John's Astronomy And Astrophotography Wiki - User contributions [en]

Recommended Vendors

2022-01-19T05:38:56Z

Jgroub: /* Denver */

This page is to provide a list of recommended vendors for telescopes and other astronomy and astrophotography equipment and software.

I (John) launched the page with some links to vendors in the United States. If you have helpful information, particularly about vendors outside of the US or specific to your geographic location, please feel free to add them to this page. Also feel free to expand on other entries to add details (e.g. this site's prices tend to be higher than average, but they have better service, etc...). This is a group effort, so the more we put in, the more helpful this tool is to us all.

=United States=

==Nationwide Online Retailers==

====[https://www.astronomics.com/ Astronomics]====

Astronomics is another reliable supplier of equipment. Located in Norman, OK, they have a wide range of equipment, from low-end to high-end.

Their in-house brand is Astro-Tech, which is mostly made by [[Guan Sheng Optical Co|GSO]].

Astronomics is the primary sponsor of the [https://www.cloudynights.com Cloudy Nights] website.

====[https://www.highpointscientific.com/ High Point Scientific]====

Another reliable supplier of telescopes and astronomy equipment, based in Montague, NJ

Their in-house brand is Apertura, yet again made by [[Guan Sheng Optical Co|GSO]].

====[https://www.milehighastro.com/ Mile High Astronomy]====

Another reliable supplier of telescopes and astronomy equipment, based in Lakewood, CO, just outside of Denver. MHA ships nationwide by UPS.

====[https://optcorp.com/ Oceanside Photo and Telescope (OPT)]====

OPT has one of the largest selections online in the United States. Previously based in Oceanside, CA, they have recently moved to nearby Carlsbad. Their equipment ranges from low-end beginner stuff to some of the highest-end equipment available. They also have fairly knowledgeable staff. They are a reliable supplier of amateur astronomy equipment, if not the cheapest.

Their in-house brand is Third Planet Optics or TPO (which is, of course, OPT backwards). Most of the TPO stuff is made by [[Guan Sheng Optical Co|GSO]].

====[https://www.telescope.com/ Orion Telescopes & Binoculars]====

Orion is one of the top two vendors of telescopes; the other being Celestron. Orion's equipment is primarily made by Synta in mainland China; Celestron and SkyWatcher gear is made in the same factory. The quality of Orion's equipment is just as good as any of the other mass retailers (Celestron, SkyWatcher, Meade), which is quite high - - because it's all made in the same factory, and then painted different colors for the different vendors. And they have very good customer service as well.

However there are two big negative marks against Orion. One is that much Orion-branded astrogear is priced higher than equivalent equipment labelled with different brand names. There are a number of examples of this, including telescopes, eyepieces, and mounts.

A second is that Orion will not service or provide any support whatsoever to third-parties. To Orion, a third-party is anyone who hasn't bought Orion equipment from Orion itself, or an authorized dealer. In other words, if you buy used Orion gear from a fellow amateur astronomer, Orion will not lift a finger to help you with this gear in the slightest - if you need a part, if you need information. Nothing. It is the only major vendor that has this policy.

====[http://scopestuff.com/ ScopeStuff]====

This is a small web-based outfit selling lots of parts and accessories. One of their specialties is mounting hardware, including dovetail plates and tube rings as well as piggyback mounting hardware. They have great customer service and maintain their own database of details on a wide variety of scopes and what is needed for mounting them. If you don't now what you need, contact them and they can usually figure it out for you.

====[https://www.astronomy-mall.com/astro.parts.outlet/ Telescope Parts Outlet]====

This guy has a wide variety of used scopes and parts. He has a huge list of items available, and a lot of stuff isn't on the list. If you're missing a part or need a repair part, he's a great source, particularly for Orion, Celestron, and Meade.

====[https://smile.amazon.com/ref=smi_se_dshb_bk_smi Amazon.com]====

While Amazon does carry a large number of telescopes from various brands, caution is strongly recommended when purchasing via Amazon.

First, a lot of the products sold on Amazon are sold by other vendors through the Amazon interface. These vendors are known as resellers - they typically buy astronomical equipment from a reputable seller (listed here), and then sell it to you. While Amazon regulates this to some extent, if you're not buying FROM Amazon themselves, you may run into trouble with shipping and fulfillment as well as quality. Some buyers have reported issues with incomplete items (e.g. buying a Dob and either only getting the tube and not getting the base or only getting the base and not the tube). Others have had items damaged or lost in shipping. While Amazon typically works to make things right, often by refunding the purchase, this can be a serious hassle.

Second, most of the stuff carried on Amazon is lower-end equipment targeted at a poorly-educated retail market. In other words: lots of "department-store telescopes." A good example here is the Celestron PowerSeeker line (which is nearly entirely poor quality) is promoted and shows up prominently in search results.

Third, if you buy from a reseller, you have no warranty protection whatsoever. The vendors (Celestron, Orion, TeleVue, etc.) will not honor your purchase from a reseller. Therefore, you will have no recourse if there's anything wrong with your scope.

Lastly, the reviews on Amazon are often a very poor indicator. This is due to widespread abuse of the review system and outright fraudulent entries to boost search result positioning. This leads to lousy telescopes like the PowerSeeker 127eq receiving very high ratings and, with them, a prominent position in search results.

These problems, along with the lack of informed support from the vendor (most good vendors have informed and reasonably knowledgeable staff that can answer questions), make Amazon a very questionable source. This isn't to say you can't get decent equipment off Amazon, but that you should be extra-careful before ordering from them.

==Storefronts==

===California===

====Carlsbad====

[https://optcorp.com/ OPT]

No storefront, online only

====Watsonville====

[https://www.telescope.com/content.jsp?pageName=StoreInformation&src=footer2 Orion Telescopes & Binoculars]

89 Hangar Way Watsonville, CA 95076, (831) 763-7000

====Cupertino====

[https://www.telescope.com/content.jsp?pageName=StoreInformation&src=footer2 Orion Telescopes & Binoculars]

10555 S. De Anza Blvd. Cupertino, CA 95014, (408) 255-8770

===Colorado===

====Denver====

[https://www.milehighastro.com Mile High Astronomy]

9797 West Colfax Avenue #3vv, Lakewood, CO, 80215, 877-279-5280

===Texas===

====Houston====

[https://www.landseaskyco.com Land Sea and Sky and Texas Nautical Repair]

1925A Richmond Ave. Houston, TX 77098, 713-364-0260

====San Antonio====

[https://www.analyticalsci.com/ Analytical Scientific]

11049 Bandera Road
San Antonio, TX 78250
210-684-7373

=Canada=

====[https://khanscope.com/ Khan Scope Center]====

====[https://www.ontariotelescope.com/ Ontario Telescopes]====

====[https://www.kwtelescope.com/ KW Telescope]====

====[https://www.all-startelescope.com/ All Star Telescope]====

====[https://focusscientific.com/ Focus Scientific]====

=European Union=

====[https://www.astroshop.eu/ Astroshop]====

A German online telescope and other optical instrument retailer, also operates a storefront in Landsberg am Lech, Germany. Ships anywhere in Europe, and to most of the world, where commercial parcel deliveries are available.

Has an in-house brand Omegon, mostly sources optics from GSO and Synta.

====[https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/index.php/language/en Teleskop-Express]====

Another well-known German online telescope and other optical instrument retailer, located in Ebersberg, Germany. Will happily ship to pretty much anywhere in the world, for a reasonable price.

Has an in-house brand Teleskop-Service, or just TS.

=United Kingdom=

====[https://www.firstlightoptics.com/ First Light Optics]====

Probably the largest UK-based optical instrument retailer, but also will happily ship anywhere in the EU and to most of the world, operating from Exeter, Devon, UK.

