Top 3 Beginner's Telescopes! Which one should you buy?

Telescopes listed:
* Orion Starblast
* Orion Short Tube 80
* Celestron C6 on either a NexStar or (preferred) on their AVX mount
* Orion Skyquest XT8 8" Dobsonian Reflector (or equivalent "clone")
Amazon affiliate links:
Orion Starblast Telescope amzn.to/3N3GYp9
Zhumell Z114 Telescope (same as the Orion Starblast) amzn.to/363jVdH
Orion XT6 Telescope (new version as of 2022) amzn.to/3z4TBuz
Orion XT8 Telescope (new version as of 2022) amzn.to/3FN54SX
Sky-Watcher 6” Dobsonian Telescope amzn.to/3CXUZAi
Sky-Watcher 8” Dobsonian Telescope amzn.to/3wkAQmt
TeleVue 24mm Panoptic (my favorite 1.25” eyepiece) amzn.to/3NtKHwl
TeleVue 13mm Nagler Type 6 eyepiece amzn.to/3t248F4
TeleVue 7mm Nagler Type 6 eyepiece amzn.to/31xtq2q
TeleVue Everbrite 1.25” Diagonal amzn.to/3JWEveT
TeleVue 2X Barlow (Much better than the cheap throwaway barlows found in cheap scopes) amzn.to/335DAaI
Heated gloves amzn.to/2R45aiW
Heated vest amzn.to/3nVoefs
Small planisphere amzn.to/2JAGvyK
Large planisphere amzn.to/3qsiRFh
The Cambridge Star Atlas amzn.to/3mDAakC
The Stars: A New Way To See Them amzn.to/3lvEUaA
Sky & Telescope's Pocket Star Atlas amzn.to/2VrcDrb
The 21st Century Atlas of the Moon amzn.to/3bsk4Hk
Turn Left at Orion (good beginner’s book about finding stuff) amzn.to/3fYPRQQ
My tiny 8X21 binoculars are here amzn.to/39RdfyP
A decent pair of 7X35 binoculars amzn.to/3mESBoV
A decent pair of 7X50 binoculars amzn.to/3g6amLB
The Orion 8X42 binoculars are here amzn.to/37vW1UK
Camera used for filming amzn.to/38QrkLv
Camera I’m using for 4K video and some B-Roll amzn.to/3D1pOmk
The lens I use for filming (80% of the time) amzn.to/38QIN6i
The lenses used for filming the rest of the time (17-40 f/4 and 24-70 f/4) amzn.to/3cITdpV and amzn.to/3ns4cck
My tripod amzn.to/2OEDhNo
My ballhead amzn.to/3cLeLSW
The softboxes I use amzn.to/3qSDp91
Wireless mic: amzn.to/3tQcRHv
Dual transmitter wireless mic for interviews amzn.to/3KzSp6R
My astrophotography book contains advice on telescopes observing, and taking pictures (based on my award-winning Dartmouth thesis, June 2020) 255 pages, 258 color images: amzn.to/2Jt1O5o
Top Three Recommended Beginner’s Telescope Video: • Top 3 Beginner's Teles...
Top Beginner’s Astronomy Books: • Top Beginner's Astrono...
For Complete Beginners, Part 1: • Getting Started in Ama...
For Complete Beginners, Part 2: • For ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS...
Hundreds of other telescope reviews on my web site at:
www.scopereviews.com

[@wayneteachey2714]

If you want to get someone interested in astronomy, show them Saturn. When they see those rings in real-time and not in a photo, most get hooked!

[@thomasewing2656]

The moons of Jupiter are fun, too. You can watch them rise and set. Active astronomy!

[@genarovillarreal992]

Just did it yesterday with the kids!! It was awesome!

[@Scottocaster6668]

This comment is so true. It happened to my wife, she saw a video on the news about this guy took a picture of Saturn with the rings and she was awstruck. "Oh hon, we gotta get a telescope!!" 🤪 Blah,blah,omg blah!

