you've posted, though. Decisions, decisions.

Holy Batman this is an amazing response!
The 4 year old has used a telescope before, he's just absolutely fascinated by space right now. If it was just him, I'd definitely be getting the £50 type scopes. Due to my interest, I really don't believe any model I get will be a waste of money.


I had the Heritage in mind, but had never looked at that Skyliner 150p, which has lead me to the 200p....I'm sure you know the feeling!

Already purchased Turn Left at Orion, definitely want a moon filter/scope as well as a planetary one.
Finder scope is essential from what I've read.

I think I'm settled on either the Heritage 130p or the Skyliner 150p. Is there any justifiable reason to even consider the 200p? I'm fairly certain I'll go in the middle for the 150p, but always welcome opinions!
Yet this Orion StarMax and this Orion SkyQuest keep appearing in my research. It will be between those 4 for sure, if you have any specific advice on those along with any accessories I need I would be eternally grateful.

It kind of depends on how deep your going to get into it. If your just sniffing about astronomy for the first time, then go for it. It's 42 bucks and you can sell it at a yard sale if you don't like it, you might actually turn someone on to astronomy with it

If you think you actually might want to get into astronomy as something of a hobby, go with binoculars first, good ones are a bit pricey but you can do some excellent viewing with them, I started with and still use these

http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-SkyMaster-Binoculars-Tripod-Adapter/dp/B00008Y0VN

These are excellent and not to heavy so your shaking all the time, but give great views, in dark skies I've gotten all four gallelian moons and a couple of Jupiters equatorial bands

And of astronomy ends up not being for you, you have a great set of binoculars for the upcoming zombie apocalypse

Edit-hey I just promoted a celestron product, can I get a hook up ???

I own one, and I like it a lot. The biggest advantage that it has is that it is very portable. And since it is so inexpensive, you don't need to worry about it getting broken or lost. It is of course not going to give Hubble-like views. You'll be able to identify Jupiter and Saturn, but its strength is on things like open star clusters. It has a f/4 mirror, so it has a very wide field of view. I can still picture in my mind the awesome view of the Pleiades in close proximity to Venus last year. I suppose it is important to keep in mind that the Firstscope is not my only telescope (I have an 8" dob). Also it can be a challenge to align things to what you want to look at, so it will probably be best to get the finder option (or build one yourself from some PVC pipe and dental floss). Also, you can get it cheaper on Amazon. Overall, I think this is a much better first purchase for someone compared to binoculars, since you can place it on a table, and get steady views (heresy, I know). I'm probably the only person in the world to make degree circles for the Firstscope. Just keep in mind that this isn't a high performance instrument. It has a spherical mirror, and if you want to attempt to collimate it, you have to do it with secondary mirror only.

At 100x you'll see individual cells, but erythrocytes are really small, and 400x is ideal. For pond life, larger microorganisms like paramecium might be viewable, but euglena for example will be small with minimal detail.

You could try the Carson microbrite, I have one, but I know it's quite limited as a student microscope: (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LAX52IQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_M8PBCb65642MJ)

The OMAX M82ES has great features and produces great images, costs considerably more though and realistically is only good to 400x (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LAX52IQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_M8PBCb65642MJ)

Hope this helps get you on the right track!

Any decent camera for astro-photography is quite expensive, several thousand $ or more. At your price range I would agree with the others and get good binoculars, they will provide a better beginning experience, especially for tracking faster objects.

In my limited experinece the biggest problem with low end scopes is the poor mounts which make it difficult to track and line up on objects. I did buy this scope (http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-21024-FirstScope-Telescope/dp/B001UQ6E4Y/) and have enjoyed it even if the images are far from perfect due to distortion, much more glamorous for my kids than looking through binoculars and the mount is very stable, so I don't have too worry much about the kids moving it and losing site of what was there. It is possible to see the great red spot on Jupiter with it on a good night.

As far as pictures go, I am planning on getting a good DLSR with a good zoom lens once I can afford one. This will work for me for pictures of the planets, star clusters, etc. Then I hope to buy a tracking mount and trying my hand at some of the dimmer objects out there that require longer exposures.

Thanks. I spend a fair amount of both time and money on my hobby.

The scope I linked is a fairly good starter scope. The mount may look a little intimidating but is easy to get the hang of. A similar telscope on a simpler mount is called a Dobsonian. They are very easy mounts to use. Here is a good example of a decent starter dobsonian. I would recomend getting a free program called Stellarium for pc/mac/linux. That is a great way to start.

Mark

Video is going to be your problem, most cheap scopes won't do a very good job, depending on what you're looking for.

I've been using one I got off Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XNYXQHE/ or similar, there are several identical ones from different brands there). Picture quality is OK, good enough for basic work, but it doesn't seem like it would do video well (though it can).

A few example pictures:

https://imgur.com/J49ZBFM

https://imgur.com/ocAlHr6

https://i.imgur.com/N90jTHI.jpg

Not great, but decent magnification and perfectly acceptable for basics (could use some better lighting). That's going to be your baseline, and at $40 you're pretty limited (you can probably pick up a version of that for a bit under $40 if you look around).

Anything past that and your price is going to pop. The one /u/Thebillyray linked is a similar but slightly better option, but at twice the price. Anything higher quality than these will start to push you well over $100.

I would like to point this out:

>And don’t settle for a 99% partial eclipse just outside the path. “There’s no comparison between partial and total solar eclipses when it comes to sheer grandeur and beauty,” Michael Zeiler, longtime eclipse chaser and creator of the Great American Eclipse website told Universe Today. We witnessed the 1994 annular solar eclipse of the Sun from the shores of Lake Erie, and can attest that a 99% partial eclipse is still pretty darned bright!

Do yourself a favor and make the short trip up to the Nashville area where you can see "Totality" for up to 2 minuites and 40 seconds.

I also recommend a good pair of solar sunglasses and maybe a good pair of binoculars with a solar filter.

Do not ever stare directly at the sun without protective gear on

It appears a tripod isn't a necessity, but certainly makes for better viewing. Here's an Amazon review discussing this fact:

>My first night out under dark skies with these binoculars was a terrific experience. In ninety minutes of observing I had great views of M36, M37, M38, M44, M50, easily saw the Trapizium in Orion's nebula, saw the Andromeda galaxy and it's companions streaching across 75% of my FOV. It had taken me two observing sessions with my 5" reflector to find M33, with the Binoculars I found it in two minutes, M81 and 82 were also easy.
>
>All this and I don't even have a tripod yet. I may well spend more time with the 15 X 70's than I do with my telescope.

I don't own one yet but I've got my eye on this one since I want something fairly inexpensive and easy to use for my first purchase:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XNYXQHE?psc=1&redirect=true

It's only 2mp and uses a flexible arm to hold it instead of a sturdy, straight stand so not sure how great is for photography. I think I'm going to use it mainly for viewing a lot of coins vs. photographing a few ones so might fit the bill.