====[https://www.orionoptics.co.uk/home.html Orion Optics UK]====

Not to be confused with the Orion Telescopes & Binoculars of the USA side of the world. This manufacturer and retailer mostly sells their own branded instruments, but also carries stock of other popular brands.

=Australia=

=India=

=Japan=

=South America=

Recommended Vendors

2022-01-19T05:33:51Z

Jgroub: /* Oceanside Photo and Telescope (OPT) */

This page is to provide a list of recommended vendors for telescopes and other astronomy and astrophotography equipment and software.

I (John) launched the page with some links to vendors in the United States. If you have helpful information, particularly about vendors outside of the US or specific to your geographic location, please feel free to add them to this page. Also feel free to expand on other entries to add details (e.g. this site's prices tend to be higher than average, but they have better service, etc...). This is a group effort, so the more we put in, the more helpful this tool is to us all.

=United States=

==Nationwide Online Retailers==

====[https://www.astronomics.com/ Astronomics]====

Astronomics is another reliable supplier of equipment. Located in Norman, OK, they have a wide range of equipment, from low-end to high-end.

Their in-house brand is Astro-Tech, which is mostly made by [[Guan Sheng Optical Co|GSO]].

Astronomics is the primary sponsor of the [https://www.cloudynights.com Cloudy Nights] website.

====[https://www.highpointscientific.com/ High Point Scientific]====

Another reliable supplier of telescopes and astronomy equipment, based in Montague, NJ

Their in-house brand is Apertura, yet again made by [[Guan Sheng Optical Co|GSO]].

====[https://www.milehighastro.com/ Mile High Astronomy]====

Another reliable supplier of telescopes and astronomy equipment, based in Lakewood, CO, just outside of Denver. MHA ships nationwide by UPS.

====[https://optcorp.com/ Oceanside Photo and Telescope (OPT)]====

OPT has one of the largest selections online in the United States. Previously based in Oceanside, CA, they have recently moved to nearby Carlsbad. Their equipment ranges from low-end beginner stuff to some of the highest-end equipment available. They also have fairly knowledgeable staff. They are a reliable supplier of amateur astronomy equipment, if not the cheapest.

Their in-house brand is Third Planet Optics or TPO (which is, of course, OPT backwards). Most of the TPO stuff is made by [[Guan Sheng Optical Co|GSO]].

====[https://www.telescope.com/ Orion Telescopes & Binoculars]====

Orion is one of the top two vendors of telescopes; the other being Celestron. Orion's equipment is primarily made by Synta in mainland China; Celestron and SkyWatcher gear is made in the same factory. The quality of Orion's equipment is just as good as any of the other mass retailers (Celestron, SkyWatcher, Meade), which is quite high - - because it's all made in the same factory, and then painted different colors for the different vendors. And they have very good customer service as well.

However there are two big negative marks against Orion. One is that much Orion-branded astrogear is priced higher than equivalent equipment labelled with different brand names. There are a number of examples of this, including telescopes, eyepieces, and mounts.

A second is that Orion will not service or provide any support whatsoever to third-parties. To Orion, a third-party is anyone who hasn't bought Orion equipment from Orion itself, or an authorized dealer. In other words, if you buy used Orion gear from a fellow amateur astronomer, Orion will not lift a finger to help you with this gear in the slightest - if you need a part, if you need information. Nothing. It is the only major vendor that has this policy.

====[http://scopestuff.com/ ScopeStuff]====

This is a small web-based outfit selling lots of parts and accessories. One of their specialties is mounting hardware, including dovetail plates and tube rings as well as piggyback mounting hardware. They have great customer service and maintain their own database of details on a wide variety of scopes and what is needed for mounting them. If you don't now what you need, contact them and they can usually figure it out for you.

====[https://www.astronomy-mall.com/astro.parts.outlet/ Telescope Parts Outlet]====

This guy has a wide variety of used scopes and parts. He has a huge list of items available, and a lot of stuff isn't on the list. If you're missing a part or need a repair part, he's a great source, particularly for Orion, Celestron, and Meade.

====[https://smile.amazon.com/ref=smi_se_dshb_bk_smi Amazon.com]====

While Amazon does carry a large number of telescopes from various brands, caution is strongly recommended when purchasing via Amazon.

First, a lot of the products sold on Amazon are sold by other vendors through the Amazon interface. These vendors are known as resellers - they typically buy astronomical equipment from a reputable seller (listed here), and then sell it to you. While Amazon regulates this to some extent, if you're not buying FROM Amazon themselves, you may run into trouble with shipping and fulfillment as well as quality. Some buyers have reported issues with incomplete items (e.g. buying a Dob and either only getting the tube and not getting the base or only getting the base and not the tube). Others have had items damaged or lost in shipping. While Amazon typically works to make things right, often by refunding the purchase, this can be a serious hassle.

Second, most of the stuff carried on Amazon is lower-end equipment targeted at a poorly-educated retail market. In other words: lots of "department-store telescopes." A good example here is the Celestron PowerSeeker line (which is nearly entirely poor quality) is promoted and shows up prominently in search results.

Third, if you buy from a reseller, you have no warranty protection whatsoever. The vendors (Celestron, Orion, TeleVue, etc.) will not honor your purchase from a reseller. Therefore, you will have no recourse if there's anything wrong with your scope.

Lastly, the reviews on Amazon are often a very poor indicator. This is due to widespread abuse of the review system and outright fraudulent entries to boost search result positioning. This leads to lousy telescopes like the PowerSeeker 127eq receiving very high ratings and, with them, a prominent position in search results.

These problems, along with the lack of informed support from the vendor (most good vendors have informed and reasonably knowledgeable staff that can answer questions), make Amazon a very questionable source. This isn't to say you can't get decent equipment off Amazon, but that you should be extra-careful before ordering from them.

==Storefronts==

===California===

====Carlsbad====

[https://optcorp.com/ OPT]

No storefront, online only

====Watsonville====

[https://www.telescope.com/content.jsp?pageName=StoreInformation&src=footer2 Orion Telescopes & Binoculars]

89 Hangar Way Watsonville, CA 95076, (831) 763-7000

====Cupertino====

[https://www.telescope.com/content.jsp?pageName=StoreInformation&src=footer2 Orion Telescopes & Binoculars]

10555 S. De Anza Blvd. Cupertino, CA 95014, (408) 255-8770

===Colorado===

====Denver====

[https://www.milehighastro.com Mile High Astronomy]

9797 Colfax Avenue, Lakewood, CO, 80215, 877-279-5280

===Texas===

====Houston====

[https://www.landseaskyco.com Land Sea and Sky and Texas Nautical Repair]

1925A Richmond Ave. Houston, TX 77098, 713-364-0260

====San Antonio====

[https://www.analyticalsci.com/ Analytical Scientific]

11049 Bandera Road
San Antonio, TX 78250
210-684-7373

=Canada=

====[https://khanscope.com/ Khan Scope Center]====

====[https://www.ontariotelescope.com/ Ontario Telescopes]====

====[https://www.kwtelescope.com/ KW Telescope]====

====[https://www.all-startelescope.com/ All Star Telescope]====

====[https://focusscientific.com/ Focus Scientific]====

=European Union=

====[https://www.astroshop.eu/ Astroshop]====

A German online telescope and other optical instrument retailer, also operates a storefront in Landsberg am Lech, Germany. Ships anywhere in Europe, and to most of the world, where commercial parcel deliveries are available.

Has an in-house brand Omegon, mostly sources optics from GSO and Synta.

====[https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/index.php/language/en Teleskop-Express]====

Another well-known German online telescope and other optical instrument retailer, located in Ebersberg, Germany. Will happily ship to pretty much anywhere in the world, for a reasonable price.

Has an in-house brand Teleskop-Service, or just TS.

=United Kingdom=

====[https://www.firstlightoptics.com/ First Light Optics]====

Probably the largest UK-based optical instrument retailer, but also will happily ship anywhere in the EU and to most of the world, operating from Exeter, Devon, UK.