[@thewonderinghealer6449]

Whoaaaaaaaaa

[@thewonderinghealer6449]

Wait really!!??

[@jfan4reva]

The comment about seeing the moon for the first time through a good telescope vs pictures, kind of brings out the fascination of astronomy for me. It's you, a few pieces of glass, and the sky. No screens, no monitors, no electronics. Nothing between you and the universe. Live. In real time. If my arm was long enough, I could reach out and touch the thing I'm looking at. It makes the universe real.

[@jenni3746]

this

[@Dr.Pepper001]

Well put.

[@MrJonpac]

@@jenni3746 Nerd

[@a-a-rondavis9438]

@@MrJonpac cringe

[@reddeadghost4343]

@@MrJonpac cringe

[@Agent-vj3ns]

I got a 4.5" starblaster, took it out to a parking lot and pointed at the first bright thing I could see. Got chills when I realized it was Saturn. Saw it's rings and moons. Make us seem so small and insignificant 🔭

[@alchemyalch984]

OH WHAT THATS SOO COOL! Have you come across any new planet/stars/cosmic events yet?

[@SimRacingVeteran]

That’s because we are tiny and insignificant.

[@ritachaudhary8960]

How much did it cost ?

[@ericaroundtheworld]

Did you add any eye pieces ??

[@Astronurd]

@@ericaroundtheworld It won’t work without them

[@Muesli711]

How cool would it be to have Ed as your local astronomical mentor!

[@hifijohn]

It don't mean a ting if it ain't Ed.

[@zephyrgames7418]

@@hifijohn 😂😂

[@johnnymartinez478]

How about your neighbor ! Even better

[@RaysAstrophotography]

I thought this video is 10 years old. Never knew someone can a create a purist video these days. Good job Ed!

[@waterproof4403]

I know right. KZbin was all great up to 2015

[@msspeak.]

that's funny, i was thinking the same

[@richardleetbluesharmonicac7192]

We used to make our own out of cement tubes and we have ground our mirrors and used binocular eyepiece as a lens. They were incredible. I spent years with John Dobson and The SF Sidewalk Astronomers

[@TheAutumnWind_RN4L]

Such ingenuity.

[@will0ughby]

Ed, how do you not have more viewers man? I found your channel recently and went back to watch every astronomy related video (and a few of the other ones as well)! Keep up the quality work!

[@alasdairmacdonald6730]

I'd like to thank you for this and your other videos. But mostly this one. I took your advice and bought an 8 inch DOB just after Christmas. And what fun it has been. Even from our light polluted street I'm still seeing things I never thought possible. Brilliant. And the Dobsonian mount makes you learn, which to me is a far more rewarding idea than dialling up an address and watching the mount do its thing. So, thanks again and see you in the next one!

[@timurhant469]

I really enjoyed this one and your closing words were super nice! Thanks a lot!

[@lowellmccormick6991]

My friend purchased an Edmond Scientific 8" f8 optical tube assembly in 1976. It's pretty amazing that 44 years later the price is almost the same. I think Ed's #1 pick is spot on. It is a scope that's good enough to be a scope for a lifetime and cheap enough that if it's sits in a closet unused didn't cost an arm and a leg. Plus it's so simple to use. I find that people with of scopes with lots of electronics tend to spend most of their time tweaking stuff and getting it working rather than observing. And EQ mounts can turn off a new user just trying to point it where they want. I turn on my Telrad & secondary heater and I'm ready for a night of observing.

[@logangrey179]

You are amazing, the fact that put all those links too is sooo helpful!!!!

[@edmisto5199]

Thanks for the great videos. Just jumped in the water and am waiting on my Apertura 8” Dobsonian to arrive. Should be in stock just in time for spring viewing.

[@CharlieWellsPlus]

Thank you Ed! Your website is a treasure!