But if I'm being honest, I hope I can get cool pics as well :)

You can't go wrong with a Dobsonian in the 6"-8"-10" range. At the lower end they'll be less expensive and more portable, but at the higher end you'll be able to see more.

http://www.telescope.com/Telescopes/Dobsonian-Telescopes/Classic-Dobsonians/pc/1/c/12/13.uts

I have an Orion 8" Dobsonian. They also sell Intelliscope models that will assist you in finding objects. I like finding things on my own, by star-hopping, but it takes a little patience and experience. These books will help:

http://www.amazon.com/Turn-Left-Orion-Hundreds-Telescope/dp/0521153972

http://www.amazon.com/NightWatch-Practical-Guide-Viewing-Universe/dp/155407147X

I recommend getting one with at least two eyepieces, or at least one eyepiece and a Barlow, so you'll have a choice of magnifications.

And whether or not you get a telescope, a pair of binoculars is a good thing to have. 7x50s are nice and easy to use without a tripod. 10x50s will show you a little more but are a little harder to hold steady. Anything larger and you'll probably want a tripod for them. I have 10x50s and am considering getting these:

http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-SkyMaster-Binoculars-Tripod-Adapter/dp/B00008Y0VN

Having been at it all of two months may I recommend:

1. Free Monthly Skymap
   
2. Bookmark and learn to read the Clear Sky Chart. I'm basically look at the top four colored lines. Darker the better.
   
3. Pick up a small red flashlight to protect your night vision as you read your skymap.
   
4. Check out a light pollution map for your area. It may depress you some but you learn about local places to seek out as a stargazing location.
   
5. I picked up a basic set of stargazing binoculars at the recommendation of others. Isn't a telescope but does a lot. Was a $35.00 investment.
   
6. Find a local astronomy club. Although they seem to be lightly meeting over summers they will provide a ton of guidance. I haven't visited one yet, I have to wait till fall until they meet again.
   
7. I'm assuming you know about the pending Total Solar Eclipse on August 21st as well as the Perseid Meteor Shower Peak on Aug 12?
   
8. When I use my star maps, find the Big Dipper and move from there. Learn to find the North Star using that as a landmark.
   
9. Personally I see myself leaning more on the "Sky Guide", "iCSC", and "Sky Live" apps and let the others sit. Most apps allow you to turn on a red light night vision mode in settings.
   
10. Scope out places where you can let your night sight adjust. I found a neighborhood that is under construction about 1 mi away where streetlights are not up yet.
    
    Like I said, I'm only at this a month or two but really enjoy it. People here are amazingly helpful.
    
    Ah, as a side note - I tossed all this in a backpack that I can grab and go or can leave in my car if see an opportunity.

As someone who lives in a city as well, it depends. If you can see at least a few stars at night, you might want to consider buying a telescope. I use a $70 Celestron travel scope 70. While it is pretty cheap as far as telescopes go, it does great where I live. And because the telescope will have more light collecting ability than your eye, wherever you point it you should see at least one faint star. Besides stars you should be able to see Mars, Jupiter, or Saturn. planets are relatively bright compared to other things in the sky. Really the one thing you definitely will not be able to see clearly are deep sky objects (nebula, galaxies, etc.) these unfortunately are too faint, and while you may be able to see a few stars where the nebula should be, it will be very difficult.

So really it depends on what you plan on looking at: planets/moon are great, stars are okay, DSO are very faint and difficult to see. I hope this helps!

EDIT: link to the telescope I own- http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001TI9Y2M?pc_redir=1411188054&robot_redir=1 it's fairly good for the price, however the tripod is a bit flimsy.

This will be a really broad question but here goes...

What is the best starter telescope I can get? I have literally nothing right now. No camera, no mount, no scope, nothing. I want to get into the hobby, but I just want to make sure I spend my money the best way possible without spending a fortune.

Was looking at the Celestron 127EQ but from what I understand is you can't take photos with it.

Edit: I'd like to be able to see planets like mars, jupiter, and saturn with some good quality.

I know they're poor telescopes, astronomically-speaking, but a Celestron travel scope, or one like it, might be a good option.

The eyepiece provides an upright image (so aiming it is intuitive) and is set at a 45 degree angle, which might be easier to use on a table or tray.

It's light, has a tripod mount (which can be secured or stabilized in several ways) and can be operated with one hand - both aiming and focusing.

Again, not a premium scope, optically, but it might be what you're looking for. I've used one and enjoyed the experience.

Celestron 21035 70mm Travel Scope:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001TI9Y2M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I probably could have spent more time researching one, but it had good reviews, travels easily, isn't too complicated to set up and it's a great price. I decided I'd rather start here and work my way up to something more advanced later on than buy one now that's too advanced for me and more expensive.

Plus it has 70mm in the name, and I saw Interstellar on IMAX 70mm so the Murphy in me told me it was fate. :)

Crystals aren't magical because of hocus-pocus ghost magic, but because they are a macroscopic manifestation of the microscopic interactions between chaos, order, and growth. The magic they give is fuel for creativity/curiosity (same thing,) the most powerful force in the universe. Many natural objects provide such enrichment, pretty much all, but crystals have a unique ability by virtue of being physically manifested fractals.

Rule #1 of magic: the physically mundane is the most profound, the metaphysical is the most mundane. Ghost shit is normiesville.

For the low price of $12.99 with free shipping you can purchase a Carson Microbrite Plus pocket microscope and reap all the rewards of observing the microscopic for the price of a fast food meal. But that's not all, observing the cosmos directly with a telescope, binoculars, or even the naked eye will give you incredible boons as well. Explore and observe your world on all levels and you will find limitless beauty and inspiration. Naturalism, it isn't just for nerds anymore.

Dove from Carson is so sexy. *_*

I would say the best way to start in observing is to buy a simple Dobsonian telescope and a couple of Star catalogues. What you're looking for is the ability to gather a lot of light, not necesarilly magnification. Something like this will reveal many, many things:

http://www.amazon.com/Orion-SkyQuest-Classic-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/B001DDW9V6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1310480268&sr=8-1

Once you learn, and find you really enjoy it, then you might look at more expensive scopes or astrophotography. But the first fun...and it is fun, is to simply use your own eyes and hands to control a simple scope that gathers a lot of light. Good luck. If you have other questions please write me.

I've been searching for a telescope too lately. I'm a newbie, but what I'm finding out is that a lot of people really recommend the Orion XT6.


It has a 6" aperture so it collects a lot of light and is able to see a lot of distant and faint objects such as nebulae and galaxies. If you think your son is really into astronomy it might be worth is since a lot of people, even experienced amateur astronomers seem to keep these around. The advantage here is seeing distant objects and planetary ones as well as learning how to navigate the sky. The disadvantages being no go-to setup, it's larger size, and it's a little more pricey. Worse case scenario you could always resell it used and lose a little out of it.


However if you think it might be a phase your son is going through it might be advantageous to go with a "Go-To" computerized type scope. The advantage is it is easier to use, but the cons are the increased costed for the computerization, small aperture (loss in the ability to see distant objects), and not really learning the sky since the computer does it for you. The advantages being a smaller size and less learning involved to enjoy the skies.


Also, check out craigslist. I've been keeping an eye on there and there was a guy selling an Orion XT6 in good condition for only $190.

I actually went with the StarBlast. I also bought a couple of lenses and a Barlow, and a sun and moon filter (which, in total costs more than the scope itself, but should be translatable, when I decide to scale my project).

Honestly, dropping a couple of hondo on a scope doesn't mean that much to me, but I know me (I got into yoyo's, then the next thing I know I spent $2000 on freaking yoyo's), so I have to mind myself in that regard, and not go too crazy.

