help please!?!?

[imcwilliams]

Hello. quick introduction, my name is scott and I am new to this forum. My brother enjoys astronomy and I am looking to buy him a telescope for his bday in a week. I am looking to pay approx $150 if possible. He is by no means experienced with telescopes, but everytime I talk to him if I mention astronomy he gets a big smile on his face and I just want to make him happy. Long and short, I am looking for some recomendations as to what to look for and/or any specific recomendations.
Thank you all in advance for your help!!
Scott

[JimBa151]

I am a beginner to all this, but shopped a lot... looking to spend exactly $150. Found my choice at Telescopes.com. Settled on the Celestron Astromaster 114 EQ Reflector. Nearly 100 reviews said it had it's weaknesses (at that price, it had to have some), but overall, a great value in terms of good optics and stability. Free shipping (30+lbs) and no tax... shipped 2 days after the order... so far so good.

Any other forum folks own this model?

[Michael Steen]

Everybody thinks telescope telescope telescope when they think of astronomy. But for $150 you aren't going to get much.
Why not spring for a nice pair of binoculars (about 7X50) and a tripod with an adapter?
For the $$ you mention you should be able to get this, and the views through a good pair of binoculars can be stunning.
Plus, he can use the binos for lots of things besides astronomy. I have a 10" telescope, and believe me, stargazing is the ONLY thing you can do with it!
If he gets into the hobby, save up some money (or he can) and go with a reflector of about 6 to 8 inch aperture (or more).

[admin]

Originally Posted by JimBa151

I am a beginner to all this, but shopped a lot... looking to spend exactly $150. Found my choice at Telescopes.com. Settled on the Celestron Astromaster 114 EQ Reflector. Nearly 100 reviews said it had it's weaknesses (at that price, it had to have some), but overall, a great value in terms of good optics and stability. Free shipping (30+lbs) and no tax... shipped 2 days after the order... so far so good.

Any other forum folks own this model?

Hey Jim,
I personally do not own the Celestron Astromaster 114 EQ scope however there is a good review for it here:

Amazon.com: Profile For Jesse Block: Reviews
Seems like an amazing price for a new scope from Celestron