[@markbergendahl2651]

Great overview of beginning scopes Ed ! I got a 6 inch Orion maksutov cassegrain scope with a computerized equatorial mount and am still procrastinating using the polar alignment process. You definitely have to put the time into learning the products. Even properly setting up a finder scope takes time & I already returned one. Since my scope has an 1800 mm focal length I'm going to have to get a 28 mm eyepiece to open up the field of view a bit.

[@osvaldoomarjorge]

Kudos! Excellent, sharp, and kind, honest guide to see the sky!

[@Rockbusters.]

What a beautiful outro. Thank you man!

[@ERidesOn2]

Great advice. I had an 8" Cat. A B&L Criterion. I bought during Haleys Comet event in 1986. Wasn't the best idea for a comet, but it got me started. It wasn't the best scope for packing to a mountain top, even if I drove there. Especially if it envoled a vacation which meant packing it with a family with kids. I recently found a 6" computer controlled Mead. Sooo much easier to pack or just to take outside. I've still yet to master the controls. I used to just polar align, lock my scope, and switch on the drive. Then it was just a matter of finding my object, aiming my "tel rad" and initially use a low power eyepiece to get on it easily. That may sound complicated to a newbie, but its pretty simple for a pretty simple old guy. I've used a bicycle wheel in a holder to explain polar alignment. The axel of the wheel being Polaris..... So funny my son just did the Pemi Loop last month and Mt Washington last Sunday. He's become a White mountain junkie. God bless you for helping folks discover the skies.

[@superheart6025]

Thank you! After watching a few ‘which 1st telescopes’ I finally have my answer.

[@timcomputerdoc]

Hello Ed, new subscriber and absolute newbie in astronomy, thanks for saving me some time! Was going to get the cpc1100 as my first, really needed this vid.

[@jimvacca7101]

Thanks for a great post walking folks through the options! I just purchased your #1 with the StarSense Explorer option for my wife as a Christmas present!

[@richardkrawchyk7076]

My first two telescopes were an Orion 4.5 inch Starblast on an equatorial mount, and the Orion Short Tube 80 (and I still have both). I feel validated that these are two that Ed recommends for first time telescopes.

[@AbhijotSingh1609]

Hi I’m a beginner what’s a good telescope that you recommend for me?

[@dfrost42]

Thanks Ed, taking your advice!

[@timyates2895]

Based on the information in this video, and information from Astrobackyard, I have ordered and am waiting for the Apertura AD8 to arrive. Thanks Ed, for all you do for the hobby.

[@lorcankelleher5434]

I'm very frustrated that it took me this long to find your channel and that I just bought my first telescope without coming here first. Love the content, keep it up!

[@jimrodgers3684]

What did you buy? Is it on Mr. Ting's short list, and are you happy with it?

[@tooalice]

Thank you for sharing this information. I’ve been wanting to purchase a telescope and had no idea where to start. Just subbed last week. ❤️

[@jenniferbruce9551]

Thank you so much for that! lots of great information and your enthusiasm for all of it is contagious -very pleasant to listen to and to watch- thank you again bless you and your family and all of your people

[@rickthompson2520]

Thanks for the info , probably going to start with the starblast

[@demej00]

I have the Orion short tube 80 with barlow and multipower eyepiece. Love it.

[@OhShunz]

This was such a great video!! And dang you really reminded me of my father for some reason. He was my very own childhood Indiana Jones. He definitely planted many seeds of adventure in my little brain. Can't wait to find me one of those #1 Pick 8" Dobs and start stargazing. R. I. P. miss you pops

[@stefanschneider3681]

Beautiful video, because it summarizes it all: the breathtaking leaps in technology, but also the pure joy and fascination of just being out there and being thrilled by the beauty of the night sky! Binocular-view of the moon? It blows your mind! Thanks!