I hope that we'll be able to talk in the future, because I'll be wanting something more later on. I just needed something right now, as my girlfriend (who is amazing and has written over 250 papers...not on astronomy, btw) wants to go out this weekend to a hike to view with some people (thus my need).

I took Astronomy I and II in college, and loved it, so I'm stoked that she's into it. I am an engineer and have a degree in mathematics, so bring on the nerdy, baby. :)

Edit: Edited.

Let me recommend this microscope to get a better view of the trichromes.

http://www.amazon.com/SE-MW10087L-Brass-Microscope-Illuminator/dp/B002E0MU70/ref=sr_1_11?rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1343331439&sr=8-11&keywords=microscope

It's only $5 but its awesome. You can easily adjust the focus. It has some small LEDs that shine perfectly on what you're trying to see. I've seen it at some shops for $15-20 but it's only $5 dollars on Amazon. If you can stay steady enough you can also take pictures with it and a cellphone.

> I feel like telescopes should be one of those things people can rent for a day, like a kayak.

Well, kayaks are pretty hard to break, while telescopes are pretty fragile. Kinda like renting an iPhone for a day.

If you want a cheap entrance to the hobby, look at getting a pair of Celestron Skymaster binoculars. You can pick up for under $60 and they are great for looking at many objects. You can easily identify the moons of Jupiter with them.

I don't know if it's improved lately or not, but Tasco used to not have the greatest reputation. This sort of small refractor in particular is generally considered very poor.

I don't own one personably, but I've read generally favorable reviews of the Celestron Firstscope. It's less expensive, likely to be better quality, and much more portable. It's probably a good idea to also pick up the accessory kit for that.

Whatever you end up getting, it's probably not worth spending too much on unless you know you'll really like using a telescope. A cheap beginner scope will give you an idea of whether or not you like telescopes, and if you do, what sort of things in particular you like. Then you'll be ready to buy a better, more specialized scope.

PLEASE listen to the AutoModerator bot post. Those of us who spend a lot of time on here answering these kinds of questions ALL agree with it (which is why it posts what it does).

None of those that you list are worth the money. They are all low-quality scopes that will do more to discourage you than support your interest.

Your price-point is a tricky one. $300 USD would be a little better. But there's still some good options. The SkyWatcher Heritage 130P is your best bet around that price point. If you can push a little further, though, even better would be the Orion XT6 Dobsonian. I cannot recommend ANY motorized/GoTo telescopes for even twice that price (though some people may disagree).

Well keep in mind with speakers like screens it's a long term investment. I think they retail for $350/pair but Amazon has had the black ones for $199 for a while now. I can almost guarantee you won't find a better speaker out there for $100 each.

I'm using a small class T pre-amp to drive them. The Topping Tp22 is pretty great, zero distortion and small footprint. It doesn't have a ton of wattage but if you don't want to blow your eardrums out it should be plenty powerful. My Genesis Model 1 is probably my quietest system and when I want to rock out to some Lightening Force and crank it I get it up to about the halfway position on the knob. You can see my setup in this pic. (ignore the center speaker, it's a holdover while I finish changing my setup over to my new TV)

My sister is 7 and pretty into learning so I got her things to try and keep that spirit alive. I bought her this telescope and a childrens book about celestial bodies. I also bought this for a girl about Isla's age for Christmas. I got to play with it in the store and it feels pretty awesome and never dries up.

Edit: Adela might be interested in the other things I got for my sister which were a Crayola crayon/marker maker, Bill Nye science books and this DohVinci thing

Hey, great idea introducing your cousin to astronomy! His first views through a telescope may be times he remembers for the rest of his life. :)

You may want to try Amazon's International Shipping section. It has a lot of well priced scopes!

https://www.amazon.com/International-Shipping-Direct/b/ref=as_li_ss_tl?node=230659011&linkCode=sl2&tag=amazon123405-20&linkId=b739aa289b437281a7069081d2ffef8b

Here is my pick for your budget:
https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-21049-127EQ-PowerSeeker-Telescope/dp/B0007UQNKY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1526851326&sr=8-3&keywords=telescope&th=1

That scope is good enough to see details on the planets (jupiter's clouds, saturn's rings) and a lot of the brighter deep space objects (nebulas, clusters, galaxies). If you go out to the country, you'll be able to see a lot of fainter objects, perhaps up to around magnitude 10.

Hope it works out!

I got my space-loving ex these binoculars for stargazing and he really loves them. I also got him a print of the heart and soul nebula, if she has space (heh) for art on her walls. I think this goes with her interests and is also pretty lovey-dovey (heart and soul!). I used the hq image from NASA and got a poster made through a company in the UK (I'm sure there are other companies who do the same with good prices).

i have one of these but its been a little difficult for me to see them clearly or even try and take a picture, it moves around so damn much lol. I'm going to try again and post an update.

I checked it last night and i'm pretty confident that i saw a mix of clear and cloudy with very few amber.

Astronomers without Borders have some amazing telescopes and least expensive
Don't go for a high end one , just pick a beginners


https://www.astronomerswithoutborders.org/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=0&products_id=4&zenid=bbpmck0h912ddr7e1qifog4hc4


Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker Telescope https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007UQNKY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_1NVqzbW67QQ09

Gskyer Telescope, AZ70400 German Technology Astronomy Telescope, Travel Refractor https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DBK1GIK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_oPVqzbHVZ19R7

Don't worry about the books for now, once you trigger interest he will do his own research on the web.

Feel free to reach me if you need any help.

All the best

I need to replace the Lepai 2020 that I've been using at the office for monitoring demos and as an amp for my Fiio X1/tablet.

I lucked out when I grabbed the Lepai and got a REALLY quiet one. Now I need another for a project and they appear to be out of production, so I figure it's a good excuse to upgrade my office system.

What I need:
A sub $100, compact, digital amp similar to the Lepai in size. I need 2 inputs, preferably at least one set RCA and a front-mounted power switch.

Headphone out would be nice, but isn't required. Banana plug friendly is nice, but not required. I don't need an EQ on the amp as long as it's relatively flat (for the money).

My problem is that while I enjoy making music, I'm definitely not an audiophile. I've been looking at the
Topping TP22 and the SA-60, neither have a headphone out but do seem to tick all the other boxes. Are there any other models I should be looking at, or are these pretty much where it's at in the~$100 range?

How much magnification a set of binoculars has (i.e.: power) doesn't always correlate to the price. For astronomy, the second number for binoculars is the one that will be more expensive in your 20x50, since it refers to the diameter of the lenses on the end. The larger the diameter of the lenses on the end, the more light they can catch, and often the more expensive and heavy they are.

You could also try getting two pairs, the one that has 20 times magnification for when you want to be closer, and a 7x50 for when you want an overview binoculars (I have these cheap ones), they work ok. The other guys are right, if you want to zoom in you're going to need to be able to steady those 20x50 binoculars.

Also just to make sure, if you're seeing a super bright planet in the early evening that's Venus. Jupiter won't rise until 10:25pm right now. When you're looking at Jupiter through the 20x50 binoculars you should be able to see a small bright white disk and the four Galilean planets at tiny white dots. I don't know if you'll be able to see much detail on Jupiter itself.

