Beacon Hill Telescopes 

    INTRODUCTION     

Dear Customer,

First of all may I thank you for your enquiry, I sincerely hope that you will be impressed with our range of equipment and prices. As amateur astronomers and telescope builders since the early fifties we are able to put many years of experience at your disposal.

Please feel free to take advantage of this and telephone us during normal working hours.

We can manufacture telescopes of any size but generally are only asked for the larger varieties in recent years.  If you require a smaller size (<12” aperture) then we recommend the SkyWatcher range, which we are happy to supply on demand.

We realise that choosing the right telescope is by no means an easy task but consider the following points, they may help you decide.

 

Let us consider why this is the case. The refractor has no central obstruction and is generally of longer focal length than the reflector. These two facts alone can make a significant difference to the amount of detail and contrast visible on the surface of a planet. You will often see more detail with say a 5" refractor than with an 8" or 10" reflector on the same night. Refractors are much easier to handle, are more or less maintenance free and can be used for Solar observation if the necessary precautions are taken.  Commercially produced refractors are quite good and very reasonably priced.  We can however manufacture one to your specification at a surprisingly low price.  This will be better than an ‘off the shelf’ refractor.  They can be made from 4-10” aperture, both achromats and apochromats.

The reflector, on the other hand produces a less "contrasty" image but it has a much greater light grasp, and with objects which do not necessarily require a particularly high degree of resolution, such as nebulae etc. it will perform very well. Of course this does not mean that you can only use refractors for the Solar System and reflectors for Deep Sky objects, it is just a matter of 'Horses for Courses'.  We have manufactured these up to 33” aperture.  Reflectors can be modified to make them more suitable for planetary observation.

If you do then an equatorial mounting is essential. A motor drive to Right Ascension at least is a must, and you should really consider a good guide scope, for deep sky photography at any rate, and a Variable Frequency Oscillator. This type of photography should not be undertaken lightly and the telescope should be permanently mounted.  The SkyWatcher equatorials are ideal for up to 12” aperture but after that you really need either a heavier German equatorial or a fork mount.  These we can manufacture to your specifications (see Nottingham AS website).
Should you wish to use your telescope visually then why not consider one of our very popular Dobsonians. They really do have many advantages.

Our terms are simple. Orders under £100.00, payment with order. Over £100.00 please send a 10% deposit with your order, the balance being due on completion. All goods are covered by our money back guarantee.

Please contact us with any queries you may have. Our reputation is your guarantee of satisfaction at all times.

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