Hello, need help choosing telescope!!

Hi everyone, its my first post on these boards, im looking for some help in choosing a telescope.

I got my first scope a few years ago, it was a cheapo one, but I really enjoyed looking at the moon with it, and can still remember my surprise and amazement the time when I first found Saturn and noticed the rings (i thought the scope was blurred at first). The scope I had really wasnt very good, it shook and wobbled quite a bit and when i saw Saturn and Jupiter they would not have been much bigger than a '0' on a €2 coin. (it was one of the long slender ones,Atlas explorer i think)

So this year i went and did a bit of research into different types of telescope, and tried to make it out in august to a sky party(or bbq,cant remember which) to see a few different scopes(was raining so I didnt go_. So what I need some help with is;

I am living in Maynooth, where is good to skygaze around here? I live in an apartment, and although I have a balcony, it sort of limits my view. I am interested in seeing the planets mainly, but as my old scope couldnt show me the solar systems, i have no idea what looking at them is like and wouldnt like to rule them out.

What sort of telescope should I get?? I know there are refractors,reflectors,newtonian and dobsonian. I was thinking of a 12"(or was it 8"??) Dob earlier on in the summer,but I really had not imagined how big they were,theyre huge!! How easy are they to move around??

I dont think I can afford a go-to scope, I was thinking of around €500-600 budget.

Finally, where is the best place to get a scope?Online or in Ireland?

Thanks in advance, heres a cool walpaper I found that some of you might like.

Hi Conor,

Are there any physical limitations that you would like to consider? For instance: a refractor may be the most convenient for users who prefer to or need to sit down, while a reflector often suits those who prefer to stand up better.

Another example is that in my own case (I'm almost 50) I know that if I buy a really heavy piece of equipment today I might not be able to handle it in 20 years time, so my decision to buy such an item would be based on an expectation that it would have a shorter lifespan; whereas my smallest scope and several sets of binoculars will probably outlive me.

Thanks for the quick reply!!

Nope,no physical restrictions,although I have a pretty small car :oops:

Hi Conor.
Welcome to the boards.

It's a pity you missed out on the Lidl LXD-75 scope they were selling a few weeks ago.

A 12'' dob is big, no two ways about it.
I have the Shannonside club dob at the moment and it barely fits
into the back of my commercial jeep.

A truss dob would be the business such as likes of the Meade Lightbridge
www.meade.com/lightbridge/index.html
But it's out of the range of your budget.
(the 8'' you can get for 550 euro from Telescope House in the UK)
But I know for a fact you wold soon get 'aperture fever' and want to size up very soon.

As for go to scopes, yeah the go to is handy but not really nessery.
I've an ETX-125 and someties it drives me batty setting it up,
and the one I haves got the easy align level north gizmo!

Unless I'm imaging the moon or planets then the dob is the one I go for.
Obviously because its 12''s as opposed to 5''s but its set up in less than a min!

You say you live in an apt?
How bad is the light pollution around you, it must be bad if you live in a block of apts.
The balcony is handy (if it faces resonably near south) but you really need a dark sky site to get the best views.
Not really for the moon but I still find the planets way better out of the city.

Thanks for the welcome

Might be able to stretch my budget a bit if I saw something great. That assembelable (is that a word?) dob would be great for my car.

The light pollution isnt too bad, Im on the top floor. Balcony faces NE (I think,i see the moonrise most nights).

Maybe I should go for a smaller newton telescope?Or another of the long slender ones?

GOTO can be had quite cheaply. I've been using a Celestron 102SLT for about 2 years now, and it cost less than €500 including shipping from Green-Witch in the UK.
Its a 4" refractor and set up time is relatively quick and with the sky align function is painless - whats more it works very well. Its certainly not top of the heap, but for the money involved its a top performer. I would highly recommend it for portability and usability.
One of the great things about GOTO is if you feel the need for a bit of photography then tracking is essential - you'll easily get 30+ second exposures using this kit, which again is as much as you'd expect for the outlay. Do get a 2x Barlow also though, as the short focal length means less magnification.

Whatever scope you choose I hope it works out for you.