====[https://www.orionoptics.co.uk/home.html Orion Optics UK]====

Not to be confused with the Orion Telescopes & Binoculars of the USA side of the world. This manufacturer and retailer mostly sells their own branded instruments, but also carries stock of other popular brands.

=Australia=

=India=

=Japan=

=South America=

Recommended Vendors

2022-01-19T05:33:35Z

Jgroub: /* Mile High Astronomy */

This page is to provide a list of recommended vendors for telescopes and other astronomy and astrophotography equipment and software.

I (John) launched the page with some links to vendors in the United States. If you have helpful information, particularly about vendors outside of the US or specific to your geographic location, please feel free to add them to this page. Also feel free to expand on other entries to add details (e.g. this site's prices tend to be higher than average, but they have better service, etc...). This is a group effort, so the more we put in, the more helpful this tool is to us all.

=United States=

==Nationwide Online Retailers==

====[https://optcorp.com/ Oceanside Photo and Telescope (OPT)]====

OPT has one of the largest selections online in the United States. Previously based in Oceanside, CA, they have recently moved to nearby Carlsbad. Their equipment ranges from low-end beginner stuff to some of the highest-end equipment available. They also have fairly knowledgeable staff. They are a reliable supplier of amateur astronomy equipment, if not the cheapest.

Their in-house brand is Third Planet Optics or TPO (which is, of course, OPT backwards). Most of the TPO stuff is made by [[Guan Sheng Optical Co|GSO]].

====[https://www.astronomics.com/ Astronomics]====

Astronomics is another reliable supplier of equipment. Located in Norman, OK, they have a wide range of equipment, from low-end to high-end.

Their in-house brand is Astro-Tech, which is mostly made by [[Guan Sheng Optical Co|GSO]].

Astronomics is the primary sponsor of the [https://www.cloudynights.com Cloudy Nights] website.

====[https://www.highpointscientific.com/ High Point Scientific]====

Another reliable supplier of telescopes and astronomy equipment, based in Montague, NJ

Their in-house brand is Apertura, yet again made by [[Guan Sheng Optical Co|GSO]].

====[https://www.milehighastro.com/ Mile High Astronomy]====

Another reliable supplier of telescopes and astronomy equipment, based in Lakewood, CO, just outside of Denver. MHA ships nationwide by UPS.

====[https://optcorp.com/ Oceanside Photo and Telescope (OPT)]====

OPT has one of the largest selections online in the United States. Previously based in Oceanside, CA, they have recently moved to nearby Carlsbad. Their equipment ranges from low-end beginner stuff to some of the highest-end equipment available. They also have fairly knowledgeable staff. They are a reliable supplier of amateur astronomy equipment, if not the cheapest.

Their in-house brand is Third Planet Optics or TPO (which is, of course, OPT backwards). Most of the TPO stuff is made by [[Guan Sheng Optical Co|GSO]].

====[https://www.telescope.com/ Orion Telescopes & Binoculars]====

Orion is one of the top two vendors of telescopes; the other being Celestron. Orion's equipment is primarily made by Synta in mainland China; Celestron and SkyWatcher gear is made in the same factory. The quality of Orion's equipment is just as good as any of the other mass retailers (Celestron, SkyWatcher, Meade), which is quite high - - because it's all made in the same factory, and then painted different colors for the different vendors. And they have very good customer service as well.

However there are two big negative marks against Orion. One is that much Orion-branded astrogear is priced higher than equivalent equipment labelled with different brand names. There are a number of examples of this, including telescopes, eyepieces, and mounts.

A second is that Orion will not service or provide any support whatsoever to third-parties. To Orion, a third-party is anyone who hasn't bought Orion equipment from Orion itself, or an authorized dealer. In other words, if you buy used Orion gear from a fellow amateur astronomer, Orion will not lift a finger to help you with this gear in the slightest - if you need a part, if you need information. Nothing. It is the only major vendor that has this policy.

====[http://scopestuff.com/ ScopeStuff]====

This is a small web-based outfit selling lots of parts and accessories. One of their specialties is mounting hardware, including dovetail plates and tube rings as well as piggyback mounting hardware. They have great customer service and maintain their own database of details on a wide variety of scopes and what is needed for mounting them. If you don't now what you need, contact them and they can usually figure it out for you.

====[https://www.astronomy-mall.com/astro.parts.outlet/ Telescope Parts Outlet]====

This guy has a wide variety of used scopes and parts. He has a huge list of items available, and a lot of stuff isn't on the list. If you're missing a part or need a repair part, he's a great source, particularly for Orion, Celestron, and Meade.

====[https://smile.amazon.com/ref=smi_se_dshb_bk_smi Amazon.com]====

While Amazon does carry a large number of telescopes from various brands, caution is strongly recommended when purchasing via Amazon.

First, a lot of the products sold on Amazon are sold by other vendors through the Amazon interface. These vendors are known as resellers - they typically buy astronomical equipment from a reputable seller (listed here), and then sell it to you. While Amazon regulates this to some extent, if you're not buying FROM Amazon themselves, you may run into trouble with shipping and fulfillment as well as quality. Some buyers have reported issues with incomplete items (e.g. buying a Dob and either only getting the tube and not getting the base or only getting the base and not the tube). Others have had items damaged or lost in shipping. While Amazon typically works to make things right, often by refunding the purchase, this can be a serious hassle.

Second, most of the stuff carried on Amazon is lower-end equipment targeted at a poorly-educated retail market. In other words: lots of "department-store telescopes." A good example here is the Celestron PowerSeeker line (which is nearly entirely poor quality) is promoted and shows up prominently in search results.

Third, if you buy from a reseller, you have no warranty protection whatsoever. The vendors (Celestron, Orion, TeleVue, etc.) will not honor your purchase from a reseller. Therefore, you will have no recourse if there's anything wrong with your scope.

Lastly, the reviews on Amazon are often a very poor indicator. This is due to widespread abuse of the review system and outright fraudulent entries to boost search result positioning. This leads to lousy telescopes like the PowerSeeker 127eq receiving very high ratings and, with them, a prominent position in search results.

These problems, along with the lack of informed support from the vendor (most good vendors have informed and reasonably knowledgeable staff that can answer questions), make Amazon a very questionable source. This isn't to say you can't get decent equipment off Amazon, but that you should be extra-careful before ordering from them.

==Storefronts==

===California===

====Carlsbad====

[https://optcorp.com/ OPT]

No storefront, online only

====Watsonville====

[https://www.telescope.com/content.jsp?pageName=StoreInformation&src=footer2 Orion Telescopes & Binoculars]

89 Hangar Way Watsonville, CA 95076, (831) 763-7000

====Cupertino====

[https://www.telescope.com/content.jsp?pageName=StoreInformation&src=footer2 Orion Telescopes & Binoculars]

10555 S. De Anza Blvd. Cupertino, CA 95014, (408) 255-8770

===Colorado===

====Denver====

[https://www.milehighastro.com Mile High Astronomy]

9797 Colfax Avenue, Lakewood, CO, 80215, 877-279-5280

===Texas===

====Houston====

[https://www.landseaskyco.com Land Sea and Sky and Texas Nautical Repair]

1925A Richmond Ave. Houston, TX 77098, 713-364-0260

====San Antonio====

[https://www.analyticalsci.com/ Analytical Scientific]

11049 Bandera Road
San Antonio, TX 78250
210-684-7373

=Canada=

====[https://khanscope.com/ Khan Scope Center]====

====[https://www.ontariotelescope.com/ Ontario Telescopes]====

====[https://www.kwtelescope.com/ KW Telescope]====

====[https://www.all-startelescope.com/ All Star Telescope]====

====[https://focusscientific.com/ Focus Scientific]====

=European Union=

====[https://www.astroshop.eu/ Astroshop]====

A German online telescope and other optical instrument retailer, also operates a storefront in Landsberg am Lech, Germany. Ships anywhere in Europe, and to most of the world, where commercial parcel deliveries are available.

