Are these telescopes worth the 159 dollar price tag or has quality been compromised?
2007-11-21 16:24:19 · 5 answers · asked by justask23 5 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
I've never seen one, but the little I have heard about them has been extremely negative. Optical quality appears to be very poor - see the review at cloudynights.com linked below.
2007-11-21 17:45:19 · answer #1 · answered by injanier 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think I might have bought the kind you are looking at, 6" reflector off of ebay for about $150 and it was a no name brand, not even sure if the name was given. Depending on where you live and what you expect to do with it it is a good telescope. The quality of the primary mirror is a little lacking, seems to scratch quite easily but it still gives a pretty clear picture. I left mine uncovered after using it on a cold cold winter night and dust got stuck to the mirror so I tried to clean it with a soft camera lens cleaner cloth and some special solution and it still seemed to scratch. If you want it just to play around with and get more experienced with a telescope, you can't beat the price for a 6" reflector. If you don't live around a lot of noise pollution it would be even better, I live around a big city and still haven't taken it to the country yet. Besides the primary mirror, the tripod was a little shaky which is one of the most important aspects of telescopes, getting a solid tripod especially if you are going to take pictures with it. Anyway, I think you should buy it and have fun with it but just don't expecet to see Hubble pictures with it.
2007-11-22 01:32:36 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
A six inch reflector scope is great for a beginner. You'll see many wonderful objects in the night sky. But I would advise to check out a new scope first. Companies like Meade or Orion make some nice ones for not much more that what you're willing to spend.
Good luck and clear skies to you!
2007-11-22 00:39:10 · answer #3 · answered by hexane 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Avoid this telescope at all costs! This is the absolute junkiest of all junk scopes! Terrible optics on a terrible mount.
Buy a real telescope from a real telescope store, such as Orion:
http://www.telescope.com
2007-11-22 10:26:27 · answer #4 · answered by GeoffG 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi. A 6" telescope can be high quality because the reflector really doesn't need to be 'parabolic' at that size. The coma is minimal. Should you buy one? Caveat emptor. http://www.answers.com/Caveat+emptor?cat=biz-fin&gwp=13
2007-11-22 00:32:08 · answer #5 · answered by Cirric 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