I want to buy a telescope

[sab1976]

for DH for his birthday, but I'm not sure what kind to get or anything. Tips?

[testkitchen45]

I have e-mailed my brother, who is a very knowledgeable amateur astronomer. He has a high-powered, $$$ telescope: the kind you buy only after 20 years of loving astronomy. I've asked him for general brand-name recommendations or basic criteria; what's your budget for this gift?

[funnybone]

For years, I've been seeing telescopes on HSN. With Christmas approaching they will probably be airing them again.

I found a link for you with many choices. I know nothing about them, but they have many in all price ranges and I have always been satisified with anything I have ordered from them.

http://www.hsn.com/cnt/search/searchresults/default.aspx?Ntt=telescope&N=0&Ntk=Std&st=1&criteria=boolean&days=&minprice=&maxprice=&o=esearch

[donleyk]

FWIW, everything I've read if you don't want to spend $1000 on one then to get a good pair of binoculars instead. He'll see much better with them for a lot less money.

[sab1976]

FWIW, everything I've read if you don't want to spend $1000 on one then to get a good pair of binoculars instead. He'll see much better with them for a lot less money.

Thank you. I thought that may be the case. I was also thinking there may be too much light around our house for him to see anything well.

Back to the drawing board for gift ideas. :rolleyes:

[donleyk]

Back to the drawing board for gift ideas. :rolleyes:

Disappointing, isn't it? When DH said he wanted one I thought YES!!! easy, so I was really disappointed at all I read.

[sab1976]

It is disappointing. Just when I think I have the perfect gift for him! It's so hard to buy for him.

[ginny177]

SAB -I wouldn't give up too quickly. It's a great idea for a gift. You can buy telescopes ranging from not so costly up to thousands of dollars. But how satisfactory the instrument is depends a lot on just how and where it would be used. I am no authority, but I have a son ( now a middle aged adult) who has been an avid amateur astronomist since he was 10 yrs old.
He went from sky- watching in the back yard to eventual sky- watching clubs and now travels all over the country to 5 day "sky parties" in "dark places" with a huge scope. I'd be happy to ask hiim what he'd suggest as a first scope if you like. I recall two brands he used ove the years - Meade ( very well known brand) and Orion.
If there is too much light in your back yard,you might find out if your husband is interested enough to find a local astronomy group. They usually meet in a "dark spot" for best viewing.

[testkitchen45]

I have e-mailed my brother, who is a very knowledgeable amateur astronomer. He has a high-powered, $$$ telescope: the kind you buy only after 20 years of loving astronomy. I've asked him for general brand-name recommendations or basic criteria; what's your budget for this gift?
Here's my brother's e-mail to me this morning. The pictures he sent me won't come through.

Meade or Celestron are the 2 biggest. Meade makes a snappy tabletop model which I think is really a good starter:

[here, he had pix of the ETX-90AT, the ETX-105AT, and the ETX-125AT.]


The ETX 90AT is a good one.

My brother enjoys his telescope despite having the typically somewhat brighter city backyard; he loves to go to his buddy's ranch w/ the family and use the telescope where it's really dark, as suggested in another post. Good luck.