Has an in-house brand Omegon, mostly sources optics from GSO and Synta.

====[https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/index.php/language/en Teleskop-Express]====

Another well-known German online telescope and other optical instrument retailer, located in Ebersberg, Germany. Will happily ship to pretty much anywhere in the world, for a reasonable price.

Has an in-house brand Teleskop-Service, or just TS.

=United Kingdom=

====[https://www.firstlightoptics.com/ First Light Optics]====

Probably the largest UK-based optical instrument retailer, but also will happily ship anywhere in the EU and to most of the world, operating from Exeter, Devon, UK.

====[https://www.orionoptics.co.uk/home.html Orion Optics UK]====

Not to be confused with the Orion Telescopes & Binoculars of the USA side of the world. This manufacturer and retailer mostly sells their own branded instruments, but also carries stock of other popular brands.

=Australia=

=India=

=Japan=

=South America=

Recommended Vendors

2022-01-19T05:32:05Z

Jgroub: /* Mile High Astronomy */

This page is to provide a list of recommended vendors for telescopes and other astronomy and astrophotography equipment and software.

I (John) launched the page with some links to vendors in the United States. If you have helpful information, particularly about vendors outside of the US or specific to your geographic location, please feel free to add them to this page. Also feel free to expand on other entries to add details (e.g. this site's prices tend to be higher than average, but they have better service, etc...). This is a group effort, so the more we put in, the more helpful this tool is to us all.

=United States=

==Nationwide Online Retailers==

====[https://optcorp.com/ Oceanside Photo and Telescope (OPT)]====

OPT has one of the largest selections online in the United States. Previously based in Oceanside, CA, they have recently moved to nearby Carlsbad. Their equipment ranges from low-end beginner stuff to some of the highest-end equipment available. They also have fairly knowledgeable staff. They are a reliable supplier of amateur astronomy equipment, if not the cheapest.

Their in-house brand is Third Planet Optics or TPO (which is, of course, OPT backwards). Most of the TPO stuff is made by [[Guan Sheng Optical Co|GSO]].

====[https://www.astronomics.com/ Astronomics]====

Astronomics is another reliable supplier of equipment. Located in Norman, OK, they have a wide range of equipment, from low-end to high-end.

Their in-house brand is Astro-Tech, which is mostly made by [[Guan Sheng Optical Co|GSO]].

Astronomics is the primary sponsor of the [https://www.cloudynights.com Cloudy Nights] website.

====[https://www.highpointscientific.com/ High Point Scientific]====

Another reliable supplier of telescopes and astronomy equipment, based in Montague, NJ

Their in-house brand is Apertura, yet again made by [[Guan Sheng Optical Co|GSO]].

====[https://www.milehighastro.com/ Mile High Astronomy]====

Another reliable supplier of telescopes and astronomy equipment, based in Lakewood, CO, just outside of Denver. MHA ships nationwide by UPS.

====[https://www.telescope.com/ Orion Telescopes & Binoculars]====

Orion is one of the top two vendors of telescopes; the other being Celestron. Orion's equipment is primarily made by Synta in mainland China; Celestron and SkyWatcher gear is made in the same factory. The quality of Orion's equipment is just as good as any of the other mass retailers (Celestron, SkyWatcher, Meade), which is quite high - - because it's all made in the same factory, and then painted different colors for the different vendors. And they have very good customer service as well.

However there are two big negative marks against Orion. One is that much Orion-branded astrogear is priced higher than equivalent equipment labelled with different brand names. There are a number of examples of this, including telescopes, eyepieces, and mounts.

A second is that Orion will not service or provide any support whatsoever to third-parties. To Orion, a third-party is anyone who hasn't bought Orion equipment from Orion itself, or an authorized dealer. In other words, if you buy used Orion gear from a fellow amateur astronomer, Orion will not lift a finger to help you with this gear in the slightest - if you need a part, if you need information. Nothing. It is the only major vendor that has this policy.

====[http://scopestuff.com/ ScopeStuff]====

This is a small web-based outfit selling lots of parts and accessories. One of their specialties is mounting hardware, including dovetail plates and tube rings as well as piggyback mounting hardware. They have great customer service and maintain their own database of details on a wide variety of scopes and what is needed for mounting them. If you don't now what you need, contact them and they can usually figure it out for you.

====[https://www.astronomy-mall.com/astro.parts.outlet/ Telescope Parts Outlet]====

This guy has a wide variety of used scopes and parts. He has a huge list of items available, and a lot of stuff isn't on the list. If you're missing a part or need a repair part, he's a great source, particularly for Orion, Celestron, and Meade.

====[https://smile.amazon.com/ref=smi_se_dshb_bk_smi Amazon.com]====

While Amazon does carry a large number of telescopes from various brands, caution is strongly recommended when purchasing via Amazon.

First, a lot of the products sold on Amazon are sold by other vendors through the Amazon interface. These vendors are known as resellers - they typically buy astronomical equipment from a reputable seller (listed here), and then sell it to you. While Amazon regulates this to some extent, if you're not buying FROM Amazon themselves, you may run into trouble with shipping and fulfillment as well as quality. Some buyers have reported issues with incomplete items (e.g. buying a Dob and either only getting the tube and not getting the base or only getting the base and not the tube). Others have had items damaged or lost in shipping. While Amazon typically works to make things right, often by refunding the purchase, this can be a serious hassle.

Second, most of the stuff carried on Amazon is lower-end equipment targeted at a poorly-educated retail market. In other words: lots of "department-store telescopes." A good example here is the Celestron PowerSeeker line (which is nearly entirely poor quality) is promoted and shows up prominently in search results.

Third, if you buy from a reseller, you have no warranty protection whatsoever. The vendors (Celestron, Orion, TeleVue, etc.) will not honor your purchase from a reseller. Therefore, you will have no recourse if there's anything wrong with your scope.

Lastly, the reviews on Amazon are often a very poor indicator. This is due to widespread abuse of the review system and outright fraudulent entries to boost search result positioning. This leads to lousy telescopes like the PowerSeeker 127eq receiving very high ratings and, with them, a prominent position in search results.

These problems, along with the lack of informed support from the vendor (most good vendors have informed and reasonably knowledgeable staff that can answer questions), make Amazon a very questionable source. This isn't to say you can't get decent equipment off Amazon, but that you should be extra-careful before ordering from them.

==Storefronts==

===California===

====Carlsbad====

[https://optcorp.com/ OPT]

No storefront, online only

====Watsonville====

[https://www.telescope.com/content.jsp?pageName=StoreInformation&src=footer2 Orion Telescopes & Binoculars]

89 Hangar Way Watsonville, CA 95076, (831) 763-7000

====Cupertino====

[https://www.telescope.com/content.jsp?pageName=StoreInformation&src=footer2 Orion Telescopes & Binoculars]

10555 S. De Anza Blvd. Cupertino, CA 95014, (408) 255-8770

===Colorado===

====Denver====

[https://www.milehighastro.com Mile High Astronomy]

9797 Colfax Avenue, Lakewood, CO, 80215, 877-279-5280

===Texas===

====Houston====

[https://www.landseaskyco.com Land Sea and Sky and Texas Nautical Repair]

1925A Richmond Ave. Houston, TX 77098, 713-364-0260

====San Antonio====

[https://www.analyticalsci.com/ Analytical Scientific]

11049 Bandera Road
San Antonio, TX 78250
210-684-7373

=Canada=

====[https://khanscope.com/ Khan Scope Center]====

====[https://www.ontariotelescope.com/ Ontario Telescopes]====

====[https://www.kwtelescope.com/ KW Telescope]====

====[https://www.all-startelescope.com/ All Star Telescope]====

====[https://focusscientific.com/ Focus Scientific]====

=European Union=

====[https://www.astroshop.eu/ Astroshop]====

A German online telescope and other optical instrument retailer, also operates a storefront in Landsberg am Lech, Germany. Ships anywhere in Europe, and to most of the world, where commercial parcel deliveries are available.

