Dept store scopes

We have all seen them. The box with the really cool telescope and the happy family looking through the scope at a million stars all in the view of this wonderful "Powerful 100 XXX magnified telescope!" They make them look and sound like it is the first and last telescope you will ever need, and every accessory you need is in the box.

Well unfortunately the advertising dept is way better than the telescopes are!
For the most part these types of telescopes are a very small mirror in a much larger tube or OTA. The Optical Tub Assembly. I have seen them with a 2" mirror in a 31/2 in. OTA. This is very deceiving be cause it is the mirror that reflects the light to the eyepiece and a two inch mirror does not reflect much star light! The same goes with the small refractor type telescope. That is the one with out the mirrors. The refractor is made with just a pair of lens that are not very big, made with inferior glass and not ground very well on top of that.

As you can see they are a really bad buy! You will be disappointed in the performance of these types of scopes and it very well may turn you away from astronomy all together! You would not be the first person that has happened to!

Spoiling anyone on astronomy is the last thing we want here. I believe astronomy is a great hobby and there are so many aspects and types of astronomy that almost everyone can find an area that interest them.

With a good telescope the views of Saturn or Jupiter will stun the 1st time you see them "for real" if that don't set the hook going on to the universe and deep sky objects or even the craters of the moon will

You have already taken the first step in looking for your first telescope buy starting your research on the subject ...You are here.

Now you have completed the second step buy starting the elimination of pour contestants for the winner of the new first telescope contest!

If you want more information on how to choose the best First Scope go over to http://www.myfirstscope.com were it goes through the process from start to finish on helping you decide on what could be the best telescope for you.