Two telescopes... Which should I choose?

[johnnymack]

I've had two cheap Tasco in the past which I still love for sentimental reasons despite thier crappiness. Recently I have been deliberating for a few weeks on which telescope to choose. <br /><br />I am finally sure I want a 10" Reflector, but I'm not certain which one. I have had my eye on either the Zhumell or the Celestron both are $499 with free shipping. A great deal I'd say! They are extremely similar but I want an opinion from others who have more experience. The mounts seem to be the main difference. When I first saw the 10" Zhumell, I had my mind set, but now I see the Celestron and I am more confused. Both have great reviews on most sites. Here is the link to see both …<br /><br />http://www.telescopes.com/products/zhumell-10-inch-dobsonian-reflector-telescope-38399.html<br />Here is the link to the 10†Zhumell<br /><br />http://www.telescopes.com/products/celestron-starhopper-10-inch-dobsonian-25833.html<br />Here is the link to the 10†Celestron<br /><br />I am leaning toward the Zhumell because it was the first I saw, but I wonder if I should still consider the Celestron? The size is no problem, I like toting heavy things around (I know, strange) and 60 pounds... I've had a dog around that size. I think I can easily move it from the dining room to the front yard. I plan on getting the $99 filter kit later.<br /><br />Which do you guys suggest? Are both so similar that it doesn't matter?

 

[weeman]

I've been itching to buy a dobsonian lately. There is a store not too far from my house that sells them. Although, I am interested in the largest, the 12" <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />I personally might look at the Celestron. I own a Celestron right now and I am very pleased with it. I've had it for a good 5 years or so and it's still in awesome condition. It isn't a dobsonian, it's a smaller 4 1/2" reflector, but it definitely is perfect for beginning stargazers <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br />So, I'd say Celestron, but mostly because I am familiar with that name. I can't tell you anything about Zhumell, never looked at one before. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><strong><font color="#ff0000">Techies: We do it in the dark. </font></strong></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>"Put your hand on a stove for a minute and it seems like an hour. Sit with that special girl for an hour and it seems like a minute. That's relativity.</strong><strong>" -Albert Einstein </strong></font></p> </div>

 

[johnnymack]

Woah, you're lucky you live near a store like that. I don't think there are any stores that sell quality telescopes near me. I'm gonna buy from the internet.<br /><br />Well, I hear that Zhumell is a new company. I have until Christmas to decide so I'm not in a hurry. Both look good. Zhumell just isn't as famous as Celestron. The thing that interested me about Celestron was the mount, usually I don't care much about the mount but since both telescopes are so identical you notice the subtle differences. <br /><br />The old tasco I had was a used one and it was so wobbly, but I didn't mind, I became so used to it I could adjust it quickly. Almost everything I viewed looked like a white ball, even planets. But a cheap telescope is still better than your plain eyes and it kept me occupied for years. I still think it picked up detail of the moon very well, but I suppose the moon is so close by that even binoculars work. <br /><br /> I still have to do a little more comparison. I saw the Zhumell video in the link I provided. I wish I could find a video on the Celestron. I think I'll go look on Youtube later.

 

[weeman]

I'm sure Zhumell is a good brand. The mount actually looks smaller on the Zhumell than it does on the Celestron. That might make it easier for maneuverability and storage. <br /><br />The dobsonian is a pretty basic telescope. As long as you take good care of it I can't imagine there's much that could go wrong with it. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><strong><font color="#ff0000">Techies: We do it in the dark. </font></strong></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>"Put your hand on a stove for a minute and it seems like an hour. Sit with that special girl for an hour and it seems like a minute. That's relativity.</strong><strong>" -Albert Einstein </strong></font></p> </div>