Has an in-house brand Omegon, mostly sources optics from GSO and Synta.

====[https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/index.php/language/en Teleskop-Express]====

Another well-known German online telescope and other optical instrument retailer, located in Ebersberg, Germany. Will happily ship to pretty much anywhere in the world, for a reasonable price.

Has an in-house brand Teleskop-Service, or just TS.

=United Kingdom=

====[https://www.firstlightoptics.com/ First Light Optics]====

Probably the largest UK-based optical instrument retailer, but also will happily ship anywhere in the EU and to most of the world, operating from Exeter, Devon, UK.

====[https://www.orionoptics.co.uk/home.html Orion Optics UK]====

Not to be confused with the Orion Telescopes & Binoculars of the USA side of the world. This manufacturer and retailer mostly sells their own branded instruments, but also carries stock of other popular brands.

=Australia=

=India=

=Japan=

=South America=

Recommended Vendors

2022-01-18T10:13:31Z

Jgroub: Colorado

This page is to provide a list of recommended vendors for telescopes and other astronomy and astrophotography equipment and software.

I (John) launched the page with some links to vendors in the United States. If you have helpful information, particularly about vendors outside of the US or specific to your geographic location, please feel free to add them to this page. Also feel free to expand on other entries to add details (e.g. this site's prices tend to be higher than average, but they have better service, etc...). This is a group effort, so the more we put in, the more helpful this tool is to us all.

=United States=

==Nationwide Online Retailers==

====[https://optcorp.com/ Oceanside Photo and Telescope (OPT)]====

OPT has one of the largest selections online in the United States. Previously based in Oceanside, CA, they have recently moved to nearby Carlsbad. Their equipment ranges from low-end beginner stuff to some of the highest-end equipment available. They also have fairly knowledgeable staff. They are a reliable supplier of amateur astronomy equipment, if not the cheapest.

Their in-house brand is Third Planet Optics or TPO (which is, of course, OPT backwards). Most of the TPO stuff is made by [[Guan Sheng Optical Co|GSO]].

====[https://www.astronomics.com/ Astronomics]====

Astronomics is another reliable supplier of equipment. Located in Norman, OK, they have a wide range of equipment, from low-end to high-end.

Their in-house brand is Astro-Tech, which is mostly made by [[Guan Sheng Optical Co|GSO]].

Astronomics is the primary sponsor of the [https://www.cloudynights.com Cloudy Nights] website.

====[https://www.highpointscientific.com/ High Point Scientific]====

Another reliable supplier of telescopes and astronomy equipment, based in Montague, NJ

Their in-house brand is Apertura, yet again made by [[Guan Sheng Optical Co|GSO]].

====[https://www.milehighastro.com/ Mile High Astronomy]====

Another reliable supplier of telescopes and astronomy equipment, based in Lakewood, CO, just outside of Denver. MHA ships nationwide by UPS.

====[http://scopestuff.com/ ScopeStuff]====

This is a small web-based outfit selling lots of parts and accessories. One of their specialties is mounting hardware, including dovetail plates and tube rings as well as piggyback mounting hardware. They have great customer service and maintain their own database of details on a wide variety of scopes and what is needed for mounting them. If you don't now what you need, contact them and they can usually figure it out for you.

====[https://www.astronomy-mall.com/astro.parts.outlet/ Telescope Parts Outlet]====

This guy has a wide variety of used scopes and parts. He has a huge list of items available, and a lot of stuff isn't on the list. If you're missing a part or need a repair part, he's a great source, particularly for Orion, Celestron, and Meade.

====[https://smile.amazon.com/ref=smi_se_dshb_bk_smi Amazon.com]====

While Amazon does carry a large number of telescopes from various brands, caution is strongly recommended when purchasing via Amazon.

First, a lot of the products sold on Amazon are sold by other vendors through the Amazon interface. These vendors are known as resellers - they typically buy astronomical equipment from a reputable seller (listed here), and then sell it to you. While Amazon regulates this to some extent, if you're not buying FROM Amazon themselves, you may run into trouble with shipping and fulfillment as well as quality. Some buyers have reported issues with incomplete items (e.g. buying a Dob and either only getting the tube and not getting the base or only getting the base and not the tube). Others have had items damaged or lost in shipping. While Amazon typically works to make things right, often by refunding the purchase, this can be a serious hassle.

Second, most of the stuff carried on Amazon is lower-end equipment targeted at a poorly-educated retail market. In other words: lots of "department-store telescopes." A good example here is the Celestron PowerSeeker line (which is nearly entirely poor quality) is promoted and shows up prominently in search results.

Third, if you buy from a reseller, you have no warranty protection whatsoever. The vendors (Celestron, Orion, TeleVue, etc.) will not honor your purchase from a reseller. Therefore, you will have no recourse if there's anything wrong with your scope.

Lastly, the reviews on Amazon are often a very poor indicator. This is due to widespread abuse of the review system and outright fraudulent entries to boost search result positioning. This leads to lousy telescopes like the PowerSeeker 127eq receiving very high ratings and, with them, a prominent position in search results.

These problems, along with the lack of informed support from the vendor (most good vendors have informed and reasonably knowledgeable staff that can answer questions), make Amazon a very questionable source. This isn't to say you can't get decent equipment off Amazon, but that you should be extra-careful before ordering from them.

==Storefronts==

===California===

====Carlsbad====

[https://optcorp.com/ OPT]

No storefront, online only

====Watsonville====

[https://www.telescope.com/content.jsp?pageName=StoreInformation&src=footer2 Orion Telescopes & Binoculars]

89 Hangar Way Watsonville, CA 95076, (831) 763-7000

====Cupertino====

[https://www.telescope.com/content.jsp?pageName=StoreInformation&src=footer2 Orion Telescopes & Binoculars]

10555 S. De Anza Blvd. Cupertino, CA 95014, (408) 255-8770

===Colorado===

====Denver====

[https://www.milehighastro.com Mile High Astronomy]

9797 Colfax Avenue, Lakewood, CO, 80215, 877-279-5280

===Texas===

====Houston====

[https://www.landseaskyco.com Land Sea and Sky and Texas Nautical Repair]

1925A Richmond Ave. Houston, TX 77098, 713-364-0260

====San Antonio====

[https://www.analyticalsci.com/ Analytical Scientific]

11049 Bandera Road
San Antonio, TX 78250
210-684-7373

=Canada=

====[https://khanscope.com/ Khan Scope Center]====

====[https://www.ontariotelescope.com/ Ontario Telescopes]====

====[https://www.kwtelescope.com/ KW Telescope]====

====[https://www.all-startelescope.com/ All Star Telescope]====

====[https://focusscientific.com/ Focus Scientific]====

=European Union=

====[https://www.astroshop.eu/ Astroshop]====

A German online telescope and other optical instrument retailer, also operates a storefront in Landsberg am Lech, Germany. Ships anywhere in Europe, and to most of the world, where commercial parcel deliveries are available.

Has an in-house brand Omegon, mostly sources optics from GSO and Synta.

====[https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/index.php/language/en Teleskop-Express]====

Another well-known German online telescope and other optical instrument retailer, located in Ebersberg, Germany. Will happily ship to pretty much anywhere in the world, for a reasonable price.

Has an in-house brand Teleskop-Service, or just TS.

=United Kingdom=

====[https://www.firstlightoptics.com/ First Light Optics]====

Probably the largest UK-based optical instrument retailer, but also will happily ship anywhere in the EU and to most of the world, operating from Exeter, Devon, UK.

====[https://www.orionoptics.co.uk/home.html Orion Optics UK]====

Not to be confused with the Orion Telescopes & Binoculars of the USA side of the world. This manufacturer and retailer mostly sells their own branded instruments, but also carries stock of other popular brands.