I know they sell them at the Tower of London, but I’d imagine they’re priced up for tourists. I got one there of pretty good good quality, but if you’d rather buy online they’re pretty cheap on amazon

Get an 8" classic dobsonian from any major manufacturer. I'd recommend this one.

A few reasons:

• You can start seeing many DSOs at 6"-8", although you'll be mostly restricted to the Messier list. Most of the 12th magnitude or higher galaxies will be out of reach except in extremely dark skies, but there's a ton of other objects to see at 8".
  
  
• A classic dob (no electronics) is fun, and teaches you how to star hop. Finding an object is as much of the hobby as viewing it, and digital setting circles or GOTO functionality ruins half of the hobby. You can do the automated stuff later when you're more familiar with the sky.
  
  
• 8" is about the point where aperture-to-value peaks for most manufacturers, and it's a very manageable size. (Can easily fit into the back seat of a car.)
  
  More questions can be directed to the "beginners" guides over at the side-bar, under "Looking for your first telescope?". A lot of us are biased toward dobs because of the value and ease of use. If you want to go for a tripod refractor, that's fine, but in my opinion you won't get much out of them other than planets, the moon, and some star clusters or globulars. Aperture is cheap for dobs.
  
  If an 8" dob is out of reach in price, get a mini-dob or a good pair of binoculars. Don't get a Walmart telescope, those are garbage.

Dude, like the other used said, a good pair of binoculars are much better than low end telescopes. You get better optics, and larger aperture. The only place where binoculars might lag is magnification. That being said, I own a pair of Celestron 15x70 which I'd recommend to anyone in a heartbeat. They're brilliant to get started with, not much set up involved(except collimation, that's easy but), and I even managed to get a glimpse of saturn's rings recently!

Thanks for the advice! I'm leaning strongly toward binoculars right now - the person doesn't have any experience stargazing, just a very, very strong interest, so I was thinking I could afford binoculars and that could be a good introductory gift (plus some of the books already recommended here on stargazing).

I asked another reddit user this, but I'm looking at these two binoculars. Is there one you would suggest over the other? (I'm relying on reviews and doing my best to look up what these specs mean in terms of performance, but any thoughts would be greatly appreciated).

http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-71018-SkyMaster-20x80-Binoculars/dp/B0007UQNTU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1334868191&sr=8-2

And

http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-SkyMaster-Binoculars-Tripod-Adapter/dp/B00008Y0VN/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334868191&sr=8-1

I have that $10 phone clip on microscope that you see a lot of on amazon. It actually works well. Shows amber. have a nice phone screen is so much better than a loupe - just need to steady your hand. its not really a digital microscope. Its just a 60x lens that you put in front of your phone cam lens and you use your phone to zoom in. it gives me the best view of trichomes out of all the devices I have, including an old lab grade ziess microscope. and the LED light does not mask out amber.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0748FMBNC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This is the one that causes me issues. going to send it back. And it has built in zoom and is a true digital scope.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00XNYXQHE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you're planning on getting a camera just stick with a monocular. I have a binocular and it's really nice for viewing especially doing the long count method but if you can just get a camera. It's so much better.

There are plenty of decent ones on Amazon. Omax is a good brand.

Promotion Set: OMAX 40X-2000X Lab LED Binocular Compound Microscope with Double Layer Mechanical Stage + 100 Glass Blank Slides & Covers + 100 Lens Cleaning Paper https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0094JTZOU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_SDnwxbS0A9GYK

For a hemocytometer... Don't buy the shitty $30 one on Amazon. It fucking sucks giant donkey balls. I had that one and I seriously wanted to crush it repeatedly with our forklift. Buy nice or buy twice. Get the $130 one from sigma Aldrich. Bright line. Make sure you have the proper coverslips. Not your regular ones that come with the microscope. The sigma one comes with 2 I believe. Don't lose them or break them!!! You can order more though if it happens.

This one is pretty great:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00XNYXQHE/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1510971757&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=usb+microscope&dpPl=1&dpID=41NWME3Ne%2BL&ref=plSrch

You plug it into a laptop. Has great range and takes great photos.

I love it, the glass is really clear, the eye relief is nice and you can also adjust the focus, of course. For the money, I'm very pleased with it.

In terms of comparing it to the Vortex VMX-3T, which has the same price point as the Burris combo [$199], I would 100% recommend this one over it solely because the Burris flips out to the right (The Vortex magnifier flips out left, which will obstruct your view should you want to go with no magnification).

This is basically what I picked up. Just a cheap Chinese-made digital microscope with decent reviews. It only came with software on a mini-disc thing and... well I don't have a cd-rom anyway (whatyearisit.jpg) but luckily it works mostly plug-and-play with the default 'camera' program on windows. It's hard to get a good placement with nothing moving, magnification set properly, etc. but I really wanted to be able to check my trichomes (and my hand lens really wasn't cutting it). Worth the $20 for sure!

You need an Edmunds Astroscan. I don't think there's any other contender for this category. It's surprisingly steady and comfortable to use and you can even sit cross-legged and plop it directly in your own lap. It'll give you great views on a dark night, and the thing is so easy to use that anyone who is with you will be able to use it.

You might also consider a set of astronomy binoculars. I have a pair of Celestron Skymaster (15x70) and they're just about perfect for observing Messier class objects and planets, though looking at the full moon through them is a blinding experience. :-P

But seriously, you can't go wrong with that Astroscan.

That's some good looking flower I'd say they're close but the only way you're going to be able to tell when's the perfect time to harvest is by looking at the trichomes with a loupe. You can get one on amazon for ~$10.

I have this pocket microscope 60x is even almost too much because you get a very narrow view of the flower, I have to move it around a lot, but you can definitely clearly tell what stage the trichomes are at with it

Red dot then add a 3x flip up magnifier if you find yourself actually shooting at 300 yards often.

Holosun red dot
https://www.amazon.com/HOLOSUN-HS403A-Micro-Red-Sight/dp/B00KOOEZ6W/ref=sr_1_3?s=sports-and-fitness&ie=UTF8&qid=1510950778&sr=1-3&keywords=holosun&dpID=41sEuJwjs8L&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Well reviewed "budget" red dot. 50,000 (!!!) hour battery life so you can leave the red dot on all the time and only change the battery every couple years, great for HD.

For a magnifier, the vortex are reputed to be good, larue makes an excellent one, just get whatever you like

https://www.amazon.com/Vortex-VMX-3T-Magnifier-Flip-Mount/dp/B00BQWTC14/ref=pd_bxgy_200_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=XBBPB53AR6F40EMBRCZF

Here you go! My $50 pair.

Large, Crisp and bright enough that the moon's terminator can be seen to ripple with the relative depth of the terrain. Also, will amaze you during the day - I had no idea there were that many birds in the sky at seemingly all times!

However, don't expect the planets to be more than bright blobs. For that kind of detail a telescope is the only way to go. These Binocs are good for watching animals/people other things at great distance though.

You might have already made your decision, but one of the best tools I've bought is this $13 microscope - it takes all the guesswork out for me. Great looking plant!

