Cost Effective with Superior Optical Performance

• "Images that rival the Hubble Space Telescope!"
• "Find Pluto; ...see stars, comets, meteors, asteroids..."
• "See literally hundreds of planets!"
• "See the Space Shuttle; ...see far away galaxies!"
• "... will enable you to see the entire Universe close-up!"
• "... you can see all these things with this little telescope, because we're including eyepieces that will boost the magnification all the way up to 750 power!"
• "This nifty telescope my friends, is endorsed by noted astronomer Sir Arthur Hilton!"

   Unfortunately, it's a hoax. Actually we'll go a step farther – these are nothing but unbelievably dumb statements and lies. Stay away from department store telescopes, and DO NOT shop for telescopes or accessories on a TV Shopping Network! They are mostly just toys, with plastic lenses and optics. On TV they may appear to look like brand-name instruments, but they are merely cheap copies, with no built-in quality whatsoever. They amount to nothing more than junk. And we have no idea who Sir Arthur Hilton is.*

*Update - Sir Arthur Hilton Poynton, a British Civil Servant (1905 - 1996). We suppose that he could have been a popular guy, and that he might have actually owned one of these rip-offs.

"Here's a photograph taken with the Hubble Space Telescope. And here's a photo taken through this marvelous inexpensive instrument. You can hardly tell the difference!"

For a comprehensive list of manufacturers and suppliers, visit our manufacturer section.

   Almost anyone who's ever browsed the aisles of a department store has noticed the omnipresence of cheap Tasco-type telescopes, those flimsy, hobbyist toys, with no real built-in quality. They are usually distinguished by flimsy construction, fragile wobbly tripods, plastic optics, and outrageous promotional claims. And now a company called Cstar has popped up in the same field of view.

   Cstar is a USA-based company that manufactures cheap telescopes aimed at the vastly "unsuspecting" market of uninitiated hobbyists. They are mostly notable as a series of 60mm refractors with outrageously deceptive power-claims.

   Many major retailers offer Cstar telescopes, which they advertise will get up to 675-power with an included plastic 3x Barlow (some of their ads list it as a 45x Barlow, which is likely a misplaced reference to a 45 degree diagonal). They claim this telescope... "is intended for both amateurs and experienced viewers". Duh?

   "The quality, multi-coated, color-corrected objective lenses allow you to explore bright deep-space objects like the moon's craters, Jupiter's cloud belt and the rings of Saturn".

   Oh really! Since when do objects in our own solar system count as "deep-space"? Anyway, these telescopes will only set you back a hundred bucks or so, but don't count on quality images, especially at 675-power in a 60mm aperture! In fact, we challenge ANYONE to even FIND most things at that level — including the moon! And as far as "seeing" the rings of Saturn (the term "exploring" is laughable) good binoculars will get you the same result, maybe even better. Oh, and "Jupiter's cloud belt"? There are quite a few you WON'T see with this toy. Save the hundred dollars, and put it towards something REAL, even if only a 60mm telescope from a reputable manufacturer who makes real telescopes with real glass optics. [NOTE]: Cheap telescopes such as this are what we sarcastically refer to as "Pluto finders".

Remember: it's bigger apperture that gives bigger images — not "bigger power".

   You'll find them in drugstores and major retailers. They're like Bose speakers. They're everywhere. Those ubiquitous bargain telescopes with colorful displays of the Universe that they claim will dazzle you at the eyepiece under magnifications of 650 power. Some of these telescopes look curiously similar to what Meade manufactures. There's a good reason for that — they're 'phony clones'. 

   For instance, there's a 3-inch telescope selling for about $58 at one well-known major retailer that you'd swear was a Meade. It isn't, but it looks identical. However, everything is cheap plastic (even the objective lens and eyepieces). They sell tons of them, especially at Christmas time. Most of the buyers are parents, possibly thinking they're getting a bargain. Usually, the telescope is relegated to the basement junk pile by mid January. Actually, that's just about where it belongs.

   It's unfortunate that folks don't realize what a hoax this is. Selling plastic telescopes for $58 is fine with us. But to advertise that you'll be able to see all the planets out to Pluto with it, and claim that it will yield images that rival the Hubble Space Telescope is so blatantly deceptive and dishonest that we think there should be a law against it. Maybe there is.

