Telescope buying help needed.....

[Beachbummette]

I will bring it to the tower, I PROMISE....MAYBE you, LATBeach and I can spot a streaker...

What about binoculars? The things you can see through binoculars are way more exciting to a first grader than looking at flecks of light through a telescope. You can even see moon details with an average set of binoculars! They would be great for viewing wildlife at the beach and at Bunker too!

OK....binoculars would work for this too!

 

[InletBchDweller]

What about binoculars? The things you can see through binoculars are way more exciting to a first grader than looking at flecks of light through a telescope. You can even see moon details with an average set of binoculars! They would be great for viewing wildlife at the beach and at Bunker too!

maybe so....and they are smaller than a telescope!!;-)

 

[InletBchDweller]

What about binoculars? The things you can see through binoculars are way more exciting to a first grader than looking at flecks of light through a telescope. You can even see moon details with an average set of binoculars! They would be great for viewing wildlife at the beach and at Bunker too!

OK Mango, ya gonna chime in?????

 

[Smiling JOe]

I'm liking jdarg's suggestion even better than bdarg's. But get a good pair, not the pocket sized. I've owned a few of those small ones, and they just don't work nearly as well. I have a couple pair of the larger ones, and they are incredible. The smaller ones are good for looking at a bird in the tree overhead, but you want a large pair when looking at anything in the distance. When you look at the Moon using a large pair, you will go WoW! Did I mention that they will last you a long time? I still own a pair which were a Christmas gift when I was about 10 years old -- keep them right beside my back door and use them often.

 

[barefootguy]

I saw this on cnn.com today ... http://www.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/wayoflife/11/30/stargazing/index.html

Here's a blurb from that article ...

The kind of telescope to buy depends on where you live and how you're going to use it. If you live in the city, Pitts said, buy a light, portable telescope that you can tote to locations with less surrounding light. If you live outside a city and have the space, you can permanently set up a larger telescope for viewing.

Chester recommends reading "Backyard Astronomy" by Terence Dickinson before you buy a telescope. The book and related Web site include an overview of telescope manufacturers, a guide to eyepieces and filters, as well as tips for using a telescope.

A reflecting telescope about 4 inches in diameter is a good choice, Thomas said. "It will cost about $150," he noted. Anything costing less than that is "junk," in Thomas' opinion. "You're wasting your time with toys."

And here's another article ... http://physics.weber.edu/planet/telescope.html

 

[Mango]

OK Mango, ya gonna chime in?????

Just saw this this morning.

For starter astronomers, I recommend astronomical binoculars if you go that route. You could use a standard camera tripod at home and disconnect it if you want. The difference between regular binoculars and astronomical binoculars are field of view. You use both eyes for the AB vs. one eye for regular binoculars which is easier for kids IMO.
Here is a link to one that's priced very competitively at telescopes.com
$69.00. This one goes to 80, although 100 is better, but at this price, she probably will not notice the difference.
I have 2 sets of binoculars by my kitchen window, and the first thing my nephew whose little IBD's age grabs is the binoculars to see the moon or look at birds.

In the Telecope Dept.
Here's a telescope I saw the other day and I couldn't believe the price. I also found it at telescopes.com
Zhumell Tabletop 30mm Refractor telescope. $19.99 No I didn't miss a number. Only $19.99. Practically disposable, but will give you an idea of her interest and it looks cool!
Celestron ExploraScope 100. Looks indestructible and has excellent features for a starter telescope. $ 96.00
Both telescopes come with a removeable tabletop stand. I like this feature for kids, they can sit down and view.
Whatever you decide to get, I would recommend buying a piece of plywood as a base to avoid tipping, especially in the sand.

There are also lots of web sites for kids to go to learn about astronomy.
To get started, here's a link that has a printable constellation map based on the time of year and it's free.
I hope this helps based on your budget and how far her interests will go with astronomy.

 

[tebo]

IBD, a pair of binoculars and a descent ( steady) tripod would probably be more of the first step. A pair of 15 power binoculars mounted to a steady tripod would give little IBD a lot of fun as well as others wanting to look. They would not have to be real expensive, but you do not want to by cheap because with optics cheap is just no good at all. If the subject she is looking at is not moving she can adjust the tripod to see it and step back and say look at this. I am sure she would have a lot of fun, and it could lead to her wanting to get into telescopes.

 

[InletBchDweller]

Thanks for the info everyone......I have to go to Destin today.

 

[Mango]

I'm liking jdarg's suggestion even better than bdarg's. But get a good pair, not the pocket sized. I've owned a few of those small ones, and they just don't work nearly as well. I have a couple pair of the larger ones, and they are incredible. The smaller ones are good for looking at a bird in the tree overhead, but you want a large pair when looking at anything in the distance. When you look at the Moon using a large pair, you will go WoW! Did I mention that they will last you a long time? I still own a pair which were a Christmas gift when I was about 10 years old -- keep them right beside my back door and use them often.

Exactly, I have an expensive Meade telescope but break out the binoculars often to avoid set up.
It can get a little tiring holding binoculars up after a while, so I suggest a rotating table top or larger tripod for kids.

Thanks for the info everyone......I have to go to Destin today.

Good luck! and it's time for another Mango Music Mix for the Holidays and star viewing.

 

[scooterbug44]

My family has found that dad's hunting "spotting scope" with tripod shows us all we need to see. It's more like a telescope than binocs, but does the job. We use it for stargazing, watching sailboat races, checking out what is going on on the lake etc.

Grandma got a fancy schmancy telescope, but it was so heavy/hard to finesse that it didn't get used.