[@kimzocco3911]

Thank you for initializing the Orion Library program! I checked it out a few times in Basalt, Colorado - the whole family had fun and was quite impressed with the Moon images. =)

[@denisejo10462]

I am new to stargazing, and this video was very helpful for me. Thank you!

[@OrangeBlood485]

Thanks so much! This video was very insightful and helpful.

[@dcobbism]

Great video, thank you!

[@Panomition]

Great video! Just ordered and Orion Dobsonian and really excited to start looking up!

[@haroonzia2214]

Congrats! :) Which model did you get, and how is it going so far?

[@curirl2]

This was so awesome, Thank you!

[@jeffrellek2792]

Great video thanks for taking the time to make this 🤩

[@kylebaird4642]

thanks for a great overview!

[@shadowbirdstudio9035]

Awesome advice. Much appreciated.

[@alfors]

Love your channel, subscribed. Well, didn't exactly follow your recommendations, ended up with the Skywatcher ED80 on AZ5 mount as my first scope, grab and go and capable of photo...maybe later. But thank you so much for all the really useful information you provide. Thumbs up!

[@timotheverrette5988]

They had one at the Lakes of the Clouds hut as well when I was there last year! Cool stuff!

[@nekonik]

I'm so happy watching your videos. I'm a beginner living in central MA. I'm sure I'm gonna learn a lot just following your channel.

[@xsane5125]

My beginner is my Celestron 130slt. Love it and I still use it as my Primary !

[@glen1arthur]

Thank you for sharing you knowledge with us.

[@deecross5028]

Thanks, enjoyed the video and you personality.

[@thomaslawson9429]

What a great "Three Best Scopes" walkthrough that let me decide something I have heard dozens of times lately from several sources. The most expensive is not always the best. Now I'm going back online and relook at the Dobsonian bucket, while continuing to work on the Skywatcher EVO 100 OTA ED I just purchased. Thank you so much for your expertise Dr. Ting! Great information.

[@jochenkraus7016]

I think it's a bit like photo lenses or radio controlled model ships: When they are on site and set up, it's more bigger, more better ;-) At any other moment, size and weight cause more pain to handle, transport and store (and pay).

[@AGKyran]

Hello! I must admit I'm pretty happy. I've ordered a xt8 dobsonian (there's no shop to buy one around). I've looked for a good amount of time at recommendations. But seeing videos and all, I believe it'll be perfect. There's a 2x Barlow shorty that comes with it, some accessories like a "sky map", a red light. I'm totally new to telescopes, but I'm pretty sure it's gonna be awesome. I don't even want to look at anything specific. Just want to explore and wander around, focusing on anything I can see. So thank you a lot! Can't wait for it to arrive.

[@dougsbir]

nice honest video for beginners thankyou!

[@salvadorpneri]

This is a phenomenal tutorial video. Thank you.

[@dannyvegito6357]

Sincerely thank you Mr. Ting I went and bought a 30 Nat Geo telescope from target for 30$, was blown away by all that I was missing, went to KZbin because this is something that I definitely want to pursue and your advice has helped me tremendously! Thank you again

[@dannielthul8068]

Thank you for the library trick!

[@daltonwilliamlawrence8269]

Awesome work getting Telescopes into Libraries, what an excellent idea. Great content, thank you!

[@inevahdie]

The man wears reverse double pleated pants and talks science. I’m sold.

[@RuminatingWizard]

Overpleater

[@Oneup572]

I bought a gskyer 90mm/600 for my first telescope about a month ago or so.. I like it a lot..we where able to see the space between Saturns rings with it!! Amazing .. I really like your Channel as I have learned a lot from it.. thankyou for putting in the time to educate me..👍 also I got it for 75$ on marketplace… a steel if ya ask me …

[@mikecook7683]

Great video, thanks! Looking to get into it.

[@coltoncyr2283]

In NH!! Awesome!!! That's an awesome program. I think space is just mesmerizing and puts anyone in awe. I'm going to check my local Library soon!

