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  1. #1
    Thailand Expat Saint Willy's Avatar
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    Recommend a telescope

    Telescope or binoculars? Amateur (backyard) astronomer.

    A few dollars is ok. I know bigger is usually better, but what else should I look out for? Brands? Any mistakes to avoid?

  2. #2
    . Neverna's Avatar
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    I bought some binoculars 18 months ago: 10 x 50. Good enough binoculars but from my experience with them, I wouldn't recommend binoculars for astronomy.

    There's a bit of a discussion on this topic in this thread.

    Pocket guide to the moon

  3. #3
    Thailand Expat Saint Willy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Neverna View Post
    There's a bit of a discussion on this topic in this thread.

    Aaaah, thanks.

  4. #4
    Thailand Expat
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    Willy with the haze, the lights of your "complex" and from your city you are not going to see much from that balcony.

  5. #5
    Making people dance. :-)
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    Quote Originally Posted by aging one View Post
    Willy with the haze, the lights of your "complex" and from your city you are not going to see much from that balcony.
    You do know that they're not cemented into place, right?


    Any time we go on a trip, our telescope is thrown in the boot (trunk to you weirdos )

    Most places we stay at have zero light pollution, as with most people on their trips from living in a city.

  6. #6
    Thailand Expat Saint Willy's Avatar
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    And yours was a 100 incher?

  7. #7
    Thailand Expat Saint Willy's Avatar
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    With equatorial mount and tripod? About 7k baht?

  8. #8
    Making people dance. :-)
    Edmond's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheRealKW View Post
    a 100 incher?
    That's what I tell the ladies.

  9. #9
    Thailand Expat
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    you can buy some cheap Chinese crap for 3,000 THB but the problem is not the lens, but the aiming

    it's quite hard, and that's where the expensive shit excels, it will put your thing at the exact right spot so you can observe, and move the telescope as stars 'move' in the sky

    the expensive shit are about 20,000 THB but well worth it IMO

  10. #10
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    See if they'll cut you a deal on one of these.

    Recommend a telescope-download-1-jpg

  11. #11
    Thailand Expat Saint Willy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Edmond View Post
    That's what I tell the ladies.

    I’m just tell them it’s not the size of the nail that counts, it’s the size of the hammer...


    .
    Quote Originally Posted by Dragonfly View Post
    the expensive shit are about 20,000 THB but well worth it IMO
    what’s that? 750 Euros? Doable. What brands should I look for?

  12. #12
    Guest Member S Landreth's Avatar
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  13. #13
    Making people dance. :-)
    Edmond's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by S Landreth View Post
    Thermal Binoculars
    Sound Nev/Looper-esque.

  14. #14
    Thailand Expat
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    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    See if they'll cut you a deal on one of these.

    Recommend a telescope-download-1-jpg

    You can ask NASA. They have 2 of those lying around somewhere. They are originally DoD spy scopes, designed for Earth observation. They no longer needed them and donated them to NASA. At least the body and the main optics, the large mirror. They have plans for at least one, don't know about the second. I wish they would put it in orbit around Mars. Best ground observation there ever.
    "don't attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by incompetence"

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by strigils View Post
    WTF are you bleating about, i was referring to Creepy Nev suggesting binoculars are suitable for astronomy you waffen loon. If anyone is disturbed its quite clearly been demonstrated by you, most can see it but your little gang won't point it out to you.
    Quote Originally Posted by Neverna View Post
    I wouldn't recommend binoculars for astronomy.
    Yea . . . you're quite clearly an idiot. That's the second time in as many days that you simply don't understand what was written, declare the opposite and look the fool.

    Best you keep drinking so reality won't hurt as much

  16. #16
    I'm in Jail

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    I understand KW, Ant, Ao and Nev already use one of these...

    Recommend a telescope-telescope-jpg

  17. #17
    Thailand Expat AntRobertson's Avatar
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    Nobody: ...

    Karen:

    Quote Originally Posted by Latindancer View Post
    I understand KW, Ant, Ao and Nev already use one of these...
    Silly bitch just can't help herself.

  18. #18
    Thailand Expat David48atTD's Avatar
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    KW, I bought one recently. 2nd hand as I didn't want to buy something which got used once and then became a dust collector.

