Expert: Paul Wagner - 10/9/2006

Question
i had been considering a refractor because i heard that the reflectors are harder to maintain ? Do you have any recommendations as to brands and models for reflectors.
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Followup To

Question -
HI and thank you for your time. I have a very basic and amateur question. I am just beginning to learn the bare essentials of astronomy and space stuff. I live in Israel and am looking for a good telescope that would be appropriate for where i am holding . If you can give me some recommendations i would be grateful ( preferably refractors).
thanx

Answer -
Hi Josh:

Why a refractor?  they are generally more expensive per inch of aperture, and for most amateur astronomers, aperture is what lets you see all the dim stuff.  Any telescope will show you the brighter objects, so bigger diameter scopes show you more.

But this also depends on your living situation.  If you are living in an area with dark skies, then go for a big aperture reflector.  If you will have to travel to good observing sites, then a smaller scope is better.

And unless you are really planning on doing a LOT of photography, save your money on the mount, and buy a good alt-azimuth mount.  The motorize, polar-aligned mounts are much more expensive, and not worth the money for just looking at stuff in the sky.

Does that help?  If you need more, just ask!

Paul Wagner

Answer
Hi Josh:

Don't worry about the maintenance. If you keep it clean, a reflector needs very little maintenance.  Yes, you hae to collimate it, but you can do that without a degree engineering.  I did my first one when I was only 15 years old.   And the difference between a 6 inch reflector and a 3 in refractor is that they cost the same--you just see four times as much with the reflector!


Check out discovery telescopes, or Orion telescopes.  They both have good websites, give lots of good information, make good products, and have fair prices.


PW