Celestia Forums

Good day!

I am considering buying a meade ds2130 telescope and would like to know if anyone has any pros or cons that they might like to share about that model .

I am looking to spend 500-1000 basically on a scope but would like to get the most for my money. I was told by a friend that someone here might be able to offer there advice.

I have beginners experience ....lol limited to say the least .... but I would love to learn more .... any advice is appreciated greatly.

Thank you for your time.

I don't know much about the particular model, but here is some general telescope advice.

You need to consider how you plan to use the telescope, and that will help you choose the features you need. For example, if you plan to take photographs with the telescope (astrophotography), you will need one with an accurate clock drive (which keeps the telescope pointed at the object being observed), but if you only plan to view objects through the eyepiece, then a clock drive is not as important.

You can get good information on telescopes from a magazine like Sky and Telescope, which reviews telescope models regularly.

Try this link below:
http://www.scopereviews.com/begin.html

A couple of years ago, I saved up some money in the hope of buying an 8" Dobsonian reflector. Unfortunately, an emergency developed and the purchase had to be deferred. Resultingly, the funds for which were diverted and have since, not been replenished.
Hope this helps you!

Take your time before making a decision. You can get lots of good advice here[/url].

I'd suggest you track down an astronomy club in your area too - they should be able to offer a lot of advice too. A lot of the people in such societies are active observers with their own scopes. I dunno what the equivalent in the US is of the Royal Astronomical Society, but that's the sort of thing you should track down.

Does anyone know of any astronomy clubs in Southern California, preferably in Irvine/Orange County?

All I can see here at night is Mars, the moon, and sirius or something.
Damn light pollution.