=Australia=

=India=

=Japan=

=South America=

Recommended Vendors

2022-01-18T10:11:25Z

Jgroub: /* Nationwide Online Retailers */

This page is to provide a list of recommended vendors for telescopes and other astronomy and astrophotography equipment and software.

I (John) launched the page with some links to vendors in the United States. If you have helpful information, particularly about vendors outside of the US or specific to your geographic location, please feel free to add them to this page. Also feel free to expand on other entries to add details (e.g. this site's prices tend to be higher than average, but they have better service, etc...). This is a group effort, so the more we put in, the more helpful this tool is to us all.

=United States=

==Nationwide Online Retailers==

====[https://optcorp.com/ Oceanside Photo and Telescope (OPT)]====

OPT has one of the largest selections online in the United States. Previously based in Oceanside, CA, they have recently moved to nearby Carlsbad. Their equipment ranges from low-end beginner stuff to some of the highest-end equipment available. They also have fairly knowledgeable staff. They are a reliable supplier of amateur astronomy equipment, if not the cheapest.

Their in-house brand is Third Planet Optics or TPO (which is, of course, OPT backwards). Most of the TPO stuff is made by [[Guan Sheng Optical Co|GSO]].

====[https://www.astronomics.com/ Astronomics]====

Astronomics is another reliable supplier of equipment. Located in Norman, OK, they have a wide range of equipment, from low-end to high-end.

Their in-house brand is Astro-Tech, which is mostly made by [[Guan Sheng Optical Co|GSO]].

Astronomics is the primary sponsor of the [https://www.cloudynights.com Cloudy Nights] website.

====[https://www.highpointscientific.com/ High Point Scientific]====

Another reliable supplier of telescopes and astronomy equipment, based in Montague, NJ

Their in-house brand is Apertura, yet again made by [[Guan Sheng Optical Co|GSO]].

====[https://www.milehighastro.com/ Mile High Astronomy]====

Another reliable supplier of telescopes and astronomy equipment, based in Lakewood, CO, just outside of Denver. MHA ships nationwide by UPS.

====[http://scopestuff.com/ ScopeStuff]====

This is a small web-based outfit selling lots of parts and accessories. One of their specialties is mounting hardware, including dovetail plates and tube rings as well as piggyback mounting hardware. They have great customer service and maintain their own database of details on a wide variety of scopes and what is needed for mounting them. If you don't now what you need, contact them and they can usually figure it out for you.

====[https://www.astronomy-mall.com/astro.parts.outlet/ Telescope Parts Outlet]====

This guy has a wide variety of used scopes and parts. He has a huge list of items available, and a lot of stuff isn't on the list. If you're missing a part or need a repair part, he's a great source, particularly for Orion, Celestron, and Meade.

====[https://smile.amazon.com/ref=smi_se_dshb_bk_smi Amazon.com]====

While Amazon does carry a large number of telescopes from various brands, caution is strongly recommended when purchasing via Amazon.

First, a lot of the products sold on Amazon are sold by other vendors through the Amazon interface. These vendors are known as resellers - they typically buy astronomical equipment from a reputable seller (listed here), and then sell it to you. While Amazon regulates this to some extent, if you're not buying FROM Amazon themselves, you may run into trouble with shipping and fulfillment as well as quality. Some buyers have reported issues with incomplete items (e.g. buying a Dob and either only getting the tube and not getting the base or only getting the base and not the tube). Others have had items damaged or lost in shipping. While Amazon typically works to make things right, often by refunding the purchase, this can be a serious hassle.

Second, most of the stuff carried on Amazon is lower-end equipment targeted at a poorly-educated retail market. In other words: lots of "department-store telescopes." A good example here is the Celestron PowerSeeker line (which is nearly entirely poor quality) is promoted and shows up prominently in search results.

Third, if you buy from a reseller, you have no warranty protection whatsoever. The vendors (Celestron, Orion, TeleVue, etc.) will not honor your purchase from a reseller. Therefore, you will have no recourse if there's anything wrong with your scope.

Lastly, the reviews on Amazon are often a very poor indicator. This is due to widespread abuse of the review system and outright fraudulent entries to boost search result positioning. This leads to lousy telescopes like the PowerSeeker 127eq receiving very high ratings and, with them, a prominent position in search results.

These problems, along with the lack of informed support from the vendor (most good vendors have informed and reasonably knowledgeable staff that can answer questions), make Amazon a very questionable source. This isn't to say you can't get decent equipment off Amazon, but that you should be extra-careful before ordering from them.

==Storefronts==

===California===

====Carlsbad====

[https://optcorp.com/ OPT]

No storefront, online only

====Watsonville====

[https://www.telescope.com/content.jsp?pageName=StoreInformation&src=footer2 Orion Telescopes & Binoculars]

89 Hangar Way Watsonville, CA 95076, (831) 763-7000

====Cupertino====

[https://www.telescope.com/content.jsp?pageName=StoreInformation&src=footer2 Orion Telescopes & Binoculars]

10555 S. De Anza Blvd. Cupertino, CA 95014, (408) 255-8770

===Texas===

====Houston====

[https://www.landseaskyco.com Land Sea and Sky and Texas Nautical Repair]

1925A Richmond Ave. Houston, TX 77098, 713-364-0260

====San Antonio====

[https://www.analyticalsci.com/ Analytical Scientific]

11049 Bandera Road
San Antonio, TX 78250
210-684-7373

=Canada=

====[https://khanscope.com/ Khan Scope Center]====

====[https://www.ontariotelescope.com/ Ontario Telescopes]====

====[https://www.kwtelescope.com/ KW Telescope]====

====[https://www.all-startelescope.com/ All Star Telescope]====

====[https://focusscientific.com/ Focus Scientific]====

=European Union=

====[https://www.astroshop.eu/ Astroshop]====

A German online telescope and other optical instrument retailer, also operates a storefront in Landsberg am Lech, Germany. Ships anywhere in Europe, and to most of the world, where commercial parcel deliveries are available.

Has an in-house brand Omegon, mostly sources optics from GSO and Synta.

====[https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/index.php/language/en Teleskop-Express]====

Another well-known German online telescope and other optical instrument retailer, located in Ebersberg, Germany. Will happily ship to pretty much anywhere in the world, for a reasonable price.

Has an in-house brand Teleskop-Service, or just TS.

=United Kingdom=

====[https://www.firstlightoptics.com/ First Light Optics]====

Probably the largest UK-based optical instrument retailer, but also will happily ship anywhere in the EU and to most of the world, operating from Exeter, Devon, UK.

====[https://www.orionoptics.co.uk/home.html Orion Optics UK]====

Not to be confused with the Orion Telescopes & Binoculars of the USA side of the world. This manufacturer and retailer mostly sells their own branded instruments, but also carries stock of other popular brands.

=Australia=

=India=

=Japan=

=South America=

Recommended Vendors

2022-01-18T10:09:13Z

Jgroub: /* Nationwide Online Retailers */

This page is to provide a list of recommended vendors for telescopes and other astronomy and astrophotography equipment and software.

I (John) launched the page with some links to vendors in the United States. If you have helpful information, particularly about vendors outside of the US or specific to your geographic location, please feel free to add them to this page. Also feel free to expand on other entries to add details (e.g. this site's prices tend to be higher than average, but they have better service, etc...). This is a group effort, so the more we put in, the more helpful this tool is to us all.

=United States=

==Nationwide Online Retailers==

====[https://optcorp.com/ Oceanside Photo and Telescope (OPT)]====

OPT has one of the largest selections online in the United States. Previously based in Oceanside, CA, they have recently moved to nearby Carlsbad. Their equipment ranges from low-end beginner stuff to some of the highest-end equipment available. They also have fairly knowledgeable staff. They are a reliable supplier of amateur astronomy equipment, if not the cheapest.

