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Thursday, October 20, 2005

GOTO OR NOT TO GOTO

I have been asked to by several customers to give my opinion on an "easy" to use telescope, so the discussion usually leads to computerized telescope versus non-computerized telescope. Which is really better for the beginner?

I wish I had an easy answer. If I feel the customer is dedicated and will stick with astronomy, I usually recommend a Dobsonian such as the 6" Celestron Starhopper as a beginner scope. It's big enough to be a serious telescope and it's a no brainer for ease of operation. The Dob is definitely one of my favorites.

If the customer just wants to get out and "see" stuff and be entertained, I usually tend to steer them to a computerized, GOTO model such as the Meade ETX 90AT or ETX-90PE with all the latest bells and whistles. That way they can let the computer do all the navigating (actually the fun part for me). It's just too hard to explain to many beginners what a thrill it is to find objects on your own the old-fashioned way with a star map under a clear night sky.

Read Post | 6:14 PM

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