So did mine. Delayed my entry into the astronomy field by 16 years.

Yup, that was red flag #3

thats what mine says. cant even see the gas giants properly

It will reduce the brightness. Right?

@@GamerXPlayz The quality

I'm brand new but I do want to see space in detail, where should I start? Any suggestions?

@@yokai4059 What is you're budget? What are you going to observe? Are you going to travel with it? Also I hope you know that those beautiful pictures of space are not what your going to see with a telescope.

@@Astronomer118 I just want to see planets and galaxies. It's gonna stay at home most likely

@iamwhoisme4647 tbh budget ill say £500 unless there's really good ones I should get that make it worth while

@@yokai4059 Look for a used 8 inch Dobsonian if you have the space for it.

See my short video “the moon through 10 telescopes” it should look exactly like that.

Too see like the media , yuo need A )a biger telescope ,but if yuo can see it then yuo need photography staking , its a very cool way to take a long exposure picture , but with several pictures but for jupiter yuo gone need a tracking system , its too little

@@noway8233 with only 80mm, the detail will be quite limited. That said, event the $140USD 102mm telescope from Costco showed quite a bit of detail at the eyepiece. No stacking or cameras required.

Yeah, I mention that is several videos. Those bird jones scopes usually have several other red flags too.

Awesome! What scope did you get? I know a lot of people find them difficult, including me. That’s great that you’ve got the hang of it!

@@LearnToStargaze I got a gskyer 130eq! I know it's not the best telescope and it has some flaws, but I've been using mine for a couple months now and i think it's pretty good considering it's price point!

Yes, that one is at the higher end of the beginner EQ scopes. It’s much more solid then the powerseeker series that many people get.

@@LearnToStargaze glad I picked well! Lol, your videos are very informative and this channel has helped me a lot!

@@wubbdubbsthanks for the feedback!

Curious, what did you buy haha!

@@Luftbubblan Celestron Powerseeker 80 EQ

@@fingersmikeDon't feel too bad, made the same mistake. It's still pretty fun, even with some roughness. I have a Celestron Starsense Explorer 80az at the moment.

Just imaging what you could do with a good beginner telescope then!!

Thanks!

The StarSense 130 AZ has focusing knobs, they’re wonderful. The rods in #5 are on yoke mounts, like the StarSense 114LT.

Good to know. They both looked the same.@@LearnToStargaze

If you’re taking about the eq version, it’s pretty over engineered, but some people like EQ mounts, I find them to cumbersome for visual astronomy.

​@@LearnToStargaze ok thanks

Look up Ed Ting’s video on that telescope (unless this is sarcasm, in which case, never mind).

Impressive you got to see the moon with a $20 telescope!

The 6 evolution might be a better scope for future upgrades if you can swing it. It’s slightly more portable too.

I made a list on LearnToStargaze.com

The 100mm rule primarily acts as a buffer against hobby killer scopes as most of these are under 100mm. In the sub 100mm range I’ve found the Skywatcher Evolux to be fantastic, but the astromaster series to be terrible.

That’s a great scope. I find the focuser takes a bit getting used to.

I’d say either a 6 or 8 inch dobsonian, or a StarSense 102DX. If you’re into taking photos, the SeeStar.

I’m not going to google prices, but the Nat Geo 102 from Costco or the Orion Skyscanner should be in this range.

Most beginner EQ mounts don’t function properly (like Celestron’s power seekers), or simply aren’t any fun. The only phone mount I’ve found to be reliable is the Celestron NeXYZ.

No, the quality of the image in this scope (for anything other then the planets and Moon) is quite poor. A 102mm Refractor would be the better option at about the same price point.

Here is one option for about 25% more. There is also the Starsense 130 DX, just be sure to get a $25 laser collimator to check the mirrors. www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/802897122-USE/sky_watcher_s11600_classic_150p_6_traditional.html

The Costco scope would do the trick, but a used 8 inch Dobsonian would be ideal. Check TelescopeBuyAndSell group on Facebook. Most scopes seems to be from the Ottawa area, which may be with the drive depending on the telescope.

Good for you.

@@LearnToStargaze omg you actually replied thnx I have been watching you for a real while I learned almost all of the tips of visual& astrophotography telescopes from you thanks this content is helping out many people 🙏🏻👍🏻 I am actually a fan now 😁.. shoutout?

​​@@I.turbanastroThis is just his opinion and I agree with it:)

Cool, what scope?

Because it’s not. And most EQ mounts beginners buy are the powerseeker series, which have so many design flaws that they’re basically unusable.

A used 6 or 8 inch Dobsonian.

@@LearnToStargaze thanks!