[@troylarkin2998]

Great info and presentation.

[@NatarajanGanesan]

My first experience of seeing moon was through a pair of lenses I held by hand at an appropriate distance. The thrill was unmistakable.

[@audioaficionado9494]

I got a 10" DOB. 12" x 48" x 35# OTA and I could fit it into a compact car. With the Strap A Handles I mounted on the OTA, it's so easy to carry, anyone can safely do it. Got an Orion ST80 too.

[@skesinis]

Great video and telescope suggestions!! My first and only telescope so far, is the 5 inch Celestron NexStar 127SLT Maksutov Cassegrain. It’s really so portable, and I was amazed when I first saw the Moon, Saturn and Jupiter! It’s mount may be computerised, but it’s a wobbly Alt-Az. I managed a way around it though for focusing: I made an Arduino focuser with a stepper motor. I’ve also used an ESP32 microcontroller to connect it over WiFi to an iPad app (SkySafari Pro) or a PC/Mac/Linux app like Stellarium or K-Stars.

[@marianunez2767]

This is awesome! I'm in NH and never new this. Going to call Monday. Looking at your videos to see which Telescope to buy my 7 yr old grandson.

[@ChallengerNetwork]

Hi Ed, I just wanted to say that because of yours and other astronomy channels' videos, you have reignited my passion for astronomy. I had bought myself a 10" Sky-Watcher flextube dobsonian telescope back in January this year, and I haven't looked back. It has given me the clearest views of Saturn's rings I have ever dreamed of; the turbulent cloud bands and great red spot of Jupiter, as well as the Galilean quartet orbiting it; even the Mariner valley on Mars. Though it may be a manually driven scope, I have taken video footage and stabilized it in Vegas for use in Registax, with impressive results. Every night is a new adventure for me, and I cannot wait to see what's in store for future dates.

[@edting]

Hey that's great - doing planetary webcam through a Dob is a challenging task. Well done!

[@steffeness1]

@@edting What do these telescope magnifications start at & stop at?

[@PRosendo0101]

Sir your enthusiasm is contagious! I keep doing research, my lovely partner knows my love to astronomy, and rather than doing a day trip to the Lowell observatory for a private viewing, we’re getting a telescope. This helped so much!

[@markattardo]

Imagine my surprise after looking up the Starblast I borrowed from my local NH library and find a video from someone in the affiliated club. Cool program and video!

[@joebond5012]

Thank you Ed, an excellent channel full of useful information.

[@edting]

Thanks for the nice comments, Joe!

[@fruitypebbles803]

I live in Amsterdam and they just started a telescoop borrowing program at our local library too! The waiting list is 9 months long though, so I’m looking into just buying my own telescope instead. Thanks for the excellent information!

[@charlesmorgan4596]

My first was a 4 1/2 inch Newtonian reflector on an equatorial mount. $50 at a garage sale. Ended up using it for afocal photography with a homemade mount with a 35 m film camera. What a learning experience it was. Woke up my 10 year old daughter at 4am to view Saturn. Daddy, Daughter time.

[@ericaroundtheworld]

Will Orion starblast , starseeker or Celestron 130EQ better ?? Looking for one easy to assemble. Because of the space and usage wise. We can't keep it assemble. Maybe need to be taken down. Would like to see some planets , galaxy and nebulas will Orion starblast be able to see it ? The one mount on the table is it difficult to use cuz it is too low . Please I need some help thanks

[@ericaroundtheworld]

How is it

[@Allyourbase1990]

My dad used to wake me up when I was a little boy and show me planets when they were close by. I always loved it and can’t wait to do it with my kids

[@bmarques333]

I've been looking around on how to begin stargazing (the many hours on space games finally pushed me there), and your channel is helping a lot to consolidate that knowledge in my brain! The sad part is learning from a 3-year old video that 8" Dobsonians used to cost $400... it's reached the 500€ range here on the EU these days. (and good luck finding a used one for a good price - though I suspect Maks and SCGs are easier to get a second-hand bargain)

[@vegahimsa3057]

Telescopes at the library is a brilliant idea!

