Any Advice on Buying a Telescope for a Beginner?
By theSids
@thesids (22180)
Bhubaneswar, India
June 5, 2016 3:10pm CST
Okay, so I have been ill again 
I feel that when I am ill and on the resting thing, I come up with many things that normally get added to my to-do list. Like the last time when I had this resting thing and MyLot was still active (version one), I came up with opting in for a weird hairdo and even learn guitar
. I could not find an affordable Guitar for sure, but ended up with a really weird hairdo, a bling and even a very oversized tee and shorts to go with it...
and it had shocked my wife as I entered the room with the new attire
.
Now, this time, it is me wanting to buy a Telescope. I need that badly now. If some of you still remember - I have always loved Astronomy and now, I think the time has come that I should start giving it some more of love.
I had been searching for something that I can use to study Moon and other planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, Mars... aw c'mon we all know the planets of our solar system and some of their moons too
).
On the online sites, I found some but the reviews had me stranded. Same crap... some good and some confusing reviews...
So I thought to ask if anyone here knows about what can be a good Telescope... for someone who is in India, has a low budget (about 100 USD?) and still wants to have one Telescope that can help.
There is no other reason to buy a Telescope, but my love for Astronomy which seems to have been rekindled as I read some good stuff about Indian Astronomy when resting. Oh yes, my baby who will be 6 months old this month, I would want her to use it too... sometime.
I feel that when I am ill and on the resting thing, I come up with many things that normally get added to my to-do list. Like the last time when I had this resting thing and MyLot was still active (version one), I came up with opting in for a weird hairdo and even learn guitar. I could not find an affordable Guitar for sure, but ended up with a really weird hairdo, a bling and even a very oversized tee and shorts to go with it... and it had shocked my wife as I entered the room with the new attire.
Now, this time, it is me wanting to buy a Telescope. I need that badly now. If some of you still remember - I have always loved Astronomy and now, I think the time has come that I should start giving it some more of love.
I had been searching for something that I can use to study Moon and other planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, Mars... aw c'mon we all know the planets of our solar system and some of their moons too).
On the online sites, I found some but the reviews had me stranded. Same crap... some good and some confusing reviews... So I thought to ask if anyone here knows about what can be a good Telescope... for someone who is in India, has a low budget (about 100 USD?) and still wants to have one Telescope that can help.
There is no other reason to buy a Telescope, but my love for Astronomy which seems to have been rekindled as I read some good stuff about Indian Astronomy when resting. Oh yes, my baby who will be 6 months old this month, I would want her to use it too... sometime.11 people like this
10 responses
@toniganzon (72279)
• Philippines
6 Jun 16
You have to admit Sid that the reason for buying a telescope is to get a glimpse of me from afar. I'm sorry to disappoint you honey, but I've come down from the stars a very long time ago. Hugs. 
4 people like this
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
6 Jun 16
No. I have bigger plans. I will place a giant mirror (lens) just as they placed that science space lab up somewhere. And use that lens and my telescope to have a close up view of you
. See, i know with a 100-200 USD budget I may never make it to you place, but i can surely initiate my experiments and hope someday they will be helpful to future generations..
. See, i know with a 100-200 USD budget I may never make it to you place, but i can surely initiate my experiments and hope someday they will be helpful to future generations..
2 people like this
@toniganzon (72279)
• Philippines
6 Jun 16
@thesids a brilliant idea coming from the great Sid. Make sure that lens comes with a very sensitive audio and speech device so we could hear and talk to each other as you view me from afar. 
a brilliant idea coming from the great Sid. Make sure that lens comes with a very sensitive audio and speech device so we could hear and talk to each other as you view me from afar. 3 people like this
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
6 Jun 16
She is doing good these days. Her weight is now very close to normal. She also sleeps better now, probably because the tempertures are getting little cooler.
How are you and hubby? I know i have a lot of discuasions to catch up. Missed you
3 people like this
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
6 Jun 16
@thesids I had missed you too, I know life had gotten, complicated, for you there for awhile, so I had hoped things hadn't gone south. We are doing ok, for now. Hubby still hasnt found a job
1 person likes this
Yes, your baby who will soon grow up can use it too . 
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
7 Jun 16
i was saddened to read that'cha've been doin' poorly 'gain, my friend. tryin' to get the "visual" 'f yer new do 'n attire, lol.
's fer the telescope? i fear i've nary a clue, i also find those reviews to leave me scratchin' my head with most thingies.
t'would be a great passion to pass'nto that sweet babe 'n from an early age's jest a bonus :D
big hugs!
1 person likes this
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
9 Jun 16
Yes some of the food that I had recently did not go well with my Ulcerative Colitis and it got all flared up. Glad that things are better as of now and I am improving.
I do think similar too. As when I was growing up, I did read all the books they had on astronomy at the school library (agreed, we did not have a big library back then and there were barely 10 books on Astronomy around). But that study did create a deep interest in me to know more about planets, sun and moons. Eventually, during the late 1980s when they aired the Star Trek TOS on Indian Television, I was glued to it and the bonds became stronger. Sadly, could not make it to the school of Astronomy back then (due to financial issues) nor could the interest be persuaded because of work. Now I think is the right time to get back into some of it and hope that it fancies the baby girl as she grows.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
9 Jun 16
@thesids aw, ya got u.c.?? my momma suffers from such (recently acquired, which's rather odd) 'n i've severe crohn's. i know firsthand how foods can turn'n "us" quickly. i hope that'cher continuin' to get'cher health back best ya can, hon. sendin' healin' hugs!!
i've read 'bout the stars'n planets, seen the movies, heard the tales from the ancient ones. 'm most fascinated by't all, jest don't seem to comprehend much'f 't, lol.
no doubt she'll've that passion 'n yer gentle soul to guide her'n her journey :) big hugs!