​

*Edited to include the UK link on Amazon

This helmet looks bad-ass xD

ANd you may pick anything from my US/UK lists if I'm lucky enough to win :P

I love Kevin

I just got THIS USB Microscope from Amazon today. No complaints from me. I am not sure how accurate the color with this thing is but it seems to give me a clearer glimpse of the trichomes than those little 60x magnifiers that go for 10 dollars on amazon. It even has a button on the back that you press to snap pictures instread of having to click on a mouse or on the phone screen. Oh yeah, the coolest part about this microscope is that it can also plug in directly to an android phone/tablet and be used on the phone!

Anyway, this is my first grow and i would like to get a second opinion on my trichomes. It appears I have a lot of cloudy trichome heads and i THINK it may be time to harvest. Would appreciate you guys' inputs.

AND THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE HELPED ME GET THIS FAR!!!!

You don't need very much magnification at all, as they're visible with the naked eye. But if you want a really clear, detailed image, you want to collect a lot of light, so the diameter of the telescope is what really matters. The bigger the better. This one is a pretty good bang for your buck, especially if you also get this to go with it.

Best way is to get a 20x scope. Something like this will work fine.

http://www.amazon.com/Carson-MM-200-Micromax-60X-100X-Microscope/dp/B000P8AUMU/ref=sr_1_cc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1290463704&sr=1-1-catcorr

You can even get a jewelers loupe which is even cheaper.

The trichs convert from THC to CBD's. A higher ratio of THC to CBD will give a more cerebal "head" type of high. A higher ratio of CBD to THC will create a more body type of high. The first is more like a sativa and the second will resemble more of an indica. I believe that 40% amber gives a good representation of what the plant is.

OK so a basic 2 channel amplifier would work, amazon has quite a few. I have this one and love it. https://www.amazon.com/Topping-TP22-TK2050-Digital-Amplifier/dp/B005VR1VQE/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1484862119&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=toppingt+t22

These speakers are a really good buy and popular among budget audiophiles.
https://www.amazon.com/Micca-MB42X-Bookshelf-Speakers-Tweeter/dp/B00E7H8GG2/ref=sr_1_1?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1484862170&sr=1-1&keywords=mb42x

Not much experience, but I had good luck right out of the box with this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Awarded-2018-Best-Compound-Microscope/dp/B0094JTZOU

I recommend getting some sample pre-prepared slides as well so you can focus on the scope usage at first.

There are some great links on the side about choosing a first scope. Your best bet would be to buy some binoculars first and learn the night sky. You'd be surprised how much you can see with something like this, and you'll still use them when you move up to a telescope. As far as telescopes are concerned I see these recommended again and again for beginner scopes.

If you feel like reading on your own, over at /r/astrophotography we have a pretty comprehensive Wiki geared toward helping you figure out which scope works for you. Keep in mind though it's with imaging in mind and not just basic observing.

Orion is a quality manufacturer, their gear is used pretty widely across the board with amateurs and enthusiasts for observation and astrophotography.

The first thing you need to do is have real expectations, all the cool space shots you see are always done with long exposures, usually stacked. This means that your camera sensor is opened up to accept a a lot of photons over a longer period of time, the resulting image ends up in way more detail and contrast than you would get with just viewing through the eyepiece. If you scroll down toward the bottom of this you'll see some comparisons of what you can expect to see.

If you don't plan on imaging, you essentially want the largest aperture scope you can afford, this will be a reflector like the one you linked. However I would look for a Dobsonian mount instead of a equatorial (tripod mount). You can get an 8" Reflector for just about $400. But this is a big footprint scope, heavier and not totally easy to tote around frequently. This is kind of a catch-22 because the way you will get the most out of this scope is to bring it to the darkest area possible, up into the mountains like you mentioned would be ideal.

A couple good examples would be either M31 (Andromeda) or M42 (Orion Nebula) both large and fairly distinct objects, M42 is actually the closest Nebula to us and that's one of the reasons it's so widely photographed and viewed. Andromeda with a 8' Reflector at a dark site would yield you something like this. On the other hand, an image from user /u/kindark with a less powerful scope but multiple stacked exposures was able to produce this. The former is more what you can expect to actually see.

If you can find a local astronomy club or planetarium, they would have much better telescopes to look through. A moderate sized amateur telescope is way out of the price range you are talking about, but it's the kind of thing lots of astronomy club members have

If you decide you want one of your own, a tabletop one is better than one of those long refractors with a spindly tripod. The best optics in the world don't help you if the stand it is on wobbles around. "table-top" doesn't mean you have to use a table, anything stable and reasonably flat will work - stack of concrete blocks, tree stump, etc. To see much of anything, you need to get away from city lights, few trees to block the view, and preferably dry stable air.

A bigger telescope can overcome light pollution from a nearby city, but you won't be getting a bigger telescope with your desired budget. One on the rooftop of a planetarium or university building can be much bigger if it doesn't have to be portable.

It takes time for your eyes to fully adapt to dark conditions - be patient.

link it’s 15$ for one (when i bought it, they had a 2 for 20$ deal) but still well worth it. The perfect tool for telling exactly when your harvest is ready.

Plugable USB 2.0 Digital Microscope with Flexible Arm Observation Stand for Windows, Mac, Linux (2MP, 250x Magnification) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XNYXQHE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_oXpMAbACVS1BF


It doesnt zoom... At least how im using it but it does have a focus which is nice. Easy to use and take pics. I dont use the stand it comes with, just hand held

If you are in the USA or Canada this might be useful for satellite watching. There are apps for this on smartphones too (iPhone and Android).

http://www.spaceweather.com/flybys/

A good pair of binoculars can really be useful from a dark location (not just for satellites).

http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-SkyMaster-Binoculars-Tripod-Adapter/dp/tags-on-product/B00008Y0VN

Using both of your eyes to view the night sky is much more satisfying. Binoculars are a great addition even if you plan on getting a standard telescope. Try to resist the urge to get higher and higher magnification powers. These become much more susceptible to shake and are more difficult to aim. The lower power options, 10x to 15x, will allow you to take in a larger expanse of the night sky.

Biggest issue you are going to have is for children to have any good luck, they will need to be able to find stuff to look at. With that said, I would bundle any telescope checkout with a copy of "Turn Right at Orion" as well as a red headlamp. I would also consider having parents sign some sort of release form that if the scope comes back damage you can go after them for the cost.

You might do better with a GoTo telescope. These make it easy to find stuff to look at if you get them positioned properly. I am not sure of you budget, depending on that I would go with this

http://www.telescope.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=102026&utm_source=google&utm_medium=comparisonshopping&utm_campaign=US-googlemerchant&gclid=Cj0KEQiA1b7CBRDjmIPL4u-Zy6gBEiQAsJhTMHDaTbPhQ5-buq2SReWnyk_Mz2gYSK67XVWMkvSpdgMaAvPv8P8HAQ

I would also reach out to your local astronomical society to see if they would help. Here is a example of what the New Hampshire Astronomical society does.

http://www.nhastro.com/ltp.php

The telescope they use is this one

https://www.amazon.com/Orion-10015-StarBlast-Reflector-Telescope/dp/B00D12U1IK

I would actually not recommend the one you have listed. The larger scope will allow users to see more objects as well as a tripod will be harder to control shaking then a tabletop mount.

Thanks for posting back. Is this the telescope that you were talking about?
http://www.amazon.com/Orion-SkyQuest-Classic-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/B001DDW9V6

Anything you can tell me about it would be helpful. My dad has wanted a telescope for years and I really want to find the perfect one. Thanks!

