Best telescope for about $300?and a reflector!?

[ChrisCT]

WOW..
thank you
This is soo great.
I see the telescope and my budget was perfect to it.The 8" was perfect.
WOW!!!

[suitti]

In my opinion, the best telescopes at the $300 level are reflectors. The simpler the better - so they're all newtonians on simple dob mounts.

The Orion xt6 is very nice. It has a stable mount. The finder stays aligned, even if you take it off the scope and put it back on(!). The only thing i'd want is a computer to help you find stuff.

You might be able to get the Orion xt6i on Astromart.com though. Used telescopes are often better than new. The owners often change out the focusers or add eyepieces. One guy put 200 hours into making the gears on his scope smooth, and still sold it for half!

Here are the 3 P's for picking a telescope. Price, Performance, and Portability. Price and portability can be show stoppers. Price less so, since you may be able to wait until you have more cash. But a scope that doesn't fit in your car is stuck where ever it ends up. That leaves performance. For deep space, what you need is as much light gathering as possible.

Oh. And you should join, or at least visit your local astronomy club.

I have the xt10i. It's the 10 inch big brother to the xt6i. It fits in my car. It fit my $1000 budget. I had used one before buying it. I've since added a $150 padded case, and a $150 full aperture solar filter, and a $90 oxygen 3 filter. I want to add an expensive low power eyepiece next. I'm mostly waiting until i have the cash.

<edit>
While the xt8 is very nice, for the beginner, i'd go with the computer aid on the xt6 first. Unfortunately, the xt6 (classic) is NOT upgradable to the xt6i. You can get the Intelliscope without the computer and buy the computer later.

http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=dobsonians/~pcategory=telescopes/~product_id=27182