[@Cbrandon203]

A smile came to my face when you said “you’ll never forget the first time you saw the moon through a good telescope”. Took me right back to that moment in my childhood in our front yard. Thanks for that! Time for my sons to experience the same thing👍

[@markbarber7839]

Thanks for the video. I bought a 4.5" Bushnell refractor used for $75. Great telescope but it's the "planetary mount" which is a must

[@macrohealthonline8546]

Thank you for the useful information, we can't wait to get started! Quick question, what's your opinion for Orion StarBlast 90 milimetres Altaz refractor telescope? (Although we prefer your No1 suggestion, we prefer something smaller/requiring smaller storage space.)

[@ridleyroid9060]

I got a 60mm refractor for $100 and I have been enjoying it so far, but a time will come to upgrade, thank you for the video!

[@Zariston]

Great video, thank you.

[@ahamadromen]

Thank you for your time and well explaining Mr. Ed. Big Help!. Looking forward for any update. I am super passionate about stars/planets. Please if there is any update for 2022. Thank you for your generous/informative advice.

[@davidgraham2673]

Good video. Informative.

[@user-il8gy2ih1p]

Thx Ed, bought my first telescope about 6 weeks ago based on your advice. Apertura AD8. Great scope and a lot of fun so far!

[@edting]

You made a great choice!

[@alexminneto1112]

thank you!! you are awesome

[@recarsion]

I can relate so much to the Moon being much more exciting than I had thought. I thought it's just nice but ultimately not as exciting, BOY was I wrong! I will never forget the first time I saw it through my first telescope. It was in the growing period, almost half moon, and I could actually see the dark half actually emitting some very faint light, I could see that it really was a 3 dimensional sphere as opposed to the flat circle I see it as with bare eyes, and it was even better once I put in some higher power eyepieces, this thing has entire mountain chains, craters etc. It's an unforgettable experience.

[@ericaroundtheworld]

Would you do a solid 114 mm or retractable tube 130 skywatcher ?? I'm debating. Ideally I would love to get zhumell telescope z130 but it is out of stock. Should I wait?

[@robertt9342]

What the OP is referring to is called Earthshine. It’s really cool when you realize that the “glow” from darkened portion of the moon is the light reflecting off of earth.

[@robertt9342]

I really like looking at the moon during different phases as it really shows off the craters.

[@Nautilus1972]

When you consider it’s inhabited aliens ….

[@jeffbecker8716]

Most binoculars can be mounted on a camera tripod so, yes, the views CAN BE shared. Thanks for another informative video, but you left off my first - a vintage Jason 60 x 800 by Towa. Kind of the stretched-out version of your Orion 80. Got it for just $10 at a yard sale and learned a lot by disassembling, cleaning, and restoring it.

[@mrjack8849]

I just bought and received one of the Orion Short Tube 80 in December 2020. Orion announced sometime in November they were bringing them back. Not sure why it went away and came back so quickly. I had purchased and returned an Orion CT80 in October 2020. It was very light weight and felt fairly cheap. The "new" Orion Short Tube 80 appears to be very well-made compared to the CT 80 and works as described in your review. I got it with the rings and not the attached rail.

[@hellknight03]

Came JUST in time!!!

[@Vic-pz5oh]

Great idea with the library starblast ed

[@the27thMONKEY]

I started out with a Nexstar 130SLT but found it wasn't suitable for astrophotography. The only OTA I could find in my price range and also in stock was the C6. I'd already got an AVX mount separately. Seems I got lucky with my choice seeing as you recommend it! I had the Nexstar for several years but barely used it until last year. I'm now addicted to this hobby. I also recently picked up a WO Zenithstar 61 and it's currently getting the most use as a lot of the targets I'm going for need the wide field view. Problem now is I have 2 scopes and only 1 mount and the DSLR gets all the action, I can't look at stuff when its taking pictures and being in the UK the weather is usually cloudy anyway. I also want to get a dedicated astro camera but I'm tempted to get a second mount first so I can do visual astronomy. New subscriber, enjoying the channel!