Their in-house brand is Third Planet Optics or TPO (which is, of course, OPT backwards). Most of the TPO stuff is made by [[Guan Sheng Optical Co|GSO]].

====[https://www.astronomics.com/ Astronomics]====

Astronomics is another reliable supplier of equipment. Located in Norman, OK, they have a wide range of equipment, from low-end to high-end.

Their in-house brand is Astro-Tech, which is mostly made by [[Guan Sheng Optical Co|GSO]].

Astronomics is the primary sponsor of the [https://www.cloudynights.com Cloudy Nights] website.

====[https://www.highpointscientific.com/ High Point Scientific]====

Another reliable supplier of telescopes and astronomy equipment, based in Montague, NJ

Their in-house brand is Apertura, yet again made by [[Guan Sheng Optical Co|GSO]].

====[http://scopestuff.com/ ScopeStuff]====

This is a small web-based outfit selling lots of parts and accessories. One of their specialties is mounting hardware, including dovetail plates and tube rings as well as piggyback mounting hardware. They have great customer service and maintain their own database of details on a wide variety of scopes and what is needed for mounting them. If you don't now what you need, contact them and they can usually figure it out for you.

====[https://www.astronomy-mall.com/astro.parts.outlet/ Telescope Parts Outlet]====

This guy has a wide variety of used scopes and parts. He has a huge list of items available, and a lot of stuff isn't on the list. If you're missing a part or need a repair part, he's a great source, particularly for Orion, Celestron, and Meade.

====[https://smile.amazon.com/ref=smi_se_dshb_bk_smi Amazon.com]====

While Amazon does carry a large number of telescopes from various brands, caution is strongly recommended when purchasing via Amazon.

First, a lot of the products sold on Amazon are sold by other vendors through the Amazon interface. These vendors are known as resellers - they typically buy astronomical equipment from a reputable seller (listed here), and then sell it to you. While Amazon regulates this to some extent, if you're not buying FROM Amazon themselves, you may run into trouble with shipping and fulfillment as well as quality. Some buyers have reported issues with incomplete items (e.g. buying a Dob and either only getting the tube and not getting the base or only getting the base and not the tube). Others have had items damaged or lost in shipping. While Amazon typically works to make things right, often by refunding the purchase, this can be a serious hassle.

Second, most of the stuff carried on Amazon is lower-end equipment targeted at a poorly-educated retail market. In other words: lots of "department-store telescopes." A good example here is the Celestron PowerSeeker line (which is nearly entirely poor quality) is promoted and shows up prominently in search results.

Third, if you buy from a reseller, you have no warranty protection whatsoever. The vendors (Celestron, Orion, TeleVue, etc.) will not honor your purchase from a reseller. Therefore, you will have no recourse if there's anything wrong with your scope.

Lastly, the reviews on Amazon are often a very poor indicator. This is due to widespread abuse of the review system and outright fraudulent entries to boost search result positioning. This leads to lousy telescopes like the PowerSeeker 127eq receiving very high ratings and, with them, a prominent position in search results.

These problems, along with the lack of informed support from the vendor (most good vendors have informed and reasonably knowledgeable staff that can answer questions), make Amazon a very questionable source. This isn't to say you can't get decent equipment off Amazon, but that you should be extra-careful before ordering from them.

==Storefronts==

===California===

====Carlsbad====

[https://optcorp.com/ OPT]

No storefront, online only

====Watsonville====

[https://www.telescope.com/content.jsp?pageName=StoreInformation&src=footer2 Orion Telescopes & Binoculars]

89 Hangar Way Watsonville, CA 95076, (831) 763-7000

====Cupertino====

[https://www.telescope.com/content.jsp?pageName=StoreInformation&src=footer2 Orion Telescopes & Binoculars]

10555 S. De Anza Blvd. Cupertino, CA 95014, (408) 255-8770

===Texas===

====Houston====

[https://www.landseaskyco.com Land Sea and Sky and Texas Nautical Repair]

1925A Richmond Ave. Houston, TX 77098, 713-364-0260

====San Antonio====

[https://www.analyticalsci.com/ Analytical Scientific]

11049 Bandera Road
San Antonio, TX 78250
210-684-7373

=Canada=

====[https://khanscope.com/ Khan Scope Center]====

====[https://www.ontariotelescope.com/ Ontario Telescopes]====

====[https://www.kwtelescope.com/ KW Telescope]====

====[https://www.all-startelescope.com/ All Star Telescope]====

====[https://focusscientific.com/ Focus Scientific]====

=European Union=

====[https://www.astroshop.eu/ Astroshop]====

A German online telescope and other optical instrument retailer, also operates a storefront in Landsberg am Lech, Germany. Ships anywhere in Europe, and to most of the world, where commercial parcel deliveries are available.

Has an in-house brand Omegon, mostly sources optics from GSO and Synta.

====[https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/index.php/language/en Teleskop-Express]====

Another well-known German online telescope and other optical instrument retailer, located in Ebersberg, Germany. Will happily ship to pretty much anywhere in the world, for a reasonable price.

Has an in-house brand Teleskop-Service, or just TS.

=United Kingdom=

====[https://www.firstlightoptics.com/ First Light Optics]====

Probably the largest UK-based optical instrument retailer, but also will happily ship anywhere in the EU and to most of the world, operating from Exeter, Devon, UK.

====[https://www.orionoptics.co.uk/home.html Orion Optics UK]====

Not to be confused with the Orion Telescopes & Binoculars of the USA side of the world. This manufacturer and retailer mostly sells their own branded instruments, but also carries stock of other popular brands.

=Australia=

=India=

=Japan=

=South America=

Light Pollution Filters

2022-01-18T10:04:56Z

Jgroub: Additional information about the uselessness of broadband filters with the advent of LED lights

==Overview==
Light pollution filters are special filters that permit or block certain wavelengths of light in an effort to improve contrast of deep sky objects. All filters will dim the view, but their purpose is to dim light pollution and sky glow more than the object of interest by trying to allow the light from the object of interest to pass more freely.

Filters break down into three categories:

* Broadband filters (also commonly called light pollution filters or deep sky filters)
* Narrowband or UHC (ultra high contrast) filters
* Line filters, such as Oxygen-III and Hydrogen-Beta filters

==Filter Types==

===Broadband / Light Pollution Filters===

Broadband filters are the most permissive, and seek to block common wavelengths of light pollution that come from bluish-white mercury vapor or yellowish-orange sodium vapor lights. These filters do not work well if light pollution is predominantly white LED, since LED light is full-spectrum. This means that the white light from LEDs is a combination of all the colors of light; to reduce the light from LEDs, you would be reducing the light from whatever you're observing, as well. As car headlights and streetlights have been converted to LEDs in the past decade or so, broadband filters have lost most of their effectiveness. Light from the white LED light will pass right through the broadband filter.

===Narrowband / UHC Filters===

Narrowband or "UHC" filters attempt to "whitelist" only certain wavelengths rather than "blacklist" light pollution wavelengths. These filters have considerably higher contrast than broadband filters as a result, but they only work on emission nebulae since they permit only wavelengths commonly emitted by emission nebulae - Oxygen III and Hydrogen Beta.

===Line Filters===

Line filters are even more strict about what they permit than narrowband filters are. They allow transmission of only specific spectral lines, such as Oxygen III at 501nm and 496nm wavelengths or Hydrogen Beta at 486nm wavelength. Thus line filters offer the highest possible contrast, but do so at the expense of the most view brightness. Certain nebulae emit light more strongly in the O-III or H-Beta part of the spectrum. For example, the ionized gas that acts as a backdrop behind the Horse Head Nebula emits light most strongly in the H-Beta part of the spectrum, and is very low contrast. A UHC filter is often not high enough contrast to show it, an O-III filter can block it, but an H-Beta filter can be just enough to reveal it.