Here ya go! 🤘🏻

• works great for the price! (Hardest Part is keeping it Steady 🤣🤣 )
  
  
  Jiusion 40 to 1000x Magnification Endoscope, 8 LED USB 2.0 Digital Microscope, Mini Camera with OTG Adapter and Metal Stand, Compatible with Mac Window 7 8 10 Android Linux https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WD843ZM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_iXqXCbZSFT3VH

That is some awesome advice. Other people are recommending a dob as well. Do you know any thing about this one?

http://www.amazon.com/Orion-SkyQuest-XT8-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/B001DDW9V6/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1369432158&sr=1-1&keywords=orion+skyquest+xt8

Also, for $30 more they have this option which to me sounds like it might be worth it?

http://www.amazon.com/Orion-Classic-Dobsonian-Telescope-Beginner/dp/B003ZDEUS2/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1369432158&sr=1-2&keywords=orion+skyquest+xt8

Or do you recommend any dobs?

You'd be surprised how awesome a decent set of binoculars can be for just starting out. Throw them on a tri-stand and star gaze away. Doesn't have to be super expensive to get some results.

https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-71008-SkyMaster-25x70-Binoculars/dp/B003AM87Q4/ref=sr_1_5?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1479672679&sr=1-5&keywords=binoculars+celestron

Even in the middle of the city, we look up and see all kinds of stars we cant see with the naked eye and our minds are pleasantly blown.

I am pretty new to this, but my old roommate had a setup and I just couldn't get over how much better the sound can be so I went searching and I found two turntables that I am buying. One is a Scott PS 49A and the other is a Kenwood that I can't recall the model of.

My question is more of a setup. I was looking at some devices and I am looking to keep it realatively budget friendly ($150 or less for preamp and amplifier). My parents are providing me some old speakers so no cost there and I was looking to, buy this preamp and this mini amplifier.

Are there any receivers for $150 or so with a built in phono preamp that can also power some passive speakers?

Story Here

I'm pretty excited for the lunar eclipse tonight. I live on the West Coast so it's not too late for me. But my dad has these binoculars which work awesome, and I really want to see the shadow creep across the moon. I'm excited!

I wouldn't recommend the 127 EQ for anyone. The mount is too wobbly and it's just not a good scope in general. With that budget, just get a tripod and some really nice binoculars. You will get much better views with it. I personally have these binoculars. They are great, you can just spend hours looking at random portion of the sky just gazing in them. They also show things like the Orion Nebula, Andromeda Galaxy, and the Pleiades really well.

Firstly, I don't recommend getting a telescope in that price range with photography in mind. You will be sorely disappointed-- to begin getting respectable photographs, it requires several thousand in equipment. There's nothing stopping you from just holding your phone up to the eyepiece and snapping a photo, but the results aren't going to be anything spectacular unless you're willing to spend exorbitant amounts of money.

That being said, the Orion Dobsonians are fantastic telescopes available at that price point. With your budget, you could get the Orion XT8 for $390 and still have some money left over for a Sun filter. It would get you amazing views of the Moon and planets (along with some nebulae and galaxies depending on light pollution).

Get a pair of good binoculars. You can do a lot of viewing with something cheap and easy as this. Make sure you have a tripod, so you can stabilize it, since it is a heavy binocular. You can use an L-bracket to mount it to a tripod.

Join a local astronomy club and attend a viewing night. In my local club, about 10-20 people show up and bring all of their gear. You can learn a lot about telescopes, mounts, optics, etc. by viewing the constellations through different types of scopes. Also, many clubs have a telescope lending library. I borrowed a 16" Dobsonian telescope and kept it for a month. I saw pretty much all of the Messier Objects with it and didn't have to spend $2000 for a telescope.

Some people are looking for suggestions. I second the suggestion and I have a pair of these that work well for me.

• Good reach (magnification) - suitable for most things I'll see with my 6" schmidt cassegrain
  
• Tripod attachment is important - for looking at just about anything, it's much nicer to have the stabilization of the tripod. Also, it's nice to be able to "point" them at something and have another person look through (last night I went out with my 3 year old daughter and showed her Venus and Mars - otherwise she would have needed to try to find them and hold the binoculars steady enough to be able to see them herself)
  
  (edit: formatting)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MLHMAS/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 -- I bought this one a few years ago, looks like it's about $115 presently. Very basic scope, very basic mount, but the second thing I ever saw through it (after the moon) was Jupiter and its moons, and you can see them pretty well.

Alt-Az mount is way cheaper than an equatorial mount, but it means you'll have a harder time tracking objects across the sky. And you'll be surprised at how fast they move when you're looking at them under high magnification. So your investment should also consider how old your kids are and whether they're going to be able to track with the scope themselves.

Hi,

So I have been convinced not to go for the motorized telescope(as much as I like little motors going purr)

This has been recommended

http://www.amazon.co.uk/WATCHER-SKYLINER-PARABOLIC-DOBSONIAN-TELESCOPE/dp/B00B0GV1N8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1449523596&sr=8-2&keywords=sky-watcher+8

and it beats this

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Orion-SkyQuest-Classic-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/B001DDW9V6/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&qid=1449673307&sr=8-18-spons&keywords=dobsonian+telescope&psc=1

Both are comfortably under budget, should I pick one or are there other Dobsonians around the €700 budget ?

Thanks

I'm happy using this one. Plugs into a usb port and takes up to 200x photos and videos.
I also use it to view compost tea microbes, so I know my brew is alive and correct. Plus viewing springtails under a scope is super cool looking.

Plugable USB 2.0 Digital... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XNYXQHE?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Imo, save up another $100 so you're in the $400 range and get an 8" dobsonian such as the Zhumell Z8, Orion Xt8, or Skywatcher 8.

Then you've got a big aperture scope in the dob that will show you some deep sky targets and clearer brighter views of the planets etc. and you can turn your 70mm EQ into your portable grab n go scope.

The next investment would be in better eyepieces, but the good news is any 1.25" eyepieces you buy will fit in both your old and new scopes.

Celestron 71198 Cometron 7x50 Binoculars (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DV6SI3Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_vqUwzb0JS3Z19

If I were you, I'd find these on the Australian Amazon. You wont see any details on Jupiter and Saturn, but you can see many deep sky objects in relatively dark skies...star clusters and some galaxies. You'll also begin to learn the sky. Binoculars that are any bigger would be too heavy to hold steady and would require a tripod.

If you then find this is a hobby you want to pursue further, save up enough money to buy a reflector between 130mm and 200mm.

The binoculars can and would still be used for spotting and quick views. I use these binos all the time along side my telescope.

Also, if there is a local amateur astronomy club, join and go to their star viewing parties.

I don't know much about rental services, and there are very few truly cheap (<100$) telescopes that this sub would recommend for you. Have you considered a good set of binoculars? They can be much cheaper, still great quality, excellent for sweeping along the spine of the Milky Way and you can use them for daytime terrestrial viewing as well.

I own a pair of 10x50s, but often people recommend going a little less than 10. I've always been intrigued by how cheap these are:

https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-71198-Cometron-Binoculars-Black/dp/B00DV6SI3Q/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1499258675&sr=8-3&keywords=astronomy+binoculars

But I'm not sure if they have hidden drawbacks over the ones closer to the 100 dollar mark.

