I was watching the BBC program tonight and I went to get the old (slightly broken) telescope that I was given when I was about 8 or 9. It's been in my grandparent's garage forever and I thought I'd see if I could fix it some how.

It is this one (I think it's the exact same model even) http://www.rapidonline.com/Tools-Equipm ... e=googleps

The only problem is that I only have the actual telescope. I don't have the stand or any of the stand attachments.

I've been outside to see if it can still get an image and I was definitely able to see stars clearly through it but, as I was holding it whilst looking through it, it didn't give a very stable image.

Do you know if I'd be able to get a replacement tripod stand for it? (for less than the cost of a new one)?

If not, how hard do you reckon it would be to make a rough stand for it from scratch?

Hmm... in fact, I may just go buy one of these...

http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.202-9432.as ... t=202-9432

£50? for the size of that thing it looks cheap?

now im tempted to get one now, DAMN YOU OJFOGGIN! Im curious what the sparkling planet is that turns red and white really fast flickering, also if u do get that pls tell how good it is and how many craters u can see on the moon

Well with a 575x magnification (according to the Star Gazing show) that would almost fill the field of view if you were looking at the moon. So that should give you an idea of how powerful it is.

76mm diameter is enough to give plenty of light and detail and you'll prob be able to see the lines around Jupiter or the rings of Saturn. Personally I'd just LOVE to see Andromeda and some of the Orien nebulae.

That one is basically the same as the broken one I have so should be fairly good as a cheap thing if you want a mess about but are not thinking about properly getting into it.

For £50 you may as well give it a go anyway.

OK, just seen that the 575x eyepiece is for looking at far away objects. Still 175x on the moon will be very good.

Dammit. I really wanted to watch the prog but missed it. I've also wanted to get into astronomy and digiscoping but I live in the middle of a busy city and would have to drive at least 30 mins to avoid light pollution. In fact, my workplace would be perfect - out in the middle of the sticks. A few houses nearby but otherwise pitch black in comparison.

I live in Leeds so a fair amount of light pollution but even just in the park away from streets etc you can still see a fair amount.

Or I can drive about 20 mins to get to the Otley Chevin (a huge hill) which doesn't have a lot of light pollution and is a common place to find star gazers.

Oh, also...

www.planethunters.org

Go there to try and find exoplanets!

IIRC the last one they did was repeated on iPlayer not long after...

Been browsing a bit more and there was a review on Amazon for a telescope that went something along the lines of...

"This was missing all of the software and manuals in the box so we had no idea how to use it making it useless."

I felt like replying with something like...

"Point it at the sky, fiddle with the dials until you can see something."

It's not exactly astrophysics is it!

quite a lot of negative reviews on that one actually

Interspersed with excellent reviews

Ok for a quick point and look, but the mount doesn't track the way a more expensive one would. So harder to follow something if you're looking for a while.

Fine for the moon and perhaps planets, and for £50 hard to say no. It's too dam cold at the moment though. Wrap up warm.

Well, I bought it.

I pick it up on Thurs after work.

I realise it doesn't have all the bells and whistles like fine tuning control and tracking etc... but for a telescope that has any of those features you're looking at paying at least 3 times the price.

£50 will do me just fine.

I'll let you know how it goes.

An equatorial mount would have been a good thing. That way once you've got it lined up correctly then you only need to use one axis control to track an object.

A quick search shows Currys doing one for 72 GBP.

I think with fogmeisters new toy he will have to come where I live saw a very very bright light, directly upwards at the sky, no idea what it was then it just slowly faded and vanished giving the impression it was going upwards into space coincidental or not a sea king heli was circling the area where that bright light was round and round over and over for quite a while bugging me wondering what the hell that was