==Filter Characteristics==

All filters have two primary characteristics: bandwidth (how broad a range of the visible spectrum they allow), and transmission (what percentage of light they allow within the spectral range they permit. The highest quality filters have the tightest bandwidth and the highest transmission.

===Bandwidth===

Bandwidth is a measure of the width of the spectrum allowed through by the filter, in nanometers. For example, the Astronomik UHC filter has a bandwidth of 24nm, while the Astronomik UHC-E (economy) filter has a bandwidth of 35nm. ([https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/655490-2019-nebula-filters-buyers-guide/ 2019 Nebula Filters Buyer's Guide]).

The wider bandwidth of the UHC-E filter means it will have lower contrast, as it will permit more light beyond the boundaries of its target wavelengths. Conversely, the normal UHC filter does a better job of isolating only the wavelengths it wants to permit, so it has higher contrast as a result.

===Transmission===

Transmission is the other important characteristic of a filter. It is desirable to pass as much of the isolated wavelengths of light through the filter as possible to ensure maximum brightness and contrast. Similarly, a filter should minimize the transmission of the blocked wavelengths of light as much as possible. It is common for cheaper filters to maximize transmission of the isolated wavelengths of light by also permitting too much of the blocked light to pass through. Thus it's important to understand not only the light transmission percentage of the desired wavelengths, but also the light transmission percentage of the undesired wavelengths.

===Filters and Galaxies===

Generally speaking, galaxies do not benefit from filters since galaxies are full spectrum objects and do not emit light in any one particular part of the spectrum. In some cases, the emission nebulae of other galaxies (such as NGC 604) may benefit from filters, but the galaxy itself will not. A broadband / light pollution filter in an area with predominantly sodium vapor lighting may give "cooler" spiral galaxies a slight contrast enhancement, but older "warmer" elliptical galaxies may suffer as a result of the filter blocking the warmer parts of the spectrum. UHC and line filters would be detrimental to galaxy observing.

==Useful Resources==
* [https://www.prairieastronomyclub.org/filter-performance-comparisons-for-some-common-nebulae/ The Prairie Astronomy Club filter performance comparison]
* [https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/655490-2019-nebula-filters-buyers-guide/ 2019 Nebula Filter Buyer's Guide by Don Pensak]

Bird-Jones Telescope

2022-01-18T10:00:28Z

Jgroub: Adding additional negative - BUT TRUTHFUL - information on B-J scopes to hopefully keep people from buying them.

A Bird-Jones (or Jones-Bird, depending on who you talk to) Telescope (aka Bird-Jones Newtonian, Bird-Jones Reflector, Jones-Bird), is a derivative of the [[Newtonian]] telescope design.

A true Newtonian has a primary mirror with a [[parabolic mirror|parabolic]] curvature, and a flat, angled secondary mirror. A Bird-Jones telescope uses a primary mirror with a [[spherical mirror|spherical]] curvature. The primary reason for this is cost.

A parabolic curvature has a radius that varies, while the curvature of a spherical mirror has a constant radius. This makes mass-producing a spherical mirror much easier than a parabolic, which leads to cheaper production.

Due to the inherent [[spherical aberration]] caused by a spherical mirror, a correcting lens is added to the optical path, usually at the inner-end of the focuser draw-tube, to produce a corrected image. This correcting lens is usually nothing more than a [[Barlow lens]] which takes advantage of the principle of reducing aberration through increased focal length. Because the Bird-Jones design uses both mirrors and lenses, it is classified as a [[catadioptric]] telescope design.

While conceptually the Bird-Jones design can make sense, in actual practice, they do not. Almost all Bird-Jones telescopes are aimed at the budget/entry-level sector of the market. In fact, these types of telescopes are derisively referred to as "department store telescopes"; they are advertised on their boxes as being capable of incredibly high levels of magnification, such as 300x, 450x, even 675x, which simply are not possible to achieve in real world use. They typically use lower-standard optical components, both in terms of the mirrors as well as the eyepieces provided, which produce lower-quality views. Additionally, the telescope tube is placed on an extremely inexpensive mount, resulting in both shaking of the object that you're trying to view, as well as difficulty in finding the object in the first place. The manufacturers cut every possible corner to deliver the cheapest telescope possible.

Worse still, the existence of the correcting lens makes collimation significantly more difficult. When looking through the focuser to properly align components, the correcting lens prevents you from getting a focused view of the position of the secondary, and makes it exceedingly difficult to get proper adjustment. A [[Cheshire]], [[collimation cap]], or [[laser collimator]] are essentially useless due to the de-focusing accomplished by the corrector. Without a properly collimated telescope, the quality of the view will be poor. And since every reflector will eventually need to be collimated, whether that takes place in a matter of months or a year or two, what happens is that these Bird-Jones scopes will fall out of collimation, never to return to its initial state. The result is that the novice user will think that this is just what happens to all telescopes after a while, leading them to believe that the money they spent was wasted, and forever driving them out of the hobby.

Most manufacturers do not explicitly label their Bird-Jones scopes as such. The much-reviled [https://www.celestron.com/products/powerseeker-127eq-telescope Celestron PowerSeeker 127 EQ] is one such example. On their website, [[Celestron]] lists the scope as a Newtonian Reflector, when, in fact, it is a Bird-Jones.

A good way to tell if a telescope is a Bird-Jones is to compare the [[focal length]] to the physical length of the telescope tube. Generally, a Bird-Jones telescope will have a tube length that is approximately half of the focal length. For example, the above-mentioned PowerSeeker has a focal length of 1,000 mm, but the physical tube size is 508 mm. This means that there must be something to double the effective focal length, which would be the correcting Barlow lens. Indeed, it is precisely this feature of halving the physical length of the tube that leads department stores to carry Bird-Jones scopes; they can stack more boxes of telescopes in less room on their shelves.

The following is a list of entry-level reflectors, under different brand names, some of which are regular newtonians, and others which are Bird-Jones telescopes.

''Orion''

Starblast 4.5 = Regular Newt

Starblast 114mm = Regular Newt

Spaceprobe 130ST = Regular Newt

Spaceprobe 3 EQ = Regular Newt – but with a spherical mirror. The negative effects of the spherical mirror are mostly counteracted by the very long f/9.2 focal ratio.

''Celestron''

Astromaster 114 = Bird-Jones

Astromaster 130 = Regular Newt – but with a spherical mirror that causes spherical aberration

Powerseeker 114 = Regular Newt

Powerseeker 127 = Bird-Jones

Omni XLT AZ 114 = Regular Newt

Omni XLT AZ 130 = Regular Newt

Computerized 114LCM = Bird-Jones

NexStar 114SLT = Bird-Jones

NexStar 130SLT = Regular Newt

''Meade''

114EQ-AST = Bird-Jones

StarNavigator 130 = Bird-Jones

Polaris 114 = Regular Newt

Polaris 127 = Bird-Jones

Polaris 130 = Regular Newt

Lightbridge Mini 114 = Regular Newt

Lightbridge Mini 130 = Regular Newt

''Other brands''

Astronomers Without Borders One Sky = Regular Newt

Skywatcher Explorer 130M = Regular Newt

iOptron N114 = Bird-Jones

Vixen R130SF = Regular Newt

Bresser Spica 130 = Regular Newt

Bresser Messier NT130 = Regular Newt

Konusmotor 130 = Bird-Jones

Bushnell Northstar 114 = Regular Newt

Seben Big Boss 150-1400mm = Bird-Jones

ProTelescope.com’s “6” GPS Computer Controlled Reflector Telescope Astrophotography Package” = Bird-Jones

Visionking 5.9 inches 150 – 1400mm = Bird-Jones

Baytronix 150/1400 = Bird-Jones

TS-Optics Megastar1550 – 150/1400 mm = Bird-Jones

AstroVenture 6″ Short Tube Reflector Telescope = Bird-Jones