   Meade used to license off shore manufacturers to make copies of their smaller telescopes under the brandname "Saturn". Another manufacturer got on the same bandwagon and called it "Jupiter". Both looked identical. They were likely made by the same company in the same building, and just got different decals on their way to the shipping dock. They were both high sellers at Christmas time.

   About a year ago, one of us coined the term "Pluto finder" as a sarcastically suitable name for this garbage. Since then, whenever we come across a "genuine fake" or a hoax, we refer to it by that name as an inside joke. If we want to run down a product as a piece of junk, one of us will invariably mumble "Pluto finder" in order to keep it esoterically within our circle of "professionalism", and to at least maintain a socially acceptable veneer. It is usually done in good humor, but in the final analysis it stinks.

   There are weapons and countermeasures to use against deception, but knowledge and common sense are apparently not among them. Anyone who could believe that a 3-inch plastic telescope could rival the capabilities of the Hubble is doomed to be winked to death by the ghost of P.T. Barnum. And the millions of dollars spent annually at Christmas time on bald faced lies and hoaxes will forever line the pockets of slick Madison Avenue groupies. It's nuts. And it makes us angry because it's so darned easy to do. People are just too gullible at Christmas time. It's the season of believing and trust. We think it's strange though, that deception is only perceived when it's obvious, and it's usually only obvious when it's too late.

   False advertising and product deception can be so hypnotic that it overrides even the very basis of human intuition. We've seen how it works on people. It's very effective, and it attacks the nervous system faster than rattlesnake venom. We've seen them fight over the boxes in drug stores and at major retailers. We've witnessed it in living rooms in front of the TV Shopping Networks. The Hubble Telescope for fifty-eight dollars.

   It's unfortunate that parents are the most common victims. It's sad that instead of buying a piece of junk for a budding young astronomer, they didn't purchase a subscription to Sky & Telescope or Astronomy magazine. Or go on line, and look for genuine stuff that would actually work. It isn't legal to stand in front of these displays and shout warnings to onlookers and shoppers. So we suffer in the knowledge that every few minutes someone becomes a victim and buys a 3-inch plastic telescope that they believe will give them color images of M42, and the clearly defined disk of Pluto.

   A telescope's mount is sometimes more important than the telescope. Strange, but if you have a mount that's flimsy you may eventually come to that conclusion. Mounts that are not solidly made, or ones that are sloppy will eventually cause you a great deal of frustration, especially when you try to use the focuser. Although a mount may be "heavy", it's not the actual weight of it that matters. It's really about quality, what it's made of, and how well things fit together INSIDE.

   If you have a good-quality refractor (or a medium-sized Newtonian or SCT) you probably have what's called a "German Equatorial" mount – sometimes called an "E.Q." mount or GEM mount. An equatorial mount is a two-axis affair which swivels in Right Ascension and Declination. Some equatorial mounts are sturdy enough to handle the job. Others, although seemingly "heavy", are quite flimsy, and can contribute to frustrating jiggles and vibrations that make observing (or even just focusing!) all but impossible. Some mounts are poorly made with sloppy internal gears and parts which makes finding objects (and re-finding them!) very difficult.

   Aftermarket equatorial mounts are available from many manufacturers and suppliers. Most good upgrades will cost between $300 and $1,000 or more. Below are some of the best examples - in random order. Our top choices are the Vixen Sphinx SXWand the Losmandy GM-8, but the Takahashi Teegul Sky Patrol III, Meade LXD75 and Orion SkyView Pro offer a lot of bang-for-the-buck.

   Orion offers a few very worthy equatorial mounts for the amateur looking to upgrade. At the top is their Atlas Heavy-Duty Equatorial Mount. It's their entry into the 'heavyweight' category for supporting bigger loads. The Atlas is nearly identical to the Synta EQ-6. It's equipped with dual-axis drive, and sells for $1,199 — an excellent buy!