[@hermanwooster8944]

Great video! I have a refractor telescope that is very nice, but the tube is long and it's hard to see through the eyepiece if the object is high in the sky. I'm contemplating a dobsonian since the eyepiece is on top, but I'm worried that will just lead to a bunch of telescopes piling up and not getting used that much. These are great pieces of equipment.

[@williammauney1129]

Thanks for this video. I've got a 6SE and starting to get into astrophotography. I can see myself with an 11 sooner than later, haha. I've been asked by my better half to get something our 7 year old can get into and enjoy next to Dad. Probably going with a Starblast for him. Think he'll enjoy it.

[@snoozy04]

Thank you for sharing this, can't wait to see the moon!

[@sixgundave]

It wasn't long ago on Ed's suggestion to get binoculars that I got a Nikon 7x50 pair. Two weeks of off and on gagging around, looked at Jupiter, and discover I could see three of its moons. I had idea I could do such a thing with just a nice pair of binoculars. I've only lately, past few months, been curious about telescopes, but after seeing those moons for the first time, I decided to make my first telescope purchase, something modest to start, an Orion Starblast 4.5" reflector on an equatorial mount. I'm looking forward to learning how to use it and determine if this is indeed a hobby I could enjoy doing and invest in a larger scope more worthwhile in the future. Thanks to Ed for all his videos, the hobby is a lot to learn when you're new to it, yet he does quite well at explaining things simply 👍

[@David-hm9ic]

Great video; my first time watching you. My first real scope after a department store 114mm reflector was a 6" Cave Astrola which I still have in spite of adding a 10" SCT and a 12" reflector. Was hoping you would say something about the beautiful Cave in the background. I'll search your other videos. Subbed.

[@davidlsmith3864]

After doing research, off KZbin, from many reviewers (like, also, "Ken from Orion Telescopes") I bought an Orion SkyQuest XT8 Plus Dobsonian Telescope #08974 , which was usually their top recommendation, from eBay last year. Price asked: "Sells for $629.99 NEW from Orion. Condition: Used Price: US $399.00 and Shipping: $288.58 Or "Make Offer"." I made an "Offer" of just $300.00 fully expecting a "Counter Offer" of course. Well, the Counter was only $325.00 ($25.00 over) so I grabbed it up.... but the $288.00 Shipping you say. The telescope was just 20 miles away (30 minutes) and I picked it up locally, saving the $288.00. $325.00 plus $26.00 NY Sales Tax for a Total of $351.00. Waited many decades wanting a good telescope and finally got one.

[@OverlordZephyros]

got myself the 8 inch dob and I love it... thanks for your advise!

[@AGKyran]

Hi! I hope I don't bother you. I have a 8 inch too that may come in a few days. Is it portable easily? I really fear breaking anything. I'm cautious but still... Another question, how is the zoom? I've seen videos showing how it looks but I wonder if it isn't just that it's complex to get good pics with dobsonian, since they aren't made for that. Thanks for any answer.