• Le Creuset. Just one example - they have lots of nice gifts.
  
  
  
• Ice cream maker with recipe book and two stoneware bowls.
  
  
  
• Maybe they have a dark sky and enjoy stargazing? If so, a telescope
  
  
• In a rural area, they probably don't have access to high end grocery stores. A gourmet gift basket could be nice: Dean and Deluca; Harry & David; Vosges

I would invest $50-100 in a good pair of binoculars before you invest even more in a telescope. Telescopes are much more stable and customizable (namely in terms of changing the eyepieces/magnification), and you'll be able to pick out details like the rings of Saturn which you won't get from binoculars. However, they require a larger investment, more setup time, and are not nearly as portable (a big deal if you want to do some stargazing on a hiking trip). They're also just more complicated to use, at least at first.

A few years back I purchased some Skymaster 15x70 binos. They are quite powerful and work well on a tripod. However, there have been systemic issues with the lenses falling out of alignment over time. This can be fixed by adjusting a few screws (you can Google it), so if you don't mind a bit of mechanical work I can recommend them.

The problem with binos is that you'll never be able to hold them steady enough to study things. You'll need a tripod and mount.

Nevertheless, enjoyable viewing can be had with a good set.

Here's what I'm working.

Celestron SkyMaster 15x70 $75
https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-SkyMaster-Binoculars-Tripod-Adapter/dp/B00008Y0VN/

70-Inch Pistol Grip Tripod with Bag $55
https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-70-Inch-Pistol-Grip-Tripod/dp/B01LQX0P8Q

Total Cost ~$140 shipped

This is slightly more costly than most decent starter scopes.

Celestron 127EQ PowerSeeker Telescope ~$133
https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-21049-127EQ-PowerSeeker-Telescope/dp/B0007UQNKY

If money is of little object, get a basic scope and the binoculars I stated earlier. You'll enjoy having both capabilities and it will help you hunt down objects. Also fun for people who come with you to have something to do while you work the scope.

I will say that binoculars get uncomfortable if you're not laying down, or sitting naturally and even then it can get tiresome on the eyes and neck. Nothing beats a telescope imho. You can learn the sky and develop good habits just the same.

Sure thing! I bought this one from Amazon last year. https://www.amazon.com/Awarded-Best-Compound-Microscope-2016/dp/B0094JTZOU I love it. It's perfect for every day use. Here's a video I took last year of pond water with cell phone camera. https://youtu.be/WALjNaX9WYg

It should be fairly easy. If you want portability, buy some Smart Pots, they worked much better than the standard plastic pots I was using before. Spend some money on some good nutrients for the N-P-K phases. I used the Fox Farm Trio for my first grow, but I will be moving onto more organic products next year. Make sure to feed them less than what the bottles tell you to. Good soil is very important, I used Roots Organic. Then get some Molasses and feed it about cap full once every couple of weeks while it's vegging, and once a week when it flowers.

One mistake I made on my first grow, was ignoring pesticides. Next year I will be using Azamax once a week when it's vegging. Caterpillars can ruin a good amount of your crop in no time.

I think that's pretty much all you need for a cheap, and low-maintenance grow. Buy some Fiskars trimmers, and a microscope when you think they're ready for harvest.

http://www.amazon.com/Orion-10014-SkyQuest-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/B0000XMSNO

I got this one for my kids this Christmas, Pretty reasonable price and I can clearly make out the Cloud bands on Jupiter and the 4 Galilean moons. I guess I will find out about being able to see the spot and the shadows later this month. If I knew then what I know now I would have kicked in the extra $$ for the XT6... http://www.amazon.com/Orion-8944-SkyQuest-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/B001DDW9UW/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1420267036&sr=1-1&keywords=XT6

This was a great resource for me in trying to sort out how to best spend my money.

http://www.rocketroberts.com/astro/firstscopes.htm

There are a few things I feel should be corrected.

>You will want to harvest when at least 50% of them have turned amber. Some people prefer to wait until 80% are amber

I disagree and think that is WAY to much amber. Personally I feel around 10% amber is perfect and if you look around most people will actually recommend 20%

>Some people use the 3:1 ratio (Use 3 gallons per gallon container). This will remove all the salt buildup from the nutrients.

This is more of an emergency flush that you would use if you start seeing alot of nutrient burn or if your soil PH is off (IE getting very low or high runoff PH)

An end of cycle flush normally refers to withholding nutrients but watering the same amount.

>A scope with 30x to a 100x is perfect. Radio shack sells a nice scope with a light on it for around 10 dollars.

I have a 30x scope and feel it is very difficult to get an accurate look at your trichs with it. I would actually recommend 45x or higher. I also own the radioshack scope, and it is near impossible to use it without taking a cutting of a leaf to use on a stable surface. This is the 60x I now use and highly recommend (it also has a light and can be used without taking a sample from your plant), it is only $4 with free shipping.

> Just keep in mind THC degrades into CBD's the longer you let it grow.

THC degrades into CBN not CBD (source)

Thank you. Its this one https://www.amazon.com/Plugable-Microscope-Flexible-Observation-Magnification/dp/B00XNYXQHE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486744202&sr=8-1&keywords=plugable+usb+microscope

Pretty damn good for 35 bucks id say. The flex part is metal, and the suction cup is really sturdy. No need to hold it in your hand and try to be super steady, or take "bud samples". I just suction cup it to the wall next to the plant, push it up against a bud and then adjust the focus ring. It also has adjustable LED lights, and the software is excellent. Its probably made in China, but the software and tech support is all american, and very legit

Tell them to get a better telescope. :P

It's just funny how photos in expensive, glamorous places like this always feature such dirt cheap telescopes.

I think it’s this one but I’m not 100%. There’s a few users in this sub that have posted some pretty amazing pictures using those and it isn’t expensive either

I'm a huge space geek myself. Here are some of the things my gf has given me as presents that I've loved: Lego Space Shuttle http://shop.lego.com/en-US/Spaceport-60080 (it's above your price range but they do have a smaller version); Metal Art Apollo Lunar Lander http://www.amazon.com/Fascinations-Metal-Earth-Laser-Model/dp/B00JMQR448 (they also make a Mars Rover version); Celestron Binoculars http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-SkyMaster-Binoculars-Tripod-Adapter/dp/B00008Y0VN (great for checking out the moon, stars & planets - I would also suggest a tripod to go with it). Hope those help!

It's pretty awesome. I was on the fence until I actually tried it out. So much easier than a jewelers loupe.

plugable microscope

XT8

https://www.amazon.com/Orion-8945-SkyQuest-Dobsonian-Telescope/dp/B001DDW9V6/ref=sr_1_3?crid=D6DJI7P4OQ1D&keywords=xt8+telescope&qid=1575050736&sprefix=xt8+tel%2Caps%2C203&sr=8-3

Here's the XT8 plus (come's with better focuser and some extra things.

https://www.amazon.com/Orion-SkyQuest-Dobsonian-Reflector-Telescope/dp/B07KWKKN5C/ref=sr_1_4?crid=D6DJI7P4OQ1D&keywords=xt8+telescope&qid=1575050736&sprefix=xt8+tel%2Caps%2C203&sr=8-4

This is the Apertura AD8. It's pretty much the most recommended if you can afford it. It's the right size between being able to handle/portability (it's still huge though) and being able to see things. It's the one I wound up getting for my son/me. It comes with all the bells and whistles except some upgraded eyepieces, which you should get with any telescope you buy. I didn't want to put myself in the position of every time I pull out my telescope I would think "What if I had gotten the AD8..."

https://www.highpointscientific.com/apertura-ad8-8inch-dobsonian-telescope-ad8

If you get the 6" in a light-polluted area, you'll wonder "What would this look like under some really dark skies??" If you get the 6" in a really dark sky area, you'll wonder "what would this look like with an 8"??"

