With so many choices and unfamiliar terminology, buying your home telescope can quickly become a daunting task.  From inexpensive department store binoculars to computer models and professional APO refractors, how do you choose something you can enjoy for years without breaking the bank?  There are a variety of telescopes on the market, so it pays to research before buying.  Check out this guide on how to pick the right home telescope.  

1. How to pick the right home telescope?  

(1) Price  

The adage “You get what you pay for” has an interesting application in telescopes.  It’s not a linear value curve;  Instead, it tends to be more like a bell.  Spend too little and you get something like the red Tusco binoculars I bought as a kid, which are just good for looking at the moon and taking up a dusty corner of the garage.  And you don’t need to spend a fortune on a telescope that will give you years of enjoyment.  

Keep in mind that you’re buying precision optics, and good convex and concave lenses are hard to make, so when you see a shiny $100 telescope with full eyepieces and a tripod, you can be sure that many sacrifices have been made to make you disappointed with the view through it.  And you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on professional-quality gear, unless, of course, you want to start looking for undiscovered asteroids.  

So how much should you spend?  That’s a question you’ll need to answer for yourself, depending on how much money you can spend and how much fun you can expect to get out of observing the universe.  Typically, expect to spend $150 to $300 for a high-quality instrument at the bottom end, and about $2,000 or more for a large aperture computerized oscilloscope.  If your interest is astrophotography, you can find good options in that range, depending on what you want to image.  

(2) Aperture  

Whatever telescope you choose, the aperture is the most important aspect of the telescope.  In short, the aperture is the diameter of a mirror or telescope lens.  The bigger the aperture, the better the picture.  That’s because the aperture determines the brightness and sharpness of the image.  However, be aware that a larger aperture means a larger telescope.  If you want to travel with your telescope, you might want to keep an eye on its size.  

(3) Caliber  

The larger the aperture of the telescope, the better the observation effect is often, but the more expensive the larger the volume, the heavier the weight, the smaller the aperture observation effect is almost, but the small size, lightweight and convenient to carry.  General hand-held choose 20-50 mm caliber of the double barrel, if the tripod, the caliber can choose 50-100 mm.  

(4) Multiplier  

People intuitively think that the higher the telescope, the better, which is very wrong.  Due to the impact of handshaking when holding a telescope, as well as the limitations of the telescope’s size and weight, and atmospheric stability, hand-held telescopes are generally suitable for 7-12 times.  

The telescopes used by the army are usually 7 or 8 times larger.  The mainstream level handheld double barrel is also basically 8-10 times.  Unless the use of anti-shake technology, many manufacturers use ordinary people like high times of psychology, deliberately false label telescope multiple to cater to the desire of consumers, this kind of not serious products, quality is also difficult to guarantee, it is recommended that we do not buy.  

(5) Focal length and eyepiece  

In telescopes, magnification is determined by the focal length of the eyepiece and the telescope barrel, both of which are usually printed on the telescope.  You can find the magnification of a telescope by dividing the focal length by the size of the eyepiece.  

If you have a 900mm focal length and a 90mm eyepiece, you have 900/90 = 10x magnification.  If you want more magnification, a longer focal length (determined by the length of the light path) and a smaller eyepiece will get you there.  Still, higher magnification doesn’t always mean a better telescope.  If you want sharper images, you need less magnification.  Higher magnification will provide better distance, but the image will tend towards the blurry side.  

2. Final advice  

Buying a telescope blindly can be a bit of a contradiction.  Be sure to check the specifications for each model and consider how you will use your telescope most effectively before deciding.  If you are looking to buy your first home telescope, you are advised to start with an 8×32, which is a good balance of performance and weight. It is classy and compact, such as Apexel’s 6X Monoculars, which are all-purpose high-definition telescopes.  

Even if you find something you like and want to upgrade later, the telescope will be a good addition.  Once you make a big decision, be sure to keep your telescope clean and covered when not in use, and protect these lenses to avoid scratches.