Just toss the 5x Barlow and 4mm eyepiece in the bin, and you should be good to go! That telescope’s highest useful magnification is 180x, but realistically 40x is what you’ll want to use.

@@LearnToStargazethankyou for your reply good sir, are you saying that the rest of my magnification is a waste. i spent £280 on the Telescope OPTICON Constellation PRO 90F1000EQ. should i get a refund and buy something else for my money or is this telescope a keeper. i appreciate your advise

@@PheNx-ms6td Yes, you should get a refund, if you want to look at space. That telescopes seems designed as a decoration, but not for actual use, the mount, eyepieces, and finder are all seriously lacking in quality. A far better option would be this skywatcher: www.astroshop.eu/telescopes/skywatcher-telescope-ac-102-500-startravel-bd-az-3/p,5005 you'd just want to upgrade to a 90 degree diagonal.

@@LearnToStargazethankyou sir

@@LearnToStargazei watched your review video on the skywatcher you recommended. could you send me the link to where you bought the T adaptor. i have a canon eos 5500d. should i buy any that’s compatible?

If you have it, you might as well make the best of it. If it makes you frustrated (instead of being fun), or if it has you wanting for more, then you may want to consider upgrading.

@@LearnToStargaze my grandpa just got it like 2 days ago so i do wanna make the best of it did get me a bit frustrated some times real quick but thats maybe because i have pretty bad anger issues but i do have fun with it

Glad it seemed to help!

Two things, it’s a sign that the telescope probably has several other red flags, and second, it’s easy to use improperly leading to a very frustrating user experience.

What telescope is it? 80mm is great for the moon and planets. The 100mm requirement helps because it eliminates a lots of of the hobby killers, but there are plenty of scopes, like the Skywatcher Evolux 82, that are quite a bit smaller, but are awesome none the less.

@@LearnToStargaze its a MEEZAA 80600, im young and my parents said they will pay only a small amount because its “my first telescope”😭. But either way thank you! I will try not to let this kill my interest and keep going.

@@Shua.ayes, it looks like that scope managed to hit all 5 flags (quite impressively actually). That said, my first scope had this many red flags, I saw Saturn, then upgraded, then quit my job in corporate finance to become an astronomer. So there’s hope :-)

@@LearnToStargaze thank you so much! That really gives me hope.

So for whoever else who happens to have bought a hobby killer as a first telescope, i wanna say dont let it kill your interest at all! Last night the sky was clear so i decided to point my telescope at the moon, and the view was phenomenal, made me fall in love with astronomy all over again. So dont let it kill your hope and never give up if this is what you truly love!🤍

I can’t tell if that’s a good or a bad thing.

The doesn’t look like it would be much fun to use. Seems pretty over engineered.

@@LearnToStargaze well I'm actually asking you if that sounds right because I feel like I'm trying to find out if they sent me a defective eq mount...the left to right dial sits still while the pointer moves, the latitude dial sits still while the pointer moves, but the ria dial moves with the pointer and that doesn't sound right, like the dial is attached to the part that moves rather than the stationary part. Are eq mounts supposed to do that or is this defective? I'm totally new to stargazing and I just spent like 400 bucks on this combo

@@88BuckMeister Hello, I covered EQ mounts extensively in several videos. I'm not sure what you mean by "pointer", or even "left to right dial" since there's no need to have a scale on that axis. It sounds like you need to visit an astronomy club. For $400, I would get a proper beginner telescope like a 6 inch dobsonian, or a StarSense DX 130.

@@LearnToStargaze on an equitorial tripod, there are 3 scales, and 3 pointers over those scales. One scale is the latitude. You raise your tube, and align with Polaris by setting latitude (which is done using a scale and a pointer on the telescope, the scale sits still, the pointer moves with the telescope to point to a given number on the scale). Once latitude is set, there are 2 other axis on the mount, correct? Declination, and right ascension. On this tripod, each of those has a scale (dial) and a pointer relative to that dial. Just like the latitude dial, when you operate declination, the dial is stationary but the pointer moves with the telescope, showing you how many degrees you've moved (I think the dial is measured in degrees, maybe hours). Here's what I'm asking. The right ascension also has a dial and a pointer. But when you turn the right ascension nob, the dial moves with the pointer and the telescope. Is that right? Why would a dial ever move WITH a pointer? How would that measure anything?

That’s really just for the Moon. Maybe Saturn’s rings. I started on a scope that small, and quickly upgraded.

@@LearnToStargaze yeah thanks! I think I might of seen Jupiter and mars but I see now that it’s more forested the moon thanks!

@@LearnToStargaze oh and one more question would the celestron DOB be a good option because I’m thinking of moving to that one next

​@@LearnToStargazeWhat about celestron 70AZ ? Is it worth 178$?