   The SkyView Pro (shown here) is less "heavy-duty" than the Sirius EQ-G and Atlas EQ-G but is more affordable at $379.95. Beefy tubular steel legs contribute to stability. Orion says this mount is "All metal". Usually that means some major parts are made of "pot-metal", which is a brittle zink alloy. If you break a pot-metal part it cannot be repaired. However,  $379.95 is a very good price for a mount of this caliber, and there are TONS of SkyViews out there! Orion offers a dual-axis drive for $119.

   The highly regarded GP mount by Vixen is available in different versions. The one pictured here is their GPD2 Equatorial Mount, available from Anacortes Telescope for $1,099. All machined steel with brass gears, and equipped with a very slick illuminated polar-axis scope with variable brightness. This superb mount is one of the smoothest performers we've ever used, and one of our top two choices. Very suitable for any agenda, including GO-TO conversions and astrophotography.

   Another excellent EQ mount from Vixen is the Sphinx SXW Mount. The Sphinx is a GoTo mount with the Vixen STARBOOK controller, available from $1,999.

   Meade offers their LXD75 mount and tripod separately from the telescope. It is beefy and sturdy enough to support medium loads, and sells for $599. With computerized dual-drive, polar alignment scope, and AutoStar controller, it's an excellent buy. 

More choices – at even higher prices

Software Bisque Paramount ME

There are of course more choices, and they can get very expensive. For instance, Software Bisque presents their Paramount ME Millennium Edition for a mere $14,500. Other choices are Takahashi's EM-500 Temma 2 Closed Loop 540x GOTO mount($12,340) and Astro-Physicscomputerized mounts which are more in the mid-range for price but still top quality. Astro-Physics900 German Equatorial ($8,450) and 1200 German Equatorial ($9,800) are extremely popular, and for good reason!

Alt-Az (Altitude-Azimuth) mounts

   Alt-Az mounts operate in two axes – Altitude (up-down) and Azimuth (left-right). Compared to equatorial mounts, Alt-Az motions are far less cumbersome. Your eyepiece always remains upright, and you don't need counterweights or slow-motion controls. Also, manual tracking and star-hopping can be more intuitive. In the Alt-Az category we present two choices – one for the budget-minded (which is motorized!), and one at the top of the scale.

   Specifically designed for small and medium refractors, TeleVue's Gibraltar Alt-Az mount "cradles" the scope at the tube's center of gravity. This "balancing act" serves to make the telescope virtually "weightless", rendering 'navigation' an effortless marvel. Bearing surfaces of brass and Teflon provide the smooth feel required for accurate movements. The ash tripod provides a very stabile support, as wood absorbs vibration and rebound-affects better than aluminum (you will notice that the better-grade telescopes and mounts come equipped with wood tripods).

   The mount-heads are predrilled for easy installation of Sky Tour Encoder Kits. Made in America. Price starts at $710 (includes ash tripod).

   The Hutech AZM-100 motorized Alt-Az mount is designed to support up to a 7 pound load and can be mounted on a standard photographic tripod-head with 3/8-16 threads. It can also be mounted on a photo tripod with 1/4-20 threads by virtue of a thread-adapter. Electric slewing in both axes allows manually-attended "tracking". Camera-standard 1/4-20 screws allow the mounting of lightweight scopes with or without rings (two screws separated by about 3-3/4" are provided). Standard cameras, camcorders, and binocular mounts can also be accommodated. The price is a genuine bargain at $229.

   We have often seen these quality mounts in use for solar viewing, lunar photography, and binocular observing, in addition to plain-vanilla "star-hopping".

   Vixen offers small and medium refractors with achromatic doublet and triplet objective lenses (optically superior to the lower priced achromats in the $600 to $1200 range). These sell for $1300 to $3000. By the way, Vixen is a division of TeleVue.

   Vixen offers an A80Mf Achromatic Refractor with SkyPod Mount. This complete setup is available for $1,399 – an excellent buy, and very highly recommended! 
. 
    Pictured here is the Vixen R200SS  on a Sphinx SXW Mount, that can be purchased for $3,899. At f/4 there's no room for error when forming the surface of an 8" parabolic mirror. Vixen’s solution is to execute each R200SS mirror with its High-Precision Poly-Order Aspherical Mirror Molding Technique. The result: an exquisite state-of-the-art paraboloide form.

