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BestTelescope for under $500

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What are the best telescopes?

What are the best telescopes for me to buy for my "First Telescope"? Or What is the best telescope for $500?

Man oh Man have I heard that alot...Every astronomer that has done any amount of star parties has given a lengthy talk...NO...More like a dissertation on what the best telescopes are for a first telescope, and what is the best telescope for $500 or less?

If you have been reading this site you should realize the many questions and consideration there is in making the decision of which scopes the best telescopes for you.

The Best Telescope for $500

There are many many telescopes for under $500..Which is the best telescope for $500? That will take a lot of research and will be a decision that is based on your personal wants and needs.

I have been writing for 10 pages on the subject and by now you are probably board to death with my rambling...LOL so let’s get to it.

THE BEST TELESCOPES FOR A FIRST TELESCOPE

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BINOCULARS!

20 x 120 Telescope Binoculars is one of the best telescopes for $500

These are Nikon 20x120 $10,000 NICE!

Don't you hate it when that happens! Truthfully a good set of binoculars are the best first astronomy purchase. You will always use them, you can see more of the night sky than with a telescope, they are easier to handle and they are an easier fit within the budget.

Get a planisphere and some good astronomy binoculars and you will learn the basics of astronomy quicker than any other method. Binoculars could easily be considered the best telescope for $500 or less

Great binocular deals here

Note: 1 inch is 25mm

The best telescopes for a First Telescope

Almost all Astronomers out there will tell you (and I agree) the best telescopes for beginners telescopes are the mid sized Newtonian on a Dobsonian Mount. Called a Dobson Telescope.

There are many reasons we all think this way. I have seen many people come and go through the years in this wonderful hobby.

I can’t help but think that so many of them that went, would still be around if they had started out with a different telescope.

The mid size (8 or 10 inch) Dobson Telescope are the best telescopes around for beginners telescopes. They are really affordable for a larger scope. For my money if you can swing it, get at least an 8 Dobsonian telescope. These are the best telescopes for the money to start seeing some really cool stuff. Naturally the best telescopes for seeing way out there are the 'bigger is better' large diameter scopes. There are many Dobsonian telescopes for $500 or less that are huge winners for the "best telescope for $500" contest!

A smaller scope can be a good first telescope, but may not be one of the best telescopes for beginners telescopes. You are so limited with what you can do with them. You will want a bigger scope soon. So if you can do it, get an 8 Dobsonian telescope or maybe even the 10 inch Dobsonian telescope! One of these would probably make you happier as a beginners telescopes and I think you'll find it truly will be one of the best telescopes you will ever own!

The Dobson telescope is very portable. It is two parts the OTA (optical tube assembly) and the base. One average size person can pack, unpack and set it up with ease.

The Dobson telescope is also easy to accessorize!

They handle the same eyepieces as all the other scopes.

The Dobson telescope is super easy to collimate when needed.

They can be adapted to track and even "go-to" very easily and affordably.

You can hang the Dobson telescope OTA on an equatorial mount and have one of the best telescopes for excellent astronomy pictures. This may not be the best telescope for $500 because the equatorial mount cost quite a bit more than a dobsonian mount

The Dobsonian telescope is very simple scope! Every thing about the Dobson telescope is user friendly!

Hands down the Dobson Telescope is the

"BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK"

down the barrel of a dobson telescopes .

Down the barrel of an 8" Dobson telescope

For most off us the two major aspects of the Dobson Telescope that make it one of the best telescopes are

1.) The Dobson Telescope really is one of the best telescopes to get you "out there" on a reasonable budget

2.) By far the Dobson telescope is of the best telescopes for helping you learn the wonders of the night sky. For me that is the biggest reward of owning a Dobson telescope.

With a Dobson Telescope you are the computer! You really learn the evening sky when you actually have to think about what you want to see! Couple that the excitement of actually finding what you were looking for with your telescope! Wow is that fun.

The Dobson Telescope starts around $200 and go on from there. A good Dobson Telescope in the 8" to 10" range can be had brand new easily for under $500 that should be with a few eyepieces and other accessories needed to get started with. Probably the best telescopes you can get for your first telescope is the Dobson telescope! Definitely the best telescope for $500 or even less!

For others the best telescopes would be a short tube f4 or f5 reflector telescope on an inexpensive equatorial. Very portable and photo capable. Keep in mind the short tube is the same telescope as the Dobson Telescope OTA! The short tube is exactly what the name implies a shorter style Dobson Telescope OTA on a deferent mount. These are one of the best telescopes for a Wide Field of view! And one of the very best telescopes for learning astrophotography!

The short tube on an equatorial mount in a little bit more money that the Dobson telescope but it is still a very affordable telescope compared to the refractors and catadioptric style reflector telescopes. They start around $299, that makes them a definite contender in the best telescope for $500 contest

In the same price range one of the best telescopes for portability, versatility and clarity is a small refractor telescope

Another great suggestion for the best telescope for $500 or less is...

A good refractor like a Pronto spotting scope. These are 60 to 90 mm and are great for land viewing and astronomy for planetary and brighter objects. Smaller refractors may not let you see every thing out there. But what you do get to see is the best you can get!

spotting scope one of the best telescopes for land and astronomy

Spotting Scope around $350

Regardless of the brand of refractor you get once again the best telescopes are the larger aperture OTA. Get as big diameter telescope as you can afford!

Remember: Refractors are very small aperture compared to reflector telescopes. A 90mm or 114mm diameter is fairly typical for a decent refractor in the 400 to 700 dollar range...

$takahashi refractor two of these would make a great pair of binocular$

Borg 50mm around $700 ea. (no mount)

Note: 1 inch is 25mm

Note: If you want to do beginning astrophotography a small refractor is the best telescope for $500 for the task

KING OF THE BEST TELESCOPES

Actually that should say king of the affordable "best telescopes" The Maksutov/Cassegrain combination (catadioptric) telescope is the definite winner as one of the best telescopes you could own period. I'm not sure it should be amongst the best telescopes for a first telescope or should I say a beginner’s telescope. The Mac's are the best telescopes for a first telescope if you have a little experience in astronomy. That is solely because the Maksutov is usually on a sophisticated mount. These types of mounts scope other accessories are typically a little much for the beginners telescopes.

The Maksutov comes real close to the view through a top notch refractor. With a greater capacity for aperture. The cost also goes astronomically (couldn't help it) with both the Maksutov and refractor scopes. Maksutov's can be 5 times the cost of a Dobson Telescope of the same size!

Will not even compete in the "best telescope for $500" category!

If you don't mind spending a little more money. Wait till you are ready and get a Maksutov/Cassegrain as your first telescope! WOW! You will be set in astronomy for a long time.