1 person likes this
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
6 Jun 16
Yes, as Amazon India did not seem to have anything good, I searched over internet and found that a decent telescope that can help me watch Moon, Jupiter, Saturn and their moons, will be about 25,000 Indian Rupees. Also, as these are not available on Indian Sites, I will have to buy from US/Canada based sites. Prices are okay on them (at around 300 USD) but I think the shipping and import duties would make things costlier.
1 person likes this
@Daljinder (23233)
• Bangalore, India
6 Jun 16
Try eBay! There are auction and buy now categories available!
2 people like this
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
6 Jun 16
No. I cannot buy anything from them. My two purchases of electronic Items from them are still unusable. One was a cell phone - with a camera that never worked and another was a grinder that needed me to change its motor first... so if I try it, wifey is surely going to put me in some place where I do not want to be...
2 people like this
@Daljinder (23233)
• Bangalore, India
6 Jun 16
@thesids Wow! I have never bought anything from there. Amazon and Homeshoppe18 I had bought things from many times.
2 people like this
@hora_fugit (5862)
• India
6 Jun 16
I remember that incident! I would not use a telescope to look up and it's not my habit to look down at anyone... so no tele-advice from me. 
My friend had bought one but very soon it was packed and sent to home and I didn't really get a chance to test it and expand my knowledge.
I would not use a telescope to look up and it's not my habit to look down at anyone... so no tele-advice from me. My friend had bought one but very soon it was packed and sent to home and I didn't really get a chance to test it and expand my knowledge.1 person likes this
@hora_fugit (5862)
• India
6 Jun 16
@thesids Always aim for stars you will be delighted!
you will be delighted!1 person likes this
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
6 Jun 16
I remember that incident!
I never knew those beaded necklaces were called blings.
I found some but they are out of stock on many Indian Sites. The one that I would want to have is expensive at the moment - about 25k INR. Reading your response and being on the practical sides, I think it is not going to be that good an Investment. Maybe I should go with the less than 4k INR ones from Amazon and keep myself happy watching the Moon and probably the craters it has
1 person likes this
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
23 Jun 16
yay did not know you had a baby. wonderful. my daughters bf found one on craigslist but you are over there. maybe there is something like that there? people selling cheap things that are still very good. did you try ebay? I think they have one there right?
1 person likes this
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
25 Jun 16
Sadly the online stores in India do have very confusing reviews. I tried both Amazon and Ebay (though I would not have purchased from EBay owing to some bad purchased years ago). I got into the process of communicating with the vendors too but it seems, either they are ignorant or unwilling to help me find a right one.
Thankfully on the response from ChesneyM (NowUCMe) above, she recommended a website and when contacted, they did give me quite some helpful information. I now plan to search for their recommended telescope from an Indian seller.
@much2say (53945)
• Los Angeles, California
30 Jun 16
Did you ever find the right telescope for you? I always loved the observation part of astronomy . . . but once I took a real astronomy in college, it was more about math problems and formulas in which I could not completely connect with 
! I barely passed the class. 
We are spoiled here. We have a few observatories out here. One is at our local university, but we have yet to take advantage of their showings. Another is the Griffith Observatory - quite popular among tourists. Another is atop Mount Wilson (where we went hiking recently).
I know there is an array of high and low quality telescopes around. Hubby was always interested in observing the stars too, but we never got "the right" telescope (the ones we got were obviously too low quality). Plus our skies in our area are too lit . . . not good for observing unless we took it up to the hills.
Oh, I'd like to see the weirdo hairdo 
!
! I barely passed the class.
We are spoiled here. We have a few observatories out here. One is at our local university, but we have yet to take advantage of their showings. Another is the Griffith Observatory - quite popular among tourists. Another is atop Mount Wilson (where we went hiking recently).
I know there is an array of high and low quality telescopes around. Hubby was always interested in observing the stars too, but we never got "the right" telescope (the ones we got were obviously too low quality). Plus our skies in our area are too lit . . . not good for observing unless we took it up to the hills.
Oh, I'd like to see the weirdo hairdo !
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
6 Jun 16
I've never bought a telescope so I can't help you there, Sid.
A friend has one that I have looked through (very carefully!) to see Mars, but I couldn't afford what she paid! Her telescope is a Meade.
I have no clue what kind you would need or where to purchase one from, either.
Maybe I can help you in a different way, though...
Your one-stop guide for beginners and novice astronomers on how to choose a telescope for viewing the night sky.
1 person likes this
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
6 Jun 16
The Meade and Dobsonian ones are quite expensive - at least that is what I could figure out last night whilst searching and most probably I will never be buying them (unless of course my daughter grows interested in Astronomy) for me, I am growing old.
I loved the link you shared.
I found a couple of telescopes here - - they have urls to shops too, but most of them I think do not have shipping to India. But yes, your URL and this one of mine will help me find something good somewhere, sooner :)
Products No matter what you need to see, Celestron has an optic for everyone. Browse our extensive astronomy, sport optics, and microscope product offerings here. About Us Behind every lens and mirror lie our groundbreaking technologies. Learn all about th
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
6 Jun 16
@thesids I am glad I could help you in some way, Sid. I wish I could do more.
1 person likes this