New STARBOOK S for GP2/GPD2 Mounts

Sphinx SXW Equatorial Mount

Sky Sensor 2000 GOTO Hand Controller and Motors for Vixen Mounts

Orion

Orion Sirius 8 EQ-G Reflector with 
Dual-Axis Controller 

Orion SkyQuest XX12 IntelliScope Truss-Tube Dobsonian

   Orion has some high quality telescopes for excellent value.  The Sirius line of scopes offers a good middle ground of large aperture and solid GoTo mount with a very reachable pricetag.

   The 8" Sirius 8 EQ-G Reflector with Dual-Axis Controller is priced at $1,149.95 and includes everything you need for great visual observing. It is capable for use with SLR or astronomical CCD cameras for entry level astrophotography as well.  This is an excellent choice for a first-time telescope.

   Orion also makes great Dobsonian telescopes that are high quality and affordable for the average user.  IntelliScope makes finding celestial objects easy, and still offers that feeling of 'finding' an object manually. 

   Orion recently released a new SkyQuest dob that is a truss-tube configuration, which makes its jumbo 12" optics manageable for transportation and storage when not in use. The SkyQuest XX12 IntelliScope Truss-Tube Dobsonian sells for $1,299.95 and comes fully loaded and ready to please your eye with bright images.  Remember, aperature is king, and this 12" big Dob will not let you down.  This is another solid choice for a first-time telescope.

   The Meade LXD75-Series models are versatile, high-resolution telescopes. Supplied with the Autostar controller, the LXD75-Series models offer excellent mechanical and electronic performance for the price.

   The LXD75-Series telescopes reveal nature in an ever-expanding level of detail. Observe the feather structure of an eagle from 50 yards or study the rings of the planet Saturn from a distance of 800 million miles. Focus beyond the Solar System and observe majestic nebulae, ancient star clusters, and remote galaxies. Meade LXD75-Series telescopes are instruments fully capable of growing with your interest and can meet the requirements of the most demanding advanced observer. Pictured here is the LXD75 6" refractor which sells for $1,199.

   The LX200 Series feature a state-of-the-art optical system. The telescopes also feature Meade's Smart Drive technology which provides permanent periodic error correction (PPEC) on both axes. This may not mean much to the budding astronomer, but error correction capabilities of the mount are extremely important when taking long exposure photographs.

   Pictured here is the 8" LX200-ACF w/UHTC Coatings model.  A Sony GPS Receiver Sensor automatically inputs precise time, date, and geographical location to help quickly and precisely align the telescope. Price on this telescope with ultra high transmission coatings on the optics is $2,799. 

TeleVue TV-102

   TeleVue manufactures telescopes of legendary optical quality. They are sold by almost every distributor and major dealer in the world. Their TV-85 is an 85mm APO refractor that comes with a 2-inch focuser (you'll appreciate that!).  It sells for $2000 and includes aTeleVue 20mm Plossl, 2-inch Everbrite diagonal, and carrying case. The TV-76, (a 76mm APO refractor, also with a 2-inch focuser) is priced at $1575 for the same package. The TV-102 package is $2,485.*

   TeleVue's optics are unrivaled for image purity and color fidelity. The best views we have seen of double stars and open clusters are with these instruments.

*NOTE: Although these smallish APO refractors will render stunning and faithful images of double stars, there is still no substitute for larger apertures! For splitting doubles closer than 1.2 arc-second, a 4.5-inch aperture is needed, in addition to a very dark sky. Hunting for extremely close doubles with a small or medium aperture would be an exercise in futility, regardless of optical quality. Antares can be split at 250 power. Though it resolves more clearly in larger Dobsonians, color rendition and contrast are more compelling with an APO refractor.

   RC Optical Systems designs and produces quality Ritchey-Chretien telescopes for the professional and amateur astronomer. Our innovative design incorporates state-of-the-art materials to assure a product with the utmost performance and quality. Our telescopes are the lightest and most thermally stable in their class, bar none! Correct composite construction allows for "focus and forget" utilization. RCOS Ritchey-Chretiens maintain precise focus all night, every night.

   Pictured here is their 12.5" Carbon Truss Ritchey-Chretien design. This beauty can be had for $21,500.00.