​​@@tejusvjoshi9101 Depends. What are you're observing goals?

What kind of telescope was it?

@@LearnToStargaze it's called a Banjoo 150eq

I can still see nebulas and planets but not that detailed

Sounds like it might be missing a lens inside.

Ok John thanks

I’ve bought many telescopes I love for $100. I paid $150 for a 6 inch dob on marketplace, $100 for a 102mm refractor on B&H photo. $100 for the Z100 for my kids.

Ah okie, I’ve been searching on Amazon, and all the ones I’ve been finding in that price range have all the red flags you’ve mentioned, figured it would be impossible to find something decent.

There are several scopes at every price point that pass every test and have no red flags.

For small diameters the seeing is absolutely not the limitation, diffraction is and that even with visual observation. That's true until 10-20" I would say, it depends on mirror quality and your seeing

@@raphaelboisard7228a 10” scope has a diffraction limit of approx 0.5 arc seconds if that's your seeing I envy you bc that is not representive of the rest of the works A 70mm scope has a diffraction limit of 1.65 arc seconds and most people on most nights will be seeing limited

@@raphaelboisard7228 actually I want to apologise, for visual use you can wait for brief moments of calm and be diffraction limited despite the average seeing being worse. I don’t do visual astronomy and so hadn’t considered this

These are my favorites

What is as the name of the scope? In any case I would probably toss out the 4mm eyepiece and 5x Barlow.

Rising phoenix, it has an 80mm opening, focal length is 800mm it looked very appealing. The best lens to see with are the 25mm and 10mm sometimes barlow 3x on it. But i still cant see anything sharply it is all just so blurry, should that be happening with a 230 euro scope or should i return it?

@@lezankhayatt150080mm is below what I would recommended for stargazing. The Barlows sound like scams to advertise higher magnifications, I would advice against using them. In Europe, you can get this amazing scope for $319: www.bresser.de/en/Astronomy/BRESSER-Messier-AR-102s-600-Hexafoc-OTA.html but you’d need to get a mount and finder separately.

The cheap ones, like those on the power seeker series, don’t function properly. I’ve found that most beginners simply don’t find them any fun.

@@LearnToStargaze ah okay thank you

Me too!

What scope is it?

For astrophotography.

Bigley.

@@LearnToStargaze oh ok

I have a 1000mm Explore Scientific (Explore Firstlight) 102. There is a version on an EQ mount that is quite nice and reasonably priced.

Are you able to make the most of it?

Just because you have a possible hobby killer doesn't mean you can't enjoy it.Unless it's stressful

@@Astronomer118 yes, that’s why I have several videos on how to use those types of scopes. My hope is that people make the best of them, and many do.

@@LearnToStargaze I completely agree. I have a powerseeker 80 azs and I didn't know that this was a hobby killer but I honestly love it.

Videos like _LearnTo’s_ arm beginners nowadays so getting armed and ready for the first night’s session is so much easier.

Small finderscopes are terrible, and the image rotations are confusing to beginners, and many beginners give up on EQ mounts. I’ve taught over 10,000 people, one on one, how to use telescopes (probably a lot more actually). These two issues come up over and over again.

@@LearnToStargazeI love my Equatorial mount. I found it easy to use. It doesn’t work right though. I think it’s the DEC that doesn’t work right. Cheap mount. I’d love to have a better equatorial mount. Yes the red dot is amazing compared to that cheap one on my little refractor.

I would hope my viewers know this :-)

That’s a different hobby. This is stargazing. That would be the hobby of astrophotography.

I mean, it’s possible to have fun with any telescope. I just find beginner EQ mounts (like the power seeker) very frustrating.

@@LearnToStargaze I have a Omegon Eq 500, that thing is pretty solid, it holds a newtonian 150/750 and I upgraded it with a tracking motor 👍

But yeah, I've seen the EQ mounts that they sell with those larger beginner telescopes, they're totally undersized and God forbid you breathe when looking through the eye piece

I is.

@@LearnToStargaze Thanks for your work, subscribed.

You should make your own list. What requirements would you set?

Get an 8 inch Dobsonian. Cheers!

@@LearnToStargaze Sounds good! I'll begin on some research. Thanks so much!

You could purchase a 2x or 3x Barlow lens, which is a cheaper option. You may not see nebulae better, but for planetary viewing this will work. You will see the rings of Saturn better as well as Jupiter and its moons.

​@@Divemaster4122 Barlow would not make the quality better

Sometimes we have to make the best out of what we’ve got. I started with a $14 telescope.

@@LearnToStargaze oh well I will try my best

@@LearnToStargaze quick question, what Messier Objects or NGC objects could I be able to see with my 114mm telescope?