Buying Within Your Telescope Budget
Choosing a Telescope that Agrees with your Economic Interests
The world economy is in a slump, and it is becoming harder for the individual to live day to day. Hobbies are forced to take a back seat to more important things--like eating. As this is the case, it might seem impractical to be concerned with stargazing. Even so, for those of you that simply must view the rings around Saturn, or get a closer look at the moon's pockmarked terminator, it is possible to find a decent telescope without breaking the bank.
For those on a tight budget, reflector (as opposed to refractor) telescopes are the way to go. This is because, generally speaking, the objective lens inside a refractor telescope is difficult and expensive to produce. A reflector telescope, on the other hand, uses simple mirrors that are relatively easy to manufacture. Thus, a reflector telescope will typically be much less expensive.
That being said, small refractor telescopes can be extremely cheap, but buying such a small scope may simply be a waste of money; in a suburban setting surrounded by street and city lights, it will be next to worthless. The first thing to consider when purchasing a telescope is its size, more formally referred to as aperture. The larger the aperture, the more expensive the telescope is going to be. Aperture marks the telescope's ability to collect light. To see the light from other galaxies in a suburban neighbourhood, a telescope's aperture should be at least 150mm. Tiny, cheap refractors do not meet this requirement. A good refractor telescope of this size will probably cost £700-£1000, whereas a reflector telescope of this size can be found for £250-£400. Furthermore, as the aperture increases in refractor telescopes, the price climbs drastically. In fact, it is difficult to find refractor telescopes with an aperture measurement higher than 170mm, simply because a reflector telescope of the same size can be produced and bought for much less. For the amateur stargazer, there is no reason to spend any more than £350.
Also worth looking into are the add-ons and "perks" offered with telescopes. Motorized tripods, automatic star-finders, binoculars, cameras, and computer software are often offered with new telescopes, but they also tend to increase the purchasing price. Name brands also raise telescope prices. While extra devices may be intriguing or novel, they are not necessary. Quality name brands do not necessarily indicate products of higher quality.
Finally, newspapers sometimes and the internet always has used telescopes for sale. Usually, owners take care of their equipment, and sometimes sell their used telescopes for a third of the buying price. With luck, a used 200mm reflector telescope may only cost £100. Even adding £30 for shipping and handling makes this hypothetical telescope a bargain when compared to the prices of new telescopes.
 8 REFLECTOR TELESCOPE 8 inch 203mm astronomical NEW  £199.99
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 TAL 1 Newtonian Reflector Telescope £149.99
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 Helios Explorer 200mm Reflector Telescope RPR £55000 Extras £350.00
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