Takahashi offers a complete line of accessories and observing aids.

10:1 Micro Edge Focuser

2" Diagonal

   Telescope Engineering Company, aka TEC, manufactures high quality APO refractors that are a very popular choice for both visual and astrophotography/CCD imaging. TheTEC 140 APO is their smallest refractor and their most popular aperture.  It's lightweight and portable and is used both on its own or piggybacked onto larger scopes. The 140 sells for $5,200.

    TEC offers larger APOs at 160mm and 180mm sizes.  The TEC 180 Fluorite Oiled Triplet refractor is still portable and lightweight enough to be manageable to set up by one person.  TEC backs its world-class telescopes with a lifetime warranty.

   Borg telescopes are designed with portability as a primary parameter. Their entire telescope line ranges in aperture size from 50 to 125 mm. Tube diameters are kept to a bare minimum without sacrificing the essential light-cone. Most significantly, Borg telescopes are modular — permitting easy disassembly down to short pieces. Even the objective lens can be removed, permitting convenient storage and transport disciplines, leaving only the more critical components for hand carrying.

   A modular design has two major benefits: (1): It allows for easy upgrading. Design changes or product improvements won't necessarily require the purchase of an entire telescope to take advantage. (2): More simplistic manufacturing techniques and lower production costs. Many parts can be generically similar (or even identical) between several product families, which usually translates to lower retail prices and maintenance costs. Kind of analogous to Chevrolet, Buick and Pontiac all having the same body and chassis parts.

   Borg telescopes are excellent performers. They exhibit World Class Quality, and are recognized for their convenience, portability and a pragmatic approach to a user's perspective. For instance, astrophotographers will appreciate their photo-visual design parameters. "Borg scopes fully cover the 6x7 cm frame of the popular medium format Pentax 67 series cameras. With the photographer in mind, they include extras like a precise, indexed, lockable helical focuser and a full range of field flatteners and teleconverters. Also available are a full line of 35mm camera accessories and adapters. Borg also offers a complete line of visual and guider accessories.

   Price for the 101ED Optical Tube Assembly at lower left is $1,755. Their 125SD F/6optical tube assembly is $4,315. 
 

   For the past forty years or so, Coronado Instruments has been developing filter technology for scientific and government programs. About ten years ago they began evolving products to benefit the amateur astronomer. Their SolarMax narrowband filter was a major breakthrough in bringing high-grade Hydrogen-alpha technology to the amateur ranks on a mass-produced basis, and at a price that didn't invoke the spectacle of a government contract.

   Although their SolarMax line is fairly expensive by "budget" standards, the price tag can easily be justified by the burdens of overwhelming production costs which routinely confront the high-grade optical industry. And for those who demanded the very best in solar imagery, there was no price too high.  Coronado Instruments now manufactures lower priced solar scopes called the PST - Personal Solar Telescope.  These run $499 to $999 and represent a very affordable option for a high quality solar experience.

   Coronado Instruments demonstrates a faithful passion that is aimed at a single target —the sun.   The SolarMax Telescope is available in three different aperture sizes: 40, 60, and 90mm. It is specifically designed as a performance optimizer for the SolarMax filter. The two products used together produce images of stunning clarity and impact. The 40mmversion is most interesting because of its price: $1,699 for the BF/10 version. The 60mmaperture is priced at $2,499. We believe the SolarMax 60 to be a better choice for detailed views. The 60mm seems to provide an all-around "more comfortable" picture. Or of course you could go with the SolarMax 90. Its price was recently reduced drastically and sells for just $5,999.

   Orion Telescopes & Binoculars is one of the largest distributors of astronomy hardware in the world. Whereas Meade makes its livings mostly with the Mak-Cas and SCT designs,Orion does a major business in ALL types of telescopes, but mostly in Dobs, Newtoniansand refractors. Their prices generally run from $200 to $650. Take a close look at theirSkyQuest "IntelliScope" Dobs (their 10-incher is shown here). These are "semi-smart" scopes, with digital readouts (they call it a 'computer-controller') that help you find objects manually (14,000 objects are in the database). They are priced from $399 to $699 for 6, 8 and 10-inch apertures (the Intelliscope option is $149 of those prices, you can buy the scopes without Intelliscope for less). These are excellent buys and are highly recommended.