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B06WD843ZM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_e3vFDbHQEP90Q

That and an old Win Laptop. Love the device!

​

Edit:



Jiusion 40 to 1000x Magnification Endoscope, 8 LED USB 2.0 Digital Microscope, Mini Camera with OTG Adapter and Metal Stand, Compatible with Mac Window 7 8 10 Android

this is a great DIY book:
http://www.amazon.com/Yourself-VISUALLY-Astronomy-Richard-Talcott/dp/0470343826?ie=UTF8&keywords=teach%20your%20self%20astronomy&qid=1465437802&ref_=sr_1_sc_2&sr=8-2-spell

astrophysics uses a lot of "classical mechanics", pretty advanced mathy stuff. But you'll get to that slowly. If you want to start now, try to get to Calculus as fast as you can. Calc and Trig are pretty damn important in astrophysics.

More important to have fun, learn everything you can (math doubly so), and maybe buy some binoculars to really learn the night sky. You can get a pair of 70mm binoculars (Celestron) on amazon for about 50 dollars now. Incredible deal.

Scratch that, they're 68 dollars. still an incredibel deal. http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-71008-SkyMaster-25x70-Binoculars/dp/B003AM87Q4?ie=UTF8&keywords=celestron%20binoculars%2015&qid=1465437970&ref_=sr_1_2&s=sports-and-fitness&sr=1-2

Just don't drop them, they cannot be collimated (meaning, if you drop them, you may knock the lenses out of alignment, and there are no adjusters to fix it).

Hey, Im having trouble finding my other scope, but it looks similar to this one:

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B002E0MU70/ref=as_at?slotNum=6&linkCode=g12&imprToken=QksG4RjHMZlKeg9OhpHmeA&creativeASIN=B002E0MU70&tag=impexion04-20

Anyway, best of luck in your search!

This Orion has great reviews. I have a Skywatcher myself, which is slightly more expensive. Of course you can also go the second hand route, just have to take a good look at the state of the primary and secondary mirrors.

As an armature astronomer my self this is good advice OP. You will want something big lenses in the front (aperture) to collect lots of light and you want good optical quality so you can see as much detail as possible. I recommend something with a prism built in. I have these and they work great.

1. I don't expect you to gift me this, I'm just linking it because its the telescope that's been on my wish list. feel free to share yours after so I can compare :D
   
   
2. I'm going to guess you'll have $8.15 left over

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00LAX52IQ?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_yo_pop_mb_pd_t2

I bought this 2 years ago and used it successfully with 2 harvests.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00004SD76/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1525838527&sr=8-6&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=fiskars+scissors&dpPl=1&dpID=311tbl6Gx4L&ref=plSrch

I'm a big fan of fiskars, and these are priced great as an add on item.

Try these... At 25x you will see the moons of Jupiter, nice crater detail on the Moon, and excellent wide field views of deep sky objects. I have a pair of 20x80 and use them more than my 12" Meade Lightbridge. IMO this is the best place to start with a limited budget.

Wow, one of the first setups I've seen in a while where I didn't have a major suggestion. Very nice.

Add a pair of Fiskars, a hygrometer for curing, trich microscope and something for tying things down if you're going to LST.

I had to really think just to think of those. Good job.

I'd get a telescope. Just a 2 min Amazon search shows that you can get decent stuff in that price range, for example: https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-21035-70mm-Travel-Scope/dp/B001TI9Y2M

Note that this is just the first shopping result I have found, I am sure that on reddit (e.g. /r/telescopes/ ) will be people who can recommend you the best one.

Honestly, in reasonably dark skies you can see truly extraordinary things with binoculars. I've done a fair bit of astrophotography, but these days with very few exceptions I'm looking through binoculars. But you need astro binocs, not some random binocular. Regular binoculars have apertures that are too small - everything looks dark. I own and use these and only these -- Celestron 25x70s for 65 bucks. It comes with a thing to connect it to any tripod, so you don't have to hold it. If you don't own a tripod, you can get one on Amazon for 15 bucks.

Clear skies!

In reality, the binoculars are literally two small refractor telescopes:)

Consider getting some good binoculars if you're a beginner. Million times easier to use, cheaper, you can explore much quicker, wider field of view. I find it a much more intuitive way to explore!
I have a pair of these - http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00008Y0VN which are perfect for starting out.

Nice video! We did a science fair project using a cheap endoscope on amazon to get a similar zoom level. It's a ton of fun to see things up close!

Here's a (non affiliate) link to the one we used, there are a ton of similar ones too: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06WD843ZM

If you want something small, chances are you won't find anything with all the extras you're looking for. u/explosivo563 had a good point with the art preamp with USB in, I had forgotten about that one. For a good small amp something like the smsl sa50 or 60, or the Topping Tp22 for a small step up would be perfect. The downside to these style amps is you don't have the bass and treble adjust, but honestly I don't think it's that necessary anyway.

I should have mentioned that the rear magnifier has a flip mount. https://www.amazon.com/Vortex-VMX-3T-Magnifier-Flip-Mount/dp/B00BQWTC14

It is actually pretty sweet, but as you can see it would work much better if you have a rail that goes over the handguard as well.

I got it on Amazon... $58 plus shipping. Very good quality, fits nice, just needed to put some foam in the top.

Edit: Here is the link on Amazon Price went up a bit. Must be getting popular.

The scope I used has a 250x magnification and I could see the russets and eggs easily. I don't recall seeing poop, but I don't think I was looking. Yes, you can see dead russets -- they look just like live ones but don't move.

Under my handheld 30x scope the mites looked like little worms and I could not see eggs. I think I mentioned that I used this scope -- it looks like there are some cheaper ones available now.

Edit: Here's my post from 5months ago when I had russets. At the bottom are pics and videos that I took with the usb scope. I can't remember if I had it at 250x or not with these close ups. Here is a pic of russets and eggs. You can see that the eggs are spherical and shiny. Not to be confused with sessile glands seen here and here.

I bought these from amazon. They're pretty amazing and not too bad for looking at the stars. The orion nebula blows me away every time.

This is the one a lot of people on Reddit tend towards. It's not perfect, but it's pretty good for the price! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XNYXQHE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This one. It's fun. You can't focus, only zoom. But it takes great shots and is cheap.

Jiusion 40 to 1000x Magnification Endoscope, 8 LED USB 2.0 Digital Microscope, Mini Camera with OTG Adapter and Metal Stand, Compatible with Mac Window 7 8 10 Android Linux https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WD843ZM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_zzCMBbJX09JJK

Personally I'd get a dobsonian; more bang for your buck, but equatorial tracking can be pretty expensive with them. Without modifications though, you could get a sweet 8" scope for not very much.