    Paid roughly the equivalent if BHT 1,000

    Looks much like this one ... kogan.com


    Recommend a telescope-20210220_121748-jpg

    Recommend a telescope-20210526_182917-jpg
    What that recent Full moon look through my crappy Chinese phone.


    Recommend a telescope-20210526_183612-jpg

    Recommend a telescope-20210526_183625-jpg

    The moon looked great through the telescope, but my glasses had to come off.


    Recommend a telescope-20210526_183743-jpg
    When I stuck my phone to the telescope's eye piece.

    ---

    So ... the experience of actually viewing a celestial object through the eye piece was OK, but not memorable.

    If I bought another one I'd buy one which had the 'mobile phone attachment' so I could view the images on the computer later.

    Just my experience.

    Below is an explanation of the two main types of telescopes available ...

    Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago ...


  19. #19
    Thailand Expat
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    Full moon is not the best time to watch the Moon. No contrast. Look for half moon. At that time the mountains and crater walls throw a shadow and everything looks better, plastic, rather than flat.

  20. #20
    Making people dance. :-)
    Edmond's Avatar
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    ^ I like 3/4s. Still got the shadows that add depth, without being too washed out.

    Quote Originally Posted by David48atTD View Post
    If I bought another one I'd buy one which had the 'mobile phone attachment' so I could view the images on the computer later.
    One thing I'm not into is the whole modern technology of operating and viewing through a laptop. Connect it via cables, type in the coordinates, then wham, there it is on a computer screen.

    I much rather find it myself, even if it does mean the odd hissyfit, kicking over plant pots, yelling at the kid etc Then looking at it through the lens while warning people not to fucking breath while next to it.

    Real astronomy is fun.


    If you mean an attachment that connects your phone to the eyepiece so you can take clearer photos, they're really cheap. Probably $10.

  21. #21
    Isle of discombobulation Joe 90's Avatar
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    Snapped this telescope the other day, it's not for sale but pretty impressive..
    Recommend a telescope-20210602_191330-jpg

  22. #22
    Thailand Expat David48atTD's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Edmond View Post
    One thing I'm not into is the whole modern technology of operating and viewing through a laptop. Connect it via cables, type in the coordinates, then wham, there it is on a computer screen.

    I much rather find it myself, even if it does mean the odd hissyfit, kicking over plant pots, yelling at the kid etc Then looking at it through the lens while warning people not to fucking breath while next to it.

    Real astronomy is fun.

    If you mean an attachment that connects your phone to the eyepiece so you can take clearer photos, they're really cheap. Probably $10.
    Yes, the eye piece thing is what I meant.

    I relate to the "the odd hissyfit, kicking over plant pots, yelling at the kid etc" comment ... did exactly that.

    After 30 odd mins to set the thing up right and get the moon in full view, I beckoned the kids to come see.

    It's Winter here and they came out in T-Shirts and shorts and got barked at for no jumper and were told to be lively about getting them.

    Sadly, in their haste to comply they also knocked the rocket night light in their bedroom down and broke it.

    They still have the 'glow in the dark' huge Solar System poster stuck on their wall though

  23. #23
    A Cockless Wonder
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    Quote Originally Posted by Edmond View Post
    One thing I'm not into is the whole modern technology of operating and viewing through a laptop. Connect it via cables, type in the coordinates, then wham, there it is on a computer screen.
    125% agree

    The photons that trigger the chemical reaction in the rhodopsin proteins in the photoreceptor cells in your retina have to be the actual photons that made the journey hundreds of light years all the way across the inky blackness of space, or else it is simply not the spiritual experience that astronomy is supposed to be.

    If you are looking at laptop generated photons that have only travelled 18 inches then you might as well go on a youtube livestream from an observatory

  24. #24
    Thailand Expat David48atTD's Avatar
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    ^ Loops ... you are such a romantic!

  25. #25
    Thailand Expat
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    Quote Originally Posted by Joe 90 View Post
    Snapped this telescope the other day, it's not for sale but pretty impressive..
    Recommend a telescope-20210602_191330-jpg

    Nice photo, I am curious, where is it? From the size it could be one of the larger dishes of the NASA DSN.

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