   The IntelliScope feature is a popular form of manual 'GO-TO' for Dobsonian telescopes. Almost all Dob manufacturers are offering this type of device for easy entry into the popular technology of finding celestial objects without knowing where they are. These are manual systems in that any object of known RA and DEC can be found by simply entering the object's coordinates on the display, and then moving the scope by hand until the display reads "zero"... and ZAP! There it is in the eyepiece! For $149 it's a great entry-level system which in theory will help you find virtually any object you want to see. You must still 'track' the object yourself unless you have a motorized Alt-Az drive. Motor kits are available for any Dobsonian telescope, and do-it-yourselfers are installing them all the time.

   Meade is by far the largest selling brand of telescopes. Their bread and butter items are (for the most part) the increasingly popular Maksutov-Cassegrain and SCT designs. Their latest line of ETX, LX, and DS-series instruments are amazingly easy to use, computer-accurate, and relatively affordable. Their LXD Series of Schmidt-Newtonians and refractors are excellent instruments, within reach of most beginning amateur budgets. Their 6-inch Schmidt-Newtonian, complete with Autostar GO-TO computer drive sells for $999. An optional coating process (UHTC) is available on many of their scopes. The LXD refractors, (AR-5 and AR-6) are very nice computerized "Go-To" achromats. And of course their LX200's and LX90's are always seen at star parties in prodigious quantities. Meade's Series 5000 Premium Grade eyepieces are among the finest examples of quality optics.

   Meade's ETX Series (pictured here) is possibly the most popular mass produced telescope in the world. Coupled to their Autostar controller, the ETX telescopes open a wide door of accessibility to beginning amateurs as well as veteran observers. They are extremely portable, and are available in 80, 90 & 125mm aperture sizes. This is a high-quality instrument, and a lot of fun for observers of all ages and skill levels. The ETXranges in price from $299 to $899.

   Stellarvue offers some very high quality refractors in both achromatic and APO^†configurations. Achromats are available in 80mm (80mm of clear aperture as measured by Sky & Telescope magazine) and 102mm. Various packages are available starting at $499. High grade APO designs of 90 and 105mm start at $1995 (the SV90TBV is pictured here). These are extremely good bargains, and very highly recommended!

^†NOTE: - APO is an abreviation for "Apochromatic", an expensive configuration of refractor telescopes which yields images that are almost completely color-corrected for chromatic aberration. Chromatic aberration is a refractor's tendency to display a bluish or violet prominence around very bright objects.

   Stars and planets and other bright celestial objects will exhibit striking colors in the eyepiece. But with very few exceptions, deep space objects (i.e. - galaxies and nebulae) will appear colorless in the eyepiece of any telescope. They will look grayish, with some brighter areas, but generally without any color whatsoever (have a look at our drawings pages). Although photographic film and CCD equipment can easily detect color in dim objects, the human eye cannot. 

   To some newcomers this is a grave disappointment. However, the mere sight of a galaxy, millions of light years away, sitting there in the eyepiece of your first telescope, is a hair-raising thrill even if it only seems a ghostly grayish apparition.

Our drawings at left show the double star Albireo, and the galaxy M-51. 
Our illustrations below depict a nebula as seen by the human eye and by film.

As seen by the human eye	As seen by photographic film
Drawings/illustrations © The Belmont Society

   The Telrad finder is an extremely popular type of zero magnification finder device. It offers a bonus.   The Telrad finder attaches to the main telescope tube, and functions completely independant from other finder devices. It is primarily meant to be an auxiliary finder. You can have as many finders on your telescope as you want (there's no rule about what you can attach to your scope). Many veteran amateurs have an arsenal of devices taped, wired, or strapped to their telescopes.

   The added feature of this type of device is the "viewing screen", which exhibits concentric target-circles that appear to be projected onto the night sky. The outer circle approximates the wider field of view in your normal ("factory equipped") finderscope. The innermost circle represents the approximate field of view in your main telescope.

   The illuminated red circles are controlled by a rotary dimmer switch that regulates their brightness between high and low.