[@OverlordZephyros]

@@AGKyran no problem! Glad I could answer. It has some small transportation shenanigans but the tube fits very well in the back seat of a car and the base on the Trunk, unless you have a really small car I don't foresee you will have any issues. And yes it is a delicate scope ( especially if you don't want the mirrors to move and have to collimate everytime) bur its not TOO delicate that you will break it from small hits , if you treat it well you will be fine. As for taking pictures or astrophotography... Don't, its not made for that. For taking star photos you will need a scope that can track an object for long periods of time to capture as much light as possible, something impossibly hard on a dobsodian mount ( but taking moon shots its still ok on it) For the zoom it all depends on the eyepiece, normally the standard eyepiece that comes with it will be fine but I recommend a 2x (or more) Barlow lens for those awesome planets close-up (Jupiter and Saturn are a nice treat) All in all its sn awesome scope and im super happy with it, byt i kinda wish I could live near truly black skies 🙂

[@AGKyran]

@@OverlordZephyros Wow! A big thanks for this very complete answer, I appreciate that. I'm glad to learn that I can move it without too much hassle. I'm also glad to learn it won't break with small hits. For astrophotography, it's not in my plans. I learned about it, and I'm ok that it's not made for astrophotography. It's just that I've seen some being used this way, and I do hope I'll be seeing things clearer than what I saw. I'm amazed that you recommend an eyepiece, a Barlow with that! I could order the telescope from basically anywhere, but I've seen it first on a site that doesn' t deliver where I live, but it has some accessories. A red light, a star map, a book with it, and mostly a 2x shorty Barlow lens. So I looked for a moment, but I finally found the same that I could order in my country (france, if you wonder). I understand the struggle for a real night sky without much light pollution. I'm pretty happy that now I live somewhere, where there's clear enough sky at night and only a little bit of light pollution. I think, maybe you could take the telescope one night where there's a clearer night sky, it could be great. I don't know where you live but maybe there's places not far that are like that. Thank you again for your comment! You're awesome :)

[@dryisi]

I went and got the Orion 8tx plus as you suggested. My 8 year old son and I really like the hobby. I already want to host a star party with family and friends to enjoy. My favorite eyepiece is the 2inch 28mm. Thanks

[@stemirreviews]

Thanks!

[@Phred_Phlintstoner]

I was at my local Saint Vincent DePaul store and found an Orion SpaceProbe 130st Eq for $50. I couldn't pass it up. I have 4 younger kids, and still remember when my uncle bought my brothers and me a Meade with about the same size mirror that sparked my life long love for space. I can't wait to get a nice clear night that I can set it up for the kids and show them everything that we can find with it!

[@oninoyakamo]

2:40 The ability for the ST80 to be used as a finder scope for larger telescopes is an interesting feature that could allow it to remain in your gear indefinitely

[@DP-qb1zw]

Yes, nice to have an 80mm finder. I use an 80mm Lumicon on my 17.5" dob. Nice low power views to complement the main telescope view.

[@ddogg845]

i love finding interesting people in my state on youtube

[@GarnettLeary]

I’m debating buying an old C8. I’ll need to defork it for an Atlas 2 mount but I think the pairing will be good. I’m personally a huge fan of Maksutovs but unfortunately have not yet found a focal reducer that works in conjunction with a DSLR and not give a soda straw effect. This is why I’m interested in the SC and mainly the C8 or C11.

[@davidborger1808]

Ed is my new favorite youtuber

[@Westernequestrain]

I have an orion skyquest xt8 classic and the first thing I looked at was the moon. Wow. I sadly haven't looked at any of the planets yet, but I did manage to get M3 in the lens! The XT8 is a mixture of quality, power, and simplicity. No wonder why it made first on this list

[@The..Commenter]

this is actually so smart i never thought of using binoculars

[@masterquan4891]

I have the SE 8 with an equatorial mount. I also replaced the standard to go with a StarSense Align. I use a M50 Canon mirrorless camera for now but you can find cheaper alternatives. I also got a Focal Reducer which helps out quite a bit. The 2 Inch eye pieces are to die for, but I have not upgraded them as of yet. I use to have the 6SE but the 8SE is a bigger light bucket so I can see more. I agree either he 6 or 8 is a great intermediate level telescope but the 6 is way more portable. The new HD models are Professional and spectacular. Go for the HD 11 if you are looking at the 9.....remember it takes some time to learn to use watching others I know and I am not ready for it.