Konus Konusky-200 200mm (7.8″) Newtonian Reflector Telescope

Konus Konusky-200 200mm Newtonian Reflector Telescope One of the first things you might notice about the Konus Konusky 200 straight out of the box is the telescope's 8" diameter. For many beginning or intermediate hobbyist, this may be a step up and it's ability to collect light when compared to smaller scopes will be apparent immediately. This additional size will make deep space observation much easier. The Konus Konusky 200 also offers a sturdy full sized tripod and a dual axis motor which make centering on celestial objects that much easier, but more on that later.

The package includes detailed instructions on assembly of the telescope. Overall, a person with experience in astronomy could have this out of the box and fully assembled in thirty minutes or less. The tools needed for the assembly are included which is a pleasant surprise. One thing that is not included though is any sort of guide for what to do with the telescope once you have it put together. So if you're a novice and don't have experience with equipment of this nature, you might want to get some literature to help you with everything past the initial assembly of this item. Another thing that might be an issue for someone new to astronomy is that the scope does not support Autostar and other such programs.

Once the device is setup, finding your desired object is quick and easy. With the dual axis motors, you'll find that keeping things centered is incredibly easy as well. To most observers, you will notice that even after 15 minutes or more the subject will be well centred in the eyepiece. This makes observation at high powers much more enjoyable as you will get to spend your time actually looking at the subject and not toying about with your telescope. For example, M13 can be observed at a high enough power to actually see the defining features without looking like a grey "smear" and still stay well centred.

In short, this telescope is a good solid investment for anyone looking to upgrade from that 5" telescope that they've had for a few years. While it might not be the best choice for a beginner, users with experience in astronomy will find that the construction, the features and the price make for a great addition to your own personal observatory.