Please help me find a telescope for my 9 year old son

Hi Kerry,

The hard one to get this time will be the Bresser Messier R102 because that's the headline item; however if there's something you particularly want it pays to be there early just in case. If you're not first in the queue make sure that you select boxes that are still sealed (both ETX70 and binoculars) because sometimes people take things out of their boxes and may drop something simple like a strap or lens cover when putting them back.

One last piece of advice: prepare to be hooked yourself. I'm not hugely interested in the technicalities of it all although I do read the books and watch TV documentaries, instead my principle interest is in looking at and sometimes photographing 'all the pretty things up there'. It can simply be about finding and viewing things that you've never seen before with your own eyes.

Astronomy can be a very egalitarian hobby, whether you're young or old, male or female shouldn't matter. I recall on one occasion being directed to asterisms (unusual groups of stars) I'd never bothered with before by a fourteen year old girl at one of the first star parties I went to and at another being helped to find and split double and triple stars by a pensioner. One of my own aunts lwho is in her late seventies likes nothing better than to wrap up warm and sit out in a deckchair with her binoculars. You'll often find in a club that people have complementary skills that they can share. One member may be an expert on digital imaging, another on visual observation, a third might be a photographer and a fourth a sketch artist. Members will have particular specialist subjects that they are interested in and occasionally give talks on. Some will know a great deal more than others about telescope optics and the mechanics of the tripods and mountings. You might even meet a member who is building a telescope from scratch. And of course nowadays there are always a few who know lots about computers. What might surprise you most is that you or your son may already have a skill that others are interested in but it wouldn't surprise me in the least.

SUCCESS!

I got the ETX70 this morning. There was only one other man in queue with me and he said he came early because he missed them last year. There were about 25 skyluxs 20 ETX70 and 5 of the most expensive ones. I was going back and forth between the ETX and the Skylux but settled ont he ETX. Please tell me I did the right thing! LOL

Does anyone know if the tripods are height adjustable? I can't tell from the box and am wondering if my 9 year old is going to be tall enough to even see through it.

thanks again for all your help. I'm sure we'll be back again after xmas morning!

Does anyone know if the tripods are height adjustable? I can't tell from the box and am wondering if my 9 year old is going to be tall enough to even see through it.

Hi Kerry - that's great news! Glad you got the ETX and I'm sure the little fella will be delighted. Of course you made the right choice.

The tripod is fully adjustable.

Dave

Sounds like a good job Kerry! As Dave says, the legs will go right down to a couple of feet off the ground so no problem there. But also don't forget you'll need 6 x AA batteries to get started with the GOTO!

SUCCESS!

I got the ETX70 this morning. There was only one other man in queue with me and he said he came early because he missed them last year. There were about 25 skyluxs 20 ETX70 and 5 of the most expensive ones.

Wow, those are some numbers! I must have a check later this morning in the Tullamore shop and see what's left out of curiosity. Well done on the purchase!

That was in Tralee.

They were moving at a slow, but steady pace while I was reading the boxes.

The man in the queue with